Resumo

Existing literature recognizes that the end customer is a key component of the supply chain (Stolze et al., 2016; Gligor and Maloni, 2021). Given their position at the end of the supply chain, the end consumer is the primary driver of demand. Thus, research on their needs and preferences is essential for business success (Gligor and Maloni, 2021). Traditional supply chain management literature has historically focused on delivering value to these customers through the production and delivery of products and services (Lusch, 2011).

Upon reviewing the value co-creation literature, no previous research was found that made a comparison between possible differences related to the role of employee engagement in value co-creation and innovation implementation in hospitality (B2C) and industries belonging to the supply chain (B2B). Little attention has been given to value co-creation in the industrial environment (B2B) (Gupta et al., 2017; Iglesias et al., 2020; Gligor and Maloni; Sivakumar and Su pramaniam, 2024). Therefore, this study seeks to answer how employee engagement influences value co-creation and innovation implemen

revealed that the concept of co-production existed before 2000, while the idea of co-creation emerged from the dominant service logic (Prahalad and Ramaswamy, 2004a). McColl-Kennedy et al. (2012) indicated that 22 out of 27 definitions of co-creation emerged after 2000, with the remaining being specific to co-production. The concept of value is often considered ambiguous (Carù and Cova, 2003; Woodall, 2003), but several attempts have been made to establish a holistic view of it (Khalifa, 2004).

The type of research adopted was exploratory-descriptive, according to Gil (2002), aiming to provide the researcher with familiarity with the investigated problem to make it more evident and formulate hypotheses. The present research was conducted through a case study, This approach provided a holistic view of the involved processes, applicable to various fields of knowledge. A total of eight semi-structured interviews were conducted, five with respondents working in the hotel segment (B2C) and three in the industrial area (B2B). Data analysis was performed using content analysis.

Overall, the objective of this research was achieved, as the interviews conducted with the five respondents in the hospitality sector and the three respondents in the industrial sector allowed for answering the research question. The findings clearly highlight the importance of employee engagement in value co-creation processes and in the implementation of innovations within companies, even across different areas. However, it also became evident that in the context of hospitality, which is characterized by specific particularities, one of the main being the constant interaction.

On the other hand, the results from the interviews in the industrial context revealed that operational-level employee engagement generates small changes and improvements due to interaction with business clients. The daily transactions that facilitated intense contact with clients have been automated by information systems, such as CRM and SCM. Despite the benefits of automation in cost reduction, it is necessary to reconsider to what extent automation is beneficial, especially when excessive automation might hinder value co-creation processes that could generate significant innovations.

Gligor, D. M., & Maloni, M. J. (2021). The Role of End Customers in Supply Chain Management. Journal of Business Logistics, 42(4), 381-392. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbl.12287 Gupta, M., Maloni, M. J., & Gligor, D. M. (2017). Examining the role of transparency and collaboration in the supply chain. International Journal of Logistics Management, 28(3), 801-827. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLM-02-2016-0043 Hernandez-Perlines, F., et al. (2019). Technological innovation in the hotel industry: Analysis of contextual factors. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 78, 112-121.