Background: Brand managers are always trying to find ways to increase brand profitability and creating a stronger competitive advantage. Part of the marketing activities implemented by brand managers is geared towards building brand equity. Managers have now recognized the importance of the customer in creating brand equity and therefore implement co-creation as a way of creating value together with the customer. Co-creation allows for the firm to bring the customer closer. Two dimensions of brand equity which are brand loyalty and brand experience were chosen for this study. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explain the effects of perceived co-creation benefits on brand loyalty and brand experience (CBBE). Methodology: To meet the purpose, the study proposes an explanatory design with a quantitative approach. After reviewing relevant literature, three benefits were found important for the customers and in connection to the purpose of a researched model based on six hypotheses was developed. The empirical data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire which was distributed online with a total of 119 responses which were recorded and passed the qualification question whether they follow a brand on social media. Findings: The authors found evidence that perceived co-creation benefits have an effect on CBBE. It was found that particularly hedonic benefits have a significant effect on brand loyalty. Another finding was that social integrative benefits also has an effect on brand experience.

This research presents a co-developing service innovation imagery system that considers the service innovation imagery can be designed and created with their customers and appropriate collaborators in co-creation network. Default imagery reasoned by analyzing SMEs information, interaction pattern and cultural behavior so as to represent current status quo of the service to co-develop toward service innovation. In addition, we use metaphor statement as the representation of different kinds of user value (i.e., emotional, social-cultural environmental value) so as to build a knowledge based imagery bank for the co-developing process. The mechanism of the open group support system facilitates the interactions between different interpreters that derive and imply a set of value, such as emotional, social-cultural-environmental dimensional consumption values for the SME’s customers. In this research, our main goal is to propose an IT-based systematic approach for SMEs to co-developing their service innovation imagery with other actors and interpreters. The co-developing journey would facilitate SMEs to derive the service innovation imagery for service innovation.

Submitted by Nadir Basilio (nadirsb@uninove.br) on 2016-07-01T15:10:10Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Oseias do Prado Soares.pdf: 1156909 bytes, checksum: 3f99816c62af42b08668882932bbd98d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-01T15:10:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Oseias do Prado Soares.pdf: 1156909 bytes, checksum: 3f99816c62af42b08668882932bbd98d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-26 / With the competition today, companies looking for tools that can leverage your revenues and improve your performance, especially in the automotive sector which has a fierce contest for market share. Technological innovations are a way out for those companies wishing to compete in a position of equality, but to generate technological innovation need to understand tools for its development. The co-creation of value is one such tool. This work has the objective to analyze if the co-creation of value drives the development of technological innovations and influence positively the financial/economic and operational performance in the automotive industries. To complete this study research methodology adopted was a semi-structured questionnaire with confirmatory survey based on data obtained through structural equation modeling software (Smart PLS). Data analysis was conducted on the basis of quantitative and qualitative data, analyze the hypotheses developed after review of the existing literature. The results show that the use of the practices of the co-creation of value drives the development of technological innovations in the automotive industry. It was also possible to conclude that the use of the co-creation of value as a strategy in the development of technological innovations do not influence positively the financial/economic performance, and positively influence the operational performance in the automotive industries. The research contributes, as advanced at the point where the search terms found in the existing literature were conducted in different sectors of the automotive industry, and in developed countries. This research allowed view the co-creation used as strategy in the development of technological innovations in the Brazilian automotive industrial park. / Com a concorrência na atualidade generalizada, as empresas buscam por ferramentas que possam alavancar o seu faturamento e melhorar o seu desempenho, principalmente no setor automotivo que tem uma disputa acirrada por participação de mercado. As inovações tecnológicas são uma saída para essas empresas que desejam competir em posição de igualdade, porém para gerar inovações tecnológicas é preciso compreender ferramentas para o seu desenvolvimento. A cocriação de valor surge como uma dessas ferramentas. Este trabalho tem o objetivo analisar se a cocriação de valor impulsiona o desenvolvimento de inovações tecnológicas e influência positivamente os desempenhos financeiro/econômico e operacional nas indústrias do setor automotivo brasileiro. Para realização deste estudo a metodologia de pesquisa adotada foi uma survey confirmatória com questionário semiestruturado com base em dados obtidos por meio do software de modelagem de equações estruturais (Smart PLS). A análise dos dados foi conduzida com base em dados quantitativos e qualitativos, o que permitiu analisar as hipóteses desenvolvidas após a revisão da literatura existente. Os resultados apontam que a utilização das práticas da cocriação de valor impulsiona o desenvolvimento de inovações tecnológicas no setor automotivo Brasileiro. Também foi possível concluir que a utilização da cocriação de valor como estratégia no desenvolvimento de inovações tecnológicas não influência positivamente o desempenho financeiro/econômico, e influência positivamente o desempenho operacional nas indústrias do setor automotivo brasileiro. A pesquisa contribui, pois avançou no ponto em que as pesquisas encontradas na literatura existente foram realizadas em setores distintos do automotivo, e em países de desenvolvidos. Esta pesquisa permitiu visualizar a cocriação utilizada como estratégia no desenvolvimento de inovações tecnológicas no parque industrial automotivo Brasileiro.

