The Effect of Lead Users on Firms' Innovation Performance in a Social Media Environment-Mediated by Firms' Social Media Use

Abstract

In order to investigate how lead user enhance corporate innovation performance in a social media environment, this study examines the internal mechanism by which corporations utilize social media platforms to access the knowledge content shared by lead user on social media, which affects corporate innovation performance. This study takes user innovation theory, open innovation theory and resource base theory as the theoretical cornerstones, this study analyzes the mechanism of the role of knowledge sharing by lead users on corporate innovation performance, examines the mediating role of corporate social media use on the impact between knowledge sharing by lead users and corporate innovation performance, and constructs a theoretical model with mediating variables. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey and analyzed using SPSS and AMOS. The results of the study show that: 1) lead user's knowledge sharing has a positive and significant effect on corporate social media use and corporate innovation performance; 2) corporate social media use has a positive and significant effect on corporate innovation performance; 3) corporate social media use mediates between lead user's knowledge sharing and corporate innovation performance.