bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determinants of public support for EU membership: Data from the Baltic countries
Authors: Ehin Piret
Published: October 2003

Abstract. Focusing on individual–level determinants of public support for EU membership, this paper brings the literature on Western European integration to bear on the Eastern and Central European accession. Existing theories have focused on utilitarian expectations, political values, and domestic politics as determinants of public attitudes toward European integration. The paper discusses the applicability of the proposed theories and measures in the Eastern European context and develops a model that identifies micro–level economic expectations, support for democratic norms, trust in the national government, and perceptions of ethnic tension as possible determinants of public support for EU membership. These propositions are tested with survey data from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, using logistic regression. The results lend strong support to the expected gains and domestic politics hypotheses but suggest that individual competitiveness, a frequently used proxy for economic expectations, may be a poor predictor of attitudes toward the EU in the CEE context. Perceptions of increased ethnic tensions were found to decrease minority support for EU membership in Latvia, the Baltic country that has pursued particularly stringent citizenship and minority policies. Identification with democratic norms did not influence opinions in Latvia and Estonia, while having an unexpected negative effect on the attitudes of the Lithuanian public.
Coalition government and satisfaction with democracy: An analysis of New Zealand's reaction to proportional representation
Authors: Karp Jeffrey A. , Bowler Shaun
Published: October 2003

Abstract. Following approval of a referendum in 1993, New Zealand replaced its first–past–the–post electoral system with proportional representation (PR). Although support for PR was initially high, less than a third expressed support for the new system a year and a half after its implementation. We examine two explanations for this decline. One theory assumes that dissatisfaction with the new system is the result of a growing alienation with politics, exacerbated by an unpopular coalition government that voters neither expected nor desired. Another theory assumes that evaluations of the new system are mediated by a preference for coalition or single party government. Our results indicate that a preference for single party government, guided primarily by partisan self–interest, has the largest impact. Nevertheless, negative evaluations of the performance of the coalition government helped contribute to a loss in support for PR suggesting that government performance can affect citizen's evaluation of political institutions, particularly when systems undergo radical change.
The formation of party preferences: Testing the proximity and directional models
Authors: Blais André , Nadeau Richard , Gidengil Elisabeth , Nevitte Neil
Published: October 2003

Abstract. We review the methodological debate between defenders of the proximity and directional models. We propose what we believe to be a rigorous and fair test of the two models, using the 1997 Canadian Election Study. The analysis is based on responses to questions in which the various issue positions are explicitly spelled out. We rely on individual perceptions of party positions because it is individual perceptions that matter in the formation of party preferences but we control for projection effects through a multivariate model that incorporates, in addition to indicators of distance and direction, socio–demographic characteristics, party identification, and leader ratings. We also take into account whether a party is perceived to be extreme. The empirical evidence vindicates the proximity model.
Aggregation technology of common goods and its strategic consequences: Global warming, biodiversity, and siting conflicts
Authors: Holzinger Katharina
Published: October 2003

Abstract.The analysis of common goods needs to look closely at the characteristics of the goods in question and the social situations in which they are provided. Different characteristics lead to different strategic constellations and therefore to different opportunities for institutional solutions to the problems of provision. Basic differences in strategic constellations can be shown clearly by employing matrix games. In this paper a particular attribute of common goods, their aggregation technology, is systematically analyzed. Three variations in this dimension are exemplified by cases from environmental policy. It becomes clear that the analysis of one specific attribute of a good will seldom suffice to predict empirical behavior. Nevertheless, rigorous game theoretic analysis provides valuable insights into the links between the characteristics of common goods and the need for institutions.
Europeans and their money: Explaining public support for the common European currency
Authors: Kaltenthaler Karl C. , Anderson Christopher J.
Published: October 2003

Abstract. Using public opinion surveys conducted in the member states of the European Union, this paper seeks to provide a systematic understanding of public support for the EMU project and European–level monetary policy authority. We develop models of support for EU monetary policy that incorporate a utilitarian component and elements of multilevel governance that is emerging within the EU. These models are tested at the aggregate level of survey respondents. The results show that variations in attitudes to the common currency are driven by collectively–based considerations of the costs and benefits associated with the common currency project as well as the interaction of European–level politics and the domestic politics of the member states.
Assimilation and contrast effects in voter projections of party locations: Evidence from Norway, France, and the USA
Authors: Merrill Samuel , Grofman Bernard , Adams James
Published: October 2003

