Service Co-creation Research Articles

Teacher’s service-dominant orientation: scale development and validation

ABSTRACT The literature suggests that the co-creation of higher education value, from the perspective of the service-dominant logic (SDL), begins in the teaching-learning process, and the results of this process shape the entire ecosystem of higher education value for economic and social development. From this perspective, it is important to identify strategic tools that foster the co-creation of services and value during the teaching-learning process. As a contribution, this article presents the first proposal for a scale to measure teachers’ service-dominant orientation (SDO) in higher education. This proposal was operationalised using a literature review and qualitative and quantitative empirical approaches involving six stages and supported by three studies. Conceptualised as a portfolio of interaction capabilities that teachers can strategically develop to foster co-creation in higher education, the Teacher S-D Orientation scale is presented, made up of five capacities: individual interactions (four items), relational interactions (four items), ethical interactions (three items), empowered interactions (three items) and developmental interactions (four items). Considering that from the SDL perspective, the strength of the student-teacher relationship is a decisive factor in co-creation during the teaching-learning process, the external validation of the SDO scale was ensured, with the results suggesting that the teacher’s SDO has a significant impact on the relationship quality in higher education. The scale validation has implications for both marketing and educational literature. The article concludes with recommendations for teachers and management of higher education institutions.

Comprehending roles of virtual service assistant’s warmth and competence for service co-creation versus service recovery

PurposeBased on the stereotype content model (SCM), this study aims to enrich comprehension of virtual service assistant (VSA)-enabled service delivery through two pivotal avenues. Firstly, it aims to conceptualize and test the fundamental mechanism underlying how businesses deploy services using VSAs. Secondly, this study explores whether the paradigms of service co-creation versus service recovery differentially impact customers’ perceptions of warmth and competence in VSA-enabled service delivery.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a one-factorial (service paradigm: service co-creation vs service recovery) field experiment. Covariance-based structural equation modelling was used to analyze the data.FindingsThe results show that VSA service quality dimensions impact satisfaction for service co-creation and both trust and satisfaction for service recovery. The stronger link that mediates this effect is competence for service co-creation and warmth for service recovery.Originality/valueThis research extends the understanding of SCM to VSA-enabled services and shows the asymmetries of mediation between the paradigms of service co-creation versus service recovery to suggest the most effective approach for VSAs to successfully meet customer requirements for establishing trust and satisfaction.

Exploring the nexus of smart technologies and sustainable ecotourism: A systematic review

Sustainable smart ecotourism, utilizing smart technologies like smartphones, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT), aims to minimize harm to natural and cultural ecosystems, promoting education and environmental conservation. This review aims to examine the concept of sustainable smart ecotourism, analyzing existing literature to gain insights into the significance, components, challenges, and contributions to sustainable development on a global scale. A systematic review was conducted to evaluate sustainable smart ecotourism using PRISMA guidelines. The review focused on scholarly, peer-reviewed studies from developing countries, using databases like ScienceDirect, Jstor, Taylor & Francis, and IEEE. The study used Joanna Briggs Institute and Cochrane Risk of Bias tools to assess study quality. Thematic analysis techniques were used to extract and synthesize data, identifying patterns and trends relevant to smart ecotourism sustainability. Dual analyst verification ensured data integrity and reliability. After conducting a thorough quality evaluation using the Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist and Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool, we identified 29 studies of exceptional quality from an original pool of 9583 records. The use of thematic analysis sheds light on the diverse and important role of the IoT in promoting sustainable ecotourism. This study uncovered both the obstacles and possibilities associated with this technology. The findings provide important insights into the worldwide implementation of smart ecotourism techniques and highlight the significant impact of technology in promoting sustainable tourism models. Smart ecotourism involves multiple stakeholders to enhance environmental impact. Key characteristics include dynamic interactions, co-creation of value, sustainable development, resource sharing, and innovation services. Technology like IoT is crucial for sustainable tourism management. Collaboration with governments, local stakeholders, and organizations is recommended for sustainable policies. As a result of this study, sustainable ecotourism policies result from a collaborative effort between local communities, government agencies, and practitioners in the industry. Smart technologies, including AR/VR and AI, have the potential to enhance operational efficiency while reducing environmental concerns. Ecotourism, partnerships, and education are key to successful implementation and capacity building.

