Service Value Co-creation Research Articles

Reinterpreting museums’ intended experience during the COVID-19 pandemic: insights from Italian University Museums

ABSTRACT This paper explores whether and how University Museums reinterpreted their intended experience during the COVID-19 pandemic shock. To this end, theoretical insights from the service management literature are used. Adopting an interpretative approach, this paper relies on legislative documents and a survey of Italian University Museums during the COVID-19 lockdown. Results highlight how digital technologies enabled Italian University Museums to design service offerings and value co-creation practices. Particularly, digital technologies have led Italian University Museums, as experience-centric service organisations, to reinterpret their intended experience. This research sheds light on how museums can adapt their traditional interpretation of design areas by redefining content and the interaction with their visitors through digital technologies, ultimately building a virtual interpretation of their intended experience. This allows building a conceptual model that emphasises the differentiation between synchronous (online) and asynchronous (offline) value co-creation practices. Finally, this paper adds practical insights for managing museums’ co-creation practices virtually.

Harmonious homegoings: alleviating consumer vulnerability through service fluidity and compassion

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the role of service flexibility in addressing consumer vulnerability for chronically-traumatized consumers within the funerary context.Design/methodology/approachUsing phenomenological philosophy and a grounded approach, data was collected and analyzed through 12 depth interviews with funeral service providers, coupled with observations and photographs of three second-line funeral processionals.FindingsStudy results include the following three primary roles of service providers in supporting chronically-traumatized consumers: the role of service fluidity in addressing trauma, mitigating vulnerability via service providers as community members and alleviating suffering through compassionate service. Service flexibility and value co-creation efforts were executed through an expansive service ecosystem of vendors.Practical implicationsWhen consumers experience vulnerability that demands reliance upon service industries, service providers can intentionally implement fluidity and agility in service design, adopt understanding and altruistic practices, and operate with empathy and compassion to orchestrate mutually-beneficial service outcomes.Social implicationsRooted in transformative service research, providers are advised to consider modifying services to improve well-being and mitigate vulnerability for chronically-traumatized consumers via fluidity, community and compassion.Originality/valueThis study contributes originality to the body of service marketing literature by illustrating how service providers alleviate vulnerability for chronically-traumatized consumers through three adaptive service strategies.

Consumption of Services as a Process of Value Co-Creation in the Age of Digitalization

The paper is devoted to clarifying the initial provisions of the service-dominant logic, finding an understanding of the process of value co-creation in services, discussing the controversial issue of whether the customer is always its co-creator, consideration of the typology of services according to the degree of individualization (customization) and the degree of involvement of clients in the process of providing services, as well as the analysis of the impact of the digitalization on the interaction of the actors in the services co-creation. It is determined that the consumption of services is a process of customer satisfaction due to direct interaction with the supplier. More and more companies are encouraging customers to participate in service delivery processes and share innovations. Consumption of services is manifested in the mutual beneficial effect, i.e. special value. It is shown that in the study of the services market the concept of value co-creation is applied in relation to the customer or user of services. The degree of individualization of services shows how the service provided meets specific customer requirements or is standardized. The degree of consumer involvement shows the nature of the service, how variable it is. It has been shown that the relationship between service and productivity has recently been mediated by digital transformations in providing of the service process. The impact of technology on the consumption of services is manifested in the increasing complexity of patterns of integration of resources and technological support of connections for continuous interaction. Digital infrastructure is becoming indispensable for the viability of service ecosystems. In general, customer participation in digital transformation has a positive impact on value co-creation.

