Open Source Hardware and User Innovation Process
In recent years, there has been increasing number of studies about user innovation. These have been making progress in the field of determining users’ attributions or discussing the motivation of users’ contributiton to innovations. However, few studies have been conducted the relationship between firms and user communities or the management of them in the processes of user innovation. In this study, we focused on solving those problems using a case of developing portable radiation measuring instruments as open source hardware. This study indicates two results. The first is that contents of the messages users send to the community and their timing play an important role in the process of user innovation.The second is that the governing system known as “Benevolent Dictatorship” has also been detected in that community of open source hardware.