Abstract. In the standard Downsian model, voters are assumed to choose parties based on the extent of ideological proximity between the voter's own position and that of the party. Yet it is also well known that there are rationalization and projection effects such that voters tend to misestimate the policy platforms of candidates or parties to which they are sympathetic by overstating the correspondence between those positions and the voter's own preferences (see, e.g., Markus & Converse 1979; Granberg & Brent 1980; Granberg & Holmberg 1988; Merrill & Grofman 1999). Here we follow insights in the psychological literature on persuasion (Sherif & Hovland 1961; Parducci & Marshall 1962) by distinguishing between assimilation and contrast effects. Assimilation refers to shortening the perceived ideological distance between oneself and parties one favors; contrast refers to exaggerating the distance to parties for which one does not intend to vote. Using survey data on voter self–placements and party placements on ideological scales for the seven major Norwegian parties, five major French parties, and two major American parties we show that both assimilation and contrast effects are present in each country to a considerable degree.We also investigate the possible effects of randomness in party placement and scale interpretation – effects that can easily be confounded with assimilation but not so easily with contrast.
The programme to policy linkage: The fulfilment of election pledges on socio–economic policy in The Netherlands, 1986–1998
Authors: Thomson Robert
Published: October 2003

Abstract. To what extent are the contents of party election programmes congruent with subsequent government policy actions? Existing research on the fulfilment of pre–election pledges focuses on systems of government in which executives formed by a single parties are the norm. This study extends this research to coalition systems of government. Specific policy proposals made by the main Dutch parties in their recent election programmes are identified and compared with subsequent government policy actions. Hypotheses about the conditions under which pledges are more likely to be acted upon are formulated and tested. Although clear linkages between election programmes and subsequent policies are found, pledges made by prospective coalition parties in the Netherlands are less likely to be acted upon than those made by prospective governing parties in the United Kingdom. Prominent features of cabinet government, such as the allocation of ministerial portfolios and the coalition policy agreement, are found to influence the likelihood of pledges being fulfilled. In addition, consensus between parties is also found to increase the likelihood of government actions responding to election pledges.
New Product Development in the Pharmaceutical Industry: Pooling Network Resources
Authors: Bower D. Jane
Published: October 2003

Pharmaceutical innovation increasingly involves some pooling of resources of finance, equity, technology, information, and intellectual property between pharmaceutical companies and other organizations. The organizations and their exchanges constitute a network which can be regarded as a growing store of these varied resources preferentially accessible to network members. D. Jane Bower examines some network effects in management decision making in Ciba‐Geigy (Switzerland) and Elan Corporation (Ireland). She concludes that participation in a common network has enabled these firms to access a pool of resources of knowledge, experience, and finance. This pool has been generated by past exchanges among network members, including providers of finance, and has increased the network's collective reservoir of knowledge.
Crossfunctional Teams in Product Development: Accommodating the Structure to the Process
Authors: Donnellon Anne
Published: October 2003

This article reports the conclusions from a study of crossfunctional product development teams with emphasis on the implications for altering organizational structure to accommodate team process. A comparative study of teams in four U.S.firms, using anthropological and sociolinguistic methods, found that team work is inherently paradoxical. It poses numerous contradictions and paradoxes for individuals, teams, and organizations. At one of the research sites, tacit recognition of this reality and a conviction that teams were critical to product development led to a continuous accommodation of the organization to the requirements of team work and to impressive organizational outcomes. Conceptual and managerial lessons are drawn from this successful case and are offered here to help guide both future research and the actual implementation of team work in firms.
Empowering Management in New Product Development Units
Authors: Frischer Josef
Published: October 2003

In a study of management in new product development units, Josef Frischer compared managers who primarily intend empowering subordinates for the benefit of the whole organization (managers with the leadership motive pattern) with those who essentially are concerned with the establishment and maintenance of a friendly relationship with subordinates (managers high in need for affiliation). Thirty‐five managers, heading new product development functions or units in four high‐technology plants, were assessed along with their subordinates. When managers exhibited a leadership motive pattern, their subordinates perceived their work groups, their managers, and themselves as more influential (empowered). They also reported a more innovative climate as compared with subordinates of managers high in need for affiliation. Beside, those in subordinate positions, who are affected by the empowering managers, are given the opportunity to successfully influence and manage the turbulence and complexity arising from the development of new products, thus helping to establish an organizational climate that supports innovative pursuits.
Concurrent Engineering Practices in Selected Swedish Companies: A Movement or an Activity of the Few?
Authors: Trygg Lars
Published: October 2003