Service workers and “difficult customers”: quality challenges at the front line

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contribute to the literature on service quality and value co-creation and co-destruction by unpacking the phenomenon described as “difficult customers”, which has many associated costs for service organizations. The paper examines how frontline service employees make sense of and react to client behaviors that disrupt service processes.Design/methodology/approachThis is a qualitative study with 128 frontline workers, who were interviewed about their perceptions, explanations and reactions to problem-related customers, using a sensemaking perspective.FindingsContent analysis revealed 17 themes related to workers' perceptions, explanations and reactions to problem-related customers. Workers classify behaviors of problem-related customers in terms exceeding the single notion of intentionality that dominates the literature, instead referring to the degree of both controllability and malevolence of customers. Service workers choose a wide range of behavioral reactions that have not been studied before.Research limitations/implicationsA convenience sample, although large, limits generalizability. Suggestions for future quantitative research are proposed.Practical implicationsBased on the findings, the authors suggest specific directions related to managerial policy and organizational practices related to training and employee empowerment and service recovery routines.Originality/valueThe study introduces a new theoretical notion of “problem-related customers”, set within a value co-creation context. It presents findings that enable deeper understanding of the emotional and behavioral reactions of frontline workers to service disruptions and offers multiple scholarly contributions, new research directions and managerial insights that can help to improve service recovery and service quality

Service innovation enabled by Internet of Things and cloud computing – a service-dominant logic perspective

ABSTRACT Service innovation in the context of systems having layered-modular and service-oriented architecture is through innovation in the constituent components. Many of these components are platforms owned by different organisations. The combination of complementary paradigms of Internet of Things (IoT) and Cloud computing has a huge potential for creating innovative services. While technical aspects of this integration are addressed in extant research, the process of service innovation has not received much attention. This process brings multiple organisations into play and an IT solutions and services organisation (focal firm) designs a domain-specific platform leveraging the IoT and cloud platforms. This study explores this process in the aviation domain using Service-Dominant (S-D) logic with its three dimensions – Service Eco-system, Service Platform and Value Co-creation. S-D logic axioms are mapped to gain understanding of the micro-theoretical level elements and to develop operational principles for the orchestration of the service innovation process.

Strategic management as an enabler of co-creation in public services

The current transformations in society, the economy and the public sector call for the development of more unified theoretical frameworks. This article takes the literature on strategic management as a theoretical entry angle and aims to better understand how the adoption of models of strategic management can enable processes of public value co-creation. Utilising the literature centred on the notion of ‘schools of thought’ in the strategic management of public services, the article discusses how co-creation as a mode of governance in public services can contribute to innovative public service solutions and value co-creation. The Welsh Water’s ‘Water Resilient Community’ – a project characterised by long-term strategic planning as well as by local innovation – is used to illustrate the argument. Four propositions on the drivers/enablers and key managerial issues for undertaking a strategic approach to co-creation as a mode of governance are offered to enhance future practice, research and theory.

The four spheres of value co-creation in humanitarian professional services

PurposeThe study focuses on the value co-creation processes in humanitarian professional services provision, analysing the key enabling factors of beneficiaries' participation, involved in long-term integration programmes (L-TIPs).Design/methodology/approachThrough an in-depth case study, the research looks at the practices of value co-creation in humanitarian professional services, considering both the perspectives of the professional service provider and beneficiary.FindingsIn professional services beneficiary's participation affects the success of the L-TIPs outcomes. Participation's enablers can be classified into four different spheres, each belonging to different elements of professional service: the beneficiary, the professionals, the service design and the external environment.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper contributes to the literature on humanitarian operations & supply chain management. By focussing on an understudied phase of the disaster life-cycle management, it contributes to the theory of value co-creation by exploring new issues and drivers of beneficiary's participation.Practical implicationsThis research has interesting implications for policymakers and humanitarian practitioners. First, guidelines for professionals' behaviours and interventions should be designed as well as new practices and strategies should be adopted. Second, governments should avoid concentrating L-TIPs in few big humanitarian centres.Originality/valueThe study focuses on an understudied stage of humanitarian operations, namely the L-TIPs, and uses this setting to build on the theory of value co-creation in professional services by identifying its enabling factors, clustered into four spheres, namely beneficiary, professional, service design and environmental.

