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Purpose This study aims to investigate how the relationship factors, including equity, shared responsibility and relationship dependence leverage the value co-creation. The research studies the value co-creation process in a business-to-business (B2B) context between suppliers and customers and provides empirical evidence of the underlying effects. Design/methodology/approach Using social exchange theory, the research uses a mixed-method of in-depth interviews and questionnaire surveys. The sample of the survey has 123 business customers. Findings The findings suggest that equity not only positively affects but also mediates the effect of shared responsibility on value co-creation. The mediation effect is further moderated by the relationship dependence that buyers have on the seller. Research limitations/implications The cross-sectional survey used cannot establish causality relationships. Although the goal was not to establish causality, it could limit the rigor of the study. The longitudinal design could be used in the future to better address this deficiency. While the paper is the initial step to analyze the factors influencing value co-creation empirically, more studies could examine other commonly discussed constructs. Originality/value This empirical study enriches the value co-creation literature by examining the antecedents’ detailed mechanism that facilitates value co-creation in a B2B context.

Purpose Companies in the B2B service sector often sign a series of successive contracts instead of one long contract with their vendors. Economic researchers have shown how the lengths of stand-alone contracts are influenced by economic factors such as asset specificity and economic volatility, but have not researched into contracts that are part of a continuous series. The purpose of this study was to explore if being a part of a series of contracts influences the length of the focal contract and the rental rate. Design/methodology/approach The authors use data collected from the oil drilling industry to empirically test their hypotheses. The data set consists of 2,621 contracts involving jack-up rig hiring in the Gulf of Mexico region. Findings The authors empirically show that the series duration affects both the length and rental rate of each constituent contract, even after considering all other plausible economic factors. Specifically, the duration of a series has a positive effect on the length and a negative effect on the rental rate of the constituent contract. Originality/value Although contract length is as vital as the rent in B2B service transactions, it is rather unfortunate that marketing scholars have not researched much into this topic. The findings offer a new insight into the forces that shape the B2B service contracts and thus help the B2B managers make a better decision in service contracts.

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