Identifying the Dimensions and Components of the Concept of Value Co-Creation in the Higher Education System: Metasynthesis Approach

Majid  Feyz Arefi; Mahboube Soleimanpour Omran; Behrang  Esmaeilishad

doi:10.61838/68s19n57

Authors

Majid Feyz Arefi PhD Student, Department of Educational Management, Boj.C., Islamic Azad University, Bojnord, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8605-4477
Mahboube Soleimanpour Omran Department of Educational Sciences, Boj.C., Islamic Azad University, Bojnord, Iran https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8605-4477
Behrang Esmaeilishad Department of Educational Sciences, Boj.C., Islamic Azad University, Bojnord, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8605-4477

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61838/68s19n57

Keywords:

Co-creation, Higher Education System, Meta-synthesis, Value Co-creation

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to conceptualize value co-creation and identify its constituent dimensions and components within the higher education ecosystem.

Methods and Materials: This study was applied in purpose and qualitative in nature. The research strategy was meta-synthesis, utilizing the seven-step approach of Sandelowski and Barroso. Data were collected through the systematic analysis of 15 relevant scholarly sources. The research team, consisting of experts in educational management, educational sciences, and marketing, conducted the analysis to identify core themes. To ensure trustworthiness, rigorous techniques were employed, including data validation, transferability assessment, alignment, and systematic supervision throughout the data integration process.

Findings: The analysis led to the extraction of eight key themes categorized into three main stages: antecedents of value co-creation (including stakeholders, organization, technology, and environment), the process of value co-creation, and its outcomes (impacting students, the university, and society). The findings highlight that value co-creation yields not only immediate academic results but also long-term outcomes, such as student loyalty, graduates’ career success, enhancement of the university’s brand image, and contributions to broader economic and social development.

Conclusion: The value co-creation model demonstrates that sustainable productivity in higher education is the result of coordinated interaction between the university and its ecosystem, and cannot be reduced to the traditional student-professor dyad. Accordingly, moving from a restricted internal view to a multi-stakeholder collaborative framework is essential. By implementing this process, educational managers and policymakers can foster improved student learning, achieve institutional academic goals, and translate research and educational outcomes into tangible societal and economic benefits.

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