Co-creation Framework Research Articles

Co-creating communities: Fandoms in tourism spaces

Fandoms as expressions of popular culture are characterized by common interests and a sense of belonging and community. Creating and participating in communities is an inherent part of fandom, with tourism providing spaces for this community building to occur face to face. Overlaps between tourism and fandoms have been identified in popular culture (e.g. film tourism contexts); previous research, however, is characterized by disciplinary fragmentation and ambiguous transferability. This article introduces a conceptual framework of fan-based community co-creation, taking into account different intensities of fan involvement as well as factors that contribute to a psychologically perceived sense of community. The framework’s applicability to on-site tourism activities and fan-based events is illustrated, and recommendations for its empirical verification are provided.

Framework for Design Thinking Outside the Design Profession: An Analysis of Design Thinking Implementations

Over the past decade, the term “design thinking” has received increasing attention in a wide range of contexts and has become increasingly familiar beyond the professional design arena. Exploration of potential cross-boundary engagements and the role of design as an agent of change for both innovation and social transformation are two main mechanisms underlying the burgeoning discussion of design thinking in areas outside the design profession. This study provides an insight into the implementation of a design-thinking approach in non-designerly contexts. To investigate how design thinking is understood and applied in relation to non-designerly thinking, an analysis was undertaken of 345 articles from the Scopus database between 2002 and 2017 that included “design thinking” as a keyword. It was found that design thinking serves as a mechanism that enables and promotes innovation and social transformation. The results show that design thinking can foster new approaches to innovation as well as complex and persistent social problems through a framework of co-creation, systemic thinking, abductive reasoning, and iteration. The findings reveal that initiatives using design-thinking approaches can deliver positive outcomes in the fields of business management, social innovation, and education.

Defining the antecedents of experience co-creation as applied to alternative consumption models

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework of experience co-creation that captures the multi-dimensionality of this construct, as well as a research process for defining of the antecedents of experience co-creation.Design/methodology/approachThe framework of experience co-creation was conceptualized by means of a literature review. Subsequently, this framework was used as the conceptual basis for a qualitative content analysis of 66 empirical papers investigating alternative consumption models (ACMs), such as renting, remanufacturing, and second-hand models.FindingsThe qualitative content analysis resulted in 12 categories related to the consumer and 9 related to the ACM offerings that represent the antecedents of experience co-creation. These categories provide evidence that, to a large extent, the developed conceptual framework allows one to capture the multi-dimensionality of the experience co-creation construct.Research limitations/implicationsThis study underscores the understanding of experience co-creation as a function of the characteristics of the offering – which are, in turn, a function of the consumers’ motives as determined by their lifeworlds – as well as to service design as an iterative approach to finding, creating and refining service offerings.Practical implicationsThe investigation of the antecedents of experience co-creation can enable service providers to determine significant consumer market conditions for forecasting the suitability and viability of their offerings and to adjust their service designs accordingly.Originality/valueThis paper provides a step toward the operationalization of the dimension-related experience co-creation construct and presents an approach to defining the antecedents of experience co-creation by considering different research perspectives that can enhance service design research.

Comparing Three Methods to Capture Multidimensional Service Experience in Children’s Health Care: Video Diaries, Narratives, and Semistructured Interviews

Interest in studying experiences has grown rapidly; however, little attention has been paid to the applicability of qualitative methods for capturing the service experience in children’s health care. This study examined and compared three data collection methods to capture the multidimensional service experience of child patients and their families: video diaries with child patients, narrative interviews with parents of a child patient, and semistructured interviews with health-care professionals working with child patients. The methods were analyzed with respect to their benefits and limitations and their applicability for capturing the multidimensional service experience presented by service experience co-creation framework, including the temporal, factual, spatial, locus, control, and organizational dimensions. The key findings are as follows: (A) The video diary method has the potential to capture the temporally broad and spatially complex phenomenon of child patients’ service experience and enables researchers to capture service experience created beyond the hospital setting (e.g., through hobbies or in school). (B) Narratives with parents have the potential to capture the temporal, spatial, locus, and organizational dimensions through stories and are well-suited for mapping children’s experiences and the actors influencing them. (C) Semistructured interviews with health-care professionals have the potential to capture a generalized but temporally narrow view of the service experience of child patients, concentrating on experiences within hospital settings. This is beneficial for developing health-care service providers’ actions. Structured analysis and comparison of methods guides researchers to select appropriate methods to take a complementary approach in the understanding of experiences in the context of children’s health care.

The Development of Reference Model for Social Commerce E-Marketplaces based on Value Co-Creation Framework

The Development of Reference Model for Social Commerce E-Marketplaces based on Value Co-Creation Framework

Towards a Sustainable Value Co-Creation Framework: Ethical Cognitive Couture, Cognitive System, and Sustainability

The aim of this paper is to develop a sustainable value co-creation (SVCC) conceptual framework in which ethical cognitive couture (ECC) brand stakeholders cocreate value for sustainability facilitated by cognitive system and ethical criteria compliance. As per most literature on service dominant logic (SDL) perspective, all providers are service providers, and service is the fundamental basis of exchange. Even though SDL paradigm has contributed to the conceptualization of “value co-creation”, so far, no academic research study has investigated the role played by the stakeholders in ECC products and services sustainability. Sustainable value cocreation (SVCC) - a business strategy focused on inscribing economic, socio-cultural and environmental issues by recognizing sustainable competitive advantage that bring about community benefit. The research methodology utilizes literature review, relevant databases analytics, and multiple case studies that facilitates broad keywords search, identify high quality peer reviewed papers to obtain perspective on ECC brands to conceptualize a SVCC framework. The contribution of this study provides valuable insights, for the first-time, bestowing new knowledge to the literature on sustainable value co-creation (SVCC) framework elaborating systematically the five building blocks - Risk, Exchange, Advantage, Communication, and Transparency (REACT) and practices adopted by the stakeholders for the ECC market. This comprehensive framework can serve as an education model and practice guide for academia, industry practitioners, policy makers and non-profit organizations.

From B2B to A4A: An Integrated Framework for Viable Value Co-Creation

The work aims at introducing a new framework to analyse the dynamics among agents in marketing-oriented management (Gummesson and Polese, 2009) according to a system view on value co-creation (Vargo and Lusch, 2017). By overcoming the product-oriented distinction between producers and consumers in the B2B (Businessto- Business) and B2C (Business-to-Consumer) classifications, the paper presents the shift to Service-Dominant logic (S-D logic - Vargo and Lusch, 2008; Lusch and Vargo, 2014), many-to-many marketing and the A2A (Actor-to-Actor, Vargo and Lusch, 2016) relationships. Then, the study proposes the broader and collaborative concept of A4A (Actor-for-Actor) and introduces an all-encompassing viewpoint by means of the Viable Systems Approach (VSA - Golinelli, 2000). The proposed A4A framework, which merges S-D logic and VSA, can allow at pinpointing the processes and drivers for successful value co-creation and for turning it into viable value co-creation. In this sense, A4A relationships can lead managers to identify strategies fostering innovation and collaboration for company survival in the long run.

ENGAGING CUSTOMERS FOR VALUE CO-CREATION THROUGH MOBILE INSTANT MESSAGING

Tourism and hospitality service providers have been seeking ways to engage customers into the value creation process to deliver personalized customer experience. Rapid development of information communication technology has facilitated such practice by providing various computer-based or mobile platforms. While online platforms such as social network sites and online communities have received most research attention, mobile instant messaging (IM) remains under-researched in spite of its unique potential for firm-customer interaction and communication. Based on service-dominant logic (Vargo & Lusch, 2004) and computer-mediated communication theories (Walther, 1996), this study examines (1) the factors influencing customers’ perceived co-creation experience facilitated by mobile IM, and (2) customers’ perceived value of personalization results from such experience in the tourism and hospitality context. Data was collected via online survey targeting Chinese users and was analyzed using structural equation modelling. The results found significant positive effects of users’ perceived social presence, perceived media richness and prior experiences on their co-creation experience. The significant positive relationships between customers’ co-creation experience and perceived personalization of the service offering validate the unique potential of mobile IM to engage customers into value co-creation with tourism and hospitality service providers. The findings extend the theoretical framework of value cocreation to a context mediated by mobile IM. Managerial suggestions are provided for tourism and hospitality companies to engage with customers using mobile IM.

