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Actors increasingly engage in service ecosystems where multiple other actors can be present and influence value co-creation. Comprehending such contexts has gained importance in research but remains an emerging field of study due to the complexity of such multi-actor encounters. To unpack this complexity, we establish novel actor engagement foundations to explicate value co-creation in multi-actor service ecosystems. Our research informs on value co-creation at a meta-theoretical level utilizing the explanatory power of mid-range theory. We suggest that actor pre-disposition (propensity to engage) differs from actor disposition (readiness to engage) outlined in engagement literature. Applying a longitudinal study design and using an established measurement from organizational psychology, we uncover a novel dynamic perspective on these pre-dispositions prior to and during resource investment …