La co-creazione del valore come costrutto multidimensionale. Epistemologia e misurazione

The study proposes the adoption of a synthesis view to the exploration of value co-creation according to a “meta”- ecosystems perspective that takes into account the theoretical and epistemological complexity of the construct. A conceptual framework is proposed to investigate the generation of the deep mechanisms of co-creation through the introduction of its semantic categorization. After a discussion on the epistemological issues (the possibilities and limitations of an operationalization of value co-creation), the concept is subdivided into three sub-processes, Value-in-exchange, Value-in-use, Value -in-context, connected respectively to the three contexts identified in ecosystems research, Micro, Meso and Macro. For each dimension, three criteria or sub-dimensions are proposed to specify the variations of co-creation in the different contexts: 1) activity; 2) relational modalities; 3) object of the exchange. Then, the framework is validated conceptually by a sample of experts through the Delphi technique. Some sub-dimensions were eliminated or replaced with “labels” that have been considered more suitable. The most relevant changes in the framework are: 1) the association between the three classification criteria (activities, relational modalities and object of exchange) and the meta-level; 2) the replacing of the category “objects of exchange”, with the most common category of “resources”; 3) the conceptual specification of co-delivery (meso-level) and meaning (macro-level). The introduction of a framework that classifies the potential co-creation activities performed by users in the various ecosystem contexts can produce advancements in marketing and service management research in which previous studies address the complex issue only from a theoretical point of view. Furthermore, a classification of the various manifestations that make co-creation observable can help managers understand: 1) how to manage the process strategically from the early stages of delivery (co-design); 2) how to stimulate involvement and collaboration in each step (co-delivery and post-delivery); 3) how to monitor any problems in service delivery or prevent possible co-destruction behaviors. [edited by Author]