Learning from users for radical innovation

In today's environment of rapid technological change companies can not rely on incremental innovations alone. To sustain long-term competitiveness companies need to develop radical innovations as well. Such innovations typically incorporate new and highly complex technologies, create new markets or shift existing market structures, and require user learning as they often induce significant behaviour changes on side of the users. To systematically develop radical innovations firms need to involve the proper actors. One such important external actor in the development process of new products is the user. Our study focuses on the question what kind of users are able to actively contribute to the development of radical innovations and what firms can learn from them to improve their innovative capability. A multiple case study analysis was conducted in the field of medical technology. Five radical innovation projects were selected including medical robots and computer-assisted navigation systems. The case study analysis reveals that users with a unique set of characteristics can contribute substantially to the development of radical innovations. These users have a high motivation toward new solutions, are open to new technologies, possess diverse competencies, and are embedded into a very supportive context. Manufacturers that took over the ideas and prototypes of the inventive users benefited significantly. By learning from these users, firms were able to significantly improve their radical innovative capability. The paper contributes to technology and innovation management research in two ways. First, by exploring critical user characteristics for distinct phases of the radical innovation process, we provide first insights how manufacturing firms can more effectively identify and leverage valuable users for their radical innovation work. Thereby, we highlight the involvement of capable users as an effective learning mechanism to improve the radical innovation capability of a firm. Second, new perspectives on lead user research are provided by enriching the lead user concept with other crucial characteristics of innovative users. --Produktinnovation,Produktentwicklung,Benutzer / Beteiligung

Users as inventors and developers of radical innovation: An explorative case study analysis in the field of medical technology

Our study focuses on the question, whether users should be intensively involved in the innovation process of radical product innovations or better not - from the manufacturer's perspective. Radical innovations incorporate new technologies, shift market structures, require intensive user learning and induce significant behavior changes. Due to these specifics the question arises, whether users play a productive role in the innovation process of radical innovations at all, or if their contributions might even be counterproductive. To gain a better understanding for the users' role in radical innovation and to develop a differentiated view of their contributions, we have studied three dimensions of user involvement were studied: (1) Which characteristics enable users to contribute to the innovation process? (2) How do manufacturers need to interact with users to benefit from their contributions? (3) How does user involvement impact on the manufacturer? We focused our study on the early phases of the innovation process. Two phases were distinquished for the analysis of these questions: Idea gen-eration and development. This distinction allows us to analyse the role of users within separate phases of the innovation process. Based on relevant theories and empirical work a set of propositions was formulated for each dimension. To study the addressed research questions, an explorative case study analysis was conducted in the field of medical technology. Five radical innovation projects were selected including medical robots, navigation systems, and biocompatible implants. In-depth inter-views were conducted with marketing, R&D, project leaders, CEO's, and users. A content analysis framework was applied to systematically analyse the collected data. The case studies reveal that users with a unique set of characteristics (motivation, competencies, contextual factors) were able to deliver major contributions in all three phases of the radical innova-tion projects. In four cases users turned out to be the original inventor of the radical innovations. Particularly users that work under extreme conditions (e.g. neurosurgeons) prooved to be a valuable source for radically new ideas. Furthermore the cases show that the innovative users took over classi-cal functions of manufacturers in the development process. For example the innovative users identified relevant experts and manufacturers that were required to transform their ideas into prototypes and products. These users therefore took over the networking function. some users were able to actively contribute to the development of first prototypes. A unique set of characteristics enabled users to do so. With regard to appropriate patterns of interaction between users and manufacturers the analysis reveals that face-to-face-interactions are required. This is due to the nature of information that is transferred. The information provided by users and by manufacturers is highly complex. Therefore explanations and visualisations are needed to gain an understanding on either side. In addition the analysis shows that it seems to be appropriate to interact with a small, well selected number of users in early phases and to increase the number of involved users as the project gets closer to market introduc-tion. In four cases specific users contributed significantly to NPD success. Based on the results of the study, the recommendation for manufacturers is to leverage the knowledge of users with certain char-acteristics for radical innovation projects. The results of our study form the basis of a market research concept for radical innovations. --innovation process,product innovation

User innovation of medical technologies in a developing country setting – the case of lower limb prostheses in Malawi

As is well known, users can make significant contributions to innovations, including innovating themselves. However, much work on user innovation has focussed on developed countries. The question remains whether and how users innovate in a developing country setting. Bodies of literature that explicitly consider innovations in such settings emphasise the influence of limitations. This thesis therefore investigates how limitations shape the creation and sharing of innovations by users. This issue is analysed for medical technologies, because these can have different user groups, including patients, who have been little focussed on, even in developed countries. In this setting, a focus on innovation as defined relatively inclusively is most suitable, and therefore the term 'changes' is often used rather than 'innovations' to express this inclusiveness. By comparing the changes made to the same kind of technology by different groups of users in different settings with different limitations, the influence of these limitations can be analysed. Therefore, data were collected on changes made by patients as well as orthopaedic technicians to lower limb prostheses in two orthopaedic centres in Malawi. First, observations were conducted of the production process for prostheses, followed by semi-structured interviews with orthopaedic technicians and patients, and with additional experts to understand the broader context. It was found that patients and orthopaedic technicians did make many changes. Three kinds of limitations were identified, that influence these changes by users. Like users in developed countries, patients and orthopaedic technicians make these changes to fulfil their needs because available products and services are not satisfactory. Limitations both restrict what products and services are available to users, and also influence the characteristics of the creation and sharing of changes by users. Many users reported on efforts to share their changes with others despite the limitations, often due to a sense of professional collegiality and solidarity. In summary, limitations help to explain how changes by users occur in developing countries, but also how any accumulation of such changes users make is restricted. Improving this situation could help less developed countries in making better use of any user innovations that do occur, and thus contribute to their development more generally

Commercialisation of eHealth Innovations in the Market of UK Healthcare Sector: A Framework for Sustainable Business Model.