Empowering co-creation of services with artificial intelligence: an empirical analysis to examine adoption intention

PurposeCo-creation of services (CCOS) is a collaborative strategy that emphasises customer involvement and their expertise to increase the value of the service experience. In the service ecosystem, artificial intelligence (AI) plays a key role in value co-creation. Therefore, this study is undertaken to empirically uncover how AI can empower CCOS.Design/methodology/approachThe source data were collected from 305 service provider respondents and quantitative methodology was applied for data analysis.FindingsNew service development augmented with AI provides tangible value to service providers while also providing intangible value to supportive customers. With AI, service providers adapt to new innovations and enrich additional information, which eventually outperforms human-created services.Research limitations/implicationsAI adoption for CCOS empowerment in service businesses brings “service-market fit”, which represents the significant benefits wherein customers contribute to creativity, intuition, and contextual awareness of services, and AI contributes to large-scale service-related analysis by handling volumes of data, service personalisation, and more time to focus on challenging problems of the market.Originality/valueThis study presents theoretical concepts on AI-empowered CCOS, AI technological innovativeness, customer participation in human-AI interaction, AI-powered customer expertise, and perceived benefits in CCOS, and subsequently discusses the CCOS empowerment framework. Then, it proposes a novel conceptual model based on the theoretical concepts and empirically measures and validates the intention to adopt AI for CCOS empowerment. Overall, the study contributes to novel insight on empowering service co-creation with AI.

The Living Lab to promote educating community development in an inclusive perspective, between innovation and participation

In recent decades, changes in productive and social dynamics have profoundly influenced socio-economic environments, which are now characterized by phenomena such as globalization, the omnipresence of technology and the loosening of social networks. These changes have led to a growing alienation of the individual from the public sphere. In this context, education must focus on fostering in both students and the community a sense of responsibility and belonging, which are essential elements for active participation in political life and building inclusive communities. In light of these premises, the paper illustrates the first steps of a research aimed at the design and implementation of an innovative system for the training of education professionals through a Living Lab, intended as an action-research approach operating between community and innovation. This approach, based on action-research, involves communities and innovation to develop a digital platform that fosters the sharing of inclusive practices. The goal is aligned with international policies and recent scientific debate, which emphasize the need for sustainable growth models that reduce inequalities and combat social exclusion. The Living Lab is configured as a methodology that enhances the involvement of end users in the design and co-creation of innovative training services. This approach not only collects data on the process itself, but implements interventions with short, medium and long-term impacts. In summary, the Living Lab represents an opportunity to develop innovative educational practices, integrating evidence-based research, professional experience and perspectives of people with disabilities, in order to create more inclusive and sustainable communities.

User-generated content effectiveness in co-creation of online higher educational services

ABSTRACT Improvement of student services is increasingly important for institutions providing higher education in today's competitive market. Consequently, leveraging the online content generated by students is an effective means of actively involving customers in the educational process. As a result, the co-creation of innovative educational services through user-generated content (UGC) has become imperative. Engaging students in the service development process requires the adoption of an appropriate New Service Development (NSD) model, enabling the implementation of a co-creation strategy. The present study investigates this phenomenon by examining user-generated content on a website dedicated to higher education services. Employing the thematic analysis approach, 46 themes were identified that can be utilized in the development of new higher educational services. The findings demonstrate the potential of user-generated content in implementing a co-creation strategy at every stage of the new service development process.

