Final answer:
In the introductory stage of the industry life cycle, Technology enthusiasts are most likely to be the earliest customers, followed by Early adopters. The subsequent groups are the early majority, late majority, and finally laggards, in that order of adoption. The answer is option C.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most common customer segment in the introductory stage of the industry life cycle is C. Technology enthusiasts. These individuals are keen to explore and adopt new technologies before the majority of the market. They are instrumental in providing feedback and can influence subsequent market segments. After technology enthusiasts, the next group is typically the D. Early adopters, who are more integrated into the social system than technology enthusiasts and play a key role in reducing market uncertainty by adopting innovations after a careful review.
During the early majority stage, a larger segment of the population starts to accept the technology, followed by the late majority, who are generally skeptical and will only adopt it after seeing widespread use. Finally, the laggards are the last to adopt an innovation.