Prosumer motivations in service experiences. Issue 2 (9th March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Professor Francesco Polese, Associate Professor Cristina Mele and Professor Evert Gummesson, Associate; Chandler, Jennifer; Chen, Steven
• Is Part Of: Journal of service theory and practice. Volume 25:Issue 2(2015)
• Page Start: 220
• Page End: 239
• Publication Date: 2015-03-09
• Subjects: Service industries -- Management -- Periodicals; Service industries -- Marketing -- Periodicals; Service industries -- Quality control -- Periodicals; 338.4700068
• DOI: 10.1108/JSTP-09-2013-0195
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2055-6225

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x content-type="archive" xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Purpose</title> <p> – The purpose of this paper is to, first, make explicit the theoretical link between prosumers and co-creation as articulated in the service-dominant logic framework. The authors re-examine the contributions of prosumers to service experiences with the intent of clarifying how prosumers act as co-creators of value. The second purpose of this study is to clarify the underlying motivations for prosumers' participation in co-creation/service experiences. The authors assert that high-quality service experiences require service researchers and managers to better understand prosumers and their motivations. </p> </sec> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Design/methodology/approach</title> <p> – Through a qualitative investigation, the authors examine prosumers and their social motivations – from a service experience perspective. </p> </sec> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Findings</title> <p> – The findings illustrate that prosumers are not only participants in the co-creation of value; the findings illustrate that prosumers are active designers of service experiences. This is because prosumers are motivated by both individual and social factors that arise from their personal lives, not necessarily by desires to participate in firms' production processes. The authors seek answers to the following research questions: What are the social motivations of prosumers? How do prosumers co-create value through creative outputs? </p> </sec> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Research limitations/implications</title> <p> – The findings suggest that firms do not solely motivate co-creation and, more specifically, prosumption; rather, these are motivated by factors in the personal lives of consumers. </p> </sec> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Practical implications</title> <p> – The findings illustrate that prosumers are not only participants in the co-creation of value; the findings illustrate that prosumers are active designers of service experiences. Service design and management should account for and accommodate prosumers. </p> </sec> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Originality/value</title> <p> – This interdisciplinary paper integrates literature from design, marketing, service, and management to provide theoretical underpinnings of a qualitative study into the social motivations of prosumers from a service experience perspective.</p> </sec> </abstract>