The shift towards Smart Manufacturing Systems has led to the digital transformation era, leveraging various technologies to drive enhanced productivity and production efficiency. In addition, the digitalization of the manufacturing industry makes extensive use of industrial information systems to support technical and business operations throughout a product’s lifecycle. However, evidence highlights the financial and environmental costs incurred by creating and maintaining digital models, which threaten an organization’s sustainability. Therefore, in this thesis, it is believed that alternative revenue sources emerging from monetizing repurposed knowledge embedded into digital models will serve as enablers to sustainability while promoting industrial innovation through collaborative ecosystems of partners where the focus is on the mutual exchange of value. This thesis emphasizes the process planning task entirely, and it aims to investigate two main areas, the former involving a bibliographic analysis of business models associated with the servitization of the manufacturing industry within value co-creation environments, along with their corresponding technical enablers and requirements, while the latter focusing on identifying the stages in which company knowledge and expertise is embedded into digital models. A series of case studies in collaboration with a major Swedish manufacturing company revealed process planning experts’ workflows, challenges, and opportunities to improve the company’s current services. The analysis and comparison of the two use cases indicated two discrete types of process planning workflows that are assumed to apply in different production systems. Furthermore, an attempt has been made to correlate process planning to business modeling by suggesting several conceptual digital products and services that can enhance the company’s existing offerings’ functionality. The corresponding value propositions of the proposed digital offerings have been formulated. The proposed conceptual digital offerings have been validated together with the involved organization. At this stage, further improvements and validation are needed to justify the feasibility of the proposed business model framework and digital offerings. However, further developments and compliance of industrial information system providers with information standards can potentially enable business innovation through collaboration in the manufacturing industry. / Skiftet mot Smarta tillverkningssystem är en del av den digitala omvandling, där olika teknologier utnyttjas för att öka produktivitet och effektivitet inom produktion. Digitaliseringen av tillverkningsindustrin leder dessutom till en omfattande användning av industriella informationssystem för att stödja tekniska och affärsmässiga operationer genom en produkts hela livscykel. Dock innebär skapande och underhåll av digitala modeller ekonomiska och miljömässiga kostnader, vilket kan hota en organisations hållbarhet. Därför studeras i denna avhandling de möjliga alternativa inkomstkällor som uppstår från att generera intäkter av den kunskap som finns inbäddad i digitala modeller. Tanken är att detta kommer att fungera som en möjliggörare för hållbarhet samtidigt som de främjar industriell innovation genom industriella ekosystem av partners där fokus ligger på ömsesidigt värdeutbyte. Den här avhandlingen betonar helt och hållet uppgiften med processplanering och syftar till att undersöka två huvudområden; det första innefattar en bibliografisk analys av affärsmodeller associerade med tjänstefieringen av tillverkningsindustrin inom miljöer för sam-skapande av värde, tillsammans med motsvarande tekniska möjliggörare och krav, medan det andra fokuserar på att identifiera de skeden där företagskunskap och expertis är inbäddade i digitala modeller. En serie fallstudier i samarbete med ett stort svenskt tillverkningsföretag visade processplaneringsexperts arbetsflöden, utmaningar och möjligheter att förbättra företagets nuvarande tjänster. Analysen och jämförelsen av de två användningsfallen indikerade två distinkta typer av arbetsflöden för processplanering som antas tillämpas i olika produktionssystem. Dessutom har ett försök gjorts att korrelera processplanering med affärsmodellering genom att föreslå flera konceptuella digitala produkter och tjänster som kan förbättra funktionaliteten i företagets befintliga erbjudanden. Värdepropositionerna för de föreslagna digitala erbjudandena har formulerats. Dessa konceptuella digitala erbjudanden har validerats tillsammans med den studerade organisationen. Nu behövs ytterligare förbättring och validering för att motivera genomförbarheten av det föreslagna affärsmodellsramverket och de digitala erbjudandena. Vidare kan informationsstandarder som underlättar informationsutbyte, och efterlevnad av dessa hos leverantörer av industriella informationssystem, potentiellt möjliggöra affärsinnovation genom ökat samarbete inom tillverkningsindustrin.

