New Product Development Management Research Articles

Assessing the drivers and capabilities for faster product launch: a scale for time‐to‐market reduction in start‐ups

The acceleration of new product development (NPD) and market introduction is essential for companies to maintain competitiveness, enhance customer base, and achieve financial success. While the existing literature addresses time‐to‐market (TTM) reduction factors in a scattered manner, focusing on aspects like supplier and customer involvement, leadership, and learning, there is a noticeable gap in construct development and measurement validation for TTM reduction, particularly in start‐up contexts. Addressing this gap, our research introduces and validates a comprehensive, hierarchical scale designed to measure both the drivers and capabilities associated with TTM reduction in start‐ups. This innovative scale broadens the scope of traditional constructs, incorporating emerging dimensions such as transformational leadership, experiential learning, agile methodologies, and dynamic marketing strategies. We used our dataset and structural equation modeling (SEM) to validate the proposed scale, comparing the effect of drivers and capabilities on TTM reduction and the role of companies' age on this relationship. This approach confirms the scale's reliability and highlights its versatility. This research holds significant implications for enhancing NPD endeavors in start‐up environments. Introducing a methodologically robust scale equips managers with a powerful tool for setting realistic goals, monitoring progress, and assessing capabilities and contextual factors to refine NPD processes. Furthermore, the scale serves as a benchmarking instrument for start‐ups, aiding them in attracting investments and achieving a competitive advantage. Our study, therefore, stands as an essential contribution to the strategic management of NPD in the dynamic and evolving landscape of start‐ups.

Regulatory Focus, Ambidextrous Learning, and Opportunity Recognition in New Product Development

This study focuses on individual managers’ ambidextrous learning and examines its psychological antecedents and consequences in the new product development (NPD) context. Specifically, drawing on the paradox theory and the regulatory focus theory, this study examines the relationship between regulatory focus (i.e., promotion focus and prevention focus), ambidextrous learning, and NPD opportunity recognition, from the individual ambidexterity perspective. Based on the survey data of 225 NPD managers in high-tech small and medium-sized enterprises in China, we find that NPD managers’ promotion focus and prevention focus, acting as an enabler and a deterrent respectively, affect their ambidextrous learning, which in turn facilitates opportunity recognition in the NPD process. Further analyses reveal that ambidextrous learning mediates the effects of promotion focus and prevention focus on opportunity recognition in the NPD. Our findings offer new insights on the individual ambidexterity research regarding the unique role of ambidextrous learning, manifested as actionable managerial capability. The findings offer novel insights on the role of NPD managers’ ambidextrous learning in the NPD process, and practical implications for NPD managers to self-regulate their behavior for the benefit of opportunity recognition.

Managing Knowledge Requirements in the NPD Portfolio Selection Process Using Knowledge Clustering and Prioritization: A Case Study of an Australian Train Operator

In recent decades, knowledge-oriented new product development (NPD) has turned into a significant competitive advantage. It largely depends on the proper management of knowledge processes performed by knowledge management (KM). Among different KM processes addressed in the KM literature, knowledge clustering and prioritization (KCP) has received scant attention. However, it has a significant impact on the performance of other KM processes and is an integral part of the NPD process. KCP helps KM and NPD managers identify knowledge areas’ importance, risk, and cost implications in knowledge-intensive industries such as machinery and appliances. This article addresses this issue by introducing a two-phase research approach to cluster and prioritize knowledge areas. In the first phase, the study data, including knowledge areas, characteristics, and comparisons, are collected through an interview. Then, in the second phase, best-worst method (BWM) and K-means algorithm are employed to prioritize and cluster knowledge areas, respectively. The approach is applied to prioritize and cluster ten knowledge areas adopted by the operations team of an Australian train operator. Results revealed that site and construction managements are vital knowledge areas, whereas change management, programming, and cost control are less urgent for the operation teams.

