Value co-creation in solution networks

Despite high expectations attached to solution business, research on its value outcomes to the actors involved remains scarce. By drawing on rich empirical data, value research, and the interaction and network approach, this paper studies how value is co-created in solution networks. We explore how actors integrate resources in interaction to develop integrated solutions, and identify the related benefits and sacrifices perceived by each actor in two different solution networks. The study identifies potential linkages between the value processes of actors and their wider network, and postulates that the type of the resources integrated may be an antecedent to certain benefits and sacrifices. This paper contributes to solutions research by providing a new conceptual understanding of value co-creation that occurs in the interplay of actors, resources and activities in solution networks. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.