La co-produzione dei servizi a livello "micro": l'esperienza della Reggia di Caserta alla luce del nuovo quadro istituzionale sulla gestione dei Beni Culturali

Purpose. This study is aimed at exploring the implementation of co-production initiatives for the purpose of cultural heritage protection and promotion. In particular, co-production is contextualized in the light of the recent legislative reform, which provided cultural organizations of national relevance with greater managerial and organizational autonomy. Methods. A descriptive case study was performed. It concerned one of the Italian cultural organizations which were affected by the recent managerial reform in the field of cultural heritage. Going more into details, the Royal Palace of Caserta was randomly selected as the subject of this case study. In line with the prevailing literature, various sources were access to collect relevant data. In particular, the authors realized a document analysis, an ethnographic analysis and an unstructured interview with the general manager of the site. Data sources were triangulated to improve the consistency of this study. Findings. Co-production is a useful approach to enhance the sustainability of the effectiveness of cultural organizations. Indeed, service co-production and community engagement in value co-creation are essential ingredients of the recipe for the further development of the Royal Palace of Caserta. However, several barriers prevent the implementation of co-production, including the poor confidence in the role played by users in protecting and promoting cultural heritage. Limitations. This case study allowed to examine in-depth co-production in the field of cultural heritage, but it paved the way for non-generalizable and site specific findings.. Implications. Co-production is crucial to improve the sustainability and the effectiveness of cultural organizations. Human resources’ development and digital resources play a crucial role in overcoming the cultural and organizational barriers which prevent user engagement. Originality. This is one of the first attempts to examine co-production in action in the field of cultural heritage