Today,
value creation is not solely in the hands of a single service provider but
instead usually involves networks of other companies, such as suppliers or
retailers. The current business
environment has amplified the need to consider not only how to address consumer
needs more perceptively but also how partners can be incorporated into the
practice of creating value propositions. Thus, success relies on building a strategy
capable of integrating this networked way of doing business that involves
interaction, and collaboration. This
chapter directs attention to the co-creation between partners in a micro firm
context. Five dialoguing practices occursing in the strategy co-creation workshops were identified: dialoguing about the customer, about who we are and and what we do, dialoguing the utilization of a rabnge of varied experience and knowledge in customer co-operation, dialoguing the required steps regarding the future and, dialoguing the need for a customer perspective. According to our study, the
way in which the strategy was evolving in the dialogue could be viewed as an
outcome of social construction. The findings also indicate co-strategizing in micro
firms is an iterative and ongoing process that needs time and space to develop
in the midst of business as usual. The
practical importance of this analysis lies in providing insights for firms in
relation to why and how co-strategizing can prove beneficial. Perhaps
the most important aspect for the future of small firms is the determination of
tangible steps and activities to advance strategy implementation and the
awareness that such steps can be small and involve experimentation if
appropriate.