From B2B to A4A: An Integrated Framework for Viable Value Co-Creation

Journal title MERCATI & COMPETITIVITÀ
Author/s Francesco Polese, Debora Sarno, Orlando Troisi, Mara Grimaldi
Publishing Year 2018 Issue 2018/3
Language English Pages 27 P. 135-161 File size 163 KB
DOI 10.3280/MC2018-003008
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The work aims at introducing a new framework to analyse the dynamics among agents in marketing-oriented management (Gummesson and Polese, 2009) according to a system view on value co-creation (Vargo and Lusch, 2017). By overcoming the product-oriented distinction between producers and consumers in the B2B (Businessto- Business) and B2C (Business-to-Consumer) classifications, the paper presents the shift to Service-Dominant logic (S-D logic - Vargo and Lusch, 2008; Lusch and Vargo, 2014), many-to-many marketing and the A2A (Actor-to-Actor, Vargo and Lusch, 2016) relationships. Then, the study proposes the broader and collaborative concept of A4A (Actor-for-Actor) and introduces an all-encompassing viewpoint by means of the Viable Systems Approach (VSA - Golinelli, 2000). The proposed A4A framework, which merges S-D logic and VSA, can allow at pinpointing the processes and drivers for successful value co-creation and for turning it into viable value co-creation. In this sense, A4A relationships can lead managers to identify strategies fostering innovation and collaboration for company survival in the long run.

Keywords: Value co-creation, service marketing, Service-dominant logic, Viable systems approach, actor-for-actor, service exchange

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Francesco Polese, Debora Sarno, Orlando Troisi, Mara Grimaldi, From B2B to A4A: An Integrated Framework for Viable Value Co-Creation in "MERCATI & COMPETITIVITÀ" 3/2018, pp 135-161, DOI: 10.3280/MC2018-003008