Co-creating services—conceptual clarification, forms and outcomes

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess, clarify and consolidate the terminology around the co-creation of services, establish its forms and identify its outcomes, to resolve the conceptual pluralism in service co-creation literature.Design/methodology/approachA focused literature review screened the articles published in five major service research journals to determine relevant contributions on the concept of co-creation of services. Then, a thematic analysis identifies the forms, themes and outcomes of co-creating services in the set of 80 qualifying articles.FindingsThe study reduces conceptual pluralism by establishing different forms of co-creating services and developing an explicit definition of co-creation in services. The authors develop an integrative framework that recognizes involvement, engagement and participation as prerequisites for co-creation. Relating to the different phases of the service process, the specific co-creation forms of co-ideation, co-valuation, co-design, co-testing and co-launching are classified as regenerative co-creation, while the specific co-creation forms of co-production and co-consumption are recognized as operative co-creation. Both beneficial and counterproductive outcomes of co-creation are identified and arranged into a typology.Research limitations/implicationsThe integrative framework illustrates that service providers and customers are involved, engaged and participate in co-creating services, which manifests in specific forms of co-creation; they attain beneficial and counterproductive outcomes (personal, social, hedonic, cognitive, economic and pragmatic); and are influenced by a contextual multi-actor network.Practical implicationsCo-creation in services is actionable; the typology of outcomes suggests service managers ways to motivate customers and employees to participate in co-creating services.Originality/valueThis paper defines and establishes the conceptual forms of co-creating services and the identified outcomes, and develops an integrative framework of co-creation in services.

Co-Creation from Consumer Resource Integration

This article describes how consumer co-creation in service offering is increasingly of importance in service literature and practice. Grounded mainly on service dominant logic (SDL), this article develops and empirically examines a theoretical framework of co-creation which considers both social capital and social exchange as determinants and consumer perceived value, satisfaction and loyalty as outcomes of co-creation activities. Using a consumer perspective, the authors extend the interrelationships within the antecedents and within the effects into a comprehensive model and test it on data obtained from an education service setting. The findings empirically support 12 out of 13 hypotheses, and in particular, affirms the consumer role of resource-integrating activities to co-create value.

Openness to co-creation as a method of reducing the complexity of the environment and dynamizing companies’ competitive advantages

Abstract Openness is an expression of an enterprise’s ability to adapt to changing environment conditions and its ability to cooperate with different types of partners. A given company’s openness shows its readiness for the creation of dynamics of many business processes, including the creation of its competitive advantage. Due to the nature of today’s enterprises’ environment, mainly its “high velocity” & “complexity” attributes, openness of companies has to be multifaceted. Organization-customer relationships, called co-creation, are one of such facets. The capacity for effective co-creation gives a company the ability to gain a competitive advantage along with the chance for its permanent dynamization and sustainability. The main purpose of the paper is to present the framework and algorithm of co-creation as a method of reducing the complexity of the environment and dynamizing companies’ competitive advantages. A review of literature in the areas of open organization, open culture, partnership, co-creation, and competitive advantage provides a basis for understanding the process of co-creation. Collected data show that the activity of enterprises in this process is a key factor in the reduction of complexity of a company’s environment and an important stimulator of the dynamization of a company’s competitive advantage. The authors’ own CATI questionnaire survey research conducted in Poland showed the level of preparation Polish SMEs have to co-create.

Value proposition as a framework for value cocreation in crowdfunding ecosystems

The aim of this article is to explore whether the ecosystem approach is required to understand the new service model of crowdfunding. The value proposition approach offers different interpretations for each of the eight levels of value co-creation as seen in the service ecosystem. A qualitative multiple case-study approach is used to analyze the two most representative crowdfunding platforms in Spain, Verkami and Lánzanos, in terms of the amounts of funds provided. This article offers an analysis of specific cases of crowdfunding in the arts and cultural sector through the biggest platforms in Spain. The sampling design could be improved by including the experiences of crowdfunding projects in other countries in the analysis. The findings could assist service managers and practitioners to improve planning of value cocreation through the value propositions approach, with a variety of actors within the service ecosystem. This article is a contribution to the development of service-dominant (SD) logic in relation to FP 7 and FP 10. Managerial contributions include the development of a crowdfunding service ecosystem model for arts managers, which offers not only a method of generating finance or economic value but also opportunities for strengthening bonds with customers and other stakeholders. This article is unique in that it integrates value proposition categories in micro-, meso-, and macrocontexts and analyzes the different kinds of cocreation that exist in the crowdfunding context.

