Involving Lead Users in Innovation: A Structured Summary of Research on the Lead User Method

Alexander Brem, Volker Bilgram and Adele Gutstein

Chapter 2 in Emerging Issues and Trends in Innovation and Technology Management, 2021, pp 21-48 from World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.

Abstract: Research on the lead user method has been conducted for more than thirty years and has shown that the method is more likely to generate breakthrough innovation than traditional market research tools. Based on a systematic literature review, this paper shows a detailed view on the broad variety of research on lead user characteristics, lead user processes, lead user identification and application, and success factors. The main challenge of the lead user method as identified in literature is the resource issue regarding time, manpower, and costs. Also, internal acceptance and the processing of the method have been spotted in literature, as well as the intellectual property protection issue. From the starting point of the initial lead user method process introduced by Lüthje and Herstatt (2004), results are integrated into a revisited view on the lead user method process. In addition, concrete suggestions for corporate realization options are given. The article closes with limitations and future research suggestions.

Keywords: Radical Innovations; Innnovation Development Methods; Lead User Workshop; Disruptive Innovaton; Uber; IoT Ecosystem; New Product Development; Cross-industry Innovation; Boundary Spanning; Agile-Stage-Gate Hybrid Model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O31 O32 O33 O36 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Journal Article: Involving Lead Users in Innovation: A Structured Summary of Research on the Lead User Method (2018)
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