Measuring Lead Userness: Development and Validation of a Hierarchical Scale

Abstract

Lead user theory has gained traction in both academia and practice, given that involving lead users (LUs) can yield more innovative and commercially successful products. Yet, measurement inconsistencies have hindered consensus on how to reliably assess lead userness. This paper develops and validates a new 30-item scale that conceptualizes lead userness as a hierarchical construct with two second-order dimensions: ahead of trend (AoT) and high benefit expectation (HBE). Each dimension is further subdivided into three first-order subdimensions, capturing facets such as ideas, information and experience (AoT) or problems, needs and gains (HBE). In multiple studies, the scale demonstrated robust reliability and convergent, discriminant and nomological validity, correlating as expected with key antecedents (e.g., divergent thinking, product knowledge, innate innovativeness and risk aversion) and outcomes (e.g., social innovativeness, opinion leadership, innovation experience and innovation intention). Additionally, a separate predictive and explanatory power study comparing the new scale with seven established measures underscored its superior capacity to account for both past and future user-driven innovation activities. Moreover, a market test across smartphones, e-bikes and refrigerators confirmed that product concepts developed by identified LUs commanded higher willingness to pay than those from regular consumers, reinforcing the scale's practical relevance. Finally, a short-scale variant with six items is introduced as a viable alternative when item minimization is crucial. Taken together, these findings provide a comprehensive inventory for measuring lead userness, laying the foundation for deeper theoretical insights into user-driven innovation and more targeted managerial strategies for collaborating with LUs across diverse product categories.