Participation of older adults in the digital co-creation of long-term care services with the SoCaTel platform

Although the European Commission has promoted the use of co-creation methodology for social services, this innovative practice has not yet been uniformly introduced in Europe. The SoCaTel platform was released with open access to promote and implement a digital co-creation platform involving all stakeholders, especially older adults and their carers, in long-term care. Using an innovative methodology applied in four European sites (Spain, Finland, Ireland and Hungary), in this article, we investigate the acceptance of this technology among older adults, its effectivity as a virtual support tool in the context of COVID-19 and its potential for developing digital repertoires.

Psychosocial factors contributing to value creation in value-based healthcare: a scoping review.

Healthcare systems constantly evolve to improve care quality and resource utilization. One way is implementing Value-Based Healthcare (VBHC) an economic approach. This scoping review aims to identify and describe the literature on VBHC, particularly its psychosocial aspects, to uncover research gaps. The review followed the PRISMA guidelines for Scoping Reviews. We took the following 14 steps: (a) defining the research question; (b) identifying relevant studies; (c) selecting studies; (d) 15 mapping data; (e) collecting, synthesizing and reporting results. A detailed Boolean search was conducted from January 2021 to August 31, 2021, across APA PsycINFO and PubMed databases using keywords such as "Value-Based Healthcare" and "psychosocial perspective." Initially, three reviewers screened 70 e-records independently, assessing titles, abstracts, and full-text against the inclusion criteria. Discrepancies regarding the evaluation of the articles were resolved through consensus sessions between the reviewers. The final review included 14 relevant e-records in English from peer-reviewed sources, focusing on quantitative and qualitative research. From the analysis, four areas emerged: (1) Value chains in Healthcare; (2) Styles, activities, and practices of value co-creation in Healthcare; (3) Value co-creation in the encounter process; (4) Value co-creation in preventive health services. The scoping review findings suggest several potential key aspects, including the interdependence between patients and healthcare organizations, organizational culture in healthcare, and the role of patient-centered approaches that focus on relationships, communication, and social support in healthcare. This can be achieved through patient engagement, patient-centered care and communication, health literacy, psychosocial support services, comprehensive psychosocial assessments, care coordination, and continuity of care. Integrating psychosocial elements in VHBC enhances quality and optimizes resource use. Findings highlight the need to develop practical guidance on how to implement a culture of value in care that takes into account the psychosocial aspects that have emerged, but not fully addressed. The pandemic teaches that the workforce poorly receives sudden and unsystematic changes. This review could provide an initial basis for the redesign of value in healthcare and a paradigm shift that has already begun with patient-centered medicine and patient engagement.

Creating or destroying value for users? Lessons about activation from qualitative studies in Norway and Denmark

ABSTRACT This article contributes to a growing stream of research on service co-creation and users’ experiences and use of activation services. In public management research, the idea of a public service logic has gained increasing prominence. A key point is that a better understanding of what a service genuinely is, has implications for how to develop more user-centric and efficient services. This article applies a public service logic in a critical interpretive synthesis of qualitative research findings regarding users’ experiences with activation services in Denmark and Norway. It shows that activation services are necessarily co-created, as users contribute resources to co-create services. Only users can transform these services into individual value, helping them in their process towards work. Services made by utilizing users’ resources but not answering to users’ needs may destroy individual value. Some activation services tend to contribute more to individual value creation than other services, but most services can contribute to both value creation and destruction, depending on users’ needs and circumstances. Public services must also create public value. Services users are obliged to participate in co-creating and which give priority to the creation of public value, such as clarifying eligibility for long term benefits often lead to the destruction of individual value. Taking users’ co-creation of service as a starting point in the design of and research on activation services will contribute to provide more user-centric services, increase the priority given to creation of individual over public value and thereby improve the outcome of activation policy.

The Thursday Appetizer series: a community of practice for healthy and active aging in Barcelona. Identification of challenges to design innovative solutions that respond to the real needs of older persons.

