Mutual value appropriation

When the parties come to the realization that the goals they pursue are complementary as opposed to conflicting, the idea of value co-creation is born. With service dominant logic, where the needs of the customer are communicated to the company in order for a solution to be developed (Ballatyne et al. 2011), the promises of potential benefits are the initiators for the exchange. The value offering is then modified through negotiations and resources are pulled together so that mutual value is co-created. It is important to acknowledge what is of benefit and expense for the customer and the company.

During these negotiations, information flows easier by each party determining what provides value to them and openly communicating it. A value proposition is devised.

Some elements are accepted and form the promises of value generation. In the creation of value both parties evaluate the benefits and costs. The terms of value co-creation are decided in agreement either formally or casually, as a relational long-term contract or a transactional exchange. In case a wide array of reciprocal value proposi-tions across a network of partners are involved, equitable exchange must exist for every partner. Even the negotiation process might be of value to the parties (Ballatyne et al.

2011).

The crafting of the value proposition starts with one of the parties inviting the other to discuss mutual complementary objectives. A preliminary value proposition is then pre-pared by one party. Through a process of negotiations, it is adjusted and agreed on. The value concept is then tested to develop an actual action plan. In the co-creation of value,

the supplier’s value proposition is not the final offer but the initiation of a dialogue. The value is then modified until favorable results are created for both parties. In some cases the value emerges out of a long process of communication and is not specified in the initial value proposition. In some cases however, the value proposition is devised through cross-functional cooperation of the parties (Ballatyne et al. 2011). In the prod-uct-service mix, it is still a complicated matter that needs more analysis (Tuli et al.

2007; Ulaga and Reinartz 2011). Lappierre (2000) groups benefits into those from product, service and relationship. The sacrifices are then grouped as price and relation-ship. The multi-faceted nature of a reciprocal value proposition is illustrated in Figure 27.

Figure 27. Dual perspective of value.

Value proposition must clarify the reciprocal exchange of value in terms of the benefits or reduced costs. It must be clear who the value goes to and through what process. (Bal-latyne et al. 2011) In complex offerings that are composed of products, services and relationships, there are expenses imposed on both customers and company as illustrated.

The difference between the value offerings and the customer cost is the perceived cus-tomer value, as elaborated on earlier in this thesis. The difference between the value to the company and the customers’ cost to the company is the customer lifetime value. The benefit of the whole offering must be more compared to the cost for both parties, for value co-creation to be initiated.

According to Payne and Frow (2011), value proposition can be used to align value crea-tion for different market entities. In order for value to be created for both entities, a dia-logue must be created through extensive communication and sharing of knowledge.

This dialogue has its roots in collaboration and absorption capabilities. Collaboration is based on trust. Absorption is due to awareness to information and the ability to learn from feedback and modify (Payne and Frow 2011).

Kowalski (2011) claims that one of the main challenges in the process of value co-creation is the complexity of the purchase organization. The buying organization is

composed of different entities. During the value proposition and delivery process, the communication is carried out between different people at different levels of the organi-zation and in various roles in the purchase process. The users in the buying organiorgani-zation are concerned with value in use and the payers in value in exchange.

The complexity happens due to the lack of authority of the users who engage in value creation on one hand. On the other hand, the users might not have the strategic insight required for crafting the value proposition (Kowalski 2011). What might create even more complexity is how the business model is designed so that users and payers are even in different organizations. In today’s age of data, the data gathered from one client might form the basis for the service that is sold to another in order to generate revenue.

Crafting the value proposition by establishing interfaces between the partners at differ-ent levels and between differdiffer-ent members of the purchase organization can mitigate this challenge. By means of different interfaces between the two partner companies, it is easier to craft a value proposition that is deemed valuable by different members of the purchase organization. Besides, the opportunities for a new value proposition can also be detected.

Hogan (2001) introduces a new construct called expected relationship value (ERV).

ERV is the perceived net worth of the tangible benefits that are to be driven over the relationship period. ERV considers the following matters:

 Both partner organizations

 Net worth including the costs

 Time element

 Future outcomes of the partnership

First, ERV is an organizational construct that concerns both entities. The assessment of value is done in both organizations, although differently, due to the difference in per-spective. Second, value is the net worth of current and future benefits. Hence, the costs such as capital investment, managerial time, transaction cost, product and operating costs must be considered. Third, ERV actually concerns the future implications of the relationships. The future benefits such as product quality, technology transfer and in-creased process efficiency are worth contemplating. ERV carries uncertainty because it is in the future. Hogan (2001) names chance, opportunism or insufficient information as reasons for uncertainty. In his study, probability distribution of expected relationship value is drawn to depict the uncertainty inherent in the value in a relationship.

Due to the multi-level nature of business to business relationships, value analysis is also complicated. The information needed for such analysis is scattered throughout the or-ganization. The data collection hence is best done through a structured research all over

the companies. The concept of value based on a relationship, according to Möller and Törrönen (2003) can be conceptualized in three dimensions:

 Efficiency

 Effectiveness

 Network function

Efficiency function is the efficient use of resources in a business relationship. Effective-ness is the partners’ ability to be innovative and increase the value to each other. The network function is the value creation potential of the more extensive value creation network. Value in a relationship can be access to technology, markets and information.