Enhancing social enterprise sustainability: A value cocreation pathway

Purpose - This paper explores the role of the services marketing concept of value co-creation (VCC) in social enterprise (SE) sustainability. Methodology - The research utilized a case study approach, incorporating a purposefully selected regional SE in the form of an Australian Coffee Roasters Guild, comprising six independent organizations. Semi-structured interviews were employed to capture the perspectives of Guild representatives. Thematic analysis and coding of the data was conducted through the lens of the extant VCC and SE literature. Findings - Findings indicate the theoretical fit and practical application of VCC, offers considerable potential to SEs in their quest for organizational sustainability. Specifically, the study demonstrates the aptness of the VCC DART framework as a means for SEs to facilitate sustainable socio-economic outcomes via effective resource integration as supported by mutually beneficial stakeholder relationships. Originality/value - Theoretically, the study identifies the fit of VCC in the context of SEs, via theory-borrowing. It also extends the VCC DART framework, advancing theoretical insight on the sustainability of SEs. Practically, it offers practitioners and policy-makers a platform to assist development of improved SE sustainability strategies