Co-production of service experiences: insights from the cultural sector

Abstract

Purpose The increased involvement of customers in their experience is a reality for all service organisations. The purpose of this paper is to explore the way organisations collaborate with customers to facilitate consumption of cultural experiences through the lens of co-production. Although organisations are typically an integral part of the co-production process, co-production is typically considered from a consumer angle. Aligned with the service ecosystem perspective and value-in-cultural context, this research aims to provide greater insight into the processes and resources that institutions apply to co-produce experiences with consumers and the drivers and inhibitors of such processes. Design/methodology/approach Case study research with three exemplar organisations, using in-depth interviews with key informants was used to investigate the processes organisations follow in co-producing the service experience with customers, as well as the drivers and inhibitors of organisational co-production of the service experience in the cultural sector. Findings The findings illuminate that cultural organisations are co-producing the service experience with their customers, as revealed through a number of key processes: inviting customers to actively participate in the experience, engaging customers and supporting customers in the co-production of the experience. Increasingly demanding consumers and a changing competitive landscape are strong external drivers of co-production. Visionary leadership and consumer-focussed employees are internal factors impelling organisations to co-produce experiences with consumers. A strong curatorial orientation, complex organisational structure, employee attitude and capability gaps and funding constraints are impediments towards organisations co-producing experiences with consumers. Originality/value This paper addresses a gap in Service-Dominant logic theory, arts/cultural marketing and broader services marketing literature by proposing a broadened conceptualisation of co-production of the service experience. This conceptualisation can be used as a platform to derive strategic imperatives for managers of service organisations. The findings highlight the key practices and resources that are central to organisations co-producing experience with customers. In this way, greater understanding of institutional logics and practices that underpin experience co-production emerges.

Interorganizational Performance Management: A Co‐evolutionary Model

“…servitization (Bititci et al 2012;Ng et al 2012;Vargo and Lusch 2008). Organizations engage with their customers through intricately related processes over time (Minkiewicz et al 2016); business models of firms and their practices are interactively connected (Heikkilä et al 2014;Holttinen 2014) and (re)designed (Frow et al 2015;Nenonen and Storbacka 2010). Organizations engage with their customers through intricately related processes over time (Minkiewicz et al 2016); business models of firms and their practices are interactively connected (Heikkilä et al 2014;Holttinen 2014) and (re)designed (Frow et al 2015;Nenonen and Storbacka 2010).…”

“…Value propositions are interactively shaped (Ballantyne et al 2011;Martinez and Bititci 2006). Organizations engage with their customers through intricately related processes over time (Minkiewicz et al 2016); business models of firms and their practices are interactively connected (Heikkilä et al 2014;Holttinen 2014) and (re)designed (Frow et al 2015;Nenonen and Storbacka 2010). Relationships among firms in a network are believed to promote interaction, mutual orientation and thereby value (Grönroos 2015;Kothandaraman and Wilson 2001).…”

Value evaluation method of industrial product-service based on customer perception

“…The best evaluators of product-service are the customers who experience services while not the service staff that provide services (Minkiewicz et al, 2016). So the productservice performance is evaluated based on perceived value from customers.…”

Heritage sites experience design with special needs customers

“…The findings of Minkiewicz et al (2016) can also be confirmed; service failures occur mostly when the group is made up of different cultural groups as, in the case of Route 1, the different needs of those with and without disabilities were not considered. As a result, it proved difficult to keep the group unified and not divided by type of disability.…”