Katrin Talke

Market Information Processing in New Product Development: The Importance of Process Interdependency and Data Quality

While there is a growing interest in the role of market information processing activities (i.e., the acquisition, dissemination, and use of market information) in new product development (NPD), a number of gaps remain in our knowledge on this topic. When investigating the performance impact of market information processing, most studies have treated the three activities as independent. Our research adds to the extant knowledge by exploring not only both direct relationships between each of the market information processing activities and new product performance, but also interaction effects. We, thus, ask the question of whether there may be synergies in obtaining performance increases by jointly improving two processing activities, rather than just considering each activity independently. In addition, we investigate these effects for different levels of information quality; a topic largely neglected in the market information processing literature. Our analysis is based on empirical data from 152 Dutch NPD projects. The results indicate that market information acquisition and use are both directly associated with increased performance. We also find significant interaction effects for information acquisition and dissemination, and for information dissemination and use. Finally, the importance of information quality is emphasized, with lower quality information producing lower performance and wiping out the effects between various aspects of market information processing and new product performance. We provide several implications of our findings for managers and academics.

Can Ambient Scent Enhance the Nightlife Experience

Ever since smoking was prohibited in restaurants, bars, and clubs, undesirable smells that were previously masked by cigarette smoke became noticeable. This opens up opportunities to improve the dance club environment by introducing pleasant ambient scents that mask the unwanted odors and to allow competing clubs to differentiate themselves. A field study was conducted at three dance clubs using a 3 × 3 Latin square design with pre- and post-measurements of no-scent control conditions. The three scents tested were orange, seawater, and peppermint. These scents were shown to enhance dancing activity and to improve the evaluation of the evening, the evaluation of the music, and the mood of the visitors over no added scent. However, no significant differences were found between the three scents.

A Competence-Based Model of Initiatives for Innovations

The initiation of the innovation process has recently produced increased interest among the new product development scholars. While most extant research has focused on the management of opportunity recognition, of the development of new product concepts and of concept selection, little research has examined the initiative emergence process. With this article the authors intend to shed some light on the starting point of initiative formation by outlining a structured and comprehensive concept of the initiative emergence process; investigating individual competences facilitating initiative emergence, including task-related, action-related and cognitive competences; and developing a competence-based model for helping explain the occurrence of initiatives. For future research, the authors develop propositions on the impact that different competency constellations have on initiatives along their emergence process, and on factors that determine how to support competences for initiatives adequately.

Functional Management Competence and Growth of Young Technology-Based Firms

Acknowledging an increased research interest into the success factors for young technology-based firms in the last decade, the present study serves two main purposes. First, we aim at developing a comprehensive concept of functional management competence in young technology-based firms. Functional management competence covers the understanding of and proficiency in managing specific functional tasks (Katz, 1974). As we focus on young technology-based firms, it is suggested that marketing, financial and technology management tasks are at the core of functional management competence. Second, we aim at delineating and validating an appropriate measurement model for functional management competence. In order to test the models nomological validity, we investigate the impact of functional management competence on firm growth. Therefore, building on established firm development approaches, we propose a phase model for the development of young technology-based firms. Our study builds upon data from 212 young technology-based firms in the field of microtechnology, nanotechnology, electronics, optics and lasers. We use formative measurement models to establish valid and reliable constructs and a path model based on partial least squares modelling to investigate the performance effects. The results suggest that functional management competences generally are significant drivers of firm development speed. In particular, technology and marketing management competences are shown to impact development speed. While technology management competence is positively driving development speed, the marketing management competence impact on speed is mediated by competitive advantage of the new products developed by young technology-based firms. Financial management competence has no significant link to firm development speed.

