The roles of product lead-users and product experts in new product evaluation

Muammer Ozer

Research Policy, 2009, vol. 38, issue 8, pages 1340-1349

Abstract: It is widely recognized in the literature that product innovation is one of the most important research policy issues. As an important product innovation activity, evaluating the market potentials of a new product has also received a great deal of attention in the literature because of its importance to companies as well as to both governmental and non-governmental research institutions. Extending earlier research about product lead-users and product experts and addressing several methodological issues identified in the literature, this study focuses on the roles of product lead-users and product experts in new product evaluation. In particular, the results of a longitudinal empirical study show that there are theoretical and empirical distinctions between product lead-users and product experts with respect to the accuracy of new product evaluations and that it is possible for companies as well as governmental and non-governmental agencies to improve significantly the accuracy of such evaluations.

Keywords: Lead-users; Innovation; Product; development; NPD (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009

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Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:respol:v:38:y:2009:i:8:p:1340-1349

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