How many needles in a haystack? The search for user innovations in manual and algorithmic-augmented systems

51 Pages Posted: 29 Apr 2021

See all articles by Leid Zejnilovic

Leid Zejnilovic

Nova School of Business and Economics

Ricardo Coelho da Silva

Nova School of Business and Economics

Pedro Oliveira

Copenhagen Business School; Nova School of Business and Economics

Date Written: April 28, 2021

Abstract

Innovation scholars and managers with interest in user innovation often search for user innovators and their innovations. Despite its importance, the search process itself has received little attention in the innovation management literature. This paper fills that gap and contributes to innovation theory in three ways. Firstly, we introduce a distinction between the one-off and continuous search, usually done by the researchers and managers of platforms for sharing user innovations, respectively. Secondly, and given the recent surge of interest in machine learning for innovation management, we explore the levels of automation of that search on a scale from entirely manual to fully automated, and different configurations of humans and algorithms. Thirdly, we propose and empirically test a simple quantitative model for the expected number of user innovations or innovators that integrates the human and algorithmic components. We discuss the theoretical, methodological, and managerial implications of this study.

Keywords: User innovation, Search for innovations, Automation, Platforms, Human-computer systems

JEL Classification: O30, O39

Suggested Citation

Zejnilovic, Leid and Coelho da Silva, Ricardo and Oliveira, Pedro, How many needles in a haystack? The search for user innovations in manual and algorithmic-augmented systems (April 28, 2021). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3835960 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3835960

Leid Zejnilovic (Contact Author)

Nova School of Business and Economics ( email )

Campus de Carcavelos
Rua da Holanda, 1
Carcavelos, 2775-405
Portugal

HOME PAGE: http://www.novasbe.pt

Ricardo Coelho da Silva

Nova School of Business and Economics ( email )

Campus de Carcavelos
Rua da Holanda, 1
Carcavelos, 2775-405
Portugal

Pedro Oliveira

Copenhagen Business School ( email )

Department of Strategy and Innovation (SI)
Kilen, Kilevej 14, K.2.71
Frederiksberg, DK - 2000
Denmark

Nova School of Business and Economics ( email )

Campus de Carcavelos
Rua da Holanda, 1
Carcavelos, 2775-405
Portugal

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