CSR and new product development performance in transition economies: roles of internal capabilities, external networks, and dysfunctional competition

ABSTRACT Despite abundant research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) outcomes, few studies have examined whether CSR contributes to new product development (NPD) performance. Existing studies argue that CSR increases firms’ innovation activities and launches more new products, however, these arguments have yet to fully extend to the understanding of underlying mechanisms in the CSR-NPD relationship and how CSR fosters NPD performance in different scenarios, especially in transition economies. Building on the resource-based view, social capital theory, and structuration theory, this paper hypothesizes that the CSR influence on NPD performance is mediated by internal capabilities and external networks and moderated by dysfunctional competition. Using empirical data of 219 small and medium-sized firms in China, we find that CSR not only directly increases firms’ NPD performance but also has positive effects on internal capabilities and external networks, which in turn improve NPD performance. Moreover, as one of the most representative institutional environments in transition economies, dysfunctional competition strengthens the effects of CSR on internal capabilities and external networks. This research contributes to the CSR and NPD literature in transition economies and offers strategic guidance to innovating firms in transition economies on how to foster and benefit from CSR initiatives, NPD managers should comprehend the coevolution of CSR, innovation, and institutional environments in transition economies.

The role of managerial activities in achieving Information technology ambidexterity and new product development performance in small and medium-sized enterprises

ABSTRACTGiven their limited portfolio of resources, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have to manage information technology (IT) exploitation and exploration at the same time to support a major shift in their product focus while maintaining their current array of products. We theorise that SMEs rely on managerial activities to enable IT ambidexterity to enhance the performance of their new product development (NPD). To this end, we hypothesise and test the relationships between managerial activities, IT ambidexterity, and NPD performance. Using multiple respondent data from 292 high-tech SMEs, we find that managerial activities enable IT ambidexterity, and this relationship is moderated by structural configurations. Considering the NPD management challenges ushered in by the digital era, our findings identify IT ambidexterity as a key mechanism to enhance NPD performance in SMEs. Our results contribute novel insights into the effective role of managerial activities in SMEs and help to explain the role of IT ambidexterity in the NPD literature, thereby facilitating continued theory development in this field of research.

Exploring new product development team problem-solving creativity in the base of the pyramid B2B firms

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the role of team problem-solving creativity in new product development (NPD) in the bottom-of-the-pyramid (BoP) in business-to-business firms. This study synthesizes perspectives from NPD, creativity and leadership to examine how work-related factors such as NPD managers’ role ambiguity and individual-related factors such as CEO’s ambidextrous leadership style interact to determine team problem-solving creativity and its effect on new product performance (NPP).Design/methodology/approachThe hypotheses are tested using data from a multi-informant survey of 274 middle-level managers within 137 local BoP manufacturing firms in a sub-Saharan African country.FindingsThe results show that an NPD team’s ability to solve problems creatively determines NPP in BoP markets. The findings also show that NPD managers’ role ambiguity has a negative effect on team problem-solving creativity. However, a CEO’s ambidextrous leadership neutralizes the negative impact of role ambiguity on problem-solving creativity.Originality/valueThis study combines three distinct streams of literature, including NPD, creativity and leadership, to explore the antecedents and outcomes of problem-solving creativity. Drawing on creativity and leadership theories, this study reports that the success of creative idea exchanges depends heavily on a supportive environment for NPD team members and minimizing the NPD manager’s role ambiguity.

Open innovation and de-escalation of commitment in underperforming new product development projects

Escalation of commitment occurs when managers continue to devote efforts to underperforming new product development (NPD) projects, even though doing so carries a high risk of failure. This study investigates the role of open innovation as a de-escalation strategy to reduce managers' commitment to underperforming NPD projects. Two studies involving both qualitative and quantitative approaches were conducted. We began our investigation by interviewing 13 senior managers to provide an initial understanding of open innovation vis-à-vis the escalation of commitment phenomenon. A scenario-based experiment with a sample of 97 senior NPD managers from multiple international companies was further conducted to test the relationship between open innovation and NPD managers' escalation of commitment, as well as the mediation effect of managerial efficacy. We contribute to the field by proposing open innovation as a new de-escalation strategy, and by revealing the affect-based mechanism of open innovation that operates through managerial efficacy.

