How Will Self-Manufacture and the Maker Movement Reshape Consumer Preferences?

Abstract

Overview: The rising popularity of desktop 3D printing technology (that is, consumer-grade additive manufacturing) is enabling the emergence of “makers,” which are individuals who self-manufacture their own products rather than purchase finished goods from firms. This article explores how the growing phenomenon of self-manufacture affects such individuals’ satisfaction with and willingness to pay for 3D-printed products. The study considers a factor that prior researchers of customer co-creation have identified that increases user satisfaction—namely, the sentiment of creating, which users garner from participating in self-design and self-manufacture. Using unique survey data from a university 3D printing lab, the study determined that self-manufacture has a stronger influence than co-creation on users’ willingness to pay for 3D-printed products. As a result, the findings offer preliminary evidence of the effects of self-manufacture that have implications for innovation scholars and managers who seek to understand the disruptive behavior of consumers that make their own products.