Consumers as co-developers: Learning and innovation outside the firm
LB Jeppesen, MJ Molin - Technology Analysis & Strategic …, 2003 - Taylor & Francis
LB Jeppesen, MJ Molin
Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 2003•Taylor & FrancisThis study describes a process in which a firm relies on an external consumer community for
innovation. While it has been recognized that users may sometimes innovate, little is known
about what commercial firms can do to motivate and capture such innovations and their
related benifits. We contribute to strategy literature by suggesting that learning and
innovation efforts from which a firm may benifit need not necessarily be located within the
organization, but may well reside in the consumer environment. We also contribute to the …
innovation. While it has been recognized that users may sometimes innovate, little is known
about what commercial firms can do to motivate and capture such innovations and their
related benifits. We contribute to strategy literature by suggesting that learning and
innovation efforts from which a firm may benifit need not necessarily be located within the
organization, but may well reside in the consumer environment. We also contribute to the …
Abstract
This study describes a process in which a firm relies on an external consumer community for innovation. While it has been recognized that users may sometimes innovate, little is known about what commercial firms can do to motivate and capture such innovations and their related benifits. We contribute to strategy literature by suggesting that learning and innovation efforts from which a firm may benifit need not necessarily be located within the organization, but may well reside in the consumer environment. We also contribute to the existing theory on ‘user-driven innovation’ by showing what firms purposively can do to generate consumer innovation efforts. An explorative case study shows that consumer innovation can be structured, motivated, and partly organized by a commercial firm that organizes the infrastructure for consumers’ interactive learning in a public online domain.
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