Encouraging Innovations of Quality from User Innovators: An Empirical Study of Mobile Data Services

Innovation quality determines the success of new mobile data services. However, little research has focused on how platforms can help encourage quality innovation from users. Guided by cognitive evaluation theory, this study develops a model to explain effects of platform features (i.e., toolkit support and design autonomy) on the quality of user service innovation. It conceptualizes toolkit support into two constructs (ease of effort and idea exploration) and design autonomy into three constructs (decision-making autonomy, scheduling autonomy, and work method autonomy). This study tests the model using survey and archival data from two mobile phone platforms, iOS and Android. It finds that idea exploration, ease of effort, decision-making autonomy, and work method autonomy enhance the quality of users’ service innovations. Furthermore, the proposed interaction effects between different dimensions of toolkit support and design autonomy in influencing the quality of users’ service innovations were supported. The findings of this study contribute to the literature of service innovation and user innovation.