In response to major challenges facing the aging population, we have launched the Barcelona Aging coLLaboratory (BALL), an open-innovation ecosystem focused on promoting healthy and active aging through the co-creation, development, testing and evaluation of innovative products and services in real-life settings. In line with the quadruple helix innovation framework, BALL engages all relevant stakeholders -older persons, caregivers, health and social care providers, third sector institutions, research and universities, and private companies- in this process. 
 The point of entry by which BALL gives a voice to citizens, older persons and caregivers is the “Thursday Appetizer” series, which consists of participatory sessions during which seniors and other stakeholders work together on generating ideas and defining how to implement and evaluate them. The mission of the project is to identify aging-related challenges at local and global levels and to develop potential solutions. A 3-session pilot phase is currently underway, following a waterfall methodology, with each session conditioning the following one. The first session focused on identifying general challenges related to aging. We followed a brainstorming methodology and classified all challenges identified into four categories: digital gap (connectivity and access to information), loneliness, age discrimination and the defense of the rights of older people, and planning for healthy and active aging. The second session focuses on prioritizing one of these groups and exploring possible solutions to face that specific challenge, again adopting a brainstorming methodology. The third session, then, focuses on these solutions in greater depth, comparing and contrasting them and analyzing strengths and weaknesses and commonalities and differences, with the goal of eventually co-creating a specific product or service. If needed, experts in the area of the challenge being tackled will be invited to participate in future “Thursday Appetizer” sessions.
 Once the pilot stage is finished, we will provide feedback to participants by sending them a wrap-up of the three sessions, as well as a personalized thank you letter including information regarding resources appropriate to their needs. Furthermore, we will conduct an evaluation of the impact and viability of the pilot in order to co-design a scale-up strategy for 2023, along with participants and the rest of stakeholders. Results of this initiative will be openly published on the BALL website (www.ballaginglab.org) and disseminated in order to increase the social awareness and to attract additional participants. Our long-term objective is to turn the “Thursday Appetizer” series into the breeding ground of innovative products and services co-created by BALL. This way, we will ensure that the solutions we propose adequately respond to real needs from the very beginning. 
 By including the views of end users from the very beginning, we expect to shorten the delay between the detection of needs and the social return on innovation in aging.

Barcelona Aging coLLaboratory (BALL): an open-innovation ecosystem to co-create and test innovative solutions for older people in real-life settings.