Speed‐to‐market is currently becoming a highly competitive issue for manufacturing companies around the world, and much as been written about the potentials hidden in the product development process. The solutions most often called for usually include activities such as Time‐Based Competition, Concurrent Engineering, and Early Manufacturing Involvement. The research and management literature on this topic usually draws upon a few well‐known and well‐cited successes, found at companies such as AT&T, Xerox, and Motorola. However, a lack of broad‐based research on the topic has made it difficult to establish whether the shift in competitive priorities and assorted process improvements represent a broad movement in the industry, or whether observed changes merely depict changes found in a few successful, technology‐based companies. In this article, Lars Trygg presents some early findings from a broad‐based survey (109 cases) within the Swedish manufacturing industry. The results indicate that a substantial part of the Swedish manufacturing industry has implemented a number of actions and methods associated with successful projects reported in the media, in order to increase their speed to the market.
Beyond the Boundary
Authors: Macdonald Stuart , Williams Christine
Published: October 2003

Much has been written about information gatekeepers, mostly describing how gatekeepers function within organizations. There has been less consideration of the gatekeeper's activities beyond the organization's boundary, though the gathering of external information is fundamental to gatekeeping. Stuart Macdonald and Christine Williams examine gatekeeping from an information perspective, starting with external information and following it into the organization. With only primitive networking and a range of occasional contacts in the outside world, the gatekeeper is something of a scavenger of external information. The gatekeeper certainly transfers information from the external environment to colleagues within the organization, but primary interest is in personal use of the information gathered. Seniority within the organization may allow the gatekeeper the latitude to function in ways that would not be tolerated in more junior employees. The article is wholly concerned with informal gatekeeping and concludes that organizations may condone or even inhibit such activity, but are constrained by the nature of information, and of organization itself, from encouraging it.
Third‐Generation New Product Processes
Authors: Cooper Robert G.
Published: October 2003

New product processes—formal “stage‐gate” systems for driving new product projects from idea through to launch—have been widely adopted in the last decade, and have generally had a strong and positive impact on firms' new product efforts. While these Second‐Generation roadmaps represent a major improvement over the NASA‐based first generation process of the 1960s, they too have weaknesses: too time consuming and too many time wasters, too bureaucratic, and no provision for focus. Here, Robert Cooper speculates about the nature of an emerging next generation of new product processes. He proposes fundamental changes to today's “stage‐gate” systems that revolve around four Fs: they will be fluid and adaptable; they will incorporate fuzzy gates which are both situational and conditional; they will provide for much sharper focus of resources and management of the portfolio of projects; and they will be much more flexible than today's process. The end results should provide companies with a much more efficient road‐map, bringing products to market faster and improving their use of scarce resources. But pitfalls are never far away in our evolution towards these Third‐Generation Processes.
Identifying New Product Successes in China
Authors: Parry Mark E. , Song X. Michael
Published: October 2003

To examine the generalizability of the work of Cooper regarding the correlates of new product success and failure, Mark Parry and Michael Song surveyed new product development managers at 129 state‐owned enterprises in the People's Republic of China. Their analysis of 258 reported product successes and failures indicated that relative product advantage and the acquisition of marketing information were highly correlated with new product success, just as in Canada. In addition, several factors not significantly correlated with success in Canadian firms emerged as significant correlates of success in the PRC. These included the level of competitive activity, the timing of the product launch, and the level of proficiency in executing activities in the early stages of the product development process.
R&D–Marketing Integration Mechanisms, Communication Flows, and Innovation Success
Authors: Moenaert Rudy K. , Souder William E. , Meyer Arnoud De , Deschoolmeester Dirk
Published: October 2003

Rudy Moenaert, William Souder, Arnoud De Meyer, and Dirk Deschoolmeester report the results of their study of forty technologically innovative Belgian companies to examine the interaction between marketing and R&D. They studied one commercially successful and one commercially unsuccessful technological product innovation project in each participating company and collected data from one marketing and one R&D respondent per project. Communication flows between marketing and R&D are increased under conditions involving formalization of projects, decentralization, positive interfunctional climate, and role flexibility.
Pioneering Versus Incremental Innovation: Review and Research Propositions
Authors: Ali Abdul
Published: October 2003