Le développement des technologies de l'information permet aux entreprises et aux consommateurs de travailler ensemble pour développer des innovations. Les entreprises s'appuient sur ce mouvement de co-création en ligne à travers des plateformes de génération d'idées. Les mécanismes sous-jacents des interactions utilisateurs/entreprises deviennent un sujet majeur au niveau théorique et pratique. Ce travail doctoral vise à mieux comprendre les déterminants des innovations co-créées par desconsommateurs. Dans un premier article, nous étudions les acteurs qui contribuent aux innovations externes, et principalement les lead-users dans un contexte de crowdsourcing afin de proposer une typologie de ces consommateurs spécifiques. Deuxièmement, nous explorons en profondeur la notion de performance de l'outil et identifions que ces outils, tels que les plateformes d’idéation et les logiciels open source, doivent regrouper certaines conditions pour augmenter la capacité innovantedes entreprises. Enfin, nous nous concentrons sur l'ensemble du processus de création d’innovations et proposons un modèle théorique basé sur les théories de la résolution de problèmes et les need-solution pairs. Les résultats obtenus dans ce travail doctoral permettent de contribuer à la littérature traitant du crowdsourcing et de l’innovation utilisateurs mais également de répondre à des questions managériales sur la recherche virtuelle d’innovations. Le recours à ces trois niveaux d'analyse (acteurs, outils et méthodes) est essentiel aux entreprises pour intégrer une vision globale de l’environnement extérieur et le succès d’une stratégie d’innovation ouverte. Les trois articles de ce travail permettent d’aider les entreprises à augmenter leur niveau de co-création avec des lead-users. Cette recherche offre également une meilleure compréhension de la conception des outils technologiques pour maximiser l’échange et la création d’idées innovantes par les consommateurs. Le modèle théoriqueproposé permet d’optimiser la recherche de solutions innovantes par le biais d’un processus adapté de formulation du problème. / Advance in information technology allows companies and customers working together to developinnovations. Firms widely rely on this online co-creation movement through idea generation toolkitsand the underlying mechanisms of user-firms interactions become a challenging topic to investigatefor both theory and practice. Across three articles, we aim to better understand user innovationsdeterminants. In the first article proposition, we build on lead user literature to investigate the actorscontributing to external innovations. Second, we explore the notion of tool performance as mean tofacilitate innovation. We identify that online tools, such as ideation platform and Open SourceSoftware need to aggregate several conditions leading to promote innovative outputs. Finally, wefocus on the overall process allowing firms to entirely externalize the idea generation process andmethods to improve this process. We propose a theoretical model built on problem-solving and needsolution pairs theories. Overall, the findings extend both user innovation and crowdsourcing literatureand provide practical implications for virtual search for innovations. The investigations of three levelof analysis: actors, tools and methods is critical. The three articles of our thesis could help firms toincrease interactions with expert users. This research could also provide better understanding on howto design ideation toolkits to maximize innovative context. Finally, our theoretical model might helpfirms to optimize the search for innovative solutions via an adapted process for problem formulation.

