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Sustainability
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Sustainable Value Co-Creation
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Sustainable Value Co-Creation

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2020) | Viewed by 36347

Special Issue Editors

Prof. eng. Francesco Polese

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Business Sciences, Management and Innovation Systems (DISA-MIS), University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II, n.132, 84081 Fisciano (SA), Italy
Interests: viable systems approach; value co-creation; market shaping, networks theories; system emergence
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Luca Carrubbo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Business Sciences, Management and Innovation Systems (DISA-MIS), University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy
Interests: business management; smart service systems; system thinking; complexity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Orlando Troisi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Management & Information Technology, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy
Interests: knowledge management; marketing; service innovation; strategic management; big data management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Sustainability deals with the concept of value co-creation, with the aim to merge aspects of sustainability and sustainable approach with co-creative practices, in relation to business competitiveness in markets.
Sustainability seems to be a hot topic today and is undergoing a paradigmatic transformation. This affects many fields and sectors, revealing the significant implications for actors’ participation, even in markets.
Today, value and value co-creation are very hot topics too in many scholars’ communities worldwide (especially in service research communities), helping companies to understand how to compete in the evolving modern reality in which they operate, particurarly by changing and modifying their boundaries and constraints.
What about a merge? Recently, some authors have addressed the new concept of sustainable value co-creation (for example, for customization, business networks, social responsibility, B2B relationships, and so on); likewise, a number of relevant advances have been diffused concerning the participation of the involved actors as a consequence of the use (value-in-use) as well as the contingent integration of resources in a specified context (value-in-context) and issues of co-design, co-production, co-marketing, co-delivery, etc.. Nevertheless, other things can be explored regarding sustainability and their main principles.
Indeed, value is something emergent, subjective, dynamic that calls for actions to be performed over time, thus including sustainability aspects. Furthermore, value co-creation relates to the experience, customer behaviors, servicescapes, system interactions, resource integration, multi-part active participation, and other factors that affect economy, society, and environment. In such a way, sustainable value co-creation could be linked with issues regarding eco-systems, service systems, complex adaptive systems, smartness, emergence, complexity, viability, market shaping, and deserves to be more investigated.
We invite researchers and practitioners to send their papers on sustainable value co-creation in order to contribute to the growth of this crucial topic. Studies on all related disciplines are welcome, including economics, marketing, law, design, social sciences, computer science, organization theory, engineering, operation research, management, and so on.
This Special Issue offers the opportunity to publish on a state-of-the-art topic, promoting wide diffusion, recognition and citations of the presented papers. In addition, many other benefits will be provided, such as support from the editors, feedback and tips to improve a paper, peer endorsement of the published works, and membership in an elite group of contributors with outstanding networking opportunities.

Topics

This call for papers seeks foundation-building research on sustainable value co-creation for business competitiveness that explores value culture, sustainable approaches to the generation of value, co-creative involvement, engagement and self-engagement of actors in terms of concepts, models, operations, strategies, organizations, management, with the aim to collect contributions from several scientific domains and backgrounds. Therefore, interdisciplinary works as well as industry–academia joint research efforts are especially welcome.

We seek high-quality, original contributions on the following topics:

Value in business competitiveness

  • Value culture in business
  • Value emergence for business competitiveness
  • Value in competitive and Smart Service Systems
  • Value in innovation, innovation in value generation
  • Sustainable generation process of value

Advances in value co-creation

  • Evolution of research on value co-creation
  • Multi-disciplinary analysis of value co-creation
  • Service management and marketing in value co-creation
  • Value co-creation in eco-systems and/or complex adaptive systems
  • Market shaping based on the co-creation of value

Sustainability and value co-creation

  • Users’ involvement and engagement in sustainable value co-creation
  • Self-organization and re-configuration in sustainable value co-creation
  • Viability and complexity in sustainable value co-creation
  • IT solutions enabling sustainability of value co-creation
  • Service design for sustainable co-creation

Ecosystems, sustainable value co-creation, and innovation

  • Ecosystems, institutions, and institutional complexity for sustainable innovation and social innovation, social sustainability
  • Institutions, shared norms, beliefs, and ethics value for social, economic, and environmental growth
  • Institutionalization and market and ecosystems emergence
  • Institutional arrangement, governance, and policy-making in sustainable value co-creation and innovation
  • Resource integration, shared intention for sustainable value co-creation
  • Big data and information to foster market evolution and sustainable innovation
  • Strategic planning for sustainable value co-creation and innovation

