Exploring social value and their enablers as business models for sustainable water supply projects

Abstract

Purpose

This work aims to understand how social value is created and delivered using community-based water supply projects. It examines social value creation given the enabling concepts – value co-creation and service ecosystems as business models for infrastructure.

Design/methodology/approach

Inductive reasoning, including qualitative research design, was applied to two water supply projects. The qualitative stage created social value co-creation features using the purposive sampling of 72 semi-structured interviews.

Findings

The qualitative analysis features social value co-creation, which includes a sense of social unity, end-user empowerment, Behavioural transformation, and knowledge transfer. Although value destruction also emerged while examining social value co-creation, the research identifies the “red flags” and value contradictions that must be avoided.

Research limitations/implications

The enablers of sustainable infrastructure projects should include social value, service ecosystems and value co-creation.

Practical implications

There is a need for the government and non-governmental organisations to create enabling platforms that involve a planned dialogical communication process supporting the development and enhancement of relationships of stakeholders to maximise social value from infrastructure projects.

Originality/value

The work offers a widened perspective of social value creation and a new framework called “Social value co-creation/destruction” (SVCC/SVCD) as the business model for sustainable infrastructure projects. It is the first attempt to illustrate social value creation in construction from service ecosystems and value co-creation perspectives.

Citation

Ojuri, O., Mills, G.R.W. and Opoku, A. (2023), "Exploring social value and their enablers as business models for sustainable water supply projects", Built Environment Project and Asset Management, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp. 535-551. https://doi.org/10.1108/BEPAM-04-2022-0053