Boating against the current is one image which generalizes many development processes in socioeconomic fields. Its basic characteristic is that the human can design and implement his advancing strategies initiatively, and the comprehensive environment synthetized by various objective factors has to accept the human choice passively. But the environment can influence the human behaviors in a man...

We develop a theoretical framework for a specific form of intrafirm competition, namely the extent of overlap between the charters of two or more units in a single organization. This phenomenon is commonly seen in large organizations, e.g., cases of two business units producing competing products, or two product development groups trying to solve the same technological problem, but the existing...

This paper reports empirical research into the processes of knowledge sharing and learning in the British and Italian motorsport industries. The research outlines a perspective on learning how to share knowledge and it highlights the essential role of participation in collaborative activities. This perspective suggests that knowledge sharing is not something achieved through the simple transfer...

In this paper we present the state of the art in the field of Computer Aided Innovation (CAI) from a New Product Development (NPD) perspective. Based on a holistic understanding of the innovation process and its support by ICT, we provide an overview of the emerging issue of CAI in the NPD field. In particular, the latest research on the concept of CAI, its categorisation, potential benefits of...

The paper explores the marketing-supply chain management (M-SCM) interface in New Product Development (NPD) processes according to some contextual factors drawn by literature. NPD processes of two divisions of the Italian branch of a multi-national company operating in the electric devices industry have been studied. Different configurations of the MarketingResearch & Development (R&D)-SCM inte...

Available online 12 October 2011 Whilemuch research has been directed at the variables critical to successful R&D of new products on the one hand and high-technology products on the other, much lesswork has been directed at those factors crucial to the success of these products when the firm enters the international marketplace. This study surveys Finnish high-technology firms and variables rel...

Lead users can provide more help for the product development because they have leading requirements and rich experiences on product usage. Therefore, the company must invite lead users to participate development. But by far, it’s still a difficulty to identify lead users from a large amount of common consumers. This paper makes a research and found that, the difference between lead users and co...

Understanding the communication process in product development organizations has been recognized as a key element to improve product development performance. It is particularly interesting to study information exchanges in geographically distributed product development teams because of the highly interdependent nature of design organizations. Additionally, the use of electronic-based communicat...

Methods currently in use for the in-vitro measurement of the particle size distribution of aerosols from medical inhalers are reviewed with emphasis on their applicability both for product development and quality control testing and for simulation of likely performance in clinical use. Key attributes and limitations of the various techniques are identified, and consideration is also given both ...