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This paper aims to focus on how value is generated as part of co-creative modalities in service transactions. The progression of value creation ranges from utilitarian to hedonic and experiential value over repeated transactions that entail crossing specific thresholds that enhance deeper trust when the customer consumes the same product/service bundle over time.

In this paper, the authors synthesize various theoretical narratives and advance propositions for understanding the modalities and processes underlying the repeated transformation of co-creation values in repeated transactions over time.

The propositions provide a basis to investigate how the firm is able to engage with the customers to move from basic forms of value creation to more advanced forms such that the firm is able to manage the value creation modalities leading to superior value generation.

This paper provides a basis for firms to understand how value is co-created and transformed. Specifically, the evolution of customer values is assessed from value-in-exchange and value-in-use to value-in-experience. The role of thresholds in the evolution of value is integral in the progression from utilitarian, hedonic, to experiential value. Moreover, in repeated transactions, the role of trust underpins the processes underlying different thresholds. In practice, firms should seek to engage the customer at a higher level in the creation of co-creative modalities of value creation.

This paper provides a theoretical context of the evolution and transformation of such value in co-creation. Extant research has yet to delve into such value creation accounts from the perspective of the firm (service provider) and its customers.

The concept of “participation” has become a buzzword in contemporary public governance models. However, despite the broad and significant interest, defining participation remains a debated topic. The aim of the current study was to explore how participants perceived and interpreted the meaning and scope of participation.

This study is part of a four-year (2019–2022) longitudinal research project investigating stakeholder participation in the context of developing and establishing a strategic regional plan in Region Skåne in southern Sweden. The research project has a qualitative approach and uses interviews with different stakeholder groups such as municipal politicians and public officials and a survey as empirical material.

The authors developed a participation spectrum including eight types of participation: to be open, to be informed, to be listened to, to discuss, to be consulted, to give and take, to collaborate and to co-create. The authors also identified four different purposes of participation: creating a joint network, creating a joint understanding, creating a joint effort and creating a joint vision. The spectrum and the purposes were related through four characteristics of participation, i.e. involvement, interaction, influence and empowerment.

The study rests on a single case, and so the results have limited transferatibility.

Researching participation in terms of the participants' perceptions contributes a new perspective to the existing literature, which has commonly focussed on the organizers' perceptions of participation. Moreover, in order to clarify what participation meant to the participants, the study puts emphasis on untangling this from the why question of participation.

Despite the advent of New Public Management theories over three decades ago, doubts persist regarding the practical implementation of these principles in the public health-care context. Challenges arise particularly from the type of system where this phenomenon is analyzed. In the Italian context, for instance, it can be arduous to define universally applicable organizational behaviors, given the interregional disparity that characterizes such a system. Furthermore, the professional identity of clinician-managers influences the perception of what “being a manager” means. This paper, thus, using the Italian context as a reference, aims to delineate what is the perception of Italian public hospitals clinician-middle-managers in terms of their responsibilities and tasks.

A survey-questionnaire was distributed to 6,011 Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) in Italian public hospitals, representing 100% of such role holders in the country. With a response rate of 16.7%, 1,005 responses were obtained. The questionnaire assessed CMOs' attitudes toward specific activities relevant to clinician-management, ranked from most to least important. Activities were derived from literature and categorized to discern management styles. Subgroups based on geographical location and professional orientation were also identified to isolate regional effects and professional identity influences.

Results suggested that activities associated with a collaborative approach are perceived as most important. Furthermore, it clearly emerges the difference based on professional orientation of CMOs. However, it could not be appreciated the same level of difference basing the analysis on regional disparities.

The interest in the role of middle management in healthcare organizations has increased over the years. Nevertheless, currently the authors believe that not many studies are focused on defining what “being a manager” means for clinician-managers themselves, rather than explaining what clinician-managers shall do.