Product Failure Research Articles

Success and failure rates of new food and non-food products introduced on the market

Theoretical and empirical research reveals that despite implementing new product development and management best practices, many projects fail with new product strategies. But what if failure rates as high as 90% are true? This would mean that high costs of product innovation are incurred by many stakeholders who create a specifi c network of relationships, not just enterprises. The widespread belief that the new product failure rate is 90% is not supported by empirical evidence. The aim of the paper is to present the real market eff ects of new products, success and failure rates, from the point of view of food and non-food companies representing various industries. The research measures in the fi eld of marketing and sales eff ects of new products are also proposed. The method used in this paper is a literature review in the area of new product development and management. The author assumes that the review and conceptual nature of this research is dominant. Practical and social implications of the study, its originality concerns the results that provide the basis for the improvement of enterprises’ eff orts in the fi eld of a new product strategy. The limitations of the study include a complex character of considered theoretical constructs and they also concern the used secondary data sources on which the considerations in the article are based. The values of the paper refl ect the directions of enterprises’ conduct in the new food and nonfood product development process. Failure and success rates are in fact diffi cult to quantify. The research contribution to marketing sciences primarily includes the formulation of a set of real success and failure rates in food and non-food industries.

Selection of high-yield maize hybrid under different cropping systems based on stability and adaptability parameters

Abstract The intercropping of maize with other food crops is a current solution to problems in food crop production and crop failures. The objectives of the study were to (i) select adaptive maize hybrids in intercropping as well as sole-cropping systems, and (ii) test the ideal cropping system to evaluate best hybrids for intercropping. This study used 12 maize hybrids with different genetic backgrounds. Planting was carried out for two seasons using four cropping systems. Hybrids were selected according to their adaptability and stability based on parametric, nonparametric, and multivariate analyses. The results showed that G10 had high yield for all cropping systems. G10 was also selected as an adaptive hybrid for sole-cropping, whereas G9 was selected as an adaptive hybrid for intercropping. The L5 and L4 were ideal environments for evaluating hybrids under different cropping systems. The selected hybrids should be evaluated and disseminated for small-holder farmers in Indonesia.

Study on electrostatic discharge (ESD) characteristics of ultra-thin dielectric film

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) event usually destroys the electrical properties of dielectric films, resulting in product failure. In this work, the breakdown characteristic of machine mode (MM) ESD on three different nano size films of head gimble assemble are obtained experimentally. The breakdown voltage and thickness parameters show a positive proportional relationship, but they are generally very low and have large discrete characteristics (∼30%). The maximum and minimum breakdown voltages of the tested samples are 1.08 V and 0.46 V, which are far lower than the requirement of the current standard (25 V). In addition, the judgment criterion of product damage is given, and the relationship between discharge voltage polarity, initial resistance and breakdown voltage is studied. Finally, the theoretical analysis of the breakdown characteristic law has been given.

How many cooperators are too many? Foundress number, reproduction and sex ratio in a quasi‐social parasitoid

AbstractIn the parasitoid genusSclerodermus, multiple foundresses produce and care for communal broods on large hosts, which can lead to greater reproductive success for group members than attempting to reproduce alone.We explore the consequences of foundress group size on the benefits of cooperative brooding and on brood sex ratios by providing groups of 10–55 foundresses with a single host and no alternative reproductive options.Within this range, increasing foundress group size leads to increasingly common failure in brood production and diminishedper capitasuccess. Group production of adult offspring declines once foundress number reaches around 25.Brood failure is usually at the early developmental stages, and current evidence suggests that there may be competition among foundresses for oviposition sites, possibly involving reproductive dominance and ovicide, which also delays initial brood production. Once broods become established, their rate of development is enhanced by large foundress numbers.The sex ratios of broods are very strongly female biased, irrespective of the foundress number. As this bias is not easily explained by standard models of local mate competition or by a recent model of local resource enhancement, we suggest an explanation based on control of sex allocation by a minority of dominant foundresses, which monopolise the production of adult males.

