Value Co-Creation and the Psychological Capital of the Customer

Abstract

Building upon recent advances in the organizational psychology literature, the authors aim to better understand the variables that underlie a customer’s intention to participate in the value creation process. More specifically, they investigate whether the recently recognized construct of Psychological Capital (PsyCap) can be extended to the customer domain. PsyCap is a higher-order state-like construct consisting of various capacities that drive the motivation to achieve specific tasks and goals. Furthermore, the authors incorporate PsyCap in a framework based on Social Cognitive Theory. The results show a significant, indirect relationship between the customers’ PsyCap and their intention to co-create value.