Yen Hsu

Design innovation and marketing strategy in successful product competition

Purpose – Taiwanese computer and electronic products possess advantages in design, innovation, rapid response, and global market flexibility. This study aims to examine Taiwanese computer and electronics firms to explore the product marketing strategies they adopted to deal with global competition. Furthermore, it is intended to analyze firms in different marketing strategic groups in terms of their product design strategies and how they incorporated design and marketing strategies into design innovation. This analysis is applied as an integrated innovation model for allocating design and marketing strategies.Design/methodology/approach – Based on a questionnaire survey and case studies, the marketing strategies adopted by the Taiwanese computer and electronics industry can be classified into the categories of “market leader”, “market focus”, “market challenge” and “market niche”.Findings – Firms employing different marketing strategies employed different design innovation strategies in product design. Th...

A value cocreation strategy model for improving product development performance

Purpose The purpose of this study is to propose a model of a value cocreation strategy (VCS) for analyzing how enterprises adopt innovative, marketing, and design strategies to achieve their performance goals through cocreation. Design/methodology/approach In the present study, a case study was conducted to establish a preliminary model. Subsequently, 1,000 NPD project managers in information and communications technology industries were approached to complete a two-stage questionnaire survey. The first survey investigated the VCSs they adopted for their marketing, innovation and design activities (valid questionnaires recovered=283). The valid respondents completed a second survey measuring their NPD performance 18 months after launching a new product (valid questionnaires recovered=247). Findings A conceptual was constructed to explain the effects of innovation marketing and design cocreation strategies on NPD performance. A partial least squares method was used to test the model showing a good fit between the model and the survey data, indicating the applicability of the proposed model. The innovation marketing and design cocreation strategies of the enterprises affected their NPD performance. Enterprises adopting diverse cocreation strategies improved their NPD performance. The cocreation strategies in the model were independent and mediating variables to NPD performance. A qualitative comparative analysis was performed to examine which strategy configurations affected NPD performance and to explore any regular patterns in them. Finally, a cluster analysis was conducted to investigate four cocreation strategies: market development, technology improvement, cost direction and customer service. Research limitations/implications Whether different industry categories involve different characteristics and whether different corporate cultures cause inconsistent result in value cocreation warrants further in-depth investigation. In addition, the two surveys conducted in this study were separated by 18 months, and thus, only the short-term NPD performance could be presented. Future studies are recommended to conduct an extensive exploration of different industries, administer long-term surveys, investigate the different levels of influence of various types of enterprise on the proposed research model or examine the degree of difference in the mechanisms and methods adopted for elevating innovation performance. Practical implications Enterprises can reference the proposed approach to optimize their product development and services according to their organizational resources and market advantages to increase their market coverage. Originality/value This study was the first empirical study to examine critical factors, such as product innovation, marketing, design and value cocreation strategies, and NPD performance by administering two-stage surveys. Enterprises can reference the proposed method according to their organizational resources and market advantages to develop products and services efficiently and face the ever-changing market.

Mapping the strategic objectives between new product development and product design in Taiwan's information industry

This study explores the strategic groups developed from the new product development strategies of various firms in the Taiwanese information industry. The product design strategies of the surveyed companies and the mappings the strategic objectives between product design and new product development are discussed. Based on the questionnaire survey and interviews, in terms of the new product development strategy for dealing with global marketing competition, enterprises in the Taiwanese information industry can be divided into four groups: prospector, analyser, defender, and reactor groups. Companies in different strategic groups employ different product design strategic objectives, and mappings exist between product design and new product development, particularly for features such as enterprise scale, business type, and product development category. Furthermore, in terms of product design strategic objectives, companies in the prospector group tend to be aggressive innovators, those in the analyser group exhibit innovation in applications engineering, those in the defender group are technologically innovative, and those in the reactor strategic group are progressive innovators.

Relationships between product development strategies and product design issues

Taiwanese electronics and computer products are well respected by consumers globally. This study examines local electronics and computer enterprises to identify the product development strategies applied to deal with global competition and attain competitive advantage. Based on questionnaire results, product development strategic groups were categorised for the Taiwanese electronics and computer industry in response to global competition. In total, 48 products developed by these strategic groups were analysed in terms of the relationship between product development strategies and product design issues. The results demonstrated that enterprises in different strategic groups for product development responded to different design issues. Notably, correlations existed between enterprises in different strategic groups and their product designs. Different mapping patterns were identified in new product types, design features, market goals, and design appeals for enterprises in different product development strategic groups. These mapping patterns could serve as references for product innovation and new product development.

Exploring design innovation and performance: the roles of issue related to design strategy

This study examined design cases involving new product development related to Taiwanese electric and computer firms for exploring the strategic groups formed by local firms and their performance in new product development and other issues related to industrial-design innovation strategy. The questionnaire survey demonstrates that Taiwanese electronic and computer firms, in terms of industrial-design innovation strategy, can be grouped into technical innovation, gradual innovation, application innovation, and aggressive innovation groups. In their response to the challenges faced, firms in different strategic groups exhibited different financial and non-financial performance. Furthermore, they differed significantly in dealing with industrial-design activities, particularly new product-development types, product design features, motivations, and design appeals. Differences in these aspects may be the reason for their differences in new product-development performance.

Work values, conflict, and team cooperation among engineering designers

ABSTRACT Engineering designers are crucial for, and primarily drive, corporate research and development innovations. Therefore, this study explored the relationships among the work values, team conflicts, team relationships, loyalty, and team cooperation of engineering designers. A questionnaire survey was conducted to analyse cooperation- and conflict-related factors that affect team operation. In addition, a cooperation–conflict conceptual model was proposed to not only determine how and why the relationships between designers and hiring firms affect designer team cooperation, but also offer specific and practical suggestions. The major contributions and results of this study are as follows. First, this study analysed and explained why the values of designers and teams positively affect team cooperation. Second, this study categorised research and development teams according to the proposed model into four types, namely practical and rational, experienced and efficient, harmonious and trustful, and institutional and authoritative. Finally, strategies and measures for improving the effectiveness of team cooperation were proposed for each type of team.

