Extending lead-user theory to a virtual brand community: the roles of flow experience and trust

With the growing popularity of consumer participation in product innovation in online brand community, this research aims to integrate the concepts of flow experience and variance of trust to explore the effects of these two factors on the relationship between lead userness and innovative behavior in an online context. Survey data from the Xiaomi Company’s virtual brand community show that lead userness has a positive impact on flow experience and, in turn, on innovative behavior. In addition, flow experience mediates the relationship between lead userness and innovative behavior when trust in a virtual brand community is high rather than low.