Marketing's role in supporting a company's efforts to develop pioneering and incremental products can be quite different. Abdul Ali examines published articles and offers a set of propositions to show how several factors influence the product development decision. He cites examples from the business world to illustrate these propositions. This article suggests that a firm should take into account several factors relating to its capabilities, along with various project and market characteristics, in order to decide what products it should develop.
Determinants of Technical Success in Product Development When Innovative Radicalness Is Considered
Authors: Lee Mushin , Na Dohyeong
Published: October 2003

Mushin Lee and Dohyeong Na present their analysis of data obtained from Korean project leaders in order to investigate the relationships between various factors and technical project success. When the radicalness of technical innovativeness is employed as a contingency variable, the result shows that existence of a champion is critical if the innovativeness is radical. Top management's support, R&D, production, and financial capabilities, and information acquisition during the development stage are related to the success, but there is no indication that the radicalness heavily affects the relationships. Information acquisition during the idea generation stage is not important for both radical and incremental improvement projects.
Significant Issues for the Future of Product Innovation
Authors: Day George S. , Gold Bela , Kuczmarski Thomas D.
Published: October 2003

Product innovation management, by definition, requires that we become comfortable dealing with change. As this journal enters its eleventh year of publication, the editor‐in‐chief asked each member of the editorial board to reflect upon changes and opportunities that they see influencing our profession during the coming decade. In our first installment of these essays, George Day, Bela Gold and Thomas Kuczmarski discuss the value of managing ideas, embracing a longer‐term view of development opportunities, and creating a senior executive position charged with developing such opportunities. Each of these short essays is designed to introduce new perspectives. It is not essential that you agree with the recommendations, but we hope that you are stimulated as you reflect on the issues they present.
Action Teams That Work
Authors: Hershock Robert J. , Cowman Charles D. , Peters Douglas
Published: October 2003

A growing awareness of workplace hazards and identification of airborne contaminants, coupled with a changing safety and health regulatory environment, created an unexpected demand for new and innovative respirators in the early 1980s. 3M's Occupational Health and Environmental Safety Division broke new ground by taking the team concept further than ever before in the company. The division's Action Teams successfully designed, built and introduced products in less than half the time it would have taken previously. Robert Hershock, Charles Cowman and Douglas Peters describe how 3M learned important lessons about team selection, training, performance and motivation, the importance of project sponsors, and the role of middle management.
The Dimensions of Industrial New Product Success and Failure in State Enterprises in the People's Republic of China
Authors: Song X. Michael , Parry Mark E.
Published: October 2003

Michael Song and Mark Parry examine the dimensions of new product success and failure in state enterprises in the People's Republic of China by conducting a principal components analysis of 77 statements developed by Cooper that describe possible characteristics of a new product. Their analysis yielded 16 significant components. Next, stepwise discriminant analysis determined which dimensions were significantly correlated with project success and failure. Six dimensions emerged as significant correlates of success in the initial discriminant analysis and in 30 split‐half replications. These six dimensions concerned the product selection criteria of market potential, competitive intensity, relative product advantage, and fit with the technical and production capabilities of the enterprise. The findings have implications for enterprise managers, state authorities, and foreign partners in Chinese joint ventures.
A Brownian Motion Model for Technology Transfer: Application to a Machine Maintenance Expert System
Authors: Padmanabhan Venkatesh , Souder Wm. E.
Published: October 2003

Based on an analogy to the physical phenomenon of Brownian motion, Venkatesh Padmanabhan and Wm. E. Souder present a general purpose model to assist in the successful transfer of newly developed technologies. The model, named Techtran II, is successfully demonstrated with ten case studies showing how it helps managers develop a priori intervention strategies for improving transfer likelihoods. The results suggest that Techtran II can assist in overcoming problems in successful new product development, commercialization, transfer and user adoption. The Techtran II computer program is available to interested users and researchers.
Strategic Partnerships in New Product Development: an Italian Case Study
Authors: Bonaccorsi Andrea , Lipparini Andrea
Published: October 2003

