New research direction on performance and co-creation: a literature review

The purpose of this study is to review literature on topics of performance and co-creation. The study has two premises: performance includes economic and behavioural aspects; co-creation produces direct and indirect effects on performance. In order to validate these two, we took into consideration all studies available on WoS platform. Applying different selection criteria, we obtained a sample of 14 studies published between 2016 and 2020. Through observation, comparison and logic deductions we were able to appreciate the authors` interest in identifying new research directions. Thus, we show that: a) co-creation has a direct impact on performance, competitiveness and value for stakeholders; in this context, performance is regarded as a multidimensional concept with wide implications in various fields such as management, financial, marketing, innovation etc.; b) co-creation has an indirect influence on performance through elements like: brand, product-service systems and cross-sector partnerships. These aspects are empirically validated in different context. The results of our research prove to be useful from two points of view: theoretical (because the study presents in an authentic manner the state of the knowledge on performance and co-creation) and methodological (because it offers support to all those interested in finding new research directions).