The late adopter scale: A measure of late adopters of technological innovations

Diffusion of Innovation is a topic of interest for researchers and practitioners. Although substantial research is conducted on user categories, researchers often focus on the first half of the curve, ignoring the late adopters. We conduct two studies to measure the attributes of late adopters. In our first study of mobile phone users, we develop the Late-Adopter Scale. We then test it on a sample of laptop users. This scale is multi-dimensional, presents nomological and discriminant validity and has three dimensions: 1) rate of adoption, 2) resistance to innovation, and 3) skepticism. Findings reveal that all three Late Adopter Scale dimensions are significantly associated with low price preference. Moreover, in both samples skepticism is associated with high preference for simple products, lower leading edge status, and lower product involvement. Discussion focuses on implications of this new scale to theory and practice of new product development and diffusion of innovation.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Nova Forum

Lag-user method: Using laggards to leverage user innovation

Laggards are the last users to adopt a product. Prior literature on user-led innovation ignores laggards’ impact on innovation. In this paper, we develop the Lag-User Method, through which laggards can generate new ideas. Through six studies with 62 teams in three countries, we apply the method to different technologies and services and present our findings to executives to get managerial insights. Findings reveal that laggards who generate new ideas (lag-users) have different perceptions of user-friendly products and different unfulfilled needs. They prefer simple products. We propose that by involving lag-users in NPD, firms can improve the effectiveness of NPD.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), Nova Forum

Determinants of users’ continuance intention toward digital innovations: Are late adopters different?

This study examines the users of digital innovations with covariance-based structural equation modeling (CBSEM) and a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to understand the factors that drive their continuance intention. We examine the interplay between the perceptual factors related to the user experience with a digital product and personal factors that characterize late adoption. The findings highlight that perceived radicalness is a core condition to achieve the users’ continuance intention in a digital context. The findings contribute to theory by providing a better understanding of how personal factors in adoption interact with other determinants of the continuance intention. The study also presents practical implications. The results show that in the case of late adopters, firms should invest in both the radicalness and high system quality of their digital innovations.This work was supported by FCT, I.P.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio