A Further Caution: It's Innovativeness Overlap

The authors agree with Ostlund that the evidence attesting to innovative overlap across product categories is limited. However, it is not believed that the results of Ostlund's study have expanded this evidence for purposes of either further research or the development of a marketing strategy. Specifically, the authors wish to change (correct) the impressions left by Ostlund's article. It has been shown that the technique used to identify innovators is conceptually weak and methodologically unsubstantiated, and the data analysis is inconsistent. To assist others in their research efforts, more than a cursory discussion of the underlying assumptions and data calculations is warranted. Moreover, prior to identifying generalized innovators, it is suggested that future research efforts focus on the development of a precise definition of innovative behavior and an operational measure for identifying innovators.