The School of Business Studies at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) organised a research seminar exploring modern approaches to understanding how customers perceive and evaluate services.

The session focused on the theme, “Reconsidering the Cocreation of Value: Towards a Value Attribution Logic for Marketing Theory.”

The keynote address was delivered by Meindert Flikkema, full professor of service innovation at the School of Business and Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands. Gagan Kaur, project leader for South and East Asia at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, also attended the event, highlighting the growing academic partnership between the two institutions.

Addressing the gathering, Ramandeep Singh, director of the School of Business Studies, emphasised the importance of global academic partnerships. He noted that modern agriculture and agribusiness extend beyond basic crop production, with support services like finance, technology, market access, and advisories playing crucial roles.

During the session, Flikkema revisited the service-dominant logic framework, explaining that value is not created solely by producers and consumed by customers. Instead, customers experience and assess value throughout their entire journey—before, during, and after using a service.

He introduced the concept of value attribution logic, under which customers dynamically assign value to different elements of a service over time. He stated that the approach can help researchers and businesses design better services, assess customer experiences, and build stronger relationships.

The concept holds direct relevance for agribusiness sectors such as agri-inputs, food processing, and agri-tech, where understanding when and how farmers and consumers perceive value helps create more effective business models.

The seminar concluded with an interactive session where PhD scholars and MBA Agribusiness students engaged with the speakers on service innovation and global research collaborations.