Currently, more than 700 million people worldwide are, at least, 65 years old, with this number expected to surpass 1 billion by 2050. Multi-morbidity and complex health and social care needs will increase in turn, exacerbating the demands for policies and services aimed at older adults, which the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted as lacking. Furthermore, the increased life expectancy and a more participatory society underline a change in roles, with seniors becoming not just consumers but also producers, constituting a vital part of the economy. 
 With other nine institutions from Catalonia, Spain, the PSPV recently launched the Barcelona Aging coLLaboratory (BALL), an open-innovation, person-centered ecosystem, based on the systemic co-creation of services and products with older people. BALL aims to integrate research and innovation processes in the real-life settings of our communities, as well as to act as an intermediary between citizens, research institutions, universities, private companies and public administrations, thereby adopting a quadruple-helix innovation framework, to co-create value and to prototype, validate and scale-up innovation. The ten participating organizations represent older adults and their caregivers, health and social care providers, research centers and universities, and small- and medium-sized enterprises. Aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals, BALL seeks to: establish communities of practice aimed at carrying out systemic diagnoses in our communities to identify real needs and challenges related to aging, and propose strategic and operational plans; co-create and implement complex interventions and new services that respond to those real needs; co-create innovative products and test them with end-users in real-life settings. BALL is creating an ethics framework to guarantee the protection, safety and reward of participants in the co-creation process. 
 Since its conception in 2021, BALL has incorporated several innovative projects in its catalogue: ADMIT, focused on transforming the health and social care model in order to ensure integrated care; MoviMent, which alters the physical environment and employs gamification techniques to improve physical activity and cognitive function in older adults admitted to hospitals or long-term care facilities; UDhA-AGIL-App, aimed at guiding healthcare professionals in the prescription of physical activity for older adults according to their needs (physical and cognitive function and technological knowledge) and preferences through a decision support algorithm; AI-EAT, a care robot that seeks to assist disabled older adults with feeding; A-MIDA, a person-centered approach for optimizing pharmacological interventions according to life expectancy and frailty instead of age; and QCOA, a toolkit for evaluating long-term care facilities based on PROMs and PREMs. 
 The impact of BALL will be evaluated yearly in terms of: number of projects, number of pilots tested, number of solutions introduced into the marketplace, number of co-creation sessions and personal interviews performed, different user profiles, number of grant applications and their characteristics (national or European), visibility in media and congresses, number of new sponsorships and market impact/value, among others. We expect to influence the health and social care system and society as a whole by increasing awareness on aging challenges, influencing polices for healthy aging and enhancing local economic activities related to aging." Results: The core components of PN programmes for cancer prevention among PEH agreed cross-nationally with all the relevant key participants are (1) Promote cancer awareness and self-management (Facilitate the delivery of cancer education; Promote healthy behaviours and preventative measures; Encourage user involvement in health-related decisions), (2) Identify health needs and barriers (Develop a personalised approach to assessing user need; Seek solutions regarding barriers to care), (3) Co-ordinate access to care (Develop trusting relationships with and facilitate communication between local health and social care providers; Enhance understanding of the needs of PEH among local health and social care providers; Arrange referrals to healthcare services and cancer screening; Co-ordinate and support attendance of appointments), (4) Offer practical assistance (Arrange transportation, mobile phones, clothing, access to hygiene facilities, and storage of medication; Assist with completion of paperwork).
 Lessons learned: Results from the discussions indicate a high level of consistency and cross-national agreement about what the core components of the intervention should be, and how this should be designed and implemented.
 Next Steps: This intervention will be adapted to reflect the country-specifics, to ensure that the PN is appropriate to the four local contexts in which it is piloted. 
 Bibliography
 Carmichael, C., Smith, L., Aldasoro, E., Gil-Salmerón, A., Alhambra-Borrás, T., Doñate-Martínez, A.,
 Seiler-Ramadas, R. & Grabovac, I. (2022) Exploring the application of the navigation model with
 people experiencing homelessness: a scoping review, Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness. DOI:
 10.1080/10530789.2021.2021363

Public values? A systematic literature review into the outcomes of public service co-creation

ABSTRACT Co-creation is viewed as a promising way to realize public values. Reviewing 88 items following the PRISMA-protocol we confirm that public service co-creation realizes public values in terms of better services and democratic quality of governance, not necessarily in terms of better relations between citizens and government. We find some preliminary evidence that co-creation might not lead to the same outcomes across different policy domains. Professional facilitation is of uttermost importance given the demanding nature of co-creation to attain positive outcomes, especially when working with vulnerable groups. We offer a conceptual framework to research public service co-creation conditions and outcomes.

Lean thinking in value co-creation:

Objective: The goal of this paper is to identify both the opportunities and barriers to adopting Lean Thinking for value co-creation in agro-industrial services. Design/methodology/approach: This research paper comprises a methodical review of the literature on value co-creation in agro-industrial services, with a specific focus on Lean Thinking. The authors utilized Bardin's (2011) content analysis approach to examine the resulting portfolio and derive insights into the prospects and challenges of implementing Lean Thinking in value co-creation within the agro-industrial services sector. Findings: The opportunities and barriers for the adoption of Lean Thinking in value co-creation in agro-industrial services were identified by the authors, who also proposed ways to overcome the obstacles. In total, five opportunities and five barriers were recognized. Originality: This study represents a novel effort in identifying the opportunities and barriers of implementing Lean Thinking in value co-creation for agro-industrial services. The findings may guide decision-making processes and strategic actions aimed at enhancing the agro-industrial market. Practical implications: The identified opportunities and barriers can provide a foundation for guiding strategies that direct agribusiness players in making informed decisions, while also mitigating waste through collaborative efforts among multiple companies. It can also guide players towards value aggregation in their products and/or processes by promoting co-created services among players, in line with the principles of Lean Thinking. Social implications: Efficient value co-creation in agro-industrial services can result in improved well-being, convenience, and service offerings for society. It can also add value to products through services and create more employment opportunities in the agro-industrial sector.

