The impact of customer inclusion in firm governance on customers' commitment and voice behaviors

Customer inclusion in firm governance offers a potential strategy to develop customers' commitment, as well as their voice behaviors. Such practices are widespread in member-owned businesses (MOBs), which represent alternatives to traditional shareholder governance models (investor-owned businesses [IOBs]) by providing for customers' legal ownership and control over managers. However, relationship marketing research on these firm governance strategies is sparse; to address this knowledge gap, the current study investigates the influence of customers' inclusion in firm governance on their commitment to the firm and voice behaviors (i.e., willingness to suggest service improvements and issue complaints). A field study of 310 French customers in the retail banking sector reveals that MOB customers have stronger feelings of psychological ownership of firms than IOB customers, which leads to their greater commitment to firms and their greater voice intentions. These findings have implications for theory, practice, and further research.