Offering a framework for value co-creation in virtual academic learning environments

PurposeThis research aims to convert the traditional teacher–student models, in which teachers determine the learning resources, into a flexible structure and an active learning environment so that students can participate in the educational processes and value co-creation in virtual academic learning environments (VALEs).Design/methodology/approachMixed-methods (qualitative–quantitative) approach has been used. First, to develop the primary framework, papers were content-analyzed. Then, to validate the results of the content analysis, responses of the questionnaires distributed among students and teachers at five virtual universities in Iran were analyzed.FindingsVALEs have the value co-creation potential. The students and teachers in this sample identified and confirmed three dimensions including partnership requirements (including organizational capabilities, structural requirement, individual competencies, motivational factors and resources), collaborative learning services (including IT infrastructure, common services and educational services) and social networks. The foundation of value co-creation is a partnership requirement. Collaborative learning services are flexible services that redesign methods and curriculum and promote deep learning among students. In addition, the wide use of social networks enables dialogue, communication, participation and establishment of virtual learning groups.Practical implicationsBy means of the suggested framework, it is possible to achieve value co-creation in VALEs.Originality/valueThe paper presents outcomes of the research that is focused on technical, human and organizational aspects for value co-creation in VALEs that have not been much discussed previously.

How Business Idea Fit Affects Sustainability and Creates Opportunities for Value Co-Creation in Nascent Firms

A well-defined business idea is essential for nascent business sustainability in the future. The business idea must fit firm knowledge and resources to a profitable business opportunity. This work adopts the framework of value co-creation, strongly related to the service-dominant logic paradigm. We ask how does business idea fit affect new venture sustainability and create opportunities for value co-creation. We propose that a business idea that lacks fit is less sustainable, but it could create opportunities for value co-creation. This study develops and validates an empirically grounded taxonomy of business idea fit based on 729 Australian nascent firms using quantitative data generated from the results of a large study called CAUSEE (Comprehensive Australian Study of Entrepreneurial Emergence). A cluster analysis is used to identify distinct patterns of business idea fit. The empirical taxonomy developed in this study found four distinct clusters of firms, which were distinguished by the fit of their new business idea to knowledge, resources and market profitability: very good fit, low knowledge fit, low profit fit and low fit. Results show how these different patterns of fit create opportunities for value co-creation to create business future sustainability.

Market-driven or policy-directed quality certification?

Purpose of the paper : This study examines whether there is a balance between the impact of market factors and policy factors that accelerate certification, such that a divergence between the supply and demand of certified food is avoided. Methodology : A value co-creation framework and a discrete choice model are developed to analyze the acceleration of certification. The model is empirically investigated with quantitative data, collected from 231 Greek certified farm businesses. Findings : Five market and policy factors accelerate certification. Policy factors outperform market factors, but because the most crucial factor is control exertion by authorities, this is not expected to unbalance the development of the certified food subsector. The role of private standards in shifting from public to private food-sector governance is also confirmed. Research limitations : The model estimation is based on aggregated data in the sense that five quality schemes are included; thus, some information may have been overlooked. Implications : The theoretical framework can be used in future empirical analyses, especially when the certification decisions of small and medium-sized enterprises are examined. Public authorities should be cautious about altering the structure of incentives for farm businesses; certifiers should make certification more attractive to farm businesses; marketers should encourage farmers to accelerate certifications; and farm businesses and their organizations should focus on certification efficiency. Originality of the paper : The paper goes beyond issues considered in previous studies by focusing on the balance between market- and policy-related factors that accelerate certification, and developing a theoretical framework.

The Value Co-Creation Strategy for Telecommunication Carriers: Focusing on the Assessment of Potential Strategic Alliance Partners

The telecommunications market is experiencing a new paradigm of convergence as voice, data, broadcasting, and communication is being used into a new form of service. With this paradigm shift, telecommunications companies will compete under a unified set of broadband wireless multimedia services in the next generation network(NGN) environment(e.g., 5G or beyond 5G), while existing networks provided individual services tailor specifically to their networks. In this situation, one business player cannot provide all kinds of telecommunications services by oneself, instead it might be trying to integrate or collaborate with other companies in the integrated value chain as value co-creation strategies. Unfortunately, however, there are few specific guide lines in deciding their strategic directions; which partner can give us a competitive advantage to support next generation services and what should be preemptive? Therefore, this paper suggests the new strategic framework, called Value Co-Creation Framework (VCF), as the guideline for evaluating and selecting strategic alliance partners to the telecommunications companies in the NGN era. Finally, we provide an example of partner assessment for the major wireless carrier in Korean Telecommunications market and provide the insightful implications.