Building communities of health: the experience of European social clinics

Abstract Social clinics are grassroots health initiatives characterized by the development of mutualist practices of healthcare provision and the articulation of their action at territorial and community level. The present paper explores the development and implementation of community participation practices across three social clinics in Europe: social clinic of solidarity KIA in Greece, Village2Santé in France, and Microclinica Fatih in Italy. Drawing on findings collected through qualitative methods, our paper reflects on three overlapping themes of community participation highlighting its collective and eminently political character. Inspired by the frameworks of health promotion, comprehensive Primary Health Care and community development, we analyze three levels of community participation in the social clinics: participatory medical practices, the co-creation of health services, and the connection with broader social movements. Our paper contributes to the literature on community development by stressing the urge to reimagine the principles and practices of community participation through the creation of alternative forms of organizing and of radical empowerment. At the same time, it can inspire practitioners in experimenting with community participation initiatives from a more critical perspective, resisting the worst elements of neoliberalism.

11.K. Workshop: Involvement of Older People in Co-creation or Co-production of Health Promoting Community Services

Abstract Reasons for the workshop Involvement of older people in health promoting community services is widely used to promote healthy aging and mobilize citizens’ resources and resources from civil society to address the changes and complex challenges faced by municipalities in societies with aging populations. Co-creation and co-production of services are significant concepts in releasing this potential by involving core stakeholders as equal partners acknowledging their substantial contribution in the development and delivery of community services. The literature on involvement of older people is however sparse and it is thus important to explore the values but also possible drawbacks of such initiatives and adapt these to contextual logics embedded in the empirical field. The objective of the workshop is A) to share knowledge, raise questions and discuss the conceptualisation and application of the concepts of user involvement, co-production and co-creation targeting older people within health promoting community services. Also, it is to B) encourage critical reflection and a discussion about the values, challenges, the potential unintended negative consequences of involvement of older people, including those that live with frailty or vulnerabilities. Added value This workshop will present an overview of a large field of literature on involvement, co-production and co-creation and illustrate how researchers within health promotion among older people may interpret and use these concepts empirically. The joint presentations and discussion will combine theoretical concepts and practical examples and stimulate improved practices regarding involvement of older citizens in health promoting community services. Coherence between presentations and the workshop format: The presentations all revolve around the concepts of involvement, co-creation, and co-production in relation to health promoting community services targeting older people and offer empirical examples on how the concept has been applied in practice and the challenges that may emerge. The workshop will start with a short introduction and invitation of the participants to share their thoughts on its topic from the chair (5 min) followed by four 10-minute presentations. First, Egilstrød will clarify and discuss the theoretical concepts of co-creation and co-production of health promoting community services. This will be followed by Terkelsen who will share empirical insights and learning from co-crating of social activities with older people in senior village followed by Langersgaard who will share challenges and highlights from co-creation of community services targeting frail older people. Finally, Petersen will discuss on the current knowledge about the values but also potential unintended, negative consequences of involvement in community health services. In the final part of the workshop (15 min), the chair will introduce and moderate a general discussion of aim B with the audience. Key messages • User involvement, co-creation and co-production are often used without a clear definition or description of how it has been carried out and what has been obtained. • Recruitment and involvement of older citizens are challenging and stronger awareness about how to improve the value and eliminate potential negative consequences is needed.

