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The role of lead users in new product development in the healthcare sector
Bhebhe, M. 2025. The role of lead users in New Product Development in the healthcare sector. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/7a6ba644-f658-4d33-8874-29c7e787cbc3
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613927060275200 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Bhebhe, Meluleki |
| author2 | Grobbelaar, Sara |
| author_browse | Bhebhe, Meluleki Grobbelaar, Sara |
| author_facet | Grobbelaar, Sara Bhebhe, Meluleki |
| author_sort | Bhebhe, Meluleki |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Bhebhe, M. 2025. The role of lead users in New Product Development in the healthcare sector. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/7a6ba644-f658-4d33-8874-29c7e787cbc3 |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132071 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:54.909Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132071 The role of lead users in new product development in the healthcare sector Bhebhe, Meluleki Grobbelaar, Sara Herselman, Marlien Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering. New products Public health administration -- Research Medical innovations Medical and health care industry UCTD Bhebhe, M. 2025. The role of lead users in New Product Development in the healthcare sector. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/7a6ba644-f658-4d33-8874-29c7e787cbc3 Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Lead users, a unique category of product users, are not just consumers but active innovators. Their motivation to participate in the product development process often stems from the promise of significant personal gains. Their expertise, which is often cutting-edge, positions them at the forefront of their fields. Lead users’ insights, derived from their ability to identify needs and solutions ahead of the curve, make them valuable participants in new product development and innovation. Recognised for their potential to enhance market share and improve cost-efficiency, lead users contribute mostly through voluntary participation and input. Developers often leverage lead users to market their products, facilitating faster and more comprehensive adoption and integration of innovations within existing processes. The study presents a comprehensive systematised review of the academic literature on involving lead users in developing new healthcare products. It underscores their pivotal role in fostering co-creation and innovation in the healthcare sector. Through a structured review following the PRISMA protocol, the study delves into various dimensions of lead user engagement, including identification, role delineation, engagement methods, and the stages of new product development (NPD) in which they are involved. The study also examines strategies for their recruitment and methods for tracking and evaluating their contributions. Although the existing body of research highlights the significant role lead users play in successfully developing healthcare products, there remains a noticeable gap in the literature concerning how lead users can effectively collaborate and contribute to new product development (NPD) within healthcare. Moreover, our literature review reveals a lack of a comprehensive framework designed specifically for engaging lead users in the co-creation process of new healthcare products. Such a framework is crucial for supporting practitioner understanding to maximise the benefits of lead user involvement by providing structured methods and best practices that can be systematically applied. Therefore, there is a significant gap, and there is a strong motivation for this study to address these gaps. The findings have been synthesised into a framework for lead user involvement across different NPD stages. This framework is designed to enhance both theoretical understanding and practical applications in healthcare innovation, offering a clear pathway for integrating lead user insights into new product development processes. By bridging the gap between theoretical research and practical application, the study offers a novel perspective that enriches the understanding of lead user dynamics and their important role in healthcare NPD. The framework was iterated through subject-matter experts interviews, framework ranking was conducted to rate the activities conducted in implementing the framework. Furthermore, three case studies of different healthcare products were conducted to further improve the robustness and applicability of the framework. It was applied in medical devices, assistive technology and digital health environments. Afterwards, the iterated framework is provided as the final deliverable of the study. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Leidende gebruikers, 'n unieke kategorie produkgebruikers, is nie net verbruikers nie, maar aktiewe innoveerders. Hul motivering om deel te neem aan die produkontwikkelingsproses kom dikwels uit die belofte van betekenisvolle persoonlike voordele. Hul kundigheid, wat dikwels baanbrekerswerk is, plaas hulle aan die voorpunt van hul velde. Leidende gebruikers se insigte, wat spruit uit hul vermoë om behoeftes en oplossings vooruit te identifiseer, maak hulle waardevolle deelnemers aan nuwe produkontwikkeling en innovasie. Hul potensiaal om markaandeel te vergroot en kostedoeltreffendheid te verbeter word algemeen erken, en hulle dra meestal by deur vrywillige deelname en insette. Ontwikkelaars maak dikwels gebruik van leidende gebruikers om hul produkte te bemark, wat vinniger en meer omvattende aanvaarding en integrasie van innovasies binne bestaande prosesse vergemaklik. Die studie bied 'n omvattende gesistematiseerde oorsig van die akademiese literatuur oor die betrokkenheid van leidende gebruikers by die ontwikkeling van nuwe gesondheidsorgprodukte. Dit beklemtoon hul sleutelrol in die bevordering van mede-skepping en innovasie in die gesondheidsorgsektor. Deur 'n gestruktureerde oorsig te volg volgens die PRISMA-protokol, ondersoek die studie verskeie dimensies van leidende gebruikersbetrokkenheid, insluitend identifikasie, roldefinisie, betrokkenheidsmetodes, en die fases van nuwe produkontwikkeling (NPD) waaraan hulle deelneem. Die studie ondersoek ook strategieë vir hul werwing en metodes om hul bydraes op te spoor en te evalueer. Alhoewel die bestaande navorsing die belangrike rol van leidende gebruikers in die suksesvolle ontwikkeling van gesondheidsorgprodukte beklemtoon, bly daar steeds 'n merkbare gaping in die literatuur oor hoe leidende gebruikers effektief kan saamwerk en bydra tot nuwe produkontwikkeling (NPD) binne gesondheidsorg. Verder toon ons literatuuroorsig 'n gebrek aan 'n omvattende raamwerk wat spesifiek ontwerp is vir die betrokkenheid van leidende gebruikers in die mede-skeppingsproses van nuwe gesondheidsorgprodukte. So 'n raamwerk is noodsaaklik om praktisyns te ondersteun in hul begrip om die voordele van leidende gebruikers se betrokkenheid te maksimeer deur gestruktureerde metodes en beste praktyke wat sistematies toegepas kan word, te bied. Daar is dus 'n beduidende gaping, en daar is 'n sterk motivering vir hierdie studie om hierdie gapings aan te spreek. Die bevindings is saamgevoeg in 'n raamwerk vir leidende gebruikersbetrokkenheid oor verskillende NPD-fases. Hierdie raamwerk is ontwerp om beide teoretiese begrip en praktiese toepassings in gesondheidsorginnovasie te verbeter en bied 'n duidelike pad om leidende gebruikers se insigte in nuwe produkontwikkelingsprosesse te integreer. Deur die gaping tussen teoretiese navorsing en praktiese toepassing te oorbrug, bied die studie 'n nuwe perspektief wat die begrip van leidende gebruikersdinamika en hul belangrike rol in gesondheidsorg-NPD verryk. Die raamwerk is verfyn deur onderhoude met kundiges, en 'n raamwerkrangskikking is uitgevoer om die aktiwiteite wat in die implementering van die raamwerk gedoen is, te beoordeel. Verder is die raamwerk in drie verskillende omgewings toegepas om sy robuustheid en toepaslikheid te verbeter. Dit is toegepas in mediese toestelle, ondersteunende tegnologie en digitale gesondheid omgewings. Daarna is die verfynde raamwerk as die finale lewerbare van die studie verskaf. Doctoral 2025-05-22T08:54:00Z 2025-05-22T08:54:00Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132071 Stellenbosch University xxi, 342 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | New products Public health administration -- Research Medical innovations Medical and health care industry UCTD Bhebhe, Meluleki The role of lead users in new product development in the healthcare sector |
| title | The role of lead users in new product development in the healthcare sector |
| title_full | The role of lead users in new product development in the healthcare sector |
| title_fullStr | The role of lead users in new product development in the healthcare sector |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of lead users in new product development in the healthcare sector |
| title_short | The role of lead users in new product development in the healthcare sector |
| title_sort | role of lead users in new product development in the healthcare sector |
| topic | New products Public health administration -- Research Medical innovations Medical and health care industry UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132071 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bhebhemeluleki theroleofleadusersinnewproductdevelopmentinthehealthcaresector AT bhebhemeluleki roleofleadusersinnewproductdevelopmentinthehealthcaresector |