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Advancing conceptual clarity in marketing science: Delineating process and systems perspectives on value co-creation

Hannu Makkonen et al.

Marketing Theory2026https://doi.org/10.1177/14705931261430777article
AJG 3ABDC A
Weight
0.50

Abstract

Conceptual clarity is fundamental to accumulating knowledge in marketing science. This study investigates the construct of value co-creation to assess its conceptual clarity in the academic literature and inform broader theory development in marketing. Drawing on a systematic literature review and statistical analysis of 1224 peer-reviewed articles, we find that while conceptual clarity has improved over time, it remains fragmented. Surprisingly, marketing- and service-focused journals do not exhibit higher conceptual clarity than adjacent fields; moreover, journal ranking correlates negatively with conceptual clarity, whereas author affiliation with prestigious institutions correlates positively with conceptual clarity. To advance the field, we propose a conceptual framework that distinguishes between process and systems perspectives of value co-creation and outline future research avenues grounded in this distinction. We contribute to marketing theory by delineating the value co-creation concept and offering actionable tools for enhancing conceptual clarity, thus supporting more coherent further theorizing and empirically robust research.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/14705931261430777

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@article{hannu2026,
  title        = {{Advancing conceptual clarity in marketing science: Delineating process and systems perspectives on value co-creation}},
  author       = {Hannu Makkonen et al.},
  journal      = {Marketing Theory},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/14705931261430777},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.