Exploring the value of a resource across business contexts

Scholars are increasingly recognizing the important of the context in determining the value of resources in business to business markets. This value, in fact, depends from how resources are used and combined within different interaction contexts. To stress this point, scholars recently also developed the concept of value in context; however, there is no clear evidence until now about value across contexts, which we this is particularly evident given the multiplicity of contexts a resource is used. This paper is aimed at identifying the key elements that determine the value in use of a resource across different contexts. Empirically, we studied the case of Gottifredi Maffioli Group (GMG), a company that operates in the business of ropes for yachting. In particular, we made 47 interviews in the company’s business network. The study will find out that considering the value of a resource across contexts implies managing the meanings associated to the resource, the value for the user, and activate the network. This has important managerial implications by increasing the effectiveness of resources with respect to different contexts of application.