How negatively valenced actor engagement with transformative service exchanges affects well-being outcomes

Purpose This conceptual paper addresses a key gap in transformative service research (TSR) by theorizing how negatively valenced actor engagement, specifically actor disengagement and negative engagement, affects well-being and ill-being outcomes. While prior work has explored resource misuse and value co-destruction, our study integrates TSR and actor engagement perspectives to explain how such behaviors hinder transformative value creation across individual and community levels. Design/methodology/approach Adopting Jaakkola's (2020) model approach, our study develops a framework linking negatively valenced engagement, resource (mis)integration and actors' resource–challenge equilibrium (RCE) to explain well-being and ill-being outcomes in transformative service exchanges. Findings Our work theorizes that resource-integrating mechanisms, including an imbalance in actors' RCE, help to explain the effect of negatively valenced engagement on individual and community-level well-being and ill-being outcomes. Research limitations/implications The proposed framework provides a foundation for future empirical research on the mechanisms of disengagement and negative engagement in transformative services. Practical implications Practitioners can identify and address early signs of actor disengagement and negative engagement to mitigate ill-being and sustain well-being outcomes. Social implications Our framework provides timely insights for policymakers to enable the integration and application of various actor resource pools to address individual and community challenges. Originality/value Our study extends TSR and actor engagement literature by shifting focus from positive engagement to negatively valenced engagement, explaining how resource misuse and value co-destruction generate well-being and ill-being outcomes in transformative service exchanges.