Lead using or lead refusing? an exploratory examination of open innovation activities by lead users in mechanical engineering

Nowadays the importance of lead users as an important source for innovating new products or services is commonly acknowledged. Conventional accounts frequently elaborate upon ways of improving lead user integration with regards to opening up new avenues for further collaboration. Against this background, this study concentrates upon qualitative data from the field of mechanical engineering, which suggest that companies oftentimes also deliberately try to refuse to engage with lead users. This unanticipated finding thwarts the supremacy of an uncritical integration of lead users, indicating that the extent to which lead users are integrated depends upon the nature of the product and the particularities of the relationship between the company and the respective lead user. The article concludes with a discussion, critical reflection, and options for future research.