Consumers' paradoxical motives of co-creation: From self-service technology to crowd-sourcing platform

Self-service technologies (SSTs) have unleashed the productive potential of modern consumers, while crowd-sourcing (CS) platforms have further elevated the co-creation role of consumers. In this regard, consumers participate to serve not only themselves privately but also other consumers in social/communal settings. Thus, this study aims to explore and compare consumers' motives to co-create using technological platforms in both private and social contexts. A conceptual framework was developed by integrating the theory of technological paradoxes with co-creation literature. Additionally, a social-exchange perspective was adopted to rationalise the differences in private-social contexts and the moderating effects on consumer co-creation motives. The study data (n = 500) were collected using a questionnaire survey and analysed using structural equation modelling. The paradoxical motives of empowerment and shared responsibility were found to be significant contributors to consumers' willingness to co-create, confirming the independence/jointness paradox that shapes technology-mediated service co-creation. Furthermore, the communal setting of CS platforms tends to suppress consumers' empowerment motive, making responsibility-sharing the dominant motive. Therefore, the findings of this study validate (partially with mixed statistical/descriptive evidence) the moderating effect of co-creation contexts on the perceived technological paradox. Finally, this study presents the theoretical and practical implications of the research findings.

Ecosystem Well-Being and Resilience: Lessons from Crisis Management in Service Organizations

ABSTRACT Purpose In this paper, we investigate the strategies and approaches adopted by service organizations to navigate a humanitarian crisis and the lessons learnt from the crisis to face a future one. Understanding the effect of a crisis triggered by health pandemic hazards on services delivery and management, organizational strategies for survival and recovery, and the recovery post-crisis, in terms of building organizational and ecosystem resilience, is the focus of this paper. Design/Methodology/Approach Using a qualitative research design which closely approximates the theory-in-use (TIU) approach (Zeithaml et al. 2020), we interview 47 elite informants from service organizations that were particularly severely impacted by the crisis. We follow Corbin and Strauss’s (2014) procedure for analysis of the interviews (i.e., open, axial and selective coding) and Saldaña (2013) for thematic analysis. Findings Drawing on Transformative Service Research (TSR) and dynamic capabilities perspective, we develop an empirical framework of crisis management which focuses on dynamic co-creation of service ecosystem well-being and resilience. Service organization responses included 1) retrenchment and balancing supply and demand, 2) service re-design and provision, 3) imposed service innovations, 4) digital servitization and 5) rethinking business models. Aiding with the process of crisis management in the face of uncertainty are dynamic capabilities, including strategic flexibility, market orientation, customer centricity, transformational leadership, and technological/digital capabilities. Originality/Value/Contribution The study provides a novel applied framework which sheds light on how organizations that co-created value with other firms, suppliers, customers, stakeholders (the focus of B2B marketing) fundamentally transformed their services to fulfill human and ecosystem actors’ needs, by placing well-being right at the center of their crisis management strategies. We combine the TSR lens on service ecosystem well-being and resilience with the dynamic capabilities perspective to explore how service organizations managed the COVID-19 crisis and what lessons can be learnt to face any future crisis. We argue that well-being and resilience are dependent on a service co-creation process that involves multiple ecosystem stakeholders at the individual, organizational, community and societal levels. We have built on Anderson’s et al. (2013) and Chen et al. (2020) work to explore empirically how well-being can be co-created in time of crisis. The process of value co-creation, through the responses identified in our paper (e.g., digital servitization and imposed innovations), were adopted to provide physical, health, financial and social safety to the service ecosystem actors (primarily customers, employees, and managers) during the pandemic. Practical implications The findings contribute to the service marketing practice by identifying the managerial strategies that blend TSR and dynamic capabilities. The study provides an applied framework which sheds light on how organizations fundamentally transform their services to fulfill human and ecosystem actors’ needs, by placing well-being right at the center of their crisis management strategies. Well-being became a function of fulfilling the most basic human needs (belonging, safety, security and hygiene) of customers, employees, managers and communities. Our research helps managers and decision-makers to identify the right strategies and capabilities needed to manage a crisis. Critically, managers should stress building the skills of market orientation, digitalization and strategic flexibility to manage uncertainty. Service organizations require flexible and integrative decision-makers who elevate service innovation to a core strategic issue to come out from a crisis.

