When Value Co-Creation Turns to Co-Destruction : Users' Experiences of Augmented Reality Mobile Games

Service-dominant logic (SDL) provides a well-established lens for understanding services as value co-creation processes. However, also value co-destruction can occur in service processes, but the literature on value co-destruction remains scattered and more studies are called for. We address this research gap with a classification of users’ subjective reasoning for value co-destructive experiences while playing the augmented reality (AR) mobile game Pokémon GO. We conduct laddering interviews with Pokémon GO players to uncover their value co-destruction experiences. Employing clustering analysis, we investigate users’ reasoning for value co-destruction experiences, and argue that value co-destruction may occur due to seven types of reasoning: value contradiction, unmet expectations, technical challenges, personal or social norm conflict, effect of constant mobile use, absence or loss of resources, and insufficient perceived value. The study contributes to research and practice with new insights to the unfavorable side of value co-creation and users’ co-destructive service experiences.