ORGANIZATIONAL INNOVATION, DESIGN AND NPD PERFORMANCE: THE ROLE OF CO-CREATION STRATEGY

Within firms, procedures would be the site of a big pool of business assets that always take into account the preponderance of the firm’s physical and human capital. In enterprises, innovation, marketing, and product design should be closely coordinated. Most research has demonstrated that an effective connection among innovation R&D, marketing activities, and design pushes products into the marketplace and guarantees their success. However, empirical studies of the Co-creations among innovation, marketing, and design strategies in new product development (NPD) performance are rare. This gives an effective empirical contribution towards the emerging body of students developing the co-creation paradigm, mainly indicated by conceptual advances in strategic management logic. The overall aim of the paper is to unravel the nature of strategy processes of co-creation in innovation.In this study, enterprises from the Taiwan Bicycle Exporter’s Association (TBEA) database were chosen randomly as subjects. In the first survey, the status of the marketing strategy, innovation strategy, and design strategy was determined. After a new product was marketed for one year, a second survey was conducted as an NPD performance check. After repeated contact, 188 enterprises (23.5%) responded. Major findings of the study are as follows. (1) The structural equation model (SEM) results demonstrate a great fit between your theoretical model and observed data for innovation, marketing, and design methods. (2) The NPD performance is affected by an enterprise’s innovation, marketing, and design methods. Furthermore, innovation and marketing methods also influence NPD performance through design strategy. For NPD performance, design technique is both a completely independent variable as well as an intervening variable. (3) The NPD performance could be strengthened when businesses struggle for innovation, marketing, and design methods. Controlling the co-creation process is really a complex endeavor. The research findings claim that managers of co-produced service improvements develop an interactive procedure for inducing and imagining innovative actions of the network stars.

Marketing strategy and its correlation with design strategy and design characteristics: an example of consumer electronic industry

Marketing should closely coordinate with product design. Not only does a close connection between marketing activity and design trigger product innovation in enterprises, it is also a key factor in the success of a product in the marketplace. The practical question is selecting a product design process that achieves marketing goals during innovation procedures. Although enterprises have taken concrete action to do so, empirical studies show that correlation between marketing strategy and design strategy or even between marketing strategy and design characteristics are rarely seen. In this study, the author first synthesised perspectives from the literature on marketing strategy, design strategy, and design characteristics. Managers in the marketing divisions and B2B design departments in the Taiwan consumer electronic industry were questionnaire survey. The data fit to the theoretical models was then verified by structural equation modelling (SEM). Data from 270 effective questionnaires confirmed strong correlations with marketing strategy, design strategy, and design characteristics. In enterprises, marketing strategy affects design characteristics directly and through design strategy. Among these three variables, design strategy is an independent intervening variable in design characteristics.

INNOVATIVE PRODUCT DESIGN APPROACHES FOR IMPLEMENTING MARKETING STRATEGY: THE LINKAGE

Taiwanese consumer electronic products are favored by consumers globally, owing to the producing industrys ability to rapidly generate innovations. This study examined local consumer electronics industry enterprises for their product marketing strategies adopted to establish market advantage to deal with global competition. For assessing their product innovation approaches to marketing strategy, a questionnaire survey was conducted, and through factor analysis and cluster analysis these companies were classified into four different marketing strategic groups (Market Leader, Market Focus, Market Challenge, and Market Niche). In-depth case study was then conducted on selected companies in each of these groups.These enterprises in different marketing strategic groups each adopted a different approach in design innovation. More importantly, there exist tight relationships between enterprises in each group and their corresponding characteristics in innovation type, market goals, appeals, and features. This model of marketing strategic group and its matching characteristics may serve as a reference list. For example, a company may choose characteristics according to its current group; or, if a company is interested in moving into another group, it will know which characteristics to adopt.

Design-oriented strategy typology and innovation framework

Purpose Using Taiwanese enterprises that produce computer and consumer electronics products as case subjects, this study aims to explore the effective product innovation strategies applied to cope with competition in the global market and develop a competitive advantage. The product design strategies and methods of companies that used different types of innovation strategies were then analyzed. Finally, a mapping framework for product innovation and design strategies was proposed for enterprises in the computer and consumer electronics industry in Taiwan. Design/methodology/approach The two stages of this study were a questionnaire survey and case studies. Stage 1: A questionnaire survey and literature review were performed to explore the innovation strategies used by companies in the Taiwanese computer and consumer electronics industry. The purpose of the literature review was to determine the definitions and content of innovation strategies. Stage 2: Design and R&D managers were interviewed to explore the practical design strategies and approaches to product design in the industry. Findings These four innovation strategies and ways of product design are closely related to the scale, business type and product development conditions in enterprises. Notably, different innovation strategies have different approaches to product design. Generally, product design emphasizes “new experience” in aggressive innovation enterprises, “new value” in market innovation enterprises, “new service” in technical innovation enterprises and “new positioning” in opportunity innovation enterprises. The findings of this study provide a reference for product R&D and design in enterprises. Originality/value In recent years, the global market of computer and consumer electronic products has been fiercely competitive. Therefore, only enterprises that can innovate, respond rapidly and maintain advantages in product design can survive in the market. Hopefully, this case study of companies in the Taiwan computer and consumer electronic industry can provide a reference for product R&D and design. The findings of this study provide a reference for product R&D and design in enterprises, especially the Chinese market.