Improving New Product Quality: An Empirical Study of Product Development Teams in Taiwan

ABSTRACT

The role of team and organizational factors affecting new product quality and their interactions as moderating the effects are examined. Results from a domestic study suggest that new product quality is positively affected by information capability in the team and quality orientation in the firm; in contrast, it is negatively related to the innovativeness of the new product as seen by the firm and speed-to-market pressure in the team. However, teams' information capabilities alleviate the negative effect of innovativeness on quality. Quality orientation lessens the relationship between information capability and new product quality. Functional diversity and tenure diversity do not affect new product quality. In addition, managerial implications and directions for future research are proposed.     

产品属性、市场属性在企业物流策略选择上的差异分析

企业的产品属性及市场属性是企业选择物流策略时需要考虑的重要因素。而成本与自主性是企业追求物流活动目标的两个重要考量因素。以我国淮海经济区制造企业为样本,进行问卷调查与分析,目的在于了解我国制造企业产品属性、市场属性这两种因素对成本与自主性这两项思维构面是否有显著差异。     

论企业新产品开发与企业R&D活动的关系

新产品开发是企业求得生存与发展的关键 ,但企业新产品开发离不开企业R&D活动。企业R&D不仅是企业新产品开发的重要环节 ,而且渗透于企业新产品开发的全过程。企业R&D投入在企业新产品开发投入中占有很大比重。企业R&D活动为新产品开发提供源技术和保障 ,企业R&D的层次决定着企业新产品的生命力、竞争力和R&D收益率。企业新产品开发数量、周期和模式决定企业R&D活动的频度、速度、广度和深度     

Successful New Product Pricing Practices: A Contingency Approach

The purpose of this study is to examine the success of new product pricing practices and the conditions upon which success is contingent. We distinguish three different pricing practices that refer to the use of information on customer value, competition, and costs respectively. Following Monroe's (1990) price discretion, we argue that the success of these practices is contingent on relative product advantage and competitive intensity. The hypotheses are tested on pricing decisions for new industrial products. Our results show that there are no general best or bad practices, but that a contingency approach is appropriate. These results may help reduce the complexity that managers experience in pricing new products.     

顾客参与新产品开发的绩效影响:产品创新类型的调节效应

顾客参与企业新产品开发对新产品开发绩效有着重要影响,在处于转型经济背景下的中国进行相关研究更有着极为重要的战略意义。文章以B-B市场中的制造企业为研究对象,构建了以产品创新类型为调节变量的顾客参与对新产品开发绩效差异化影响的调节效应模型。研究表明,顾客参与对新产品开发时间绩效与创新绩效的积极影响会受到产品创新类型的调节作用;但产品创新类型对顾客参与和财务绩效关系的调节影响不显著。     

Effects of Organizational Learning and Information-Processing Behaviors on New Product Success

Individual learning constructs were formulated in an organizational learning context and empirically tested for relationships with new product success. Two constructs, information recording-retrieving and information reviewing, were found to be positively related to new product success. The relevance of these constructs to organizational learning theory are discussed, along with the implication that managers should carefully record and review past information to improve future new product success rates.     

A Neural Network for Predicting Manufacturers' Perceived Cooperation with Distributors in the New Product Development Process

ABSTRACT

This research has two objectives. The first is to develop a conceptual neural network for studying manufacturer-distributor cooperation in the new product development (NPD) process and to compare the neural network directly with the traditional multiple regression. The second objective is to examine the relative importance of the antecedents of manufacturer-distributor cooperation. Data from 295 U.S. manufacturing firms are used to test the neural models. The study demonstrates that neural network analysis is a good method predicting manufacturer-distributor cooperation in the NPD process. The results also show that the ranking of antecedents of manufacturer-distributor cooperation from most to least important is: relative dependence, shared values, communication, commitment, and trust. Implications for NPD managers are offered at the end of the paper.     

Alliance-Based New Product Development Success: The Role of Formalization in Exploration and Exploitation Contexts

Purpose: Although alliances offer tremendous strategic potential, firms still struggle to successfully manage new product development alliances (NPD alliances). A prominent explanation for this is the institutional economics' view (see Williamson 1985 Williamson, O. E. 1985. The economic institutions of capitalism: Firms, markets, relational contracting, New York: The Free Press.  [Google Scholar]) that, in general, a key disadvantage of alliances versus vertical integration is that administrative control mechanisms are weaker. Here, a key control mechanism is formalization (the use of explicit rules to govern business activities).

However, regarding formalization's influence on both NPD and alliance performance, conceptual views and empirical findings are mixed, which suggest that unexamined variables moderate formalization's influence on NPD performance.

Therefore, it is surprising that there is no research on whether formalization's influence differs in alliances pursuing an NPD exploration strategy versus an NPD exploitation strategy because both (1) require varying levels of freedom of action and adherence to procedural rules to achieve success, and (2) are extensively employed in NPD.

Further, there is also surprisingly little intrafirm NPD and non-NPD alliance research on formalization in exploration and exploitation contexts because here as well formalization's influence on performance (1) is central, and (2) differs based on the project's innovative and learning intent.

The purpose of this research is to begin to close important literature and industry practice knowledge gaps about formalization's influence on NPD alliance performance in exploitation versus exploration strategic contexts.

Originality, value, and contribution: This research is the first examination ever of two key NPD strategies—exploration and exploitation—in an NPD alliance context. The research sheds light on conflicting views about formalization's NPD performance-enhancing and inhibiting aspects, and offers implications for industry best practices.

Methodology/approach: Empirical examination of survey data from 151 NPD alliances via hierarchical regression and tests of group moderation.

Findings: Results shed light on when and why formalization moderates the influence of key fundamental alliance success mechanisms on NPD alliance performance based on strategic context.     

产品伤害危机属性对横向溢出效应的影响研究——产品相似性和企业声誉的调节作用

产品伤害危机不仅会降低危机产品的销售,还可能负面影响非危机产品,形成横向溢出效应。文章归纳提出产品伤害危机危害性、责任性、无德性、违约性和频发性等五个主要属性,探索这五个属性对产品伤害危机横向溢出的影响,并识别出企业声誉和产品相似性两个重要的调节变量。研究发现,危害性、无德性和责任性较高的产品伤害危机更容易产生横向溢出,企业声誉和产品相似性仅能调节部分产品伤害危机属性对横向溢出的影响,并且它们具有双重调节作用。     

关系范式下新产品开发模式的变革

市场的成熟和技术的进步推动着营销从交易范式转变为关系范式。在关系范式下新产品开发在企业经营中的地位有了很大的提升,新产品开发模式本身也发生了根本性的变化。本文以关系营销的核心特征为理论依据,通过对交易范式和关系范式下新产品开发模式的比较研究,凸现关系范式下新产品开发模式的特点———“3I”,旨在为中国企业转变新产品开发模式,提升企业竞争力提供有益参考。     

Communicating Sensory Attributes and Innovation Through Food Product Labeling

This article explores the influence of food product packaging on consumers’ sensory expectations and perceived newness of the product. Two experiments examine to what extent consumers use product typicality, graphical representations, and package typicality in evaluating new food products. Study 1 finds that (1) a typical flavor induces more positive expectations of pleasantness, taste, color, and smell, and (2) the presence of graphic representation on product labels increases perceived pleasantness but does not affect sensory expectations. Study 2 indicates that the product seems newer in the absence of a package (label-only condition), but when the product packaging is presented, an atypical package conveys more newness than a typical package. These results provide practical guidelines for the design and introduction of innovative food products.     

武汉城市圈旅游产品开发一体化研究

武汉城市圈旅游产品开发存在着无序开发、重复建设、各自为阵、结构单一、通达性差及旅游商品开发不足等问题,本文据此提出了＂互惠互利,整合多赢＂、＂差别战略,优势互补＂等六大一体化开发战略思路,并提出了横向联合、纵向组合及分区布局等布局方案及对策。串联型、组合型、结构型及精品型旅游线路组织体现了旅游线路设计一体化的核心思想即线路互联对接。在旅游产品开发一体化研究中,也要关注旅游商品开发的一体化进程。     

正式与非正式知识搜索、知识属性与产品创新

基于正式、非正式搜索的视角,以217家浙江中小型制造企业为样本,研究外部知识搜索对产品创新绩效的影响机制。实证结果表明：正式和非正式搜索对产品创新绩效均具有显著的正向影响,而知识缄默性正向调节正式搜索和产品创新绩效之间的正向关系,负向调节非正式搜索与产品创新绩效之间的正向关系;技术复杂性负向调节非正式搜索与产品创新之间的关系。上述发现确认了外部知识搜索在中小企业创新活动中的重要作用,同时也从知识属性角度识别了影响外部知识搜索效能的重要情境条件。     

