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Top1. Introduction
The application of information and communication technologies and the economic globalization offer firms the opportunity to develop new knowledge and increase the possibilities of accessing and spreading this knowledge through learning processes that generate new capabilities. These circumstances have promoted a change in the economic paradigm that offers a new perspective of innovation (Cooke, 2001). In this sense, the concept of open innovation first proposed by Von Hippel (1986, 2006) and Chesbrough (2007) refers to an emerging paradigm in which firms innovate relying on both internal and external firm resources.
De Jong et al. (2008) define open innovation as the purposed usage of internal and external flows of knowledge to accelerate internal innovation and expand markets for the external use of it. In this vein, the concept of Open Innovation departs from previous innovation modes in which oftentimes existing processes at the firm erect barriers to external knowledge thereby reducing absorptive capacity (Chesbrough, 2002).
In this context, relevant research into innovation by users (von Hippel, 2006) concludes that users have played a prominent role in product development, not only in traditional industries such as textile or chemistry, but more recently in software or semiconductor industry. Moreover, there exists empirical evidence of the relationship between user’s involvement in product development and market’s acceptance (Franke, 2003). User’s willing to take part into product improvements or the development of new concepts, have important characteristics as far as companies are concerned: They are currently experiencing needs which shall be later requested by regular consumers while, usually they are also capable of providing solutions to their own needs thereby conducting innovations by themselves.
There exists a great amount of literature documenting how companies have engaged with this kind of users, termed Lead Users (Thomke, 2002; von Hippel, 2002; Lakhani, 2003; Jepennsen, 2006). Prior studies have discussed the process of attracting, motivating and organizing users through communities that donate complementary goods and services (e.g., Lakhani & von Hippel, 2003; Jeppesen & Frederiksen, 2006; West & Gallagher, 2006).