Value co-creation in the multinational technology standard alliance: a case study from emerging economies

Purpose This paper aims to explore and analyze how a focal firm, coming from emerging economies, of the multinational technology standard alliance ecosystem engages different actors of the alliance in value co-creation practice, contributing to product collaborative innovation and reciprocal standards cooperation. Design/methodology/approach Based on in-depth interviews, primary company, and secondary documents, this paper conducts an exploratory single case study of TechAlpha to investigate the practice of value co-creation in the multinational technology standard alliance (MTSA). Findings Based on the extended resource-based view (ERBV), this paper finds that in the MTSA ecosystem, actor engagement sets the anchor for the focal firm in the MTSA to dominate the resource interaction, achieving a greater interaction through goal co-discussion, standard co-construction and achievement co-sharing. Resource interaction is composed of standard resource identification, standard resource sharing, and standard resource alignment, putting a high value on the practice of value co-creation. Value co-creation dominated by the focal firm of the MTSA is embodied in the synergy of actor engagement and resource interaction. Originality/value This paper contributes to the relevant literature by illustrating how the focal firm coming from emerging economies of the MTSA enables value co-creation through adjusting the situation of actor engagement and exerting its standards resource interaction. This paper also advances the process of acquisition, integration, and reconstruction of heterogeneous resources throughout the MTSA by offering a new supplementary perspective and new evidence from a Chinese firm.