Prof. Francesco Polese
Dr. Luca Carrubbo
Dr. Orlando Troisi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Sustainable value co-creation
  • Business competitiveness
  • Users’ involvement
  • Value culture in business
  • Value emergence
  • Multi-disciplinary analysis

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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28 pages, 3826 KiB  
Article
Energy Efficiency in Industry 4.0: The Case of Batch Production Processes
by Giancarlo Nota, Francesco David Nota, Domenico Peluso and Alonso Toro Lazo
Sustainability 2020, 12(16), 6631; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12166631 - 17 Aug 2020
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 4856
Abstract
We derived a promising approach to reducing the energy consumption necessary in manufacturing processes from the combination of management methodologies and Industry 4.0 technologies. Based on a literature review and experts’ opinions, this work contributes to the efficient use of energy in batch [...] Read more.
We derived a promising approach to reducing the energy consumption necessary in manufacturing processes from the combination of management methodologies and Industry 4.0 technologies. Based on a literature review and experts’ opinions, this work contributes to the efficient use of energy in batch production processes combining the analysis of the overall equipment effectiveness with the study of variables managed by cyber-physical production systems. Starting from the analysis of loss cause identification, we propose a method that obtains quantitative data about energy losses during the execution of batch processes. The contributions of this research include the acquisition of precise information about energy losses and the improvement of value co-creation practices so that energy consumption can be reduced in manufacturing processes. Decision-makers can use the findings to start a virtuous process aiming at carbon footprint and energy costs reductions while ensuring production goals are met. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Value Co-Creation)
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17 pages, 2850 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Value Co-Creation and Digital Health: The Case of Trentino eHealth Ecosystem
by Antonio Botti and Antonella Monda
Sustainability 2020, 12(13), 5263; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12135263 - 29 Jun 2020
Cited by 37 | Viewed by 5627
Abstract
This paper aims to develop a theoretical framework based on recent service theories, such as service-dominant logic and service science, and on the concept of service ecosystems. The identification of the main elements of service ecosystems allows for pinpointing the main drivers for [...] Read more.
This paper aims to develop a theoretical framework based on recent service theories, such as service-dominant logic and service science, and on the concept of service ecosystems. The identification of the main elements of service ecosystems allows for pinpointing the main drivers for sustainable value co-creation, which is intended as the creation in the long run of new service solutions set up with and for end-users to guarantee a better service for the whole society. Given the high interactivity required in the relationship between players involved in digital health services, we decided to apply the developed framework to eHealth, to re-read the eHealth sector as a service ecosystem. The model is tested through a case study represented by digital healthcare in the Autonomous Province of Trento, which represents a best practice in this sector. The results confirm the presence of the main elements of the service ecosystem (actors, resource integration, technology, institutions) in the eHealth sector and show how their integration favours the creation of new resources, new uses of technology and new institutions that produce innovation and sustainable value co-creation. The originality of the work lies in the reconceptualization of the digital health sector from a new perspective based on the assumptions of service-dominant logic, that allow us to analyze the eHealth ecosystem in a holistic and system view. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Value Co-Creation)
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19 pages, 314 KiB  
Article
Value Creation and Sustainability: Lessons from Leading Sustainability Firms
by Danilo Brozović, Anna D’Auria and Marco Tregua
Sustainability 2020, 12(11), 4450; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114450 - 30 May 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4734
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to chart the value creation process of firms excelling in sustainability. To accomplish this goal, we devise an analytical framework based on a review of the literature combining value creation in service-dominant logic (SDL) and sustainability. We [...] Read more.
The aim of this paper is to chart the value creation process of firms excelling in sustainability. To accomplish this goal, we devise an analytical framework based on a review of the literature combining value creation in service-dominant logic (SDL) and sustainability. We then use the framework to analyze the practices of 100 firms excelling in sustainability, so as to offer a contribution in the form of a combination of insights from practice and theoretical analysis portraying the service ecosystem incorporating sustainability. The double-step analysis highlighted the relevance of a multi-actor perspective as a driver for the incorporation of sustainability in the value creation process, as well as the relevance of actors’ participation in firms’ processes, such as in resource integration and in line with the aim of sustainable service provision. The results advance the understanding of the elements of SDL as well as how the interplay among them occurs from a sustainability-based perspective. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Value Co-Creation)
25 pages, 4407 KiB  
Article
Technology, Value Co-Creation and Innovation in Service Ecosystems: Toward Sustainable Co-Innovation
by Sergio Barile, Mara Grimaldi, Francesca Loia and Carlo Alessandro Sirianni
Sustainability 2020, 12(7), 2759; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072759 - 1 Apr 2020
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 9187
Abstract
The work identifies the main enabling dimensions and the strategic drivers to foster value co-creation and sustainable innovation in service ecosystems. The aim is to explore how resource and knowledge integration, through technology-mediated interactions, can lead to the emergence of novelties (new products, [...] Read more.
The work identifies the main enabling dimensions and the strategic drivers to foster value co-creation and sustainable innovation in service ecosystems. The aim is to explore how resource and knowledge integration, through technology-mediated interactions, can lead to the emergence of novelties (new products, services, processes, social, and environmental practices). Based on a re-elaboration of literature, the study introduces a framework that describes the main drivers for managing the emergence of value co-creation and innovation (co-design, co-development, co-delivery, co-learning) across the contexts of exchange of service ecosystems (micro, meso, and macro). A “meta”-level is conceptualized to investigate how management can harmonize an actor’s objectives with an ecosystem’s goal to encourage the diffusion and renewal of a sustainable and innovation-oriented culture. The empirical research applies the framework proposed in the theoretical section to a case study analysis on “Palm”, an Italian company that designs and produces wood packaging. The technique employed is qualitative content analysis. The findings permit conceptualization of the key strategic levers for the management of co-creation and to increase managers’ and scholars’ understanding of (1) the enablers of value co-creation and innovation; (2) the mechanisms leading to knowledge renewal and the continuous production of sustainable innovation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Value Co-Creation)
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14 pages, 261 KiB  
Article
Improving Society by Improving Education through Service-Dominant Logic: Reframing the Role of Students in Higher Education
by Montserrat Díaz-Méndez, Mario R. Paredes and Michael Saren
Sustainability 2019, 11(19), 5292; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195292 - 26 Sep 2019
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 4489
Abstract
The role of higher education (HE) in the development of societies is an unquestionable fact, and its management has traditionally been a major concern of governments. Lately, there has been worldwide debate on whether universities should adopt traditional management practices as applied in [...] Read more.
The role of higher education (HE) in the development of societies is an unquestionable fact, and its management has traditionally been a major concern of governments. Lately, there has been worldwide debate on whether universities should adopt traditional management practices as applied in any business sector. This paper questions the adoption of these practices, because they tend to simplify the complexity of this service, and argues that service-dominant logic (SDL) is a more appropriate approach to manage HE institutions. It envisions HE as a complex system where many actors interact to co-create value and focuses on the student–teacher dyad. Through a critical literature review, this paper states that the increasing established analogy of the ‘student–customer’ and ‘teacher–provider’, adopted to simplify the complexity of the HE service and thus allow the implementation of traditional management practices, jeopardizes the sustainability of social development due to its effects on the long-term quality of professionals’ training. Then, under the frame of SDL, we define students as co-creators of value (rather than customers) and teachers as value proposers, providing new insights to the debate and critical new recommendations for policymakers and universities to manage this critical relationship. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Value Co-Creation)