This article provides some revealing insights into what a leading Italian firm operating in markets where innovation is a focal point of competition has learned about partnering with suppliers in the new products development process. To succeed in a rapidly changing environment, the firm promoted and sustained tightly linked, integrated supplier relationships. This provided one key element of a shorter product cycle, led to better products, and increased the firm's ability to compete. Andrea Bonaccorsi and Andrea Lipparini explore why partnering is critical for new product success. Finally, they highlight the steps that should be taken to make this relationship a productive one.
A New Way To Create Winning Product Ideas
Authors: Wagner Christian , Hayashi Albert
Published: October 2003

This article proposes a new approach to needs definition and product concept development. It identifies a language of design for product development which includes descriptions of the product itself, product features, benefits and themes. Christian Wagner and Albert Hayashi feel that the goal of this language is not only to increase the detail of requirements definitions, but also to stimulate the generation of new product ideas through forced associations among language elements. Empirical tests show significantly higher idea generation yields when the language is used. The article also outlines a software implementation of the language. Preliminary evidence suggests that the use of software can increase the idea yield above that of free‐form, in‐depth interviews.
Significant Issues for the Future of Product Innovation
Authors: Albala Americo , Rubenstein Albert H.
Published: October 2003

The value of a technology strategy has been increasingly discussed by R&D personnel and those involved in product development and business planning efforts. In this issue Albert Rubenstein and Americo Albala elevate this discussion by showing the importance of preparing a firm to compete by stressing the development of important, relevant technologies. Discovery and development must be channeled into areas that will be needed to support business initiatives likely to occur in the future. Albala stresses the importance of this change for the development of economies in nations that have been disappointed by the lack of success of importing technologies from more developed nations, while Rubenstein maintains that the pace of marketplace change requires a technology strategy in order to reduce the misapplication of scarce resources within the firm and the possibility of being blindsided by competitive developments. These essays continue a year‐long series of contributions that the editor‐in‐chief solicited from members of the editorial board. Members were asked to reflect upon changes and opportunities that they see influencing our profession during the coming decade. Both of these short essays are designed to introduce new perspectives. It is not essential that you agree with the recommendations, but we hope that you are stimulated as you reflect on the issues they raise.
PERSPECTIVE: First, Fast, and On Time: The Path to Success. Or Is It?
Authors: Lambert Denis , Slater Stanley F.
Published: October 2003

To be competitive, and become the industry leader, the firm needs to be fast, first, and on time, or so the story goes. Fast development cycle times, first to market, and schedule predictability are the three basic principles of new product development performance, but what does the evidence actually show? A review of current research, schedule performance data, and cycle time data shows that following these principles does not necessarily lead to success. Recent studies indicate that being first to market is not necessarily any better than being second, third, or even fifth. Several leading companies in the fast cycle time movement are rethinking their first‐to‐market strategy, and some are deliberately lengthening their cycle times. Finally, the correlation between schedule accuracy and business results is practically nonexistent in the product lines reviewed for this article. The evidence found while researching this article has led the authors to recast these three traditional principles into three new market‐focused guiding principles: effective market introduction timing, first to mindshare, and managed responsiveness. To provide direction in applying these three principles, three types of market windows are defined: imposed, controllable, and emergent. How one approaches each of the three guiding principles is driven by which type of market window the organization is operating within, and other business characteristics, such as market position and the ability to differentiate.
Practices that Support Team Learning and Their Impact on Speed to Market and New Product Success
Authors: Lynn Gary S. , Skov Richard B. , Abel Kate D.
Published: October 2003

Competition is fierce today. Businesses are feeling extreme pressure to innovate and do so quickly. If they take too long in bringing a product to market or make a mistake along the way, they can be preempted by a faster moving competitor. One technique gaining popularity to help companies compete is establishing learning teams—teams that create and use knowledge rapidly and effectively. But how do teams learn? By studying the learning practices of 95 new product teams, we have uncovered several factors that improve a new product team's ability to learn, innovate faster, and be more successful. These factors include thoroughly reviewing project information, having stable project goals, and following a rigorous new product development process.
Creativity Business Discipline = Higher Profits Faster from New Product Development
Authors: Stevens Greg , Burley James , Divine Richard
Published: October 2003

A study was conducted of 69 analysts evaluating 267 early‐stage new product development (NPD) projects in a major global chemical company over a 10‐year time span. Positive correlations were found between profits resulting from NPD project analyses and the degree of creativity of the analysts evaluating those projects. Creativity can be reliably measured with standard psychological instruments, such as the MBTI® Creativity Index. Analysts with MBTI Creativity Indices above the median for the group studied identified opportunities providing 12 to 13 times more profit than those with MBTI Creativity Indices below the median, when both groups were rigorously trained and coached in “stage‐gate” business analysis methods.