Well-being co-creation in service ecosystems: a systematic literature review

Purpose Following the continued development of transformative service research and the prevalence of the service-dominant logic in services marketing literature, increased scholarly interest centers on the co-creation of service actors’ well-being. In light of this significant evolution in service research, this study aims to provide a systematic review and synthesis of the growing, fragmented body of literature on well-being co-creation in services. Design/methodology/approach The hybrid systematic review approach combines bibliometric and framework-based literature reviews to analyze a sample of 160 article obtained from the Web of Science database. To examine the conceptual structure of the research domain, VOSviewer is used for conducting a bibliometric coupling analysis and a keyword co-occurrence analysis. Next, a content analysis is used to explore how the extant literature addresses the key concepts of service actors’ participation in co-creation, their resource integration and well-being outcomes across the micro-, meso- and macro levels of service ecosystems. Findings Service actors’ participation and resource integration are key theoretical concepts for understanding well-being co-creation. Yet, a comprehensive overview of well-being co-creation across the different levels of service ecosystems is lacking due to the presence of various application contexts, levels of aggregation, theoretical backgrounds and methodological perspectives. A conceptual framework of well-being co-creation in service ecosystems is developed, highlighting the participation of multilevel service actors and suggesting priorities for further research. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper represents a first effort to systematically review and organize growing literature on well-being co-creation in service ecosystems.

Co-creation service readiness model: a decision support for the selection of public services suitable for improvement through co-creation

PurposeThis paper aims to develop a model that supports public organisations in making informed strategic decisions as to which public services are most suitable to be improved through co-creation. Thus, it first identifies the features that make public services (un)suitable for co-creation and then applies this knowledge to develop a multi-criteria decision support model for the assessment of their co-creation readiness.Design/methodology/approachThe decision support model is the result of design science research. While its structure is determined by a qualitative multi-criteria decision analysis, its substance builds on a content analysis of Web of Science papers and over a dozen empirical case studies.FindingsThe model is comprised of 13 criteria clustered into two groups: service readiness criteria from the perspective of service users and service readiness criteria from the perspective of a public organisation.Research limitations/implicationsThe model attributes rely on a limited number of empirical cases and references from the literature review. The model was tested by only one public organisation on four of its services.Originality/valueThe paper shifts the research focus from organisational properties and capacity, as the key co-creation drivers and barriers, to features of public services as additional factors that affect the prospect of co-creation. Thus, it makes a pioneering step towards the conceptualisation of the idea of “service readiness for co-creation” and the development of a practical instrument that supports co-creation in the public sector.

Detecting and managing the mechanism of perceived meaningfulness of work and digital transformation in public sector health and social care services

This paper provides new insights into perceptions of the meaningfulness of work of service professionals and how it is constructed in the new context of digitalised health and social care long-term services, intended to offer co-created services. It elucidates the criteria evaluating the success of the digital services from the viewpoint of the service professionals. The paper presents case data from advanced digitalised services in Finland based on in-depth interviews with eighteen service professionals. Citing a broad range of literature, the paper carefully defines meaningfulness and co-creation in the context of long-term social and healthcare services and using a Vygotskian approach to social learning, it provides evidence of how context influences perceptions of successful change and of meaningfulness. In doing so, the paper suggests that the context for these digitalised services is best viewed from: (a) the stakeholder ecosystem, (b) the service context and (c) the service delivery framework. While most research on digitalized health and social care services focuses solely on the success or failure of the service, this paper adds to the body of knowledge around the impact of the meaningfulness of work for the professionals involved. The paper concludes with recommendations for influencing meaningfulness in relation to digital co-creation platforms in public sector health and social care services.