European Journal of Innovation Management

David J. Langley; Nico Pals; J. Roland Ortt; Tammo H.A. Bijmolt

doi: 10.1108/14601060910928157pmid: N/A

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe a method of estimating the likelihood that a person with particular characteristics will imitate a particular new behaviour (i.e. the use of an innovation). This estimation can be used to provide a new form of forecast for the likely market demand for an innovation. Design/methodology/approach – This method, termed imitation analysis, is based on imitation theories from the behavioural sciences and is applied in two recent case studies in The Netherlands: broadcast TV on mobile phones and a mobile friend‐network service. Findings – These cases illustrate how: the market segments with the highest potential can be identified; marketing communication can be focused on specific issues important for each segment (e.g. based on the highest imitation potential); product design can be improved (by highlighting the characteristics with the most room for improving the imitation potential); and market demand can be modelled (the overall chance of imitation occurring). Practical implications – Management implications for the two services, as well as the usefulness of imitation analysis in forecasting studies, are discussed. Originality/value – The paper expands on original work published in this journal in 2005, showing the value of the approach in real‐world settings.

Vittorio Chiesa; Federico Frattini; Valentina Lazzarotti; Raffaella Manzini

doi: 10.1108/14601060910928166pmid: N/A

Purpose – This paper aims to study the problem of designing a Performance Measurement System (PMS) for R&D. In particular, it aims at investigating the influence exerted by the type of activity being measured (i.e. Basic and Applied Research or New Product Development) on the design of the PMS constitutive elements. Design/methodology/approach – First, a literature review made it possible to build a theoretical model that identifies the constitutive elements of the PMS for R&D. Second, a survey involving 129 Italian firms (with a response rate of 33 per cent) was performed to unearth a number of similarities and differences between PMSs used in Research and New Product Development settings. Finally, a follow‐up multiple case study investigation made it possible to understand the reason underlying the dissimilarities which emerged from the survey. Findings – The analysis suggests that a specialisation of the performance measurement practices in research and development is pursued by the Italian firms in the sample, especially when a number of conditions are in place (e.g. high level of uncertainty in R&D, availability of resources, organisational separation between the research and development functions). Research limitations/implications – The empirical analyses reported here focus on R&D‐intensive firms, because they invest more heavily in R&D and hence are more interested in measuring its performance. The generalisability of these results to other empirical settings is discussed and represents a promising avenue for future research. Practical implications – The paper provides R&D managers with a number of criteria they should employ to design more effective PMSs for the R&D activities for which they are responsible. Moreover, it suggests that designing and using two different PMSs for research and new product development can be a valuable alternative but only under specific circumstances. Originality/value – The paper is one of the first contributions that empirically assess the differences in the approaches employed to measure performance of research and new product development activities.

Eric Brun; Alf Steinar Saetre; Martin Gjelsvik

doi: 10.1108/14601060910928175pmid: N/A

Purpose – The “fuzzy front end” of new product development (NPD) is characterized by considerable uncertainty and ambiguity, but detailed studies of ambiguity specifically related to NPD are missing. This paper aims to establish a classification of ambiguity in NPD processes. Design/methodology/approach – The authors' research design is a holistic multiple‐case‐study design with the NPD project as the unit of analysis. A model is developed through a grounded theory approach, using qualitative analysis of case data from four medical‐device companies. Findings – The authors present a model that classifies ambiguity along two dimensions: subject and source. The subjects of ambiguity include product, market, process, and organizational resources, whereas the sources of ambiguity include multiplicity, novelty, validity, and reliability. Research limitations/implications – As the study is based on just four case studies in a single industry segment, further research is needed to determine the model's wider applicability. Further research is also suggested, exploring how and in what contexts ambiguity should be managed as a balance between reducing or sustaining it. Practical implications – The model presented helps practitioners to better understand the origins and character of ambiguity in NPD, thereby improving their ability to manage it in their NPD projects. Originality/value – The model provides an improved theoretical understanding of ambiguity as a component of “fuzziness” in NPD by providing a detailed account of how ambiguity is related to specific elements of the NPD process in terms of where and why it occurs.

Catherine L. Wang; Mohammed Rafiq

doi: 10.1108/14601060910928184pmid: N/A

Purpose – The aims of this paper are: to address the tensions pertinent to exploration and exploitation from the organizational learning perspective; to conceptualize how organizational diversity and shared vision, as two core components of organizational culture, help resolve these tensions; and to discuss the organizational configurations necessary for instilling organizational diversity and shared vision. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper that focuses on the role of organizational culture in promoting corporate entrepreneurship from the organizational learning perspective. Findings – Organizational diversity and shared vision are important for a balanced approach to exploratory and exploitative learning. Organizational parameters must be aligned to instil the two types of organizational culture to achieve either simultaneous or sequential ambidexterity. Research limitations/implications – The key theoretical arguments regarding the role of organizational diversity and shared vision in entrepreneurial learning may be adopted for empirical testing in future research. Practical implications – The arguments of the paper caution that organizations must not only focus on entrepreneurial values in terms of diversity and creativity, but also promote goal‐oriented behavior through instilling a shared vision to integrate individual learning in organizational learning and to balance the need for different types of learning in the corporate entrepreneurship process. Originality/value – The paper articulates the different learning styles and mechanisms involved in the exploratory and exploitative learning and then elaborates on the role of organizational diversity and shared vision in resolving the paradox of exploration and exploitation.

Andrew P. McCoy; Walid Thabet; Ralph Badinelli

doi: 10.1108/14601060910928193pmid: N/A

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to present part of continuing research on the challenges of entrepreneurial business ventures to commercialize innovative construction products in the residential construction industry. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use workshop and survey data on the role of the developer/builder to further develop the domain‐specific commercialization model for residential construction products. The authors propose a cross‐functional system to better facilitate innovation. Findings – Successful concurrent commercialization requires risk sharing among all members of a product's supply chain. The authors advocate concurrent management in commercialization, which requires information sharing and knowledge transfer among supply‐chain members early in a commercialization project and a special form of concurrent engineering for construction products, which is called concurrent commercialization (CC). Practical implications – The research indicates that addressing the developer/builder risk along the entire supply chain is one key determinant to a successful commercialization project. It also indicates that commercialization involves more than just technical product design; commercialization cuts across all functional areas. Originality/value – The research data, along with the review of the literature on product innovation and commercialization, lead one to advocate concurrent engineering for construction products termed concurrent commercialization (CC). Since the research clearly indicates that the developer/builder is the most reluctant customer in the supply chain, CC applied to construction products emphasizes the influence of mitigating developer/builder risks in the design of a commercialization project.

Mumin Dayan; C. Anthony Di Benedetto

doi: 10.1108/14601060910928201pmid: N/A

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the quality of interactions among new product development team members, wherein functional diversity, team stability, and transactive memory system are antecedents of teamwork quality. Three measures of outcomes are used (team learning, speed to market, product success), and task complexity is a moderating variable. Design/methodology/approach – A theoretical model was developed and tested on the survey data collected from 93 product managers of Turkish companies. The product managers who participated in this study represented various industries including those of telecommunications, food, material, software, machinery, chemicals, and service technologies. Findings – An inverted‐U impact of both functional diversity and team stability on teamwork quality was found, and a positive impact of transactive memory system on teamwork quality. Teamwork quality was significantly related to improved performance, and task complexity moderates this relationship. Originality/value – The paper is the first attempt to explore the role antecedents and its outcomes in NPD teams.