Title: Social Media – And customer interaction in smaller firms Seminar date: 2011-06-10 Course: Information Logistics, D-level. Authors: Marie Stenhammar and Ulrika Carlsson Advisor: Jaime Campos Key words: Social Media, Web 2.0, Co-creation, Viral marketing, Word of Mouth, smaller firms Purpose: This paper aims to describe the relevance of social media to smaller firms, the challenges and opportunities they face and what strategies they use, in the interaction with their customers. Methodology: The study is qualitative in nature and has an abductive approach. The empirical material consists of in-depth interviews with chosen companies and Internet observations. Theoretical perspectives: Social Media, Web 2.0, Co-creation, Viral marketing, Word of Mouth Empirical foundation: The study takes its empirical base from in-depth interviews with representatives from the small companies and internet observations connected to these. Conclusions: Smaller companies have great interest in social media. They preferably use Facebook, blogs, YouTube and Twitter. Their strategy is mainly to be very active and update their social media regularly. The opinion of the companies is that social media offer several possibilities such as stronger relationships with customers and the ability to collect information about the market.

Information Technology (IT) enables organizations to involve consumers as co-creators of new products. By facilitating increased interaction between consumers and developers. IT allows consumers to influence and tailor product designs, but also allows developers to make use of distant knowledge to enhance and extend their product offerings and marketing. However, while much is said about the promises of IT-enabled co-creation, little is known of the strategic challenges associated with such IT use. To address this gap, we drew on IT literature to conduct a qualitative case study of IT-enabled co-creation in four video game development firms. In particular, we tried to understand how IT is affecting relationships between consumers and developers and when and why IT can be strategically used to enable co-creating coalitions in development processes. In so doing, it became clear that the promises of IT-enabled co-creation are associated with key strategic challenges. In particular, we identify three challenges that organizations must address in order to harness the strategic value of IT-enabled co-creation: the silent majority, quality assurance and managing expectations. We conclude this paper by discussing the future of IT and digital product development as well as implications for research and practice.

The benefits of customer co-creation of value in the service delivery process have been well established through recent literatures. However, despite the fact that there has been an increase in the awareness of the importance of customer behaviors in the service delivery process, little research has been done to investigate the role of customers and their influence in co-creating the service climate within organizations. This study captures the impact and effects of customer behaviors on the perceptions of employees towards the service climate of their respective restaurant firms.The overall objective of this thesis is to deepen the understanding of the role of customers in co-creating the service climates inside restaurant firms where co-creation of services occurs. For conducting this study, I have used the semi-structured interviews for data collection from six respondents (three customers and three employees) from three different restaurants within the city. Results indicate that customers’ participative and citizenship behaviors such as giving feedbacks, employees’ job appreciation and praise during direct interactions, advocacy through word of mouth, and sharing of knowledge and seeking of information that could benefit the firm influenced employees’ perception of their work climate. The results also showed that employees transfer these positive attitudes to their fellow employees through affective group tone through which the overall working climate within restaurants is improved.I believe that this study will be helpful to future scholars and researchers who wish to conduct further research on this particular topic as the findings from this study have increased the understanding of the role of customers in the co-creation service climates within restaurant organizations. The paper also discusses the theoretical and practical implications of the findings from this research at the end of the paper.

The purpose of this study is to identify the challenges and opportunities for digitalization within the food industry, and give suggestions on how to co-create value through digitalization.  This qualitative study is based on data collected from scientific articles, reports and books about digitalization and value co-creation in the food industry. The primary data collection was carried out by twelve semi-structured interviews and a complementary food industry study with eleven respondents. The collected data was handled in thematic analysis and inspired by coding.  The study’s main conclusion was the discovering of a new value co- creation mechanism defined as relationship and learning.

The purpose of the study is to examine how the crowdfunding context facilitates value co-creation from a service-dominant logic perspective. Previous studies on crowdfunding have focused on crowdfunding as a way to raise capital, but there is a need to examine how value is created from a service-dominant logic perspective to understand the crowdfunding context. This has been examined through an embedded case study on the Swedish crowdfunding market, consisting of three crowdfunded companies and two branch experts. The study finds that the crowdfunding context facilitates value co-creation by engaging the involved actors in value co-creating activities, where both actors benefit. Community creation was found to be vital for the crowdfunding context while being important in the value co-creation process. The study contributes to the crowdfunding literature by adding an understanding of how the crowdfunding context facilitates value co-creation, by applying a service-dominant logic perspective, showing how the crowdfunding context includes more than financial aspects. The study also contributes to the service-dominant logic discussion by enabling future research in a new empirical setting. Finally, from a managerial point of view, the study contributes to how crowdfunding has additional benefits beyond raising capital, such as how the actors can co-create value.