Decisions & Communication in Product Innovation

SD06.1 Beyond the New Product Development Speed Limit

• Barry L. Bayus; University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business Sch., CB 3490, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3490; barry.bayus@unc.edu

Time-to-market decisions are on the mind of most companies. Trade-offs between time-to-market, product performance and quality, and development costs require consideration. Normative and empirical analyses argue products should not be rushed to market unless a careful analysis of the benefits and costs indicate that this is indeed the best strategy.

SD06.2 Decision Making Effectiveness in Virtual New Product Teams

• Mitzi M. Montoya-Weiss; North Carolina State University, Dept. of Bus. Mgmt., 132J Nelson Hall, Box 7229, Raleigh, NC 27695-7229; mitzi_montoya-weiss@ncsu.edu

As NPD becomes increasingly global in scope, new product teams are often composed of individuals who are not co-located. Information technology enables dispersed team communication. This study compares the decision making behaviors of co-located and dispersed new product teams. The dispersed teams in this study communicate via Lotus Notes.

SD06.3 Challenges in Corporate & University R&D Collaboration

• Diane H. Sonnenwald; University of North Carolina, Sch. of Info. & Library Sci., 100 Manning Hall, CB 3360, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3360; dhs@ils.unc.edu

Corporations and universities establish collaborative relationships to create innovative products and support university research. Such collaborations require employees and faculty to mutually develop the collaborative process. Results of interviews with collaboration participants are presented. Significant challenges that can impede collaboration are rooted in organizational environments, project goals, and interpersonal relationships.

SD06.4 Requirements Determination for Time-Paced Software Development

• Mohan V. Tatikonda; University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Bus. School, McColl Bldg., CB 3490, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3490; mohan_tatikonda@unc.edu

Releasing new products on a regular time periodic basis is gaining attention but is not well understood. A major commercial developer of mainframe and shrink-wrap software is examined to identify how results from annual installed-base customer satisfaction surveys can best be used to prioritize product requirements for subsequent releases.