Exploring the knowledge structure of the relationship between value co-creation and customer satisfaction

Purpose Given the growing importance of the relationship between customer value co-creation and customer satisfaction, it is essential to assess the implications of this connection from both a managerial and an academic perspective. The literature on this link has grown enormously in recent years. However, there lacks an integrative framework to improve its understanding. Based on the use of bibliometric techniques, the purpose of this article is threefold: firstly, to shed light on the relationship's knowledge structure by identifying the main clusters of topics; secondly, to propose an integrative conceptual framework and finally, to identify future avenues of research. Design/methodology/approach The authors analyze a database of 133 recent documents dealing with this pairing to address this gap. A bibliometric coupling methodology was used. Additionally, an in-depth analysis of centrality, density and citations for the different clusters identified in the last years was performed. The authors characterize each group in the knowledge map of the relationship. Findings This bibliometric analysis identified seven thematic clusters. Three of these, with a more transversal nature, have fostered the growth of this literature. The subsequent clusters used theoretical frameworks present in the first three clusters, adapting them to the specific circumstances analyzed, following different patterns of evolution. The authors present the behavior of the citations in each cluster over recent years, analyzing their intellectual base, trends and development potential. Originality/value Derived from their findings, an integrative conceptual framework for explaining the knowledge structure of research in value co-creation and the customer satisfaction literature is proposed. The authors identify main topics by clusters and then detect research gaps and propose new research avenues for the future.