Resource Integration and Value Co-creation in Cultural Heritage Management

Purpose – Cultural Heritage Management (CHM) in Italy appears to chronically suffer from resources scarcity and fragmentation. Aim of the chapter is to highlight the need for a value co-creation logic based on resource integration in CHM to improve awareness and involve citizens, organizations and other stakeholders in the cultural heritage preservation and enhancement activities. Design/methodology/approach - The methodological approach adopted derives from the integration of the Service-Dominant logic (S-Dl) and Service Science (SS) perspectives within the general framework of the Viable Systems Approach (VSA). By shifting focus from the objects of exchange to the relations among parties, S-Dl and Service Science emphasize the importance of collaboration in market interaction. VSA integrates the two perspectives within the structure-system paradigm explaining how collaboration among viable systems takes place. Findings – On the basis of the proposed integrated perspective a Service-Based Systems approach is defined that allows developing a model for CHM based on a value co-creation logic. In the paper it is argued that, to implement an effective co-creation, actors should be linked as resource integrators within a network relationship and share a governance approach inspired cooperating principles as postulated by the VSA consonance model. The paper provides a conceptual framework of reference for integrating the wide variety of resources needed for an effective management approach to cultural heritage preservation and enhancement. Practical implications – The proposed approach requires a ‘cultural’ change in CHM organizations in order to effectively exploit the opportunities of a co-creation logic oriented to integrate multi-disciplinary and multi-professional resources, capabilities and competences. Originality/value – By adopting the VSA consonance framework, the paper highlights the relational conditions for resource integration in a Cultural Heritage Territorial System model on the basis of a value co-creation logic.