Prosumer motivations in service experiences

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to, first, make explicit the theoretical link between prosumers and co-creation as articulated in the service-dominant logic framework. The authors re-examine the contributions of prosumers to service experiences with the intent of clarifying how prosumers act as co-creators of value. The second purpose of this study is to clarify the underlying motivations for prosumers' participation in co-creation/service experiences. The authors assert that high-quality service experiences require service researchers and managers to better understand prosumers and their motivations. Design/methodology/approach - Through a qualitative investigation, the authors examine prosumers and their social motivations - from a service experience perspective. Findings - The findings illustrate that prosumers are not only participants in the co-creation of value; the findings illustrate that prosumers are active designers of service experiences. This is because prosumers are motivated by both individual and social factors that arise from their personal lives, not necessarily by desires to participate in firms' production processes. The authors seek answers to the following research questions: What are the social motivations of prosumers? How do prosumers co-create value through creative outputs? Research limitations/implications - The findings suggest that firms do not solely motivate co-creation and, more specifically, prosumption; rather, these are motivated by factors in the personal lives of consumers. Practical implications - The findings illustrate that prosumers are not only participants in the co-creation of value; the findings illustrate that prosumers are active designers of service experiences. Service design and management should account for and accommodate prosumers. Originality/value - This interdisciplinary paper integrates literature from design, marketing, service, and management to provide theoretical underpinnings of a qualitative study into the social motivations of prosumers from a service experience perspective.