Co‐creating value in sponsorship relations: the case of the Royal Swedish Opera
International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences
ISSN: 1756-669X
Article publication date: 23 March 2010
Abstract
Purpose
Influenced by emerging developments in service management, the aim of this paper is to develop a model for value co‐creation in sponsorship relations, with specific emphasis on inter‐organizational learning dimensions.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is longitudinal and based on data from the Royal Swedish Opera and relationships between the Opera and three sponsors. The paper combines participant observation with interviews during a three year period. It is inspired by theory from many areas, in particular from relationship and network thinking and the current development of new theories on service and value.
Findings
The findings are structured in a model of the development of a new sponsorship programme. The partners learnt by interacting with each other and the surrounding network. Value of sponsorship programmes increased with the number of non‐competing sponsors. Learning supported long‐term relations and enhanced the value of a sponsorship programme for new sponsors.
Research limitations/implications
The paper introduces new service perspectives on sponsorship and contributes to the sponsorship literature with insights on inter‐organizational learning. The paper offers a rich in‐depth analysis of relational and network mechanisms and could be further developed in other sponsorship cases.
Practical implications
Relationships between commercial companies and cultural organizations often fail due to lack of knowledge on both sides. The paper suggests that a learning orientation is supportive to value co‐creation in sponsorship.
Originality/value
Systematic integration of resources based on knowledge in networks is an important theme in the new service literature. This is the first major paper that simultaneously applies key concepts from relationship marketing, many‐to‐many networks and service‐dominant logic on sponsorship.
Keywords
Citation
Lund, R. (2010), "Co‐creating value in sponsorship relations: the case of the Royal Swedish Opera", International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, Vol. 2 No. 1, pp. 113-127. https://doi.org/10.1108/17566691011026630
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited