6. Overview of the articles and results
6.1 Introduction to articles
The study captures the main themes of the articles: networks, roles and innovation outcomes in living labs. The articles answer the research questions relating to the main themes of this study. Figure 7 positions the main themes of the study in the five articles.
Paper 3 Paper 4 Living lab(s) Roles Paper 2 Innovation outcomes Networks Papers 1, 5
Figure 8. Positioning of the five articles
The five articles cover the three research questions of the study. This study explicitly couples its research questions to the representative research questions
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of the articles. For example 1(1) refers the first article and its first research question, which is coupled to the first research question of this study. Table 11 shows the links between the research questions of the articles and the three research questions of the dissertation.
Table 11. Objectives and research questions of the articles linked into the research questions of
the dissertation
Research questions of the dissertation
Research questions and aims of the
articles Article (research
question)
What is a living lab, from a network perspective?
What is a living lab network? (*)69
Aim: To describe what the living labs model is from the network perspective.
Aim: To discuss the key stakeholders and their input resources in living labs networks.
1(1)
How do living labs balance individual and mutual objectives in a living lab network? (*)
Aim: To analyse the major challenges in balancing the individual and mutual objectives in living labs development work.
1(2)
What are the different coordination and participation approaches in living lab networks? 4(1) How are these approaches linked to diverse living lab
networks? 4(2)
What are the structures of living lab networks? (*) Aim: To describe the different types of living lab networks.
Aim: To identify the distinct structure options of living lab networks.
5(1)
What roles do users and stakeholders have in living lab networks?
What are user roles in living labs? (*)
Aim: To identify and understand the dynamics related to the roles that users adopt when co-creating value with companies.
2(1)
How is user activity related to co-creation with companies? (*)
Aim: To identify and understand the dynamics related to the roles that users adopt when co-creating value with companies.
2(2)
What are stakeholder roles in living labs? (*) Aim: To analyse roles in living labs with different perspectives to role theory.
3(1)
How do roles affect role patterns in living labs? (*) 3(2)
69 Some of articles include objectives of the article(s) rather than explicitly covering the more specific research question. The dissertation later forms research questions for the articles. Such research questions are marked by (*).
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Aim: To propose role patterns typical of living labs.Aim: To discuss the ways these role perspectives effect innovation in living labs.
How do network structures affect outcomes in living labs?
How do the network structures of living labs support the emergence of innovations? (*)
Aim: To bring forth propositions on how to achieve radical innovation in diverse living labs.
5(2)
Table 12 shows the focuses of the articles by summarising their objectives and research questions, where Article 1 reveals the living lab model covering the living lab network and its stakeholders. The article also discusses challenges, motives and desired outcomes of each stakeholder. Next, Article 2 creates a typology of user roles in living lab networks and documents user roles. Article 3 introduces the roles of stakeholders and highlights role patterns in living lab networks. Article 4 explores innovation mechanisms and along the dimensions of coordination and participation approaches in living labs. Last, Article 5 describes a variety of living lab network structures and their impact on innovation outcomes.
Table 12. Focus and objectives of the articles
Article Focus Objectives
1 Towards Innovation in Living Labs Networks Understanding: Stakeholders Challenges in living labs
(i) To describe what the Living Labs model is from the network perspective.
(ii) To discuss the key stakeholders and their input resources in living lab networks.
(iii) To analyse the major challenges in balancing the individual and mutual objectives in living labs development work. 2 On Becoming Creative Consumers – User Roles in Living Labs Networks Understanding: User roles Dynamic related to roles
To identify and understand the dynamics related to the roles that users adopt when co-creating value with companies. 3 Actor Roles and Role Patterns Influencing Innovation in Living Labs Understanding: Stakeholder roles Role patterns
(i) To analyse roles in living labs with different perspectives to role theory.
(ii) To discuss the ways these role perspectives effect innovation in living labs.
(iii) To propose role patterns typical of living labs. 4 Coordination and Participation in Living Lab Networks Understanding: Innovation mechanisms and the dimensions of coordination and
To understand innovation mechanisms in living labs (i) What are the different coordination and participation approaches in living lab networks?
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participation approaches
(ii) How are these approaches linked to diverse living lab networks? 5 The Effect of Network Structure on Radical Innovation in Living Labs Understanding: Network structure Structures supporting innovation outcomes
(i) To describe the different types of living lab networks.
(2) To identify the distinct structure options of living lab networks.
(3) To bring forth propositions on how to achieve radical innovation in diverse living labs.