Definition of Technological Solutions Based on the Internet of Things and Smart Cities Paradigms for Active and Healthy Ageing through Cocreation

Existing initiatives to improve physical, mental, and social condition of senior citizens, which in Europe fall under the name of Active and Healthy Ageing, are including technological paradigms as main driver for innovation uptake. Among these paradigms, Smart Cities and the Internet of Things are of utmost importance. However, these initiatives may benefit from unified visions, efforts, and frameworks when it comes to defining technological solutions that take the most of both paradigms. We have defined an iterative approach, which combines user centred design techniques, technological development approaches, and a multifaceted adaptation process, to define a solution for Active and Healthy Ageing that makes use of the two paradigms. The solution is being defined in the context of two research and innovation projects, City4Age and ACTIVAGE, during which a solution is going to be defined and evaluated in the city of Madrid. Results show how Smart Cities and Internet of Things contribute to the solution, from a user (user needs and use cases) and a service delivery (technologies, architecture, and suppliers) perspective. In conclusion, we find the cocreation framework extremely useful for the Active and Health Ageing domain, and the proposed implementation of it is functioning, although there is room for improvement.

Shared Value Literature Review: Implications for Future Research from Stakeholder and Social Perspective

The review of the literature on shared value has denoted that this concept been approached as both generic and theoretical/conceptual framework for the simultaneous creation of social and economic value. Based upon the dominant trends in shared value literature, the proposed study has attempted to provide two broad strategic directions (i.e., stakeholder engagement, social innovation) regarding further research around shared value creation. The significance of the study has been demonstrated in the fact that these two new directions on stakeholders and society would expand the three-level framework of shared value toward a multi-level holistic framework for co-creation of value.

The beginning of value co-creation: understanding dynamics, efforts and betterment

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the beginning of value co-creation by uncovering the roles, efforts, and desired outcomes of employees and how they affect employees’ responses to their firm’s co-creation initiatives.Design/methodology/approachThis study applies a single case study to explore micro-level processes at the beginning of value co-creation informed by a case about how a Taiwanese firm moved from a conventional to a co-creative business model.FindingsThe case study findings affirm nine subthemes that underlie three key themes: co-creation dynamics, efforts, and betterment. The authors provide a value co-creation framework that is informed by nine subthemes derived from interview data.Research limitations/implicationsCurrent literature on understanding value co-creation processes focuses on formalized co-creation processes which produce diverse and contextually dependent findings. The authors contribute to current value co-creation literature by offering convergent insights into the interplay of dynamics, efforts, and betterment experienced by employees transitioning to a value co-creation process.Practical implicationsThe authors offer a diagnostic value co-creation checklist and propose three benefits of using the checklist, which can help managers mitigate the uncertainty that arises during the transition from a conventional to a co-creation firm.Originality/valueThe study responds to calls for research to investigate where and when the co-creation of value emerges, value co-creation behavior from employees’ point of view, and employees’ roles in the co-creation of value.

Value co-creation and co-destruction in the Airbnb sharing economy

PurposeThis paper aims to develop a theoretical framework of value co-creation and value co-destruction of guest-host social practices facilitated through Airbnb in the sharing economy.Design/methodology/approachThis paper makes use of a qualitative online content analysis to extract Airbnb data and to analyse guest reviews and host responses posted in the context of Malta.FindingsA theoretical framework is proposed revealing six distinct themes of guest–host social practices and their sub-categories, resulting in a spectrum of dimensions of value formation.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper collects data from Airbnb properties in Malta, with more narratives posted by guests, implying a dominance of guest views on value co-creation and co-destruction. Findings might have a limited transferability beyond similar sharing economy platforms and tourist destinations.Practical/implicationsThe paper uncovers guest–host hospitality value creation practices, providing concrete examples as to what practices lead to distinct value formation or destruction. In addressing the lack of knowledge about value creation practices in the sharing economy, strategic implications are offered to the hospitality sector to understand the distinct value propositions Airbnb offers compared to traditional accommodation types.Originality/valueThe paper’s contribution is its theoretical framework of value practices of guests staying at Airbnb-listed accommodations, contributing to a better understanding of the distinct value propositions underlying collaborative consumption offers in the sharing economy.