Art projects as transformative services to integrate refugees

Drawing from transformative service and intergroup contact theory, as well as research into the impact of the arts, this article explores the power of Integrative Art Projects among refugees and citizens to foster integration. A mixed method approach, with a representative panel survey of 702 German citizens and qualitative interviews with 30 refugees and 38 arts managers, reveals the positive association of Integrative Art Projects with citizens and refugees’ well-being. The Integrative Art Projects’ value co– creation enhances hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, when four pre-requisites are met: contact, equal status, common goal, and a social authority. This study accordingly advances understanding of the value co-creation in transformative services through the intergroup contact theory and confirms Integrative Art Projects as transformative services that foster integration. Consequently, arts managers should maintain co– creation as a collaborative, customer-specific process and provide space for equal- level exchanges to ensure the integrative power of art projects.

RETRACTED: Research on the value co-creation of the crowdsourcing services under the sharing economy

With the great success of crowdsourcing business models in the context of the sharing economy, how crowdsourcing services work has gained wide attention. Based on the value co-creation theory, taking ZBJ website of Chinese crowdsourcing service platform ranking first on the Alexa platform as an example, the paper constructs the value co-creation process model of crowdsourcing services under the sharing economy from a dynamic perspective through qualitative analysis of the cases of employers and service providers and interview data. It opens the black box of the value co-creation process. Its contribution is that it proposes the dynamic changing rule of three-dimensional interaction, integration and authorization of crowdsourcing service value co-creation, the change of the role of crowdsourcing main body, and the function mechanism of crowdsourcing service value co-creation on crowdsourcing performance. And the value co-creation mode of different stages is determined. The value co-creation mode is the dominant logic of “service + product” In the release task phase. The value co-creation mode is the value creation of user-led logic originally in the stage of contract submission. The value co-creation mode is the dominant logic of “product + service” in the evaluation and reward stage.

Relationships among employee acting, customer-perceived service quality, emotional well-being and value co-creation

PurposeHinged on the transformative service paradigm, this study investigates the relationships among employee acting, customer-perceived service quality, customer emotional well-being, and their value co-creation. Feelings of gratitude among customers may moderate the effect of perceived service quality on their emotional well-being (i.e., positive and negative affects).Design/methodology/approachA pair study using a structural equation model was conducted to gather data from a financial service organization in a rural area.FindingsThe results show how customers perceive service quality positively impacts their emotional well-being immediately after receiving a financial service, which in turn affects their value co-creation. Hence, feelings of gratitude moderate the effect of perceived service quality on customer positive affect.Originality/valueThis study responds to calls for more studies on how service interactions influence customer well-being in the financial services context. This study is among the few that examine moderation effects of customer feelings of gratitude on their emotional well-being to explain why a positive emotion might sway their short-term well-being.

Strategies for the Knowledge Management in Value Co-Creation of Industrial Services

During the value co-creation process, organizations share several resources with their partners, including knowledge. This intangible resource is essential for innovations development, which ensures companies' competitiveness. However, the knowledge transfer across organizational boundaries exposes companies to some risks. Thus, this study aims to examine which KM strategies for value co-creation in industrial services have been presented in the literature. To achieve this goal, first, the authors carried out a systematic literature review (SRL). Then, the resulting portfolio was analyzed following the content analysis proposed by Bardin. From this analysis, it was feasible to identify four KM strategies for value co-creation in industrial services. Among them, adoption of information systems showed a higher frequency. Based on these study findings, it is possible to broaden the knowledge of factors that influence KM in value co-creation and offer advice to managers on how to manage the knowledge shared among firms that jointly create value.