Exploring the role of potential knowledge sources for the fuzzy-front end of the new product development (NPD) – bridging the knowledge gaps

PurposeDrawing on open innovation and knowledge-based view, this study was initiated by investigating the fact that despite the growing literature on external knowledge being important for bridging the knowledge gap across the new product development (NPD) processes, gaps exist to explore as to what are the potential knowledge sources and their contribution for the Fuzzy-Front end (FFE-) (i.e. idea-generation) phase of the NPD process?Design/methodology/approachThirty-seven open-ended interviews with the NPD managers in large firms from the Chemicals and Electronic industries have been conducted to collect the data following thematic analysis into NVIvo 12.FindingsThe findings reveal customers, suppliers and external research organizations are the potential knowledge sources. Each of the sources delivers distinct knowledge for FFE of the NPD process. The empirical analysis of this study demonstrates that each of the potential knowledge sources though bridges the knowledge gap that innovative firms seek for the FFE of the NPD process, however collaboration with such sources incurs significant costs, risks, resources, capabilities and management practices which differs noticeably among different kinds of knowledge sources.Practical implicationsManagers must need assessing not just the gains but also the pains associated with each of the knowledge source before deciding to make additional investments in terms of resources and capabilities dedicated to learning from them while considering any of these for the FFE.Originality/valueThis new conceptualization of FFE offers a better theoretical and practical rationale for how and what types of different sources of knowledge can bridge the knowledge gaps for the FFE of NPD processes provided that innovative firms have necessary resources to entail a successful collaboration.

The effects of the fuzzy front end and cross-functional interfaces in the NPD process

PurposeAs the start of a new product development (NPD) process, the front fuzzy end (FFE) is believed to determine new product performance to a large extent. However, its effects on new product performance, particularly in terms of quality and cost, lack empirical evidence in the extant literature. Moreover, the joint performance effects of the FFE and cross-functional interfaces in later NPD stages (i.e. product development and product launch) are largely overlooked and deserve further investigation. Therefore, this study aims to explore the direct effects of the FFE and later stages’ joint moderating effects on new product performance (i.e. quality and cost) from a holistic process view.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model is proposed to hypothesize the FFE–new product performance relationships and the joint performance effects of cross-functional interface management. A sample of 196 firms from an international survey is used and hierarchical linear regression is employed to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThis study finds that FFE implementation contributes to both new product quality and cost performance. Moreover, interface management in multiple NPD stages has synergistic performance effects. Specifically, the FFE, customer involvement in product development and manufacturing flexibility in product launch jointly improve new product quality performance, while the FFE, supplier involvement in product development and manufacturing flexibility in product launch jointly improve new product cost performance.Originality/valueThis study extends the NPD literature by deepening the understanding of the key roles of the FFE on new product performance and evidencing the synergistic effects of cross-functional interfaces in multiple NPD stages. Further, this study also highlights the differential joint moderating effects of interface management in later NPD stages on new product quality and cost performance. This study also offers insightful implications to NPD managers.

Innovation in Organizations and Management of New Product Development

Organizations should have a focus on new product development and innovation to succeed in the competitive business environment. The objective of the study is to understand how organizations manage new product development and innovation and try to integrate innovation in all processes. The methodology adopted is a conceptual analysis of various aspects of new product development and innovation in organizations. Organizations should understand the importance and relevance of innovation and should be ready to incorporate innovation in all processes. They may adopt different approaches viz. customer-centred approach, team-based approach, and systematic approach towards new product development and innovation. Organizations should understand how to achieve success in new product development and should adopt different strategies and initiatives. Academicians may analyze the various approaches towards innovation. Practicing managers will realize the importance of innovation. They will realize how to manage innovation and achieve business excellence in the long run.

