Co-creative practices

ETICAISMO achieves associations and foundations to establish successful collaborations with companies, based on value co-creation processes, to fulfill their organizational missions.

With what objective do we develop co-creative practices?

So that the social and/or environmental benefits linked to the activities, projects or services developed jointly by the co-creating organizations (associations or foundations and companies) and the organizational benefits for each collaborating entity are obtained.

What co-creative practices do we help to implement?

1-Corporate philanthropy/sponsorships.

2-Corporate and executive volunteering.

3-Technical assistance and pro-bono service contracts.

4-Corporate social marketing/cause marketing.

5-Joint development and implementation of social programs.

6-Joint development and implementation of social enterprises (joint ventures).

7-Identification, design, development and joint launch of innovative products.

8-Hybrid value chains.

Co-creative practices

As we can see, according to Abenoza et al. (2015; pp. 40-42), collaborations between entities from various sectors to develop sustainable projects, activities or services have been advancing to an increasingly co-creative level:

Corporate philanthropy/sponsorships. Company contributions to social causes, including traditional patronage.

Corporate and executive volunteering. Programs promoted by the company, aimed at encouraging and supporting its employees to selflessly carry out solidarity actions in favor of the community, generally through a social organization.

Technical assistance and pro-bono service contracts. Collaboration through specialized technical assistance, especially from consulting or auditing companies.

Corporate social marketing/cause marketing. Corporate social marketing is linked to the actions carried out by the company to help promote a change in attitudes, behaviors, habits, or behaviors in consumers. On the other hand, cause marketing is related to the marketing of a company’s product or service, therefore, it is a collaboration based on an exchange, where the company gives a certain percentage of the sales or income of a product/service (or the amount agreed between both parties).

Joint development and implementation of social programs.

Joint development and implementation of social enterprises (joint ventures).The entities that jointly carry out the program decide to create an organization with a legal form that supports this joint work, emerging a new entity in which the allied organizations participate, which makes visible the desire for the collaboration to be maintained in the medium or long term.

Identification, design, development and joint launch of innovative products. Identification, design, development and joint launch of innovative products. Joint alliance between a company and a non-profit organization throughout the process of creating a new and innovative product (or service).

Hybrid value chains. In certain collaboration experiences, one of the institutions ends up actively participating in the other’s value chain. They are called “hybrid” value chains because part of the process is carried out by an external agent, from another sector.

And, in addition, for the effective fulfillment of the activities to be developed, we develop strategic plans specialized in co-creation (collaboration) processes. These strategic plans serve as a guide to the entities for the effective functioning of the project, activity or service that is being developed within the framework of the intersectoral alliance based on the co-creation process.

Likewise, we place special interest in feedback on the results of the process, delivering the necessary reports to the collaborating entities of each sector based on the reporting needs that are generated during the development of the project.

Also, we promote the communication of sustainable practices developed by co-creators organizations so that all interest groups or stakeholders are informed in real time of the activities carried out by the entities and the benefits achieved by them.

Benefits for companies for collaborating (co-creating)

In this way, for example, we can highlight organizational benefits for companies for collaborating (co-creating) with non-profit organizations, in the sense that:

Collaborative relationships with nonprofit organizations are an important component of a company’s overall CSR strategy (den Hond, de Bakker & Doh, 2015). Thus, “non-profit organizations […] produced business value, such as, better risk management; enhanced reputation, legitimacy, and license to operate; improved employee recruitment, motivation, retention, skill development, and productivity; consumer preference and loyalty; product innovation and market development; and preferential regulatory treatment” (Austin & Seitanidi, 2012; p. 732).

Benefits for non-profit organizations

Likewise, nonprofit organizations can obtain a series of benefits by collaborating (co-creating) with companies:

Access new sources of income generation, new resources and actions aimed at developing organizational skills and capabilities, which can strengthen or complement the entity’s current capabilities, increasing effectiveness in achieving its organizational missions.