Empowering lead users: Kenya's three-part formula for fintech innovation success

Lead user innovation is one of the key factors which define new product development and market success, but the characteristics of user innovators in emerging markets are still not explored enough. This research aims at finding out the effect of work experience, autonomy and number of partners in in...

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Main Authors: Geoffrey Otieno, Ruth Kiraka
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University in Belgrade 2025-05-01
Series:Serbian Journal of Management
Subjects:
Online Access:https://aseestant.ceon.rs/index.php/sjm/article/view/51183/27547
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author Geoffrey Otieno
Ruth Kiraka
author_facet Geoffrey Otieno
Ruth Kiraka
author_sort Geoffrey Otieno
collection DOAJ
description Lead user innovation is one of the key factors which define new product development and market success, but the characteristics of user innovators in emerging markets are still not explored enough. This research aims at finding out the effect of work experience, autonomy and number of partners in innovation on success of lead user innovation in Kenya’s Fintech industry. The quantitative data was collected through a survey of 321 lead user innovators while qualitative data was collected through 36 in-depth interviews. This analysis demonstrates that work experience has an influence on success through innovation partners and indirectly through the work experience, which has an influence on success directly through autonomy but has no indirect impact on success through partners. Thus, the study adds to the body of literature on user innovation by identifying factors that are essential for success in an emerging market and by providing recommendations for organizations that encourage user-driven innovation. The emphasis on the Kenyan fintech segment and the consideration of the mediating roles of innovation partners contribute to the novelty of innovation research. The results also highlighted the fact that the key factors influencing lead user innovation success are work experience, autonomy, and collaboration.
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spelling doaj-art-d27304615bf94a39b64bb050a8d0d8af2025-08-20T02:35:08ZengUniversity in BelgradeSerbian Journal of Management1452-48642217-71592025-05-0120124726510.5937/sjm20-51183Empowering lead users: Kenya's three-part formula for fintech innovation success Geoffrey Otieno0Ruth Kiraka1Strathmore Business School, Strathmore University, Ole Sangale Rd, PO Box 59857, 00200 City Square, Nairobi, KenyaStrathmore Business School, Strathmore University, Ole Sangale Rd, PO Box 59857, 00200 City Square, Nairobi, KenyaLead user innovation is one of the key factors which define new product development and market success, but the characteristics of user innovators in emerging markets are still not explored enough. This research aims at finding out the effect of work experience, autonomy and number of partners in innovation on success of lead user innovation in Kenya’s Fintech industry. The quantitative data was collected through a survey of 321 lead user innovators while qualitative data was collected through 36 in-depth interviews. This analysis demonstrates that work experience has an influence on success through innovation partners and indirectly through the work experience, which has an influence on success directly through autonomy but has no indirect impact on success through partners. Thus, the study adds to the body of literature on user innovation by identifying factors that are essential for success in an emerging market and by providing recommendations for organizations that encourage user-driven innovation. The emphasis on the Kenyan fintech segment and the consideration of the mediating roles of innovation partners contribute to the novelty of innovation research. The results also highlighted the fact that the key factors influencing lead user innovation success are work experience, autonomy, and collaboration.https://aseestant.ceon.rs/index.php/sjm/article/view/51183/27547lead user innovationwork experienceautonomyinnovation partnersfintech
spellingShingle Geoffrey Otieno
Ruth Kiraka
Empowering lead users: Kenya's three-part formula for fintech innovation success
Serbian Journal of Management
lead user innovation
work experience
autonomy
innovation partners
fintech
title Empowering lead users: Kenya's three-part formula for fintech innovation success
title_full Empowering lead users: Kenya's three-part formula for fintech innovation success
title_fullStr Empowering lead users: Kenya's three-part formula for fintech innovation success
title_full_unstemmed Empowering lead users: Kenya's three-part formula for fintech innovation success
title_short Empowering lead users: Kenya's three-part formula for fintech innovation success
title_sort empowering lead users kenya s three part formula for fintech innovation success
topic lead user innovation
work experience
autonomy
innovation partners
fintech
url https://aseestant.ceon.rs/index.php/sjm/article/view/51183/27547
work_keys_str_mv AT geoffreyotieno empoweringleaduserskenyasthreepartformulaforfintechinnovationsuccess
AT ruthkiraka empoweringleaduserskenyasthreepartformulaforfintechinnovationsuccess