Purpose

The paper investigates how the engagement of a group of actors (the volunteers), previously unexplored in service ecosystems literature, contributes to generating new co-creation activities and well-being outcomes in the healthcare service ecosystem (HSE). Moreover, the study analyses how the provision and integration of volunteers’ resources help to explain the HSE self-adjustment favouring the re-humanisation of service.

Design/methodology/approach

The article zooms in on the volunteers’ activities in an HSE. A qualitative approach is adopted, and an empirical investigation is grounded in data gathered from Kids Kicking Cancer (KKC) Italia, a volunteer association operating in the paediatric oncology ward of Italian hospitals. Data are collected and triangulated through in-depth interviews, volunteers’ diaries and observations. The analysis is conducted by adopting an interpretative thematic analysis technique.

Findings

The study provides a conceptual framework explaining how volunteers’ value co-creation activities influence the HSE’s self-adjustment by leading to a re-humanisation of services. The paper also contributes to the state of knowledge by identifying seven categories of volunteers’ value co-creation activities, two of which are completely new in the literature (co-responsibility and empowerment).

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the service research literature by identifying empirically grounded value co-creation activities extending the understanding of self-adjustment and re-humanisation of the service ecosystem.

中文翻译：

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探索志愿者在医疗服务生态系统中的作用：价值共创、自我调整和重新人性化

 目的

本文研究了先前在服务生态系统文献中未曾探讨过的一组参与者（志愿者）的参与如何有助于在医疗保健服务生态系统 (HSE) 中产生新的共同创造活动和福祉成果。此外，该研究还分析了志愿者资源的提供和整合如何有助于解释有利于服务重新人性化的HSE自我调整。

设计/方法论/途径

这篇文章重点介绍了 HSE 中志愿者的活动。采用定性方法，并根据意大利儿童踢癌症 (KKC) 收集的数据进行实证调查，这是一个在意大利医院儿科肿瘤病房运作的志愿者协会。通过深入访谈、志愿者日记和观察来收集和三角测量数据。分析采用解释性主题分析技术进行。

 发现

该研究提供了一个概念框架，解释了志愿者的价值共同创造活动如何通过导致服务重新人性化来影响 HSE 的自我调整。该论文还通过确定七类志愿者的价值共同创造活动来促进知识状态，其中两类是文献中全新的（共同责任和赋权）。

 原创性/价值

本文通过确定基于经验的价值共创活动，扩展了对服务生态系统自我调整和重新人性化的理解，为服务研究文献做出了贡献。