Customer-related Opportunity Discovery : An Entrepreneurial Perspective of Early-Stage Innovation Processes

Item Type	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Abstract	Innovation research claims that relationships with current customers influence early-stage innovation processes, shaping the discovery of opportunities with a potential to be new and disruptive to the market; in the perspective of entrepreneurship research, this focus can be reframed as customer-related opportunity discovery. Thereby, it is discussed controversially whether and how relationships with current customers enable or constrain the discovery of disruptive opportunities in early-stage innovation processes. It is argued that detailed knowledge, close relationships, and intense interactions with current customers lead to disruptive opportunities and successful innovation, due to a better understanding of customer needs or issues with current technologies; at the same time, close customer relationships can lead to a lock-in into a too narrow understanding of relevant needs, issues and opportunities. In this paper, we conceptually explore this important paradox in innovation and entrepreneurship research, by identifying a series of dimensions of customer relationships, their impact on the degree of disruptiveness of discovered opportunities, as well as the moderating effect of technological change and market turbulence on this impact. The exploration of this customer relationship paradox in innovation and entrepreneurship lies at the heart of the new strategic entrepreneurship research program, through the attempt of closely relating innovation processes, opportunity discovery, and strategic partnering between companies and their customers.
Authors	Fust, Alexander; Grand, Simon & Fueglistaller, Urs
Editors	Fueglistaller, Urs
Projects	Fueglistaller, Urs; Fust, Alexander; Burger, Dominik & Gasda, J.-Michael (2005) Dienstleistungskompetenz (Service Excellence) [fundamental research project]
Language	English
Keywords	Innovation, Entrepreneurship
Subjects	business studies
HSG Classification	contribution to scientific community
Refereed	No
Date	6 September 2010
Publisher	Verlag KMU-HSG
Place of Publication	St. Gallen
Page Range	13
Title of Book	Strategic Entrepreneurship - The Promise for Future Entrepreneurship, Family Business and SME Research?
Event Title	Rencontres de St-Gall 2010
Event Location	St. Gallen
Event Dates	06.-08.09.2010
ISBN	978-3-906541-27-3
Depositing User	Dr. Alexander Fust
Date Deposited	09 Sep 2010 11:27
Last Modified	23 Aug 2017 13:40
URI:	https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/publications/69144

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Fust, Alexander; Grand, Simon & Fueglistaller, Urs: Customer-related Opportunity Discovery : An Entrepreneurial Perspective of Early-Stage Innovation Processes. 2010. - Rencontres de St-Gall 2010. - St. Gallen.

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https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/id/eprint/69144

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