Identifying new Product Opportunities From Waste: Eliminating Waste in Tomato Production

The challenge of new product development (NPD) has seen a growth in literature on both idea generation and sustainability, but these two areas have not yet fully been integrated. The development of products from agricultural waste has particularly been overlooked, although the need to utilise sustainable materials and reuse waste is increasingly acknowledged. Our paper answers the question: How can different sources of agricultural food waste be utilized to create new product opportunities? We present a new framework for the identification and evaluation of NPD opportunities. This framework offers a new perspective to conceptualise different types of waste and identify their relative sensory, nutritional and functional properties. We present a case study of a UK tomato grower, using data gathered from interviews, attendance of meetings, observations and secondary data. Tomato production creates significant volumes of waste from unripe, imperfect, damaged and overripe fruits. Furthermore, processing tomatoes (for ketchup, passatas, juices, etc.) generates other kinds of waste such as seeds, skins and water. We show how firms can uncover new product opportunities through an analysis of each of these properties. For example, in tomato juice production around 5% of the raw material goes to waste since skins and seeds cannot be used. However, skins and seeds are nutritionally, sensorially and functionally useful and versatile. Nutrition: skins and seeds are rich in essential amino acids, minerals, fatty acids and lycopene, an antioxidant with several reported health benefits. Sensory: skin contains crystalline cellulose which can improve mouthfeel of food in low fat products, while seeds can increase hardness in flat breads. Functional: skins are partially permeable to liquids and gases, giving them potential for packaging and biodegradable tableware, while seed powder can be effective in removing organic dye molecules from coloured textile effluents. On the basis of our analysis we conclude that by examining the nutritional, sensory and functional characteristics of tomato waste, this can lead NPD managers to explore new alternatives in industries different from the original source of waste.

Supporting management of new product development via a novel conceptual model: an interview driven approach

PurposeThis study aims to gain a deeper understanding of the industry practice to guide the formation of support tools with a rigorous theoretical backing. Cross-functional teams are an essential component in new product development (NPD) of complex products to promote comprehensive coverage of product design, marketing, sales, support as well as many other activities of business. Efficient use of teams can allow for greater technical competency coverage, increased creativity, reduced development times and greater consideration of ideas from a variety of stakeholders. While academics continually aspire to propose methods for improved team composition, there exists a gap between research directions and applications found within industry practice.Design/methodology/approachThrough interviewing product development managers working across a variety of industries, this paper investigates the common practices of team utilization in an organizational setting. Following these interviews, this paper proposes a conceptual two-dimensional management support model aggregating the primary drivers of team success and providing direction to systematically address features of team management and composition.FindingsBased on this work, product managers are recommended to continually address the positioning of members throughout the entire NPD process. In the early stages, individuals are to be placed to work on project components with explicit consideration toward the perceived complexity of tasks and individual competency. Throughout the development process, individuals’ positions vary based on new information while continued emphasis is placed on maintaining a shared understanding.Originality/valueBridging the gap between theory and application within product development teams is a necessary step toward improved product develop. Industrial settings require practical solutions that can be applied economically and efficiently within their organization. Theoretical reflections postulated by academia support improved team design; however, to achieve true success, they must be applicable when considering product development.

Risk Management of New Cosmetic Product Development Based on Data Management of Visualization in Scientific Computing

With the continuous development of the social economy, people pay more and more attention to their own protection and maintenance, especially the quality of commodities in terms of usage of the commodity. As commonly used commodities, the quality of their new products in cosmetics is extremely important. In the rapidly developing cosmetics industry, in view of these needs and limitations, the data management method of visualization in scientific computing is introduced in this paper. Multiple risk factors in cosmetics development are established and sorted from the three perspectives of cosmetics development, production, and sales, by combining the new cosmetic product development process. The biggest risks are clarified, the corresponding cosmetic product risk assessment model is constructed, and the new cosmetic product development risk strategy and related management are realized. The simulation experiment results show that the data management method of visualization in scientific computing is effective and can support the risk management of new cosmetic product development.

