Dynamic boundaries of user communities: Exploiting synergies rather than managing dilemmas
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Dynamic boundaries of user communities : Exploiting synergies rather than managing dilemmas. / Lauritzen, Ghita Dragsdahl; Salomo, Søren; La Cour, Anders.
In: International Journal of Technology Management, Vol. 63, No. 3-4, 2013, p. 148-168.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Dynamic boundaries of user communities
T2 - Exploiting synergies rather than managing dilemmas
AU - Lauritzen, Ghita Dragsdahl
AU - Salomo, Søren
AU - La Cour, Anders
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - A large body of literature indicates that innovation not only stems from a firm's internal investments but also relies on input from external sources. This is also reflected in an increasing interest in user innovation. In particular, users, who increasingly gather in communities, can offer valuable contributions. To create and capture value, firms must engage in some kind of collaboration with these user communities. However, at the interfaces between communities and firms, tensions arise because of undefined boundaries and a lack of clear roles. Current research within the user innovation literature characterises such tensions as dilemmas between competing demands that firms must balance to encourage and benefit from user contributions. This paper brings in a systems theory perspective to show that what is currently described as trade-offs that must be managed are in fact synergies that are mutually enabling and must be embraced to foster innovation. We develop a new boundary construct that explains how firms can attend to competing logics of power, identity, and competence simultaneously, thereby leveraging the innovation potential.
AB - A large body of literature indicates that innovation not only stems from a firm's internal investments but also relies on input from external sources. This is also reflected in an increasing interest in user innovation. In particular, users, who increasingly gather in communities, can offer valuable contributions. To create and capture value, firms must engage in some kind of collaboration with these user communities. However, at the interfaces between communities and firms, tensions arise because of undefined boundaries and a lack of clear roles. Current research within the user innovation literature characterises such tensions as dilemmas between competing demands that firms must balance to encourage and benefit from user contributions. This paper brings in a systems theory perspective to show that what is currently described as trade-offs that must be managed are in fact synergies that are mutually enabling and must be embraced to foster innovation. We develop a new boundary construct that explains how firms can attend to competing logics of power, identity, and competence simultaneously, thereby leveraging the innovation potential.
KW - Boundary management
KW - Communities
KW - Dilemma
KW - Firm-community collaboration
KW - Paradox
KW - Systems theory
KW - Tensions
KW - User innovation
U2 - 10.1504/IJTM.2013.056896
DO - 10.1504/IJTM.2013.056896
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:84885224108
VL - 63
SP - 148
EP - 168
JO - International Journal of Technology Management
JF - International Journal of Technology Management
SN - 0267-5730
IS - 3-4
ER -
ID: 256625166