How Does a Consumer’s Anticipated Happiness Influence Participation in Value Co-creation? : Focusing on Definition of Happiness

Value co-creation (VCC) is essential for a new product development, transforming ideas into collaboratively created value-in-use, particularly under Service-Dominant Logic (S-D Logic). Recognizing that consumers engage in VCC with the goal of achieving happiness, this study investigates how anticipated happiness—arising from affective forecasting of VCC experiences—encourages customers’ participation in high-technology VCC initiatives. It also examines how individuals’ definitions of happiness—calmness vs. excitement—influence this process in VCC, using a validated temporal focus manipulation to induce these differing happiness orientations. Results indicate that future-focused individuals tend to define their happiness as excitement, while present-focused individuals associate it with calmness. Then, definitions of happiness indirectly influence VCC participation intentions through the mediation of anticipated happiness, with product type and VCC engagement intensity further moderating this relationship among calmness-seekers. These findings suggest that tailoring VCC programs to align with consumers’ temporal focus and happiness definitions can enhance their overall anticipated happiness and participation in co-creation.