Exploring the need for (extreme) speed: motivations for and outcomes of discontinuous NPD acceleration |
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| Authors: | Matthew B Shaner Anton P Fenik Charles H Noble Kang Bok Lee |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Business Administration, University of Mississippi , Oxford, Mississippi, USA mshaner@bus.olemiss.edu;3. Seidman College of Business, Grand Valley State University , Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA;4. Haslam College of Business, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Tennessee, USA;5. Raymond J. Harbert College of Business, Auburn University , Auburn, Alabama, USA |
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| Abstract: | ABSTRACT New product development (NPD) speed is an important concern for firms in today’s fast-paced economy. While existing literature has focused on continuous NPD speed improvements, this paper explores discontinuous NPD acceleration, or dramatic reductions in development time relative to firms’ normal NPD cycles. Across two studies, the authors interview managers to develop a typology of strategic motivations for discontinuous NPD acceleration, followed by a survey of 218 NPD managers to validate the typology and identify important differences across firm types, including those in new product performance, innovation levels, and configurations of organisational characteristics. The results suggest that discontinuous NPD acceleration is most profitable when firms are proactive and have specific configurations of culture, capabilities, and structure. The authors also discuss implications for theory, practice, and future research. |
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| Keywords: | New product development competitive strategy discontinuous NPD NPD acceleration mixed methods |
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