Consumer innovativeness - Concepts and measurements

Consumer innovativeness, as a force that leads to innovative behavior, has often been cited and studied in research on the diffusion of innovation. Surprisingly, it appears that there is still room for discussion about this concept. This article attempts to take stock of this issue. In the first part, the different theoretical definitions of the notion are introduced critically. The second part is devoted to displaying major measurement scales that have been designed with a view to measuring this construct. This review helps in understanding the diversity of approaches to innovativeness. It raises two main questions: (1) Are the different theoretical conceptualizations of innovativeness equally valid and compatible? (2) Do the scales really express each theoretical standpoint? This suggests that the present scales may be imperfect, and construction of a new one may well be of interest. (C) 2002 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.