In der vorliegenden Arbeit untersuchen wir die Motive und Aktivitäten einzelner Kunden-Innovatoren (Patienten mit verschiedenen Krankheiten) im Gesundheitswesen. Dabei interessieren uns insbesondere ihre persönlichen, durch das Gesundheitssystem hervorgerufenen Situationen sowie ihre Rollen bei der Entwicklung neuer Behandlungsmethoden, Therapien und medizinischer Geräte. Patienten sind eine mögliche Gruppe von Innovatoren im Gesundheitswesen. Im Gegensatz zu Produzenten-Innovatoren (z. B. Pharmafirmen und Medizingeräteherstellern), die typischerweise von der Kommerzialisierung ihrer Innovation profitieren, entwickeln Kunden-Innovatoren im Gesundheitswesen in erster Linie, um die Innovation direkt an sich anzuwenden. Die vorliegende Arbeit erweitert insbesondere die Arbeiten von Oliveira et al. (2011), Oliveira (2012) sowie Shcherbatiuk/Oliveira (2012), in denen Patienten und deren Familienangehörige als ernst zu nehmende Innovatoren im Gesundheitswesen identifiziert wurden. Danach gehen etwa 50% aller neuen Behandlungen, Therapien und medizinischer Geräte für Mukoviszidose auf Entwicklungen von Patienten zurück. Das Wissen dieser Betroffenen über ihre Krankheiten kann folglich ein wichtiges Innovationspotenzial für das Gesundheitswesen darstellen. Die etablierten Akteure stehen der Patientenintegration in ihre Innovationsprozesse -aus verschiedenen Gründen -bislang jedoch verhalten gegenüber. Vor diesem Hintergrund besitzen Patienten nicht selten einen starken Anreiz, selbst zu innovieren. Unter Bezug auf die Theorie der Pfadkreation ("path creation theory", vgl. Garud/Karnøe 2001) wurden eine Reihe von Patienten-Innovationen -wie zum Beispiel elektronische Hosen, die Querschnittsgelähmten das Stehen und Laufen ermöglichen, ein Injektions-Port, das Diabetes-Patienten die tägliche Verabreichung von Insulin erleichtert und das Shower-Shirt, mit dem sich Brustkrebspatienten beim Duschen vor postoperativen Infektionen schützen können -analysiert. Auf Basis dieser Fälle wurden drei Mechanismen des Gesundheitswesens (seltene individuelle Umstände, starke Beeinträchtigung des täglichen Lebens und eine individuelle Sackgasse) identifiziert, die systematisch zu einer aus Patientensicht unangemessenen Leistungserbringung

Many firms are eager to tackle the challenge of moving from good to great innovators with the help of open innovation. However, a considerable number of open innovation projects fail because firms are not ready to fully engage in open innovation. They lack knowledge about how to manage its multiple facets. Drawing on a capability maturity approach, the authors propose a competence management framework to support the development of open innovation maturity – an organization’s excellence in conducting open innovation. Management categories and maturity levels are inductively identified and reflected in the context of prominent literature. The resulting Open Innovation Maturity model is based on insights from 12 parallel case studies and two open innovation pilots covering the software and the airport industry. Empiric results show that competences on the process level and on the individual level impact the success of open innovation. Hence, Open Innovation Maturity is a multidimensional concept describing the overall capacity of a firm to successfully engage in and make use of open innovation.

We explore objects which are used to span knowledge boundaries (Carlile, ) in order to establish shared understanding in virtual innovation communities. In particular, the use of a mix of such boundary objects during collaboration on a virtual whiteboard is studied. Five collaborations with in total 31 participants are analyzed on the micro level of activities. We conceptualize collaboration activities according to Dennis et al. () as conveyance of information and convergence on meaning. Both, conveyance and convergence activities are necessary to establish shared understanding. Our results show why and how boundary objects are used specific to conveyance or convergence activities. We, thus, provide confirmative empirical evidence for the theoretical propositions of Dennis et al. () and extend current research on knowledge sharing in virtual innovation by showing how exactly boundary objects contribute. Practical implications include propositions for the design of collaboration platforms and innovation processes.

As part of the Combatting Childhood Communicable Diseases (CCCD) project funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Zairian CCCD programme conducted surveys in the rural health zones of Kingandu and Pai-Kongila, Zaire, in 1984-1985 and 1988-1989 to determine whether a strategy of selective primary health care would affect childhood mortality. This paper describes the changes in the medical care infrastructure and the increasing coverage of selected services. The strategies evaluated were vaccination, oral rehydration therapy, and treatment of febrile episodes with antimalarial drugs for children; and tetanus vaccination and malaria prophylaxis for pregnant women. The health infrastructure in the Kingandu and Pai-Kongila Health Zones expanded considerably from 1984 to 1989, with health centres increasing from 7 to 18. During this period, economic conditions deteriorated moderately, with the nation experiencing nearly 700% inflation. Medical care costs remained stable because of external subsidies. Use of health services was assessed in 1984, 1988, and 1989. Between 1984 and 1989, the proportion of children aged 12-23 months vaccinated against measles increased from 22% to 71%. Coverage with other vaccine antigens increased similarly. Women's knowledge of the correct recipe for the preparation of sugar-salt solution increased from 0% to 61%. Reported treatment at home with sugar-salt or oral rehydration solution increased from 6% to 53%. The proportion of children with febrile episodes who were treated presumptively for malaria with chloroquine remained unchanged (47% in 1984; 44% in 1988). We conclude that, despite a moderate deterioration in economic conditions, Kingandu and Pai-Kongila Health Zones achieved remarkable increases in use of selected health services between 1984 and 1989, especially in vaccination coverage.

Mass customisation (MC) is a business strategy that seeks to gain a competitive edge through enhancing product-centred offers with individualisation services. In its core process of customer co-design, toolkits enable customers to translate their needs into product specifications. The present study investigates how customer value is created within the co-design process. Data from 211 customers of a luxury shoe individualiser were retrieved and subsequently analysed using SEM-PLS. We find creative achievement and perceived fun to be significant components of co-design value. Both have significant impact on product perception. Product perception fully mediates the relationship between co-design value and the intention to purchase as well as the intention to recommend the MC offer to others. Furthermore, in contrast to previous works, our study suggests that creative achievement is the primary value component of co-design. We recommend further studies that take into account multiple customer segments or product categories as well as studies which depart from conceptualising MC as technology-based self-service, e.g., by including peer assistance and professional assistance.