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Festus Oluseyi Oderanti, and Feng Li, ‘Commercialization of eHealth innovations in the market of the UK healthcare sector: A framework for a sustainable business model’, Psychology & Marketing, Vol. 35 (2): 120-137, February 2018, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21074. Under embargo until 10 January 2020. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.Demographic trends with extended life expectancy are placing increasing pressures on the UK state-funded healthcare budgets. eHealth innovations are expected to facilitate new avenues for cost-effective and safe methods of care, for enabling elderly people to live independently at their own homes and for assisting governments to cope with the demographic challenges. However, despite heavy investment in these innovations, large-scale deployment of eHealth continues to face significant obstacles, and lack of sustainable business models (BMs) is widely regarded as part of the greatest barriers. Through various empirical methods that include facilitated workshops, case studies of relevant organizations, and user groups, this paper investigates the reasons the private market of eHealth innovations has proved difficult to establish, and therefore it develops a framework for sustainable BMs that could elimiesnate barriers of eHealth innovation commercialization. Results of the study suggest that to achieve sustainable commercialization, BM frameworks and innovation diffusion characteristics should be considered complements but not substitutes.Peer reviewe

Who Are User Entrepreneurs? Findings on Innovation, Founder Characteristics, and Firm Characteristics

Documents the prevalence of innovators who create products or services for their own use then start firms, by industry and type. Examines founder and firm characteristics, revenue growth, job creation, R&D investment, and intellectual property creation

User producer interaction in context: a classification

Science, Technology and Innovation Studies show that intensified user producer interaction (UPI) increases chances for successful innovations, especially in the case of emerging technology. It is not always clear, however, what type of interaction is necessary in a particular context. This paper proposes a conceptualization of contexts in terms of three dimensions – the phase of technology development, the flexibility of the technology, and the heterogeneity of user populations – resulting in a classification scheme with eight different contextual situations. The paper identifies and classifies types of interaction, like demand articulation, interactive learning, learning by using and domestication. It appears that each contextual situation demands a different set of UPI types. To illustrate the potential value of the classification scheme, four examples of innovations with varying technological and user characteristics are explored: the refrigerator, clinical anaesthesia, video cassette recording, and the bicycle. For each example the relevant UPI types are discussed and it is shown how these types highlight certain activities and interactions during key events of innovation processes. Finally, some directions for further research are suggested alongside a number of comments on the utility of the classification

Towards a better understanding of the e-health user: comparing USE IT and Requirements study for an Electronic Patient Record.

This paper compares a traditional requirements study with 22 interviews for the design of an electronic patient record (EPR) and a USE IT analysis with 17 interviews trying to understand the end- user of an EPR. Developing, implementing and using information technology in organizations is a complex social activity. It is often characterized by ill-defined problems or vague goals, conflicts and disruptions that result from organizational change. Successfully implementing information systems in healthcare organizations appears to be a difficult task. Information Technology is regarded as an enabler of change in healthcare organizations but (information) technology adoption decisions in healthcare are complex, because of the uncertainty of benefits and the rate of change of technology. (Job) Relevance is recognized as an important determinant for IS success but still does not find its way into a systems design process

Diffusion of e-health innovations in 'post-conflict' settings: a qualitative study on the personal experiences of health workers.

BACKGROUND: Technological innovations have the potential to strengthen human resources for health and improve access and quality of care in challenging 'post-conflict' contexts. However, analyses on the adoption of technology for health (that is, 'e-health') and whether and how e-health can strengthen a health workforce in these settings have been limited so far. This study explores the personal experiences of health workers using e-health innovations in selected post-conflict situations. METHODS: This study had a cross-sectional qualitative design. Telephone interviews were conducted with 12 health workers, from a variety of cadres and stages in their careers, from four post-conflict settings (Liberia, West Bank and Gaza, Sierra Leone and Somaliland) in 2012. Everett Roger's diffusion of innovation-decision model (that is, knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, contemplation) guided the thematic analysis. RESULTS: All health workers interviewed held positive perceptions of e-health, related to their beliefs that e-health can help them to access information and communicate with other health workers. However, understanding of the scope of e-health was generally limited, and often based on innovations that health workers have been introduced through by their international partners. Health workers reported a range of engagement with e-health innovations, mostly for communication (for example, email) and educational purposes (for example, online learning platforms). Poor, unreliable and unaffordable Internet was a commonly mentioned barrier to e-health use. Scaling-up existing e-health partnerships and innovations were suggested starting points to increase e-health innovation dissemination. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this study showed ICT based e-health innovations can relieve information and communication needs of health workers in post-conflict settings. However, more efforts and investments, preferably driven by healthcare workers within the post-conflict context, are needed to make e-health more widespread and sustainable. Increased awareness is necessary among health professionals, even among current e-health users, and physical and financial access barriers need to be addressed. Future e-health initiatives are likely to increase their impact if based on perceived health information needs of intended users