Research Seminar: Perceptions of sustained competitiveness as end and means of NPD

Perceptions of sustained competitiveness as end and means of NPD presented by Arisa Shollo, John Christiansen and Claus Varnes

Prior research has investigated the decision criteria used when making NPD decisions while the concept of competitiveness is scarcely researched. The objective of product development is to cultivate, maintain and increase a company's market share by satisfying a consumer demand and thus supporting the competitive position of the company. Therefore, it is critical how managers essentially understand what it means to be competitive and how they translate that concept when making NPD decisions. The present research investigates managers’ interpretation of competitiveness related to NPD by focusing on decision-criteria as the vehicle, and how they translate the identified perceptions or constructs into various means and ends. Furthermore, we investigate how two groups of managers - on different managerial levels - perceive competitiveness and how they share and differ in their perception.