Review

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19 pages, 683 KiB  
Review
Sustainability Accounting and Reporting in the Public Sector: Towards Public Value Co-Creation?
by Aurelio Tommasetti, Riccardo Mussari, Gennaro Maione and Daniela Sorrentino
Sustainability 2020, 12(5), 1909; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12051909 - 3 Mar 2020
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 5932
Abstract
The economic, social, and environmental contingencies of the last two decades have called into question the need for public sector organizations to align accounting practices with sustainable concerns. Sustainability refers to the ability of organizations to co-create economic value in the long run, [...] Read more.
The economic, social, and environmental contingencies of the last two decades have called into question the need for public sector organizations to align accounting practices with sustainable concerns. Sustainability refers to the ability of organizations to co-create economic value in the long run, involving all stakeholders, safeguarding the environment, and generating well-being for the community. While this topic attracts increasing interests from several perspectives, there is a lack of a comprehensive assessment of how academia is debating it. Therefore, this paper reviews the field of sustainability, accounting, and reporting (SAR) in the public sector in order to develop insights into how the literature is developing the theme of public value (PV) co-creation, offer a critique of the state-of-the-art to date, and outline future research opportunities. The study is based on a structured literature review (SLR) methodology that enables studying the corpus of scholarly literature, developing insights, critical reflections, and future research paths. The results highlight that, although the involvement of stakeholders appears as crucial for developing SAR practices in the public sector, scholars have not yet adopted a PV co-creation perspective to this phenomenon, since, at best, previous studies only focused on the stakeholders’ involvement, without considering other aspects such as synergistic integration of resources and alignment of purposes. Therefore, academics should rethink their research setting and implications to provide a significant contribution by conducting studies capable of leading future development of SA in the public sector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Value Co-Creation)
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