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The Freedom-Fighters: How Incumbent Corporations Are Attempting To Control User-Innovation

Author

Listed:
  • VIKTOR BRAUN

    (Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA)

  • CORNELIUS HERSTATT

    (Institute of Technology and Innovation Management, Hamburg University of Technology, Germany)

Abstract

Novel information and communication technologies, foremost the Internet, have revolutionised the innovation landscape. Mass-collaboration involving end-users is now, a critical component of many types of software improvement and has the potential to make users as the main innovation source of the 21st century. The vision of democratising innovation is not, however, in everybody's interest. Many incumbent corporations are actively engaging in efforts to prevent users from modifying and improving their products. In this paper, we investigate the barriers that incumbents impose upon potentially innovative users and ask under which conditions such behaviours are likely to be sustainable.

Suggested Citation

  • Viktor Braun & Cornelius Herstatt, 2008. "The Freedom-Fighters: How Incumbent Corporations Are Attempting To Control User-Innovation," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 12(03), pages 543-572.
    • Handle: RePEc:wsi:ijimxx:v:12:y:2008:i:03:n:s1363919608002059
    DOI: 10.1142/S1363919608002059
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. Dolata, Ulrich & Schrape, Jan-Felix, 2013. "Zwischen Individuum und Organisation: Neue kollektive Akteure und Handlungskonstellationen im Internet," Research Contributions to Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies, SOI Discussion Papers 2013-02, University of Stuttgart, Institute for Social Sciences, Department of Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies.
    3. Dolata, Ulrich, 2017. "Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft: Market concentration - competition - innovation strategies," Research Contributions to Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies, SOI Discussion Papers 2017-01, University of Stuttgart, Institute for Social Sciences, Department of Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies.
    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. 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.
    6. Tietze, Frank & Pieper, Thorsten & Herstatt, Cornelius, 2013. "To own or not to own: How ownership affects user innovation - An empirical study in the German rowing community," Working Papers 73, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Institute for Technology and Innovation Management.
    7. Globocnik, Dietfried & Faullant, Rita, 2021. "Do lead users cooperate with manufacturers in innovation? Investigating the missing link between lead userness and cooperation initiation with manufacturers," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    8. Göldner, Moritz & Herstatt, Cornelius & Canhão, Helena & Oliveira, Pedro, 2019. "User entrepreneurs for social innovation: The case of patients and caregivers as developers of tangible medical devices," Working Papers 108, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Institute for Technology and Innovation Management.
    9. Goeldner, Moritz & Herstatt, Cornelius, 2016. "Are patients and relatives the better innovators? The case of medical smartphone applications," Working Papers 91, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Institute for Technology and Innovation Management.

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