Impacts of personality traits on consumer innovation success

Ruth Maria Stock, Eric von Hippel and Nils Lennart Gillert

Research Policy, 2016, vol. 45, issue 4, 757-769

Abstract: Via a study of innovating and non-innovating German consumers, we explore links between the “Big Five” personality traits and successful accomplishment of three basic innovation process stages by consumer-innovators: (1) generating an idea for a new product or product improvement, (2) developing a prototype that implements that idea, and (3) diffusing the innovation to others. We find that personality traits are significantly associated with success differ at each stage. First, those who score higher on openness to experience are significantly more likely to have new product ideas. Second, being introverted and conscientious is significantly associated with successful prototyping. Third, those who possess high levels of conscientiousness are more likely to successfully commercially diffuse their innovations, whereas, in contrast, conscientiousness lowers the likelihood of successful peer-to-peer diffusion.

Keywords: Consumer innovation; Personality; Diffusion; Product solution; User innovation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (20)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:respol:v:45:y:2016:i:4:p:757-769

DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2015.12.002

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