Value co-creation at service user interface: contribution of public service professionals

Abstract

Value co-creation is a process aimed at improving services by engaging the cooperation of service users. In this process, service frontline professionals directly influence service pathways, outcomes and service users’ experiences. Drawing on interviews with 56 public service professionals and managers, we explore how professionals contribute to value co-creation in public wellbeing services in Finland. Through abductive analysis, we identify key elements of professional contribution to public service value co-creation and the persistent presence of value tensions. We discover that, given the opportunity, professionals convey information on the functionality of co-creation processes at the service interface and enable organizational learning. Therefore, this study concludes that recognizing the multi-faceted roles of professionals and value tensions also promote the development of professional competence, organizational practices and the service system.