Distinctive Roles of Lead Users and Opinion Leaders in the Social Networks of Schoolchildren
Prior research has shown that both lead users and opinion leaders may propel the diffusion of innovation. This raises the question of whether lead users and opinion leaders are positioned similarly in social networks, which we address using a sample of 23 school classes consisting of 537 children. R...
| Veröffentlicht in: | Journal of Consumer Research. - University of Chicago Press. - 36(2009), 4, Seite 646-659 |
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| Format: | Online-Aufsatz |
| Veröffentlicht: |
2009
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| Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk: | Journal of Consumer Research |
| Schlagworte: | Child/Adolescent Consumer Diffusion, Innovation, Technology Sociological Theories/Analysis Word‐of‐Mouth/Opinion Leadership Hierarchical Models Behavioral sciences Business Social sciences Mathematics Applied sciences mehr... |
| Zusammenfassung: | Prior research has shown that both lead users and opinion leaders may propel the diffusion of innovation. This raises the question of whether lead users and opinion leaders are positioned similarly in social networks, which we address using a sample of 23 school classes consisting of 537 children. Research among children is very scarce in this particular domain. Our statistical analyses based on hierarchical linear modeling reveal two general results: first, lead users among children appear to possess a variety of links between clusters; second, opinion leaders are locally positioned within clusters of children and have many direct links. |
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| Beschreibung: | * Jan Kratzer is professor of entrepreneurship and innovation management, Berlin University of Technology, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, Berlin, 10623 Germany ( jan.kratzertu‐berlin.de ). Address correspondence to Jan Kratzer. Christopher Lettl is professor of innovation management, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark ( lettl@asb.dk ) and from July 2009 will be professor of entrepreneurship and innovation, Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, Vienna, Austria ( Christopher.Lettl@wu‐wien.ac.at ). The authors acknowledge the helpful input of the editor, the associate editor, and the reviewers. |
| ISSN: | 15375277 |
| DOI: | 10.1086/599324 |