Co-creating services at the Base of the Pyramid (BoP): the role of bricolage

Co-creation has become a central topic due to the interactive nature of service processes in organizations with a relatively stable resource base. However, there is a lack of service research in resource-constrained contexts, such as the Base of the Pyramid (BoP), where informal service micro-businesses emerge as a subsistence mechanism. Interactions among actors involved in this setting generate particular dynamics leading to different challenges. Bricolage, referring to "making do with what is available", provides a valuable framework to understand how businesses face and resolve such challenges. This chapter contributes to identifying the relevance of bricolage in resource-constrained settings, particularly for informal service micro-businesses. It also explores how bricolage impacts the challenges they face to enable the co-creation of services, extending current knowledge on managerial practices of informal services at the BoP.