%0 Journal Article %J Technology Innovation Management Review %D 2013 %T From Idea Crowdsourcing to Managing User Knowledge %A Risto Rajala %A Mika Westerlund %A Mervi Vuori %A Jukka-Pekka Hares %K crowdsourcing %K knowledge management %K lead users %K online communities %K user innovation %X This article explores how technology companies can benefit from user knowledge in product and service innovation beyond mere idea generation through crowdsourcing. We investigate a case from the telecommunications sector to discover the ways a company can overcome the challenges of motivating users to participate in innovation activity and gaining from their knowledge in the innovation process. In particular, we seek to learn how the company has created understanding about the future uses of technology and the developments of the market with the lead users. In addition, we analyze the key means of capturing value from the knowledge gathered from the users, including the essential organizational practices that support user innovation and the ways the company makes sense of the vast volume and variety of user knowledge. Our empirical inquiry increases the understanding of how technology companies can complement and use crowdsourcing to effectively utilize knowledge resident in user communities. %B Technology Innovation Management Review %I Talent First Network %C Ottawa %V 3 %P 23-31 %8 12/2013 %G eng %U http://timreview.ca/article/750 %N 12 %1 Aalto University Risto Rajala, D.Sc. (Econ) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland. Dr. Rajala holds a PhD in Information Systems Science from the Aalto University School of Business. His recent research has dealt with management of complex service systems, development of digital services, service innovation, and business model performance. Rajala’s specialties include management of industrial services, collaborative service innovation, knowledge management, and design of digital services. %2 Carleton University Mika Westerlund, D.Sc. (Econ) is an Assistant Professor at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business in Ottawa, Canada. He previously held positions as a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Haas School of Business at the University of California Berkeley and in the School of Economics at Aalto University. Mika earned his doctoral degree in Marketing from the Helsinki School of Economics. His doctoral research focused on software firms’ business models and his current research interests include open and user innovation, business strategy, and management models in high-tech and service-intensive industries. %3 Aalto University Mervi Vuori, M.Sc. (Econ) is a researcher and doctoral candidate at Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland. Since 2010, she has acted as a principal researcher in several research projects in the field of purchasing and innovation management. She is currently working on her doctoral dissertation on "Innovating and collaborating with external resources: crowds, communities and suppliers". Her research is centered on the use of external resources, related management interfaces, as well as integration mechanisms in service and business model innovation. %4 Aalto University Jukka-Pekka Hares, M.Sc. (Econ) received his master’s degree from the Aalto University School of Economics in Helsinki, Finland. His master’s thesis focused on crowdsourcing and user knowledge management in online user communities. He is currently working at the public relations agency Manifesto as a communications consultant. %R http://doi.org/10.22215/timreview/750