Customer–customer value co-creation in social media: conceptualization and antecedents

Social media has vitalized the role of customer-to-customer (C2C) interactions in the value co-creation process. However, there is limited research investigating the dimensions of value co-creation as well as its psychological antecedents in online platforms. This research conceptualizes customer–customer value co-creation (CCVCC) and its dimensions (participation behavior and citizenship behavior) within the social media context, and employs the theory of planned behavior (TPB), past behavior, and the modifying role of tie strength to investigate the antecedents of CCVCC intention. Surveying 328 social media users, we find that the components of the TPB, including attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control, along with past CCVCC behavior, comprise key predictors of CCVCC intention. However, the influence of these antecedents is stronger in networks of strong ties relative to those of weak ties. Attitude emerged as the key mediator of the effect of past CCVCC behavior on CCVCC intention. Research and managerial implications are discussed and limitation exposed.