NPD requires breakthrough creativity because the first ideas for commercialization are almost never commercial until they have been substantially revised through a thought process involving branching. It is therefore most productive to preselect innovative, creative people for the early stages of NPD, and then teach this group the business discipline required in stage‐gate NPD processes.

The results show that by utilizing these principles, both the overall speed and productivity of typical NPD processes can be increased approximately nine‐fold, or nearly an order of magnitude when compared to today's typical linear stage‐gate processes.
A Taxonomy of Relationship Approaches During Product Development in Technology‐Based, Industrial Markets
Authors: Athaide Gerard A. , Stump Rodney L.
Published: October 2003

Effective relationship management during new product development (NPD) is an important determinant of new product success in technology‐based, industrial markets. This article investigates whether different relationship approaches are used by sellers of high‐tech innovations during the NPD process. The results of our empirical study reveal that sellers are resorting to two approaches during NPD: bilateral versus unilateral product development relationships. Furthermore, the approach used in a particular dyad is aligned with the seller's marketing strategy for the innovation, particularly aspects related to targeting (buyer knowledge and prior relationship history) and product strategy (the extent of product customization).
Launch Strategy, Launch Tactics, and Demand Outcomes
Authors: Guiltinan Joseph P.
Published: October 2003

In a typical new product development process, the role of the launch stage is to maximize the chances of profitably achieving acceptance in the target market. A launch plan can include strategic decisions (such as relative innovativeness, mass versus niche targeting, and lead versus follow) as well as tactical decisions (including the types of communication and distribution activities to emphasize, introductory pricing, branding, and when to announce new items and delete old ones). Unfortunately, the existing literature offers limited decision‐making guidance to managers on how to prioritize and integrate the various strategic and tactical options.

This article presents a conceptual framework that suggests that the strategic and tactical challenges posed in various product launch situations depend in large measure on the specific type of buying behavior to be influenced. Depending on the degree of product innovativeness, managers may establish one of three types of desired demand outcomes: (1) trial and repurchase, (2) customer migration, or (3) innovation adoption and diffusion. The degree to which the desired demand outcome is realized is shown to be dependent on buyers' perceptions of the new product's relative advantage and of its compatibility with buyers' values and experiences. Perceptions of the product on these two characteristics are initially influenced by the launch strategy. Given an understanding of these perceptions, managers can then select launch tactics designed to clarify or leverage relative advantages or to demonstrate or enhance compatibility to the target market.

The framework also demonstrates how the linkages among launch strategy, launch tactics, and the demand outcomes are impacted by the product‐market environment, the technological dynamics of the industry, and the firm's resources and capabilities. The author argues that, by examining a given launch situation in the context of this framework, managers will be able to think more systematically about the strategy and tactics required for market acceptance.
Launch Strategy and New Product Performance: An Empirical Examination in The Netherlands
Authors: Hultink Erik Jan , Robben Henry S.J.
Published: October 2003

Although previous research has investigated the concept and contents of new product performance, there is still no consensus about the managerial decisions that constitute a launch strategy and how such decisions impact new product performance. The research objective for the present investigation is to assess the impact of launch strategy and market characteristics on new product performance and to test the stability of this impact across consumer and industrial products. Data were collected on 272 consumer and industrial new products in The Netherlands through a mail questionnaire approach.

We based our definition of a launch strategy on an extensive literature review and interviews with managers. Our conceptualization of new product performance represented two dimensions, namely, market acceptance and product performance. The market acceptance dimension reflects the new product's market position and sales levels. The product performance dimension refers to the quality and technical performance level of the new product. This richer specification of the dependent variable provides a better view on which launch decisions impact which dimensions of new product performance.

The impact of launch strategy was higher for market acceptance than for product performance, overall and for both consumer and industrial subsamples separately. In line with results from recent studies, overall, market acceptance is influenced by the product's innovativeness, timing of market entry, breadth of assortment, branding, pricing, the objective of increasing market penetration, and competitor reactions. Product performance is influenced by the product's innovativeness, breadth of assortment, and by the objective of using an existing market.