Evaluating the Design of Service-Dominant Business Models: A Qualitative Method

Evaluating the Design of Service-Dominant Business Models: A Qualitative Method Rick Gilsing, Eindhoven University of TechnologyFollow Oktay Turetken, Eindhoven University of TechnologyFollow Baris Ozkan, Eindhoven University of TechnologyFollow Paul Grefen, Eindhoven University of TechnologyFollow Onat Ege Adali, Eindhoven University of TechnologyFollow Anna Wilbik, Maastricht UniversityFollow Frank Berkers, TNOFollow Abstract Background: Driven by factors such as digitization and rapid technological change, many contemporary organizations adopt a service orientation to sustain competitiveness and to improve their value propositions to customers. In doing so, organizations typically engage in collaborative service ecosystems to co-create value and exchange services, and conceptualize such collaborations using business models. The resulting models should be evaluated to support the development of service ecosystems and their long- term viability. Despite academic efforts on the evaluation of traditional, organization- centric business models, limited research is present supporting the evaluation of service- dominant business models, taking into account their key characteristics, such as service exchange and value co-creation in business networks. Method: Following a design science research methodology, we have iteratively designed a method addressing the qualitative evaluation of service-dominant business models, building on and integrating the theory on service-dominant logic, business model design and business model evaluation. To structure the steps of the design process, we leverage a situational method engineering approach, following a paradigm-based strategy. To evaluate the validity and utility our method, we have applied it to a real-life business case in the mobility domain, involving eight industry stakeholders in the process. Results: The method constitutes a set of guiding questions and a procedural description of their use, addressing the evaluation concerns of feasibility, viability, structural validity and robustness with respect to the service-dominant business model. The results of the evaluation demonstrate that the use of the method facilitates users to reflect qualitatively on design decision with respect the business model design and offers insights on its expected performance. Conclusions: This work contributes to extant research on service systems engineering and the instantiation of service-dominant logic, clarifying how service ecosystems can be evaluated through the business model concept and explicating how business models are impacted through service-dominant logic.

Gestão do Conhecimento e co-criação de valor em Serviços Informacionais

El objetivo del estudio es identificar cómo la GC (gestión del conocimiento) puede contribuir al proceso de cocreación de valor en los servicios de información. La investigación está justificada, puesto que la GC ofrece numerosas ventajas en las bibliotecas con el propósito de cambiar drásticamente sus necesidades y capacidades en la provisión de servicios de información. La metodología de la matriz cualitativa y constructivista utilizó el proceso de desarrollo del conocimiento - instrumento constructivista (ProKnow-C) para la selección de literatura, identificación / análisis y formación de un portafolio bibliográfico (PB). El análisis se basa en Vargo y Lusch (2004), con respecto a la GC y sus procesos de intercambio de conocimiento (recursos operativos, dinámicas, competencias, aprendizaje y cocreación de valor). Desde la perspectiva de los servicios de información, resultó en la discusión de recursos operativos (información y conocimiento) y su gestión, el proceso de intercambio (aprendizaje organizacional), las habilidades de los profesionales y el valor caracterizado en este nuevo contexto (cocreación). Se concluye que la GC puede ofrecer herramientas para mejorar los serviciosde información, y no sólo agregar valor, sino más bien crearlo conjuntamente, de modo que tanto los usuarios como la organización se beneficien en este contexto.

Industry 4.0 in services: challenges and opportunities for value co-creation

Purpose This study aims to recognize industry 4.0 opportunities and challenges associated with the co-creation of value in industrial services and to propose a theoretical framework for smart industrial services systems. Design/methodology/approach The authors carried out a systematic literature review based on the systematic search flow method; thereafter, the authors used the content analysis proposed by Bardin (2011) to analyze the resulting portfolio. Findings The authors identified a total of five industry 4.0 opportunities and five challenges for co-creating value in industrial services. Drawing upon these findings, this paper builds a theoretical framework for the smart industrial services system, in which the industry 4.0 opportunities arise from the digitally mediated inter-firm interactions and the challenges related to the resources of this system. Research limitations/implications This study may not have enabled a complete coverage of all existing peer-reviewed articles in the field of value co-creation in industrial services associated with the industry 4.0 technologies. Also, the framework is constrained by being theoretical rather than empirically grounded. Practical implications The findings give managers support to devise strategies for overcoming the barriers that impede them from taking advantage of the opportunities offered by industry 4.0 for co-creating value in industrial services. Originality/value This paper’s uniqueness is to identify the industry 4.0 opportunities and challenges for value co-creation in the context of industrial services and to propose a framework for the smart industrial services system.

