Generating and maintaining joint ownership across the collaborative interface in co-creation

One of the key potential benefits of co-creation is that it is thought to contribute to greater joint ownership among participants over public policy solutions and service delivery. In this in-depth case study, we aim to better understand the (non)development of ownership within a co-creative process. We find that local municipal officials (neighborhood managers) were crucial in the generation and distribution of a sense of ownership across participants. They played an important role in constructing collaborative arenas that contributed to the development of multiple forms of ownership for and with citizens. At the same time, municipal officials who operated more at a distance experienced a disconnect from the collaborative process and did not feel like they shared in the ownership that had been generated among participants. Here, generating and sustaining a joint sense of ownership between all parties proved difficult. Based on our findings, we formulate suggestions for research regarding the study of ownership within co-creative processes. • Collaborative arenas stimulate the development of joint ownership among participants in co-creation. • Reliance on key frontrunners is a double-edged sword in the quest for joint ownership between citizens and public officials. • Maintaining joint ownership requires organizational learning and continued investment beyond key frontrunners.