Why teams matter in customer involvement – The moderating effects of team social cohesion and team autonomy

The rise of customer involvement challenges our understanding of what success factors influence the innovativeness of new product development (NPD). With teams increasingly shaping firms’ collaborative NPD efforts with customers, team-related factors become increasingly important. Drawing from social identity and organizational information processing literature, we investigate the interactions between intra- and inter-team relations, and two customer involvement modes in pursuit of new product innovativeness. Based on a sample of 277 NPD managers, we establish team social cohesion (intra-team relations) and team autonomy (inter-team relations) as success factors in customer involvement. Whereas team social cohesion augments traditional customer involvement approaches but has no effect on more collaborative approaches, team autonomy exhibits a bipolar effect, harming traditional customer involvement approaches, but benefitting more collaborative approaches. Accordingly, NPD managers need to tailor their teams’ setup to the specific mode of customer involvement and to carefully manage the bipolarity of team autonomy.

Why Scrum works in new product development: the role of social capital in managing complexity

Major changes are currently underway across new product development (NPD) practice, and a number of new NPD management methods and processes are emerging. Managers are faced with an array of possible process models and methods to choose from, including the formal Stage-Gate method as well as multiple emerging variants of Agile. The claimed benefits of Agile methods make it attractive, but its suitability is uncertain. In safety-critical organizations and environments a well-controlled, waterfall-based project model would likely be expected. In an empirical study of an R&D department in a large organization creating and adapting complex air traffic management systems we investigate the use and effects of Scrum, the leading Agile method. Since project coordination is a social phenomenon, we apply social capital and project complexity as theoretical lenses for evaluating the effects of Scrum. We find that Scrum and social capital provide reciprocal benefits, and that the stakeholders found Scrum to be an effective and valuable way of working, mitigating the effects of complexity.

On the shoulders of giants: uncovering key themes of organizational unlearning research in mainstream management journals

Unlearning has evinced immense traction and opportunity in debates pertaining to organizational learning, innovation, management of change, knowledge management, and new product development, to name but a few. Provided the diversity and expansiveness of the phenomenon, past studies have undertaken both narrative and systematic reviews to synthesize the field of organizational unlearning (OU). Although highly commendable and enlightening, these scholarly efforts would be augmented by contemplating the share of leading management journals towards furthering the research on unlearning. Moreover, a systematic comprehension of the research themes of OU can be instrumental in representing the intellectual structure of the field. For this purpose, we undertake a combination of bibliometric and thematic analysis to identify critical trends that have helped shape unlearning research. The results discern the main scientific actors (articles, authors, journals, universities), research design, and dimensions of OU. In addition, eight clusters of unlearning along with underlying theoretical perspectives are analyzed, which may help scholars integrate the development of one domain to another, formulate pertinent research questions related to OU, and encourage interdisciplinary research.

Drivers and barriers of new product development success: evidence from an emerging economy setting country-Turkey

PurposeContext characteristics of emerging economies differ significantly from those in developed economies. Considering this substantial difference, this study aims to identify the drivers and barriers for new product development (NPD) success in the context of an emerging economy by drawing on the resource-based view.Design/methodology/approachData was collected from firms in different sectors in the Aegean Region of Turkey using the Wageningen Innovation Assessment Tool. Of 189 responses, 94 fit the criteria and used for statistical analysis. The data is analyzed using a two-step procedure, namely, a confirmatory factor analysis followed by a binary logistic regression that is used to model the probability in the study of the success of NPD.FindingsThe results reveal that along with the context characteristics of an emerging economy setting, internal capabilities matter for NPD success. Based on interviews with NPD managers, it was found that, among other factors, the close relationship with local customers is key for new product success, while introducing high innovative products to the market of an emerging economy may not be appropriate due to the specific conditions of such economies.Practical implicationsThis study will be useful to the managers to understand the extent to which the degree of newness of a product affects NPD success in an emerging economy setting. It also highlights the importance of securing firm resources before starting an innovation activity in this setting where resources such as financial resources, knowledge and physical resources are limited. From a policy perspective, this study provides certain insights as well. That is, government officials in emerging economies should be very careful about their informal actions that might disrupt the investment and innovation environment.Originality/valueEmerging economies are important for large firms seeking growth. They initiate manufacturing activities and increasingly perform innovation activities in those countries. However, the conditions to innovate are different from those in developed economies. Research into the factors that drive innovation is largely in an embryonic state. This study offers NPD researchers a deeper understanding of the drivers and barriers to innovation, particularly internal ones that may affect the NPD success in an emerging economy setting, in this case, that of Turkey. The results provide suggestions for policymakers to consider during the development of new innovation policies. For practitioners, this study outlines novel combinations of internal factors that lead to NPD success.