Warranty Reserve Management: Demand Learning and Funds Pooling

Problem definition: Warranty reserves are funds used to fulfill future warranty obligations for a product. In this paper, we investigate the warranty reserve planning problem faced by a manufacturing firm who manages warranties for multiple products. Academic/practical relevance: It is nontrivial to determine a proper amount of reserves to hold, because warranty expenditures are random in nature and reserving either excess or insufficient cash would incur losses. How can warranty reserve levels be optimized and promptly adjusted is a focal issue, especially for firms selling multiple products. Methodology: Inspired by the general pattern of empirical warranty claims data, we first develop an aggregate warranty cost (AWC) forecasting model for a single product by coupling stochastic product sales and failure processes, which can be used to plan for warranty reserves periodically. The reserve levels are then optimized via a distributionally robust approach, because the exact distribution of AWC is generally unknown. To reduce the losses generated from managing the funds, we further investigate two potential loss-reduction approaches: demand learning and funds pooling. Results: For the demand learning algorithm, we prove that, as the sales period grows, the optimal learning parameter asymptotically converges to a constant in a fairly fast rate; our simulation experiments show that the performance of demand learning is promising and robust under general warranty claim patterns. Moreover, we find that the benefits of funds pooling change over different stages of the warranty life cycle; in particular, the relative pooling benefit in terms of reserve losses is nonincreasing over time. Managerial implications: This study offers guidelines on how manufacturers should adaptively forecast and dynamically plan warranty reserves over the warranty life cycle.

A Move in the Right Direction: Client Relationships in Financial Advice

The Australian financial advice industry continues to be the subject of ongoing regulatory reform largely driven by persistent failures of advice and products. Despite these concerns, many Australian consumers continue to have productive, effective, and high-quality relationships with their financial adviser. This article seeks to understand the determinants of quality in these relationships both contemporaneously and how this has changed over time. Deploying a research instrument used in a study in 2009, we compare and contrast the views of practitioners and clients both with updated data and over time. We find once again that systematic differences in the perceptions of professional-client relationship quality exist. We find that these perceptions have changed over time, with high-wealth clients’ perceptions differing from those of other clients, just as the perceptions of more highly educated financial advisers differ from those of advisers with less education. Overall, relationship quality has increased over a number of dimensions.

Negotiation for service contracting: incentives, bargaining power, and customer risk aversion

AbstractIn this paper, we analyze negotiation of service contracts when an equipment user (customer) outsources product failure repair service to an MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) supplier. The customer is risk averse due to serious consequences of system disruption. The two parties negotiate pricing terms and repair rate. We model the bilateral negotiations under three types of service contract: (i) fixed‐fee contract under which the customer pays a lump sum, (ii) pay‐per‐repair contract under which the customer pays for each repair incident, and (iii) uptime‐based contract under which the customer pays for product uptime. We investigate how different incentives under each contract interact with agents' bargaining power and customer risk aversion in the negotiation process, both theoretically and numerically. Despite that previous studies have shown that fixed‐fee contract generally does not provide incentives for suppliers to invest in repair capacity while uptime‐based contract does, we find that under a bargaining framework fixed‐fee contract can result in the highest (yet suboptimal) repair rate. Furthermore, consensus on contract types may not be achieved between the two parties. For the supplier, uptime‐based contract can result in the highest payoff while pay‐per‐repair contract leads to the lowest. For the customer, it may prefer to choose pay‐per‐repair contract when it is less risk averse and when the supplier has more bargaining power. Our results show some unexplored merits of other types of contracts when the advantages of uptime‐based contract have been highly cited.

Investigating the flow behaviour of pharmaceutical blends using shear cell methodology

Powder flow properties are critical bulk level features for the manufacturing of solid dosage forms. Small-scale powder flow measurements are also widely accepted as a tool for predicting large-scale production failure. The aim of this study is to explore the flow properties of a two-component powder mixture and investigate the effect of mixing two powders with different properties on the flow properties parameters. To achieve this aim, 12 blends were prepared using an acoustic mixer (Labram). The flow properties were studied using rotational shear cell methodology. The results showed that the addition of Micr APAP into the excipients with good flow properties significantly increased the flow resistance of the prepared blends and consequently reduced their flow properties. The main driving factor in determining the flow properties is the particle size of the blend’s components. The results of this study suggest that it is very important to measure the flow properties of any pharmaceutical blends and not depend only on the flow properties of the original components before mixing.