Co-creational leadership capability for driving health-care service innovation

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify and explore leadership capability for driving value co-creation in health-care service innovation. The leadership theories developed for leading within organization boundaries can no longer apply when customers and multiple participants are collaborating for innovative services. This study uses the dynamic capability theory to identify leadership capability that supports value co-creation in health-care service innovation.Design/methodology/approachTwo case studies of Australian mental health organizations are used to identify co-creational leadership capability. These organizations have successfully embedded co-creational leadership capability in organizational systems and structure as the dynamic capability.FindingsThe study is among the first one to identify the leadership capability from a service-dominant logic perspective. Drawing from dynamic capability theory, six characteristics of co-creational leadership capability are identified, namely, creating a combined world view, creating a shared vision, facilitating an environment of trust, facilitating knowledge creation and knowledge sharing, empowering choice and facilitating collaboration.Originality/valueThis research has extended the leadership and the value co-creation literature by identifying co-creational leadership capability to drive value co-creation agenda for improving organizational results and performance.

The Effect of Retailer’s Perceived Service Innovation and Value Co-Creation Behavior on SME’s Brand Equity

The purpose of this study is to examine the predictive effect of value-co creation, and service innovation on SME’s brand equity in Malaysia. 529 questionnaires were collected via judgemental sampling from customers who patronizing SMEs involved in Food and Beverages (F & B) services. The findings show that the impact of value co-creation on SME’s brand equity is positive. Moreover, the retailer’s perceived service innovation is positively related to SME’s brand equity. This study provides theoretical, empirical and managerial contributions to the field of brand and service management from consumers’ perspective. The outcome of the study will benefit SME retailers’ particular to F & B operators to manage their customers in a more excellent manner.

Facilitators and inhibitors of value co-creation in the industrial services environment

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to recognize the facilitators and inhibitors of value co-creation in the industrial service environment.Design/methodology/approachFirst, a systematic literature review (SLR) based on the systematic search flow (SSF) method was conducted, using six databases. Then, the content analysis proposed by Bardin (2011) was used to analyze the selected papers from SLR.FindingsThe authors identified a total of 11 facilitators and four inhibitors of value co-creation in industrial services. The findings show that concerning facilitators, the involvement of actors and synergy among participants reported a higher presence. As for the inhibitors, incompatibility among actors and actors' inexperience in the context of value co-creation were the ones that registered the most frequency.Research limitations/implicationsEven though the SLR covered a large proportion of the studies available, this research may not have enabled a complete coverage of all existing peer-reviewed papers in the field of value co-creation in industrial services.Practical implicationsThis study assists managers in enhancing the performance of the value co-creation process. This is because, by knowing both the facilitators and inhibitors, managers can have an improved understanding of this process, thereby pondering these elements on the elaboration of their strategies and decision-making.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first attempts to recognize both the facilitators and inhibitors of value co-creation in industrial services.

Lógica de Serviços do PNAE

A Lei 11.947 de 2009, exige que no mínimo 30% do total do repassefinanceiro do Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE) seja utilizadona aquisição de gêneros alimentícios provenientes da agricultura familiar. Portanto,este estudo visa compreender as características do PNAE que impulsionamas habilidades necessárias para movimentar os atores na busca de cocriaçãode valor dos serviços prestados. Para esse contexto, cabe a abordagemde recursos internos e lógica de serviços. Trata-se de estudo de caso realizadono município de Porto Velho-RO, que utilizou a técnica path dependencecomo processo de investigação e análise de dados. Com a técnica foi possívelverificar como o programa foi implantado, seus momentos críticos e resistências,como foi feita a integração da produção rural, institucionalizações queocorreram, além da melhoria da qualidade de vida dos agricultores. Nestas circunstâncias,a provisão de serviços, ao invés de produtos, torna-se elementofundamental das trocas econômicas.

