An exploratory study into how social media has been used as part of the user innovator’s journey to entrepreneurship

This research evaluates the impact the digital infrastructure social media has had on the process of user innovation in relation to product development and entrepreneurial activity. Although there is a long-standing body of literature related to the concept of user innovation, it has yet to be examined from the perspective of social media or digital entrepreneurship, this study, therefore, fills an obvious research gap. The aim of this paper is to generate new insights regarding the relationship between social media and user innovation. The findings of this study are developed from a thematic analysis of six small business case studies operating in the context of the environmental sector. The research finds that social media provides a mechanism for user innovation activity to occur while also providing a vehicle outlet for the lead user to engage with entrepreneurial activity. The findings also allude to a “darker side” to using social media as a community engagement tool. Based on these contributions, this study recommends avenues for future research to generate further insights into this phenomenon