The 2020 Maize Production Failure in Ghana: A Case Study of Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipality

This paper examines the causes of widespread maize production failure in Ghana during the 2020 minor growing season. A mixed-methods approach was used to study smallholder maize farmers in the Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipality to provide a holistic understanding of the factors behind the maize production failure and to inform policy interventions. The results show that the decline in maize grain yield was caused by the failure of the minor season rains and, more importantly, the destruction of maize plants by fall armyworms. Other factors including poor soils and inadequate farm inputs contributed minimally to the observed maize failures. The agronomic practices adopted by the farmers to mitigate crop failures were undermined by their inability to master the onset and cessation of rainfall, the ineffectiveness of pesticides to control the fall armyworms and financial challenges. It is recommended that the government promotes and supports rainwater harvesting to address the impacts of drought and pests on food crop production. Furthermore, to ensure sustainable food production, a combination of indigenous knowledge and scientific farm practices are crucial to accurately forecast the weather and to control the fall armyworms.

The Reviews of Microfinance and Women Empowerment in Ethiopia

According to the findings of different authors microfinance is providing financial services to unemployed and low-income individuals or groups who would have no access to formal banking services. It has a positive impact on the living standard of the poor people in particular and alleviates poverty in their households in general. It is not only undermining poverty in the city but also empowering women through surviving and making their life prosperous with dignity and self-reliance by providing financial services. And also Ethiopian Microfinance is facing different challenges in empowering such as lack of collateral assets, lack of information, work burden, production failures, verbal abuse, lack of infrastructure, low institutional capacity and opportunities of women in microfinance are providing startup capital, women empowerment, poverty eradication, social and political empowerment, improved saving skills and the above challenges listed should be taken consideration by government and concerned body as well as a problem-solving study must be conducted.

Learning with a digital escape room game: before or after instruction?

In this study, we investigated whether playing an escape room game after explicit instruction (instruction-first group, N = 20) is more effective to learn about copyright and media law than playing the game before explicit instruction (problem-solving-first group, N = 21). This is an important question as escape room games are complex, problem-based learning environments that can overwhelm learners and thus hinder the acquisition of knowledge and skills. According to cognitive load theory, preparing learners with explicit instruction before problem-solving activities can overcome this problem leading to better learning. However, in the productive failure paradigm problem-solving before explicit instruction is seen as more effective, especially when it comes to the application of newly acquired knowledge to solve novel problems. Based on these two theories, we conducted an experiment and found that playing the developed digital escape room game after explicit instruction was more effective for knowledge retention and domain-specific self-efficacy with at the same time lower cognitive load. However, we found no differences regarding the application of knowledge as both groups scored equally high on transfer tasks. The result is discussed considering previous productive failure studies mostly conducted in the science and engineering domain. In sum, the instruction first approach proved to be effective for both knowledge acquisition and knowledge application, leading to higher domain-specific self-efficacy and lower cognitive load. Therefore, we conclude that the implementation of escape room games after instruction is an effective instructional approach and better suited to promote learning than playing escape room games before instruction.

Constructing Prediction Intervals Using the Likelihood Ratio Statistic

Statistical prediction plays an important role in many decision processes, such as university budgeting (depending on the number of students who will enroll), capital budgeting (depending on the remaining lifetime of a fleet of systems), the needed amount of cash reserves for warranty expenses (depending on the number of warranty returns), and whether a product recall is needed (depending on the number of potentially life-threatening product failures). In statistical inference, likelihood ratios have a long history of use for decision making relating to model parameters (e.g., in evidence-based medicine and forensics). We propose a general prediction method, based on a likelihood ratio (LR) involving both the data and a future random variable. This general approach provides a way to identify prediction interval methods that have excellent statistical properties. For example, if a prediction method can be based on a pivotal quantity, our LR-based method will often identify it. For applications where a pivotal quantity does not exist, the LR-based method provides a procedure with good coverage properties for both continuous or discrete-data prediction applications.

Can facial expressions predict beer choices after tasting? A proof of concept study on implicit measurements for a better understanding of choice behavior among beer consumers

Relying solely on explicit liking could lead to a misunderstanding of consumers’ real intentions, ultimately resulting in the failure of a new product after its launch on the market. Analyzing facial expressions as an implicit measurement may provide a better understanding of consumers’ preferences at a subconscious level by capturing their objective responses to products after tasting. Therefore, the present proof of concept study investigated facial expressions among beer consumers while tasting beer samples. The first objective was to examine the feasibility of a newly developed measurement protocol for capturing facial expressions for analysis. The second objective was to determine possible indices that may be able to predict the choice of beers after tasting. A total of 151 Japanese beer consumers who took part in two tests (n = 50 and n = 101, respectively) tasted three beer samples. The participants were video-recorded throughout the taste tests, and 10 s of video were extracted for each sample to analyze facial expressions during the tasting using an automated facial expression analyzer. Instead of directly asking about liking, choice behavior was measured after each participant tasted all three beer samples. The results suggested that measuring facial expressions during beer tasting is a feasible method that provides adequate data for effective analysis. The results also indicated the possibility of creating effective indices of facial expressions to predict the choice of beers after tasting, and that the “Lip suck” and “Lip press” expressions contributed negatively and positively to beer choices, respectively.

