Specialization in Online Innovation Communities - Understand and Manage Specialized Members

Jan Bierwald presents the individual behavior of members in Online Innovation Communities, in which thousands of users contribute voluntarily to a jointly developed outcome. The individual member behavior is explored by conducting a detailed content analysis of more than 7,300 mails. His study shows on which content individual members focus their contributions and how specialized members behave within the community. This leads to various implications for today's community management to improve the attracting, controlling and retaining of their members.

Jan Bierwald worked as management consultant before he gained his doctorate degree while working with Prof. Dr. Cornelius Herstatt at the Institute of Technology and Innovation Management. After finalizing his PhD he decided to rejoin the consulting sector.