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IT-enabled product innovation: customer motivation for participating in virtual idea communities

Author

Listed:
  • Ulrich Bretschneider
  • Jan Marco Leimeister
  • Lars Mathiassen

Abstract

Virtual idea communities (VICs) such as Dell's 'Ideastorm' are very popular in practice. In VICs, customers of firms can submit ideas to support product innovation. This customer-based ideation is not new. Customers have been brought together in lead-user-workshops or focus-groups since the 1980s to support product innovation. However, VICs represents a new form of IT-mediated ideation with customers. While extant research has provided insights into customers' motives for participating in traditional ideation, we know little about the motivations that drive customer participation in this new form of IT-enabled ideation. Based on a survey of customer motivations for participation, we found evidence for motives that arise directly due to the VIC's IT-ability to support visualisation of customer ideas, to give feedback on ideas, and to support customers' social interactions. As a result, VICs are perceived as a way to demonstrate personal capabilities, for getting recognition, and for facilitating social interaction.

Suggested Citation

  • Ulrich Bretschneider & Jan Marco Leimeister & Lars Mathiassen, 2015. "IT-enabled product innovation: customer motivation for participating in virtual idea communities," International Journal of Product Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 20(2), pages 126-141.
  • Handle: RePEc:ids:ijpdev:v:20:y:2015:i:2:p:126-141
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Nikolaus Lipusch & Dominik Dellermann & Ulrich Bretschneider & Philipp Ebel & Jan Marco Leimeister, 2020. "Designing for Crowdfunding Co-creation," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 62(6), pages 483-499, December.
    2. Martinez-Torres, Rocio & Olmedilla, Maria, 2016. "Identification of innovation solvers in open innovation communities using swarm intelligence," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 15-24.
    3. Stanko, Michael A. & Allen, B.J., 2022. "Disentangling the collective motivations for user innovation in a 3D printing community," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    4. Philipp Alexander Ebel & Ulrich Bretschneider & Jan Marco Leimeister, 2016. "Can The Crowd Do The Job? Exploring The Effects Of Integrating Customers Into A Company’S Business Model Innovation," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(07), pages 1-24, October.

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