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The central phenomenon of this book are embedded lead users (ELUs): employees of firms who experience emerging needs and profit from solutions to these needs (i.e. who exhibit lead user characteristics) in relation to one or more of their employing firm´s products or services. In three subsequent studies I explore, how embedded lead users contribute to corporate innovation. I show which factors foster the lead userness of employees and what characterizes embedded lead users´ behaviors. This holds various implications for firms, e.g. with respect to the integration of user knowledge for innovation._

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Lead User.- Innovation.- Firm boundaries.- Organizational behavior.- Boundary spanner._

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Tim Schweisfurth completed his doctoral thesis at the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH). He is now working at the Institute for Technology and Innovation Management as a postdoctoral researcher.

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