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Harnessing the hackers: The emergence and exploitation of Outlaw Innovation

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  • Flowers, Stephen

Abstract

This paper will explore how the often illegal activities of hackers (employed in the original usage of the term to refer to individuals who modify computer hardware and software) may produce valuable innovations. The paper argues that structural changes, including a growth in the number of knowledge workers, has resulted in a burgeoning community of users able to modify or hack existing products, or develop products that compete with existing suppliers. The paper will introduce the complementary concepts of Outlaw Innovation and the Outlaw User, locating them within the literature on users. The paper will explore how firms react to this activity and provide case studies of this phenomenon. The paper will argue that Outlaw Innovation represents an extension in our understanding of the way in which firms interact with users, presents a series of policy challenges, and opens a promising area for further research. A series of possible research questions will be outlined and the paper will conclude by indicating the next steps in the development of this line of enquiry.

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  • Flowers, Stephen, 2008. "Harnessing the hackers: The emergence and exploitation of Outlaw Innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 177-193, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:37:y:2008:i:2:p:177-193
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Tilo Grenz & Paul Eisewicht, 2017. "Variants of Interplay as Drivers of Media Change," Media and Communication, Cogitatio Press, vol. 5(3), pages 5-14.
    2. Gabriele Santoro & Alberto Ferraris & Elisa Giacosa & Guido Giovando, 2018. "How SMEs Engage in Open Innovation: a Survey," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 9(2), pages 561-574, June.
    3. Thomas Le Texier & Ludovic Ragni, 2019. "Concurrence 'hybride', innovation et régulation : un modèle de duopole," GREDEG Working Papers 2019-29, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    4. Dolata, Ulrich, 2014. "Märkte und Macht der Internetkonzerne: Konzentration - Konkurrenz - Innovationsstrategien," Research Contributions to Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies, SOI Discussion Papers 2014-04, University of Stuttgart, Institute for Social Sciences, Department of Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies.
    5. Celine Schulz & Stefan Wagner, 2010. "Outlaw Community Innovations," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Stephen Flowers & Flis Henwood (ed.), Perspectives On User Innovation, chapter 8, pages 191-210, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    6. Robson, Karen & Wilson, Matthew & Pitt, Leyland, 2019. "Creating new products from old ones: Consumer motivations for innovating autonomously from firms," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    7. Pieper, Thorsten & Herstatt, Cornelius, 2018. "User innovation barriers and their impact on user-developed products," Working Papers 106, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Institute for Technology and Innovation Management.
    8. Lizzie Richardson, 2016. "Sharing knowledge: Performing co-production in collaborative artistic work," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 48(11), pages 2256-2271, November.
    9. Trischler, Jakob & Johnson, Mikael & Kristensson, Per, 2020. "A service ecosystem perspective on the diffusion of sustainability-oriented user innovations," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 552-560.
    10. Julia Maria Wittmayer & Tessa de Geus & Bonno Pel & F. Avelino & Sabine Hielscher & Thomas Hoppe & Marie Susan Mühlemeier & Agata Stasik & Sem Oxenaar & Karoline K.S. Rogge & Vivian Visser & Esther Ma, 2020. "Beyond instrumentalism: Broadening the understanding of social innovation in socio-technical energy systems," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/312323, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    11. Dolata, Ulrich & Schrape, Jan Felix, 2014. "Masses, crowds, communities, movements: Collective formations in the digital age," Research Contributions to Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies, SOI Discussion Papers 2014-02, University of Stuttgart, Institute for Social Sciences, Department of Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies.
    12. Paolo Spagnoletti & Federica Ceci & Bendik Bygstad, 2022. "Online Black-Markets: An Investigation of a Digital Infrastructure in the Dark," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 24(6), pages 1811-1826, December.
    13. Dolata, Ulrich, 2017. "Technological innovations and the transformation of economic sectors: A concise overview of issues and concepts," Research Contributions to Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies, SOI Discussion Papers 2018-01, University of Stuttgart, Institute for Social Sciences, Department of Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies.
    14. Flowers, Stephen & Meyer, Martin, 2020. "How can entrepreneurs benefit from user knowledge to create innovation in the digital services sector?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 122-130.
    15. Campbell, Colin L. & Berthon, Pierre R. & Pitt, Leyland F. & McCarthy, Ian & Plangger, Kirk, 2012. "Making a face: Graphical illustrations of managerial stances toward customer creativity," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 9-15.
    16. Dolata, Ulrich, 2009. "Technological innovations and sectoral change: Transformative capacity, adaptability, patterns of change: An analytical framework," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(6), pages 1066-1076, July.
    17. Dolata, Ulrich, 2011. "Radical change as gradual transformation: Characteristics and variants of socio-technical transitions," Research Contributions to Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies, SOI Discussion Papers 2011-03, University of Stuttgart, Institute for Social Sciences, Department of Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies.
    18. Thomas Le Texier & Ludovic Ragni, 2019. "'Hybrid' competition, innovation outcomes and regulation: A duopoly model [Concurrence 'hybride', innovation et régulation : Un modèle de duopole]," Post-Print halshs-02389002, HAL.

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