Surveying innovation in samples of individual end consumers

Abstract

Purpose

Rather than businesses, individual end consumers may develop innovations for themselves. Innovating consumers generally do not protect their innovations with intellectual property rights and may be generally available – a phenomenon recently coined as “free innovation” (von Hippel, 2016). The purpose of this paper is to take stock of how innovation by individual consumers has been measured, and to propose a survey procedure for future studies of consumer innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

The author provides a literature review of how innovation by individual end consumers has been measured, and reports on a pilot study conducted in Finland to improve and standardize the measurement of consumer innovation.

Findings

The survey procedure includes up to six steps which can be tailored to specific research purposes.

Originality/value

The procedure will enable better international/cross-study comparisons and an efficient collection of data.

Citation

de Jong, J.P.J. (2016), "Surveying innovation in samples of individual end consumers", European Journal of Innovation Management, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp. 406-423. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-09-2015-0093