PurposeExisting research suggests a multitude of approaches to value co‐creation that bring with them a range of different ideas on what constitutes the concept. The purpose of this paper is to identify the sources of the differing approaches, and so reduce the complexity of the concept and develop a business‐oriented analytical framework for assessing the opportunities presented by value co‐creation.Design/methodology/approachThrough exploration of the different theoretical approaches to value co‐creation the sources of friction are identified. Addressing the conceptual complexity provides a sound basis for the development of a business‐oriented analytical framework.FindingsThe multifaceted nature of value co‐creation arises owing to the differing approaches to what determines the value, the co‐, and the creation elements of the concept. The study concludes that both scholars and practitioners should focus more on identifying and understanding what kind of value is co‐created for whom, using what resources, and through what mechanism.Practical implicationsA business‐oriented analytical framework is developed that helps practitioners to assess and approach the opportunities presented by value co‐creation.Originality/valueThe paper introduces an analytical and fresh perspective on value co‐creation. It helps to clarify the nuances in the nature of the concept and contributes to an enhanced understanding of it.

Mobile information services have revolutionized business models and service delivery methods by facilitating consumer access to information and order placement via mobile apps. In developed markets, mobile banking (m-banking) and mobile payment (m-payment) applications have replaced text-based mobile services. However, extant research has not addressed these mobile financial services apps (MFSAs) adequately from the perspective of consumer behavior. Thus, the present study developed and tested a series of hypotheses related to the antecedents of perceived value of MFSA use; it also examined how such use affects the development of customers' overall relationships with banks. Our hypotheses were tested using two samples (N=992; N=524) comprising different types of MFSA endusers in one of the leading countries in digital banking, Finland. The results supported most of the hypotheses and revealed that self-congruence and new product novelty are the principal drivers of perceived MFSA value. In addition, the findings show that the perceived value of MFSAs yields strong positive effects on customers' overall satisfaction and commitment to their bank. The present study's key managerial implication is that banks' investments in developing MFSAs result in improved relationships with customers and increased business.

Purpose Recent technological and digital developments have opened new avenues for customer data utilization in insurance services. One form of this data transformation is automated chatbots that provide convenient access to data leveraged through a discussion-like interface. The purpose of this paper is to uncover how insurance chatbots support customers’ value creation. Design/methodology/approach Three complementary theoretical perspectives – artificial intelligence, service logic, and reverse use of customer data – are briefly discussed and integrated into a conceptual framework. The suggested framework is further shown through illustrative case examples that characterize different ways of supporting customers’ value creation. Findings Chatbots represent a new type of interaction through which companies can influence customers’ value creation by providing them with additional resources. Based on the proposed conceptual framework and the illustrative case examples, four metaphors are identified that characterize how insurance chatbots can support customers’ value creation. Research limitations/implications The study is conceptual in nature, and the case examples are used for illustrative purposes. No representative data from those users who will eventually determine whether chatbots are of value was used. Practical implications Using the suggested framework, which is aligned with provider service logic, insurance companies can consider what kind of a role they wish to play in customers’ value-creating processes. Originality/value Automated chatbots provide convenient access to data leveraged through a discussion-like interface. This study is among the earliest to address their value-creating potential in insurance.

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Facilitated by a wide array of technological advancements, interaction between customers and companies is taking new forms and shapes that go beyond traditional exchange. Companies are no longer perceived as sole goods providers, nor customers regarded merely as sources of money. Thus, both companies and customers are initiating new ways to support each others' value creation, that is, new value cocreation mechanisms are developed. This evolution has provided companies with a strategic impetus to reconsider their customers' roles in current business practices -a central characteristic of the contemporary discussion on value co-creation. However, not all companies necessarily benefit from value co-creation, which makes it even more important for them to carefully assess the opportunities that it entails. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine the strategic implications of the mechanisms of value cocreation. This is achieved through investigating the possibilities of different value cocreation mechanisms from the perspectives of economic, functional, emotional, and symbolic customer value propositions.

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The value propositions of multi-, cross-, and omni-channel retailing.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore and analyze the implications of reverse use of customer data for service-based business models. In their quest for competitive advantage, firms traditionally use customer data as resources to redesign and develop new products and services or identify the most profitable customers. However, in the shift from a goods-dominant logic toward customer value creation, the potential of customer data for the benefit of the customer, not just the firm, is an emerging, underexplored area of research. Design/methodology/approach – Business model criteria and three service examples combine to uncover the implications of reverse use of customer data for service-based business models. Findings – Implications of reverse use of customer data for service-based business models are identified and explored. Through reverse use of customer data, a firm can provide customers with additional resources and support customers’ value-creating processes. Accordingly, the firm can move beyond traditional exchanges, take a broader role in supporting customers’ value creation and diversify the value created by the customer through resource integration. The attention shifts from internal to external customer data usage; customer data transform from the firm’s resource to the customer’s, which facilitates the firm’s shift from selling goods to supporting customers’ value creation. Originality/value – Reverse use of customer data represent a new emerging research phenomenon; their implications for service-based business models have not been explored.