Analyzing the consumer and industrial products separately showed that the general picture of launch decisions and their impact on the dependent variables was comparable across the total sample and both subsamples, indicating that heterogeneous samples in new product launch research may not cause major interpretation problems. Second, the analyses revealed that some launch decisions are more important in attaining new product success for consumer products than for industrial products, and vice versa. While these decisions do not lead to contradicting results in the samples, they show that some decisions may be especially relevant for only consumer or industrial products. We discuss research and managerial implications of the results.
Lean Launch: Managing Product Introduction Risk Through Response‐Based Logistics
Authors: Bowersox Donald J. , Stank Theodore P. , Daugherty Patricia J.
Published: October 2003

New product launch research has identified four strategic issues that involve activities essential to introduce a new product to its target market. The sum of these decisions is critical to new product success. Substantial research has focused on decisions guiding the proper product, price, and promotion mix to favorably impact market goals. Considerably less research has centered on determining how place capabilities such as logistics and supply chain relationships impact launch performance.

Logistics and supply chain collaboration—the processes involved in planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, effective flow and storage of goods, services, and related information from the point of origin to point of consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer requirements—can greatly reduce risk associated with new product launch. They combine to provide a structure to facilitate rapid response to developing demand by location and intensity. In this article, an effort is made to fill the gap in extant knowledge regarding new product launch strategies by reviewing relevant literature and comparing traditional launch strategies based on anticipatory demand forecasts with alternative lean launch strategies based on the principles of response‐based logistics. The result is a lean launch model for continued empirical testing and managerial review.

The article contrasts traditional logistics support of new product launch with an emerging logic called lean launch strategy. The traditional launch strategy is forecast driven and is based on anticipatory logistics (push). The lean launch strategy is formulated on principles of postponement and is based on response‐based logistics (pull) and supply chain management. Response‐based logistics systems provide flexibility that enables better management of inventory levels. Improved replenishment times and in‐stock availability of products from a centralized inventory allows managers to rapidly react to actual demand. Lean launch enhances successful introduction by allowing greater flexibility in product variant selection while minimizing out‐of‐stock potential. Lean launch also can cut losses in product launch failures by reducing launch inventory exposure. Finally, lean launch can improve chances of new product success by helping limited volume technical successes achieve profitability.
Identifying the Key Success Factors in New Product Launch
Authors: Di Benedetto C. Anthony
Published: October 2003

Effective product launch is a key driver of top performance, and launch is often the single costliest step in new product development. Despite its importance, costs, and risks, product launch has been relatively underresearched in the product literature.

We reviewed the extant literature on product launch to identify the most critical strategic, tactical, and information‐gathering activities influencing the launch success. We then used a retrospective methodology to gather managerial perceptions regarding launch activities pertaining to a recent new product launch, and the product's performance in terms of profitability, market share, and relative sales. A mail survey of PDMA practitioners elicited data on nearly 200 recent product launches.

Successful launches were found to be related to perceived superior skills in marketing research, sales force, distribution, promotion, R&D, and engineering. Having cross‐functional teams making key marketing and manufacturing decisions, and getting logistics involved early in planning, were strategic activities that were strongly related to successful launches.

Several tactical activities were related to successful launches: high quality of selling effort, advertising, and technical support; good launch management and good management of support programs; and excellent launch timing relative to customers and competitors. Furthermore, information‐gathering activities of all kinds (market testing, customer feedback, advertising testing, etc.) were very important to successful launches.

We conclude with observations about current product launch practice and with recommendations to management. Logistics plays a key role in successful strategy development and should receive the requisite amount of managerial attention. In particular, activities involving logistics personnel in strategy development showed much room for improvement.

We also find that the timing of the launch (i.e., when the launch is conducted from the point of view of the company, the competition, and the customer) is just as important as whether the activities are performed. More managerial attention should be devoted to launch timing with respect to all of these viewpoints in order to improve the chances of success.
Launch Decisions and New Product Success: An Empirical Comparison of Consumer and Industrial Products
Authors: Hultink Erik Jan , Hart Susan , Robben Henry S.J. , Griffin Abbie
Published: October 2003

