Impact of product innovativeness on technology switching in global market Osama Sam AL-Kwifi Department of Management and Marketing, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar Viput Ongsakul NIDA Business School, National Institute of Development Administration, Bangkok, Thailand Allam K. Abu Farha Department of Management and Marketing, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar Ahmed U. Zafar Department of Marketing, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam, and Mahmoud Karasneh Department of Finance and Economics, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between product innovativeness and the process of technology switching. This issue is important for two reasons: (1) in mature markets, the only way to increase market share is through consumers’ switching from competitor firms and (2) it is essential to determine whether the product innovation strategy can meet users’ needs in high-technology markets. Design/methodology/approach – Research centers (university hospitals) specializing in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the lead users of the MRI market. In this market, the technology switching process was tracked using an annual conference database. Interviews with industry experts and lead users were conducted in order to determine the relationship between product innovativeness and technology switching. Findings – The findings reveal that in the lead users’ segment, technology switching is occurring at a significant level. The interviews emphasized the influence of product innovativeness on technology switching in the global MRI market, as well as the importance of adopting an open innovation process as a strategy to enhance product innovativeness. Practical implications – The results can be generalized to industries with similar characteristics, such as high rates of technological change and technology heterogeneity. In high-technology markets, managers should monitor switching behavior. They should also study the influence of product innovativeness on such behavior in order to determine the correct product innovation strategy and meet users’ preferences effectively. Originality/value – The literature reports considerable research that investigates switching behavior, but most publications use data from a short time period and cover a limited geographical region. This is the first study that uses data to track the switching behavior of high-technology products on a global scale over a 22- year period. Keywords Technology switching, Product innovativeness, Open innovation, Magnetic resonance imaging, Lead users Paper type Research paper Introduction When a technology or product is unable to meet user expectations, then switching to another, more attractive alternative becomes an important consideration. This becomes more evident in high-technology markets, in which product innovativeness, such as providing innovative product features, represents a critical element in making the choice to switch to a better technology (Msaed et al., 2016; Al-kwifi and McNaughton, 2011; Pae and Hyun, 2006). Impact of product innovativeness The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/1450-2194.htm Received 25 November 2019 Revised 7 May 2020 Accepted 23 May 2020 EuroMed Journal of Business © Emerald Publishing Limited 1450-2194 DOI 10.1108/EMJB-11-2019-0143