How Firms Can Get Ideas from Users for Sustainable Business Innovation

Chanwoo Cho and Sungjoo Lee
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Chanwoo Cho: Department of Industrial Engineering, Ajou University, 206 Worldcup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 16499, Korea
Sungjoo Lee: Department of Industrial Engineering, Ajou University, 206 Worldcup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 16499, Korea

Sustainability, 2015, vol. 7, issue 12, 1-21

Abstract: The importance of user information and user participation for seeking business opportunities has been widely acknowledged in a variety of industries. Therefore, this study aims to suggest a typology for user innovation models as a strategy for sustainable development and to investigate the characteristics of different types user innovation to encourage and support improved utilization of user innovation in firms. For this purpose, we began by collecting 435 relevant papers from the most-cited academic journals. Then, we developed a typology of user innovation models, which consist of four types including workshop-based, consortium-based, crowdsourcing-based and platform-based, and we investigated the characteristics of the suggested types in terms of applications and research trends. The analysis results reveal that each type has different characteristics and that there exist some research gaps in the user innovation field. Our results are expected to foster understanding of user innovation for guiding sustainable business development and provide useful information for both researchers and innovation mangers.

Keywords: user innovation; typology; sustainable business; business innovation; innovation model; research trends (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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