Technology Synergy,Product Characteristics,and New Product Performance: A Meta‐Analytic Review

The associations of technology synergy, product characteristics, and new product performance are widely spread in the marketing and innovation management literatures. However, little research integrates these associations. This study adopts a meta‐analytic approach to aggregate prior findings across studies published before 2010 to review the relationships between technology synergy, product characteristics, and new product performance. Structural equation analysis reveals that technology synergy has: (a) a positive medium effect on new product performance; (b) a positive and strong impact on product advantage, which then affects new product performance; and (c) an indirect effect on new product performance through product innovativeness and product advantage. These findings suggest that product innovation and advantage are important intermediaries between technology synergy and new product performance—as yet unrevealed in extant literature. Copyright © 2012 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于可持续发展的绿牌产品竞争策略

可持续发展观念使 2 1世纪的经济步入绿色经济时代 ,世界各国将可持续发展纳入一个共同研究的命题 ,发展绿色经济成为世界经济发展的一个必然趋势 ,是企业实现可持续发展的唯一途径。绿色经济时代的市场竞争与以往市场竞争不同 ,传统的名牌产品竞争策略将要被以质量为核心的绿牌产品竞争策略所替代 ,创造绿牌产品 ,确保企业在可持续发展环境下的竞争主导地位     

Indian Consumers' Value-Based New Food Product Adoption

In response to increased attention toward Indian markets in general and food markets specifically, multinational companies need to accurately identify the attitudinal and product attribute factors that impact new food product adoption among Indian consumers. Applying integrated decision utility theories, we examined the influence of product familiarity on value-based product purchase decisions and intentions. The results indicate that expected value, perceived value, and purchase intentions are influenced by familiarity; only expected value influences purchase intentions. Marketing implications are also discussed.     

Price Consciousness and Purchase Intentions for New Food Products: The Moderating Effect of Product Category Knowledge when Price Is Unknown

This study examines the degree to which consumers' price consciousness affects their purchase intentions for a newly introduced product when the price of the product is unknown. Based on data from 186 consumers exposed to a new product offering, the results show that price consciousness indeed has a negative effect on purchase intentions, but only for consumers with a high level of product category knowledge. Although perceived risk and perceived value are significantly related to purchase intentions in general, price consciousness seems to affect only those consumers who make inferences about price based on their knowledge of the product category. Both theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are offered.     

Product,Environmental, and Service Attributes That Influence Consumer Attitudes and Purchases at Wineries

Abstract

Direct sales of wine and winery souvenirs to winery visitors is important in a number of regions throughout the United States and around the world. The attributes that influence winery visitors' beliefs can have a significant impact upon wine purchases, repeat visits, positive word-of-mouth comments, and upon future purchases at restaurants and other retail outlets. A study of winery visitors found four underlying factors from a list of 17 attributes. Regression results indicated that several wine, environment, and service attributes have a significant impact upon consumer attitudes and purchases. Product and purchase involvement were also found to impact purchase behavior.     

The Impact of Innovativeness and Development Time on New Product Performance for Small Firms

Timing is becoming a new source of competitive advantage. The business press extols the benefits of faster product development. This paper examines whether competitive advantage can be gained by reducing development time across all types of new products or whether this advantage is restricted to certain types of new products. It proposes that product innovativeness moderates the relationship between development time and initial market performance. A survey of 110 small manufacturing firms in computer related industries supports the hypothesis. The survey findings indicate that a firm must guard against over- or under-development of the new product since product innovativeness was found to influence the impact of development time on market performance. The implications for managers are: beware of bringing a new product that is too much, too early or too little, too late.     

The Impact of Price-Based and New Product Promotions on Fast Food Restaurant Sales and Stock Prices

A key tool used in demand or revenue management marketing strategies is the application of pricing tactics based on anticipated demand to enhance both customer utility and maximize firm performance (Wirtz et al., 2003). In the restaurant segment, particularly in quick-service restaurants (QSR), organizations focus on two main promotion formats to attract customers: price-based promotions and new product promotions. The purpose of this article is to explore how the number of price-based promotions and new product promotions influence firm sales growth or decline and change in stock prices. Results suggest that new product promotions can have a significant and positive effect on same store sales, whereas price-based promotions tend to results in lower same-store sales changes and changes in stock price. As an additional control for these results, the study controls for economic and seasonal conditions effects.