Innovation Management to Sustain Competitive Advantage: A Qualitative Multi-Case Study

The importance of new product development (NPD) and innovative capabilities in marketing, innovation, and business strategy has been recognized by management and researchers. Knowledge management and organizational capabilities have also been explored and evaluated by researchers and practitioners. However, the current literature shows a lack of connection between NPD, innovative capabilities, integrated shared knowledge, and organizational capabilities. Also, there is limited knowledge on the impact and the contribution of the integrated shared knowledge and the organizational capabilities to the firm's success, performance, and sustainability. This study aimed to determine if there is a link between NPD and innovative capabilities, integrated shared knowledge, and the organization's capability. The purpose of the research is to explore how shared knowledge and the organization's capabilities influence and contribute to NPD, innovative capabilities, and innovative management. A qualitative, multi-site case study through one-on-one, in-depth interviews with primary decision-makers from technology and innovative companies located in Texas State in the USA is employed. The primary research question that guided the project is: How do shared knowledge and the organizational capabilities that influence NPD and innovative capability contribute to the firm's success, performance, and sustainability? Respondent interviews have been imported and analyzed through NVivo qualitative data analytics software. Findings have been determined using NVivo 11 through theme analysis. A key finding is that shared knowledge and the organization's capabilities are linked and critical for NPD's success and innovative capabilities. A set of recommendations for future researchers is proposed.

Optimal distribution of profit and leadership for a sustainable collaborative R&D projects

The highly distributed and frequently changing resources, as well as the rising costs and uncertainties of developing and launching new products necessitate that firms continuously collaborate in R&D projects. However, management of new product development, especially the leadership assignment of the sustainable collaboration between firms, presents a new set of challenges in sharing the benefits of innovation. This paper conceptualizes and formulates a sustainable collaborative R&D project involving two firms with diverse R&D and leadership technologies. Based on game theory, it examines the optimal mechanism of profit allocation and leadership distribution from a sustainability perspective that outweighs investigating them alone. The analysis shows that when leadership is technically impossible, the optimal profit allocation to each firm should be positively related to its comparative importance in the collaborative innovation project. However, when the two firms are much dependent on each other to complete the project, the focal firm, which is usually more important in the project, needs to give up more its profit shares to the partner firm to lighten the bottleneck R&D effects and induce a sustainable collaboration with partner firm. In contrast, when leadership is technically possible, the optimal leadership distribution for sustainable and effective collaboration depends on the interplay relationships between each firm's comparative importance in the collaborative R&D project, leadership ability, and the R&D and leadership efforts and costs. Furthermore, it is also found that distributing leadership to a firm with absolute dominances is always preferred to distributing to a firm with absolute weaknesses in both R&D and leadership technologies.

Influence of new product development best practices on performance: an analysis in innovative Brazilian companies

PurposeThis study aims to propose and test a research framework for analyzing the relationship between new product development (NPD) best practices and performance in companies that belong to innovative industries in Brazil.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative survey was conducted, involving several industries, including agricultural machinery, automotive and pharmaceutical. Data was analyzed through multiple linear regression.FindingsAmong the best practices investigated, the main results show that “innovative culture” and “project climate” are factors that significantly affect the performance of the NPD.Research limitations/implicationsThe choice of best practices can be considered a major limitation of this study, as this is a dynamic concept depending on a continuous analysis that must take into account the economic and technological environment.Practical implicationsThis study highlights a relationship between an innovative culture and performance. Some practices may be adopted to address an innovative culture, such as stimulating employee creativity, acceptance and partnership with external actors for the joint development of technologies and employee involvement with NPD.Originality/valueThe findings expand the debate on best practices in NPD and innovation management by presenting results on the topic in an emerging country, in this case, Brazil.