Many articles have investigated new product development success and failure. However, most of them have used the vantage point of characteristics of the product and development process in this research. In this article we extend this extensive stream of research, looking at factors affecting success; however, we look at the product in the context of the launch support program. We empirically answer the question of whether successful launch decisions differ for consumer and industrial products and identify how they differ. From data collected on over 1,000 product introductions, we first contrast consumer product launches with industrial product launches to identify key differences and similarities in launch decisions between market types. For consumer products, strategic launch decisions appear more defensive in nature, as they focus on defending current market positions. Industrial product strategic launch decisions seem more offensive, using technology and innovation to push the firm to operate outside their current realm of operations and move into new markets. The tactical marketing mix launch decisions (product, place, promotion and price) also differ markedly across the products launched for the two market types. Successful products were contrasted with failed products to identify those launch decisions that discriminate between both outcomes. Here the differences are more of degree rather than principle. Some launch decisions were associated with success for consumer and industrial products alike. Launch successes are more likely to be broader assortments of more innovative product improvements that are advertised with print advertising, independent of market. Other launch decisions uniquely related to success per product type, especially at the marketing mix level (pricing, distribution, and promotion in particular). The launch decisions most frequently made by firms are not well aligned with factors associated with higher success. Additionally, comparing the decisions associated with success to the recommendations for launches from the normative literature suggests that a number of conventional heuristics about how to launch products of each type will actually lead to failure rather than success.
The Ability to Minimize the Timing of New Product Development and Introduction: An Examination of Antecedent Factors in the North American Automobile Supplier Industry
Authors: Dröge Cornelia , Jayaram Jayanth , Vickery Shawnee K.
Published: October 2003

The importance of overall timing in the new product development and the new product commercialization processes has been widely recognized in the literature. We examined 14 firm‐level practices, later reduced to four factors, that influence the ability to minimize new product development and introduction times overall relative to competitors. The factors are (1) human resource management, (2) synergistic integration, (3) supplier closeness, and (4) the design‐manufacturing interface. An empirical study of the North American automobile supplier industry found some support for the four‐factor model of antecedents to timing ability: synergistic integration and supplier closeness were both significantly related to development and introduction time minimization ability. The implications of these findings for product development managers and academic researchers are discussed.
An Analysis of Product Deletion Scenarios
Authors: Avlonitis George J. , Hart Susan J. , Tzokas Nikolaos X.
Published: October 2003

Despite a flurry of attention during the early 1980s and the occasional article thereafter, product deletion continues to suffer from neglect, which is surprising given its role in aiding processes of innovation and change that are central to competitive survival. The aim of this article is to rejuvenate research interest in this field. In doing so, we review and organize the relevant literature in three key sets of factors and postulate that their interplay delineates the product deletion scenarios followed by a company. On the basis of this argument, we develop a typology of product deletions and outline how it increases our knowledge of this critical issue and leads to useful research directions.
The Predictive Power of Internet‐Based Product Concept Testing Using Visual Depiction and Animation
Authors: Dahan Ely , Srinivasan V.
Published: October 2003

One critical step in new product development is selecting from among multiple possible product concepts the one that the firm will carry forward into the marketplace. There is a need for low‐cost, parallel testing of the appeal of new product concepts, the results of which closely mirror ultimate market performance.

In this article, the authors first describe an Internet‐based product concept testing method they developed that incorporates virtual prototypes of new product concepts, substituting them for physical prototypes. The method can be used with either static representations of the products or with dynamic representations that demonstrate how the product works through a simulated video clip of its operation. The objective of this method is to allow design teams to select the best of several new concepts within a product category with which to proceed, without having to develop physical prototypes.

The authors then provide a rigorous test of both virtual prototype methods against tests using both physical prototypes and attribute‐only (i.e., no visuals), full‐profile conjoint analysis. Nine concepts compete against two actual products in the tests. Market shares from the test using the physical prototypes are defined as the “actual” market shares. Predicted market shares for the attribute‐only, full‐profile conjoint analysis and each of the two virtual prototype methods are compared to those obtained for the physical prototypes.

Both static and animated virtual prototype tests produced market shares that closely mirrored those obtained with the physical products, outperforming the set of predictions across the full range of products produced in the attribute‐only conjoint analysis. Interestingly, the attribute‐only conjoint analysis identified the top three products, in correct order. It was unable to differentiate performance below these top three products. Furthermore, it predicted market shares for the top three products to be well below those achieved using physical prototypes.

As virtual prototypes cost considerably less to build and test than their physical counterparts, design teams using Internet‐based product concept research may be able to afford to explore a much larger number of concepts. Virtual prototypes and the testing methods associated with them may help reduce the uncertainty and cost of new product introductions by allowing more ideas to be concept tested in parallel with target consumers.