 Thinking Outside the Box: An Absorptive Capacity Approach to the Product Development ProcessDesmond W. Ng International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 2011, vol. 14, issue 3, 28 Abstract: In high technology markets, the development of new products has received widespread interest among marketing and management scholars. Popular wisdom suggests that a consumer driven approach to the product development process is key to a firm’s competitive success. Organizational learning research however has argued that a narrow focus on customer needs restricts a firm’s ability to search for unconventional product market opportunities. Hence, a greater openness to external ideas that extend beyond the interests of the consumer has been called for. In drawing on concepts of absorptive capacity and strategic alliances, this study develops a conceptual model to examine a firm’s product development process. This conceptual model is examined in the biotechnology industry. Regression analyses show a firm’s absorptive capacity exhibits a positive yet diminishing effect on a firm’s ability to introduce products to the market. Findings also indicate the type of knowledge possessed by a firm yields a distinct moderating effect to the product benefits of alliances. Keywords: Agribusiness; Institutional and Behavioral Economics; Productivity Analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:ifaamr:114704 Access Statistics for this article More articles in International Food and Agribusiness Management Review from International Food and Agribusiness Management Association Contact information at EDIRC. |
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