Value Creation in Heterogeneous Collaborative Networks

Abstract

Consumer research has examined the process of value creation in brand communities and similar collectives. Nevertheless, extant research falls short of explaining value creation that happens in heterogeneous collaborative networks, where a variety of participants, including consumers, entrepreneurs, and companies interact. Drawing from data collected through a blended ethnography and netnography of the collaborative network of geocaching, this study examines value creation in heterogeneous collaborative networks. Findings suggest that value creation initiates with value propositions negotiated by participants in use, across contexts, through time, and within relationships. These findings cha..