If you want to benefit from users - don't be a chicken!

Although, evidence shows that user innovation is the next big opportunity to enhance firms’ innovation activities, firms incorporating users often experience internal conflicts, unintended user frustrations, and low contribution to innovation. So far, only little is known about effective strategies to overcome internal resistance and constraints when firms introduce user-centric business models. Using a lens of paradox, this article offers a novel model of management that explains how managers can leverage their innovation capabilities and provide long-term relief from tensions arising from user communities. Proposing mechanisms to be implemented, the model helps managers to benefit from the distinct characteristics of firms and users and to encourage synergies. Finally, I develop propositions and suggest implications for user innovation practice and research.