70 Evaluating Network Maps from Student Self-reflections During a Departmental Internship Program

Abstract Student reflection presents opportunities to think through the learning process especially in a non-guided experiential learning course where students themselves need to focus on learning outcomes and course objectives. The purpose of this study is to explore students learning experiences by examining their reflections of university students participating in internships in the animal science industry during the summer semester of 2021 while taking coursework at the university. A total of 12 bi-weekly reflections collected and a qualitative thematic analysis was conducted with strengths, struggles, skill development, and disposition development as major theme categories. The reflections were coded in MAXQDA and network maps were created with Girvan-Newman cluster analyses in the UCINET and NetDraw software. We identified 5 clusters (Q=0.613) from correlations of the reflection codes at P < 0.01 (Fig.1). In the cluster with the highest correlations, students associated internship activities with networking opportunities, gaining new perspectives, observation of experts working in context, and problem-solving, indicating that most students appreciated these aspects of the program. In another cluster, students associated skill development, experiential learning opportunities, and collaborations, with productive failure indicating that they learn from trying and making mistakes. In the third cluster, students' perceptions of career advancement, mental stamina, and work ethic were correlated with reduced confidence in their new work environment. In the fourth cluster, students identify that the activity stimulated curiosity, however, this is linked with necessary repetition, collaboration, and interpersonal skills while they struggle with the application of the concepts in the real world. In the final cluster, students’ career experience was correlated with their development of marketing skills, sense of self, responsibility, and time management. Although the internship program enhanced the students' knowledge and skills, a structured instead of open reflection is recommended to gain a better understanding of the overall picture.

Optimization of the lyophilisation process for esomeprazole 40 mg powder for solution for injection/infusion using quality by design concept

The aim of this work was to apply the of Quality by Design concept in optimization of lyophilisation process in production of esomeprazole 40 mg powder for solution for injection/infusion. Optimization has been triggered by the product solution's sensitivity to oxygen, which leads to a fast decrease in pH value and limits allowable duration of air exposure. Lyophilizer capacity and number of ‘’good’’ vials of finished product are thereby significantly reduced, presenting serious obstacle for scale-up from 17,000 vials to 33,000 vials. With goal to maintain pH stable during production of an almost twice as big batch, a pre-freezing phase after filling, and before lyophilisation was introduced. Starting from the Quality Target Product Profile, Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) was applied for the purpose of defining Critical Process Parameters (CPPs), Critical Material Attributes (CMAs), Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) and control strategy for the production. It was confirmed that temperature of shelfs of −30 °C, as opposed to 20 °C, significantly extends the time for which esomeprazole solution remains stable. Finally, an artificial neural network model was built and trained in order to define the design space for the lyophilisation process. It was demonstrated that the pH of esomeprazole solution remains stable and in specification within the lyophilizer's shelf temperature range of −10 °C to −30 °C for 5–26 h.

Chefs’ perspectives of failures in foodservice kitchens, part 2: A phenomenological exploration of the consequences and handling of food production failure

ABSTRACT This paper explores the consequences of food production failure (FPF) and its handling in foodservice operations from the perspective of chefs. A phenomenological epistemology and qualitative methodology were followed. Fifteen semi-structured interviews with chefs working in independent restaurants and hotels were carried out using purposive sampling, and employing an emic posture. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, read repetitively, and coded. Thematic analysis yielded themes on the consequences of FPF, on operation and staff, handling failures with kitchen staff, front of the house (FOH), and management. The findings revealed that the major ramification of FPF is financial through food loss. Representing both internal and external failure costs, FPF costs were classified into four tangible types: bin cost, rework cost, lost sales cost, and recovery cost. However, the serious intangible cost of staff demoralization was also identified. Handling failure is a complex task involving different parties and the management of various emotions (anger, frustration, etc.). Furthermore, the phenomena of failure ownership, secrecy, and historic marginalization of chefs, coupled with doubts over management competency, can all obstruct learning from mistakes, the much-cherished by-product of FPF, thereby negating the notion of the “learning organization.” Moreover, error management training (EMT) seems to be a potential approach to combat FPF.

