Knowledge Characteristics and Organisational Practices in User Innovation

Using insights from the user innovation and knowledge management literature, we develop and empirically illustrate a typology of user inputs for innovation. Based on the knowledge complexity and uncertainty associated with a particular innovation, we propose four user input types and link them with particular organisational practices. We suggest that user inputs have different characteristics and level of stickiness, and firms that wish to access user inputs for innovation would need to develop organisational practices that fit with the type of user inputs they want to access.This paper contributes to the user innovation literature by shifting focus away from the innovative user towards the firm that wishes to utilise user innovation for its own ends