Getting closer by increasing distance: the dynamics of value creation spheres in health care logistics

Purpose This paper aims to explore the dynamics of value co-creation in the context of health care logistics by focusing on the change in the value creation spheres of a logistics service provider and its customer organization. Design/methodology/approach The development of value co-creation between the two organizations was researched through a qualitative case study that focuses on a situation wherein the hospital’s central warehouse was moved to a more distant location. Data consist of the interviews and focus group discussions of both nursing staff and logistics managers before and after the change. The empirical results are reflected to service and value co-creation literature as well as to existing knowledge about health care logistics. Findings The new situation compelled the counterparts to plan more structured logistics service procedures, as there was no longer any possibility for nursing staff to pick up urgently needed items from the central warehouse. This strengthened the role of the joint value creation sphere and made it more visible during the change. Research limitations/implications The study contributes to the evolving research on health care logistics and connects it to timely service value discussion. This paper proposes that as the physical distance of service facilities increases, the joint co-creation sphere, interestingly, gets widened during the change. Practical implications Managerially, the study provides implications for how to develop health-care material logistics to provide more value for both the logistics service providers and their customers. Social implications Understanding value co-creation in health care logistics services supports care organizations in developing their processes toward better care for the patients. Thus, health care logistics research facilitates societies and health-care systems to reach their goals in terms of better service and lower costs. Originality/value This study presents an up-to-date example of value co-creation in the scarcely researched context of health care logistics.

Improving the Theoretical Understanding Toward Patient-Driven Health Care Innovation Through Online Value Cocreation: Systematic Review.

BackgroundPatient participation in the health care domain has surged dramatically through the availability of digital health platforms and online health communities (OHCs). Such patient-driven service innovation has both potential and challenges for health care organizations. Over the last 5 years, articles have surfaced that focus on value cocreation in health care services and the importance of engaging patients and other actors in service delivery. However, a theoretical understanding of how to use OHCs for this purpose is still underdeveloped within the health care service ecosystem.ObjectiveThis paper aimed to introduce a theoretical discussion for better understanding of the potential of OHCs for health care organizations, in particular, for patient empowerment.MethodsThis literature review study involved a comprehensive search using 12 electronic databases (EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, PubMed, Elton B Stephens Co [academic], Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Accelerated Information Sharing for Law Enforcement, Association for Computing Machinery, and Google Scholar) from 2013 to 2019. A total of 1388 studies were identified from the database search. After removing duplicates and applying inclusion criteria, we thematically analyzed 56 articles using the Braun and Clarke thematic analysis approach.ResultsWe identified a list of 5 salient themes: communication extension, improved health literacy for patients and health care organizations, communication transparency with patients, informational and social support for patients, and patient empowerment in self-management. The most frequent theme was communication extension, which covers 39% (22/56) of the literature. This theme reported that an extension of communication between patients, caregivers, and physicians and organizations led to new opportunities to create value with minimal time and cost restrictions. Improved health literacy and communication transparency with patients were the second and third most frequent themes, respectively, covering 26% (15/56) and 25% (14/56) of the literature, respectively. The frequency of these themes indicated that the use of OHCs to generate new knowledge from patients’ interactions helped health care organizations to customize treatment plans and establish transparent and effective communication between health care organizations and patients. Furthermore, of the 56 studies, 13 (23%) and 10 (17%) studies contended the opportunity of using OHCs in terms of informational and emotional support and empowering patients in their self-management of diseases.ConclusionsThis review enables better understanding of the current state of the art of the online value cocreation and its potential for health care organizations. This study found that the opportunities for health care organizations through enhancement of patient participation and their cocreation of value in digital health platforms have been rapidly increasing. The identified gaps and opportunities in this study would identify avenues for future directions in modernized and more effective value-oriented health care informatics research.