Users' Involvement in Value Co-Creation: The More the Better?

Literature on value co-creation often postulates that a greater degree of co-production increases the potential of value co-creation. To test this hypothesis, we build a computational model of value proposition inspired by March's model of organizational learning. The model allows us to represent various cases of co-creation: (i) without co-production, (ii) with downstream co-production, and (iii) with upstream co-production. Repeated simulations are partly supporting the literature. On one hand, we find that deeper involvement of consumers into the value offering process increases the potential for value co-creation. One the other hand, we find that co-production can increase inequalities of satisfaction among consumers. Also, while scenarios with learning consumers offer the highest potential for value co-creation, a negative relationship emerges between the number of learning consumers and organizational performance.