A multiple-stakeholder view of open and user innovation: Systematic review and future research agenda

Abstract

The open and user innovation (OUI) literature indicates that a variety of actors can play pivotal roles in the innovation process, but to date, many of these roles are under researched and poorly understood. Through a multiple stakeholder view combined with a systematic review of the OUI literature, we identify three key stakeholder roles (creator, contributor, customer) and three separate types of actors (individuals, firms, groups) to create a 3 × 3 OUI Stakeholder Matrix typology. This matrix encompasses the major stakeholders found in the OUI literature and is designed to foster closer collaboration between open innovation and user innovation scholars. Specifically, this article prioritizes identifying and understanding overlooked innovation stakeholders to clarify how their activities might create value for both customers and firms. The authors conclude by developing a series of actionable research questions centered on four primary themes that relate to stakeholder power, stakeholder role transitions and multi-role stakeholders, firms’ beliefs around what drives value in an OUI initiative, and the possible emergence of new stakeholders in OUI programs.