Launching technological innovations: the relevance of a stakeholder perspective

When conceptualising new product launch activities, most authors focused on activities aimed at overcoming customer resistance. As such a perspective neglects obstacles arising from the resistance of other stakeholders, this study proposes to explicitly consider stakeholder theory when developing a concept of launch activities. In addition to providing a conceptual rationale, the performance effects of such launch activities are investigated. While the direct performance effects of strategic and tactical launch activities were largely investigated in previous studies, indirect performance effects have received less attention. This study considers the interdependencies between strategic, internally and externally, directed tactical launch activities and investigates both direct and indirect performance effects. The analysis is based upon data from 113 technological innovations launched in industrial markets. The launch strategy and tactics addressing resistance of customers, market players and parties from the broader firm environment are found to have a direct impact on market success. The launch strategy also drives both internally and externally directed launch tactics. For launch tactics that address frontline personnel resistance, no direct performance effect is found. Yet these internally directed tactics enable more proficient externally directed launch tactics and drive performance indirectly.

Tarifwahl-Anomalien bei optionalen Mobilfunktarifen — Eine Analyse der Ursachen von Flatrate-Präferenz und Flatrate-Bias

ZusammenfassungEinige Studien zeigen, dass sich Konsumenten nicht immer für den günstigsten Vertragstarif entscheiden, sondern insbesondere Flatrates anderen Tarifen vorziehen. Damit unterliegen sie einem kognitiven Fehler, dem sogenannten „Flatrate-Bias“. Der vorliegende Beitrag will am Beispiel von Mobilfunktarifen die Existenz, Ursachen und Konsequenzen des Flatrate-Bias empirisch überprüfen. Die Ergebnisse verdeutlichen, dass bei der Wahl von Mobilfunktarifen fast 75% der Probanden einem Flatrate-Bias unterliegen, wobei ihr Rechnungsbetrag im Durchschnitt 35% höher liegt als im eigentlich günstigsten Tarif. Die Ursachen für einen Flatrate-Bias liegen in systematischen Abweichungen des individuellen vom optimalen Tarifwahlverhalten, sogenannten Tarifwahl-Anomalien. Neben motivations- und kognitionsbedingten A nomalien (Bequemlichkeits- und Überschätzungseffekt) kann erstmalig auch der Einfluss emotionsbedingter Anomalien (Flatrate-Präferenz) nachgewiesen werden. Überdies kann gezeigt werden, dass eine Flatrate-Präferenz durch die Bedürfnisse nach Entkopplung, Versicherung und Flexibilität motiviert ist. Auf diesen Erkenntnissen aufbauend können Implikationen für die Gestaltung und Kommunikation des Tarifangebots von Unternehmen sowie für den Verbraucherschutz abgeleitet werden.AbstractEmpirical studies provide evidence that many consumers prefer a flat-rate, even though their billing rate would be lower on a pay-per-use tariff. When it comes to tariff choices, some consumers thus seem to be subject to a cognitive error, a so-called “flat-rate bias”. Based on survey data, we analyze existence and causes of flat-rate biases in the German mobile telephony industry. The results indicate that about 75% of the 244 interviewed consumers are subject to a flat-rate bias with billing rates about 35% higher than in the cheapest tariff available. As potential causes of such bias, so-called tariff-choice anomalies, we find (1) motivational anomalies (“convenience effect”), (2) cognitional anomalies (“overestimation effect”), and, for the first time, (3) emotional anomalies (“flat-rate preference”) to drive flat-rate biases. We also investigate which factors cause flat-rate preferences and find consumers’ need for “insurance” and for “decoupling”, to be the main drivers, while the need for “flexibility” inhibits the preference for a flat-rate. Based on these findings, implications are derived for research, for management practice, and also for consumer protection policy.

Resistenz, Ablehnung und Widerstand von Organisationsmitgliedern: Darstellung anhand eines integrativen Innovationsentscheidungsmodells

Organisationaler Wandel ist eine Daueraufgabe. Organisationen mussen ihre Ausrichtung fortwahrend den sich verandernden Anforderungen des Marktes anpassen, um erfolgreich zu bleiben. Organisationaler Wandel wird allerdings nur gelingen, wenn alle Organisationsmitglieder die dafur notwendigen Veranderungen mittragen. Die Organisationsforschung widmet sich seit geraumer Zeit Fragen zur Akzeptanz von Innovationen in Organisationen (fur eine Ubersicht uber Technologie-Akzeptanz-Modelle siehe Legris et al., 2003; Venkatesh et al., 2003).

