Two Decades of Using Kano's Theory of Attractive Quality: A Literature Review

Abstract

Over the past two decades, the multidimensional model of quality attributes that is often referred to as “Kano's theory of attractive quality” (Kano et al. 1984) has gained increasing exposure and acceptance among academics and practitioners alike. Despite this, no research has provided a systematic review of the subsequent development of this theory since its introduction. The aims of this study are: a) to synthesize and organize the extant literature on the subject; and b) to suggest areas that require further research. A review was conducted of 33 papers related to the theory of attractive quality. The content of these papers was analyzed and theoretical and methodological research themes were identified. The study revealed several interesting developments with respect to methodological issues. Many of these, however, lack sufficient scientific rigor to be accepted as valid contributions to the further development of the theory of attractive quality. The findings of the study also provide guidance to managers on how to incorporate the latest development of the Kano methodology available in product development and customer satisfaction studies. The study aims at helping current and future researchers, and practitioners employing the Kano methodology, to examine their methodological decisions in detail.