Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Working Knowledge
Business Research for Business Leaders
  • Browse All Articles
  • Popular Articles
  • Cold Call Podcast
  • Managing the Future of Work Podcast
  • About Us
  • Book
  • Leadership
  • Marketing
  • Finance
  • Management
  • Entrepreneurship
  • All Topics...
  • Topics
    • COVID-19
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Finance
    • Gender
    • Globalization
    • Leadership
    • Management
    • Negotiation
    • Social Enterprise
    • Strategy
  • Sections
    • Book
    • Podcasts
    • HBS Case
    • In Practice
    • Lessons from the Classroom
    • Op-Ed
    • Research & Ideas
    • Research Event
    • Sharpening Your Skills
    • What Do You Think?
  • Browse All
    Why Do User Communities Matter for Strategy?
    21 Jul 2019Working Paper Summaries

    Why Do User Communities Matter for Strategy?

    by Sonali K. Shah and Frank Nagle
    Communities of users are shaping the industrial landscape and contributing to the innovations we use every day. The effects of user communities on firms, industries, and society will continue to grow. This article discusses the relationship between user communities and firms to shed light on avenues for future research in business strategy.
    LinkedIn
    Email

    Author Abstract

    User communities represent a unique organizing structure for the exchange of ideas and knowledge. They are organizations composed primarily of users working collaboratively, voluntarily, and with minimal oversight to freely and openly develop and exchange knowledge around a common artifact. The prevalence of user communities appears to be on the rise, as evidenced by communities across a variety of fields ranging from software to Legos to sports equipment. In this essay, we discuss how firms can benefit from working with user communities––that is, we discuss the opportunities for firms to leverage user communities as a source of open innovation. We theorize the conditions under which user communities will emerge and function and discuss the benefits that user communities can provide and the challenges they can create for firms, thereby illustrating the relevance and import of user communities to firms and the strategic management literature.

    Paper Information

    • Full Working Paper Text
    • Working Paper Publication Date: June 2019
    • HBS Working Paper Number:
    • Faculty Unit(s): Strategy
      Trending
        • 19 Sep 2023
        • HBS Case

        How Will the Tech Titans Behind ChatGPT, Bard, and LLaMA Make Money?

        • 12 Sep 2023
        • Book

        Successful, But Still Feel Empty? A Happiness Scholar and Oprah Have Advice for You

        • 15 Aug 2023
        • Cold Call Podcast

        Ryan Serhant: How to Manage Your Time for Happiness

        • 21 Aug 2023
        • Book

        You’re More Than Your Job: 3 Tips for a Healthier Work-Life Balance

        • 05 Sep 2023
        • Research & Ideas

        Failing Well: How Your ‘Intelligent Failure’ Unlocks Your Full Potential

    Frank Nagle
    Frank Nagle
    Assistant Professor of Business Administration
    Contact
    Send an email
    → More Articles
    Find Related Articles
    • Strategy
    • Knowledge Management
    • Collaborative Innovation and Invention
    • Organizations
    • Knowledge Use and Leverage

    Sign up for our weekly newsletter

    Interested in improving your business? Learn about fresh research and ideas from Harvard Business School faculty.
    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    ǁ
    Campus Map
    Harvard Business School Working Knowledge
    Baker Library | Bloomberg Center
    Soldiers Field
    Boston, MA 02163
    Email: Editor-in-Chief
    →Map & Directions
    →More Contact Information
    • Make a Gift
    • Site Map
    • Jobs
    • Harvard University
    • Trademarks
    • Policies
    • Accessibility
    • Digital Accessibility
    Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College