Funktionale Managementkompetenzen und Entwicklungsgeschwindigkeit junger Technologieunternehmen

In den letzten Jahren ist das Interesse von Forschung und Praxis an Erfolgsfaktoren des Managements junger Technologieunternehmen stetig gewachsen. Bei der Untersuchung solcher Erfolgsfaktoren wurden bisher die Kompetenzen des Fuhrungsteams weitgehend vernachlassigt. Dieses Forschungsdefizit aufgreifend, verfolgen wir mit unserer Untersuchung vor allem zwei Ziele. In einem ersten Schritt wollen wir ein umfassendes Konzept zur Bestimmung funktionaler Managementkompetenzen von Fuhrungsteams in jungen Technologieunternehmen entwickeln. Dabei fokussieren wir unsere Betrachtungen auf kaufmannische Kompetenzen, Technologiemanagement- und Marketingmanagement-kompetenzen. Darauf aufbauend wollen wir in einem zweiten Schritt ein angemessenes Messmodell fur diese Kompetenzdimensionen entwickeln. Zur Uberprufung der nomologischen Validitat dieses Modells untersuchen wir den Einfluss der drei Kompetenzarten auf die Entwicklungsgeschwindigkeit junger Technologieunternehmen (JTUs). Die Entwicklungsgeschwindigkeit leiten wir aus einem fur diese Arbeit konzipierten Entwicklungsmodell ab, anhand dessen sich das Entwicklungsstadium der JTUs spezifizieren lasst. Unsere Untersuchung der Zusammenhange zwischen den Managementkompetenzen des Fuhrungsteams und der Entwicklungsgeschwindigkeit von JTUs bezieht sich auf einen Datensatz von 212 JTUs aus den Bereichen Mikro-, Nano- und Biotechnologie, Optik und Elektronik.

Management von Initiativen für Innovationen in KMUs

Das Innovationsmanagement geht davon aus, dass der Prozess der Hervorbringung von Neuerungen beeinflussbar ist und im Sinne einer Optimierung gestaltet werden kann. Ein wichtiges Ziel besteht darin, der Praxis Handlungsanweisungen fur eine optimale Gestaltung des Innovationsprozesses zu liefern. Auch die eigentliche Startphase des Innovationsprozesses, die so genannten Initiativphase, ist von diesem Gestaltungs- und Optimierungswunsch nicht ausgenommen. Ihr ist jedoch bisher wenig Aufmerksamkeit geschenkt worden (Brodbeck ,2001, S. 65). Stattdessen wird in der Mehrzahl existierender Arbeiten die Idee, die zur Innovation fuhrt, als bereits gegeben angenommen (Zaltman et al., 1984, S. 59). Das Innovationsmanagement wird bisher zumeist auf die Fragen reduziert, wie Innovationen im Unternehmen und am Markt durchgesetzt werden und welche Personen dafur welche Rollen spielen mussen. Dabei wird allerdings vernachlassigt, dass sich das Management von Innovationen nicht allein mit einem Durchsetzungsproblem, sondern auch mit einem Entstehungsproblem konfrontiert sieht (Gemunden 2001, S. 413). Auf der anderen Seite weist die haufig verwendete Charakterisierung der Initiativphase als, Fuzzy Front End’ (Smith & Reinertsen, 1991) auf die schlechte Erfassbarkeit dieser Phase durch traditionelle Managementinstrumente der Koordination in Form von Budgets, Zielen und Zeitplanen hin (Smith & Reinertsen, 1991, S. 43ff). Offensichtlich besteht ein Forschungsdefizit, das mit einem gestiegenen Interesse der Praxis an Methoden zum geeigneten Management der Initiativphase einhergeht.