I Don’t “Recall”: The Decision to Delay Innovation Launch to Avoid Costly Product Failure

Innovations embody novel features or cutting-edge components aimed at delivering desired customer benefits. Oftentimes, however, we observe the need to recall new products shortly after their introduction. Indeed, a firm may rush an innovation to market in an attempt to pre-empt rivals and capture early demand, yet in so doing forgo rigorous testing, thus subjecting itself to the risk of a product recall. To shed light on this phenomenon, we construct a dynamic game-theoretic model in which firms plan to launch their innovations. Each firm must decide whether to conduct time-consuming quality assurance testing, which ensures no defects or safety problems but delays the launch. If the innovation is released without such testing and a recall occurs, the firm incurs pecuniary costs and faces future reputation damage in marketing the recalled innovation. We investigate the strategic forces behind firms’ testing and launch-timing decisions in this context. The analysis uncovers a novel mechanism, linked to the possibility of a rival going bankrupt, that causes firms to become more inclined to rush to market and take on the risk of product failure even as the negative consequences of a recall increase. The results further demonstrate how firms’ desire to forgo testing exhibits an inverse-U pattern as consumers become more heterogeneous and how competitive forces may induce both firms to forgo testing, although the resulting profits are lower than had they both committed to conduct testing. The framework is extended to examine how product recall considerations affect firms’ research and development (R&D) investments. Although, in general, post-innovation product failure discourages R&D effort, we identify conditions under which an increase in the recall probability stimulates firms to innovate. Several model extensions are presented, and managerial implications are discussed. This paper was accepted by Dmitri Kuksov, marketing. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4303 .

How Does Corporate Social Responsibility Moderate the Adverse Effects of Product Failure in Social Media?

Synopsis The research problem This paper investigates how corporate social responsibility (CSR) moderates the adverse effect of product failure on promoting tweeting about a firm’s products, which subsequently affects sales growth. Motivation or theoretical reasoning Under the social contract theory, high-CSR-performance firms gain social approval and acceptance as they are perceived to have fulfilled their obligations and met society’s expectations. Society is more forgiving to these firms when they are involved in negative events such as product failure. The test hypotheses We hypothesized that firms’ CSR performance moderates the negative effect of product failure on tweet sentiment and that the increase in tweet sentiment leads to higher future sales growth. Target population We focused on the automotive industry due to its vast consumer base. We sampled all 16 car manufacturers that operate in the US. Adopted methodology Using aspect-based sentiment analysis, we identified 302,718 tweets from Twitter about the quality of cars and extracted the tweet sentiment. We used the car recall records to proxy for product failure. Analyses Multivariate regressions were used to test our hypotheses. Findings We found that firms’ CSR mitigates the negative effect of product failure on tweet sentiment about product quality and, subsequently, promotes sales growth. Our findings show that firms with strong CSR received significantly more net positive tweets than did those with weak CSR. Moreover, a 10% increase in net positive tweets was associated with a 0.43% increase in quarterly sales growth ([Formula: see text]). Of the three CSR types, governance CSR exerted the strongest effect on tweet sentiment and environmental CSR the second, while social CSR ranked the third. This paper extends the literature by investigating the effect of CSR on sales growth by altering social media tweeting.

Figures of the World: The Naturalist Novel and Transnational Form

Figures of the World: The Naturalist Novel and Transnational Form

Construction and Biocompatibility Evaluation of Fibroin/Sericin-Based Scaffolds.

Because tissue responses to implants determine the success or failure of tissue engineering products, fibroin/sericin-based scaffolds including bionic silk scaffolds, native silk fibers, fibroin fibers, and regenerated fibroin have been fabricated, and their biocompatibility was investigated. Fibroin/sericin-based scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Bionic silk scaffolds were beneficial to silk fiber formation through self-assembly. Histological and immunofluorescent staining analysis demonstrated that bionic silk scaffolds did not show significant inflammatory responses. Immunization analysis showed that soluble fibroin and sericin did not show obvious immunogenicity. This work supplied an effective approach to design fibroin/sericin-based scaffolds for tissue engineering and drug delivery.