The new product development (NPD) process is frequently described as a sequence of information processing activities, but "information in NPD" occupies a broader conceptual space than the reduction of uncertainty. This article reviews the area of "information in NPD" by examining the literature on environmental scanning, market orientation, gatekeepers, cross-functional integration, and information use. It is argued that we can understand the process of managing information in terms of three steps: Acquiring, sharing and using. A tentative framework for this area is proposed, and managerial implications resulting from this literature review and tentative frame are outlined and presented.

Research on outsourcing normally focuses on outsourcing of production and often uses large firms as samples. Only a few studies address the outsourcing of services or knowledge-intensive activities such as new product development (NPD), and especially in the context of medium-sized firms. Our earlier research in medium-sized firms indicates that outsourcing of NPD is frequent in medium-sized firms, and that there is a lack of knowledge about the phenomenon. This article offers a theoretical framework to study the outsourcing of NPD, and includes the results from a longitudinal case study carried out in six Swedish medium-sized firms to help understand the rationales behind outsourcing of NPD. Results from the present study indicate that ‘good enough’ is the keyword for medium-sized firms with limited resources. This means that it is considered more important with proximity and trust than world class competence, since close and frequent contacts are crucial, when outsourcing knowledge-intensive activities such as NPD. A conceptual model and a definition of the good enough concept are also presented.

Recently, there has been a considerable interest for New Product Development (NPD) in Malaysian firms. The purpose of this study is to highlight the use of NPD processes and methods in Malaysian industry with focus on the formal NPD-processes, NPD Strategies, Outsourcing of NPD activities, and the Organizing of NPD. A total of 72 useful questionnaires were analyzed in the study. The results from the study are compared with the results from similar studies that have been carried out in US and Sweden in the same context. The results indicate that the use of formal NPD-processes, in Malaysia, is markedly lower than in USA and Sweden. © 2009 World Scientific Publishing

Research often suggests that formal New Product Development (NPD) processes increase the success rate of NPD projects in a firm. However, recent studies indicate a relatively low usage of formal NPD-processes. Very few studies of NPD practices have been carried out in contexts other than that of the US, thus it is of interest to explore whether or not important differences exist. The present study aims to identify the use of and practices within formal NPD-processes in Swedish manufacturing firms and to compare the results with a study conducted in a US context. The results indicate that differences exist in for example reward systems for NPD teams.

With the development of globalization, companies will need worldwide resources for R&D. Multinational corporations (MNCs) will rely on their subunits located in different countries for R&D. As a result, knowledge transfer between headquarters and subunits or among subunits will be crucial for MNCs to operate their R&D activities. This study explores the relationship between knowledge transfer and R&D operations, using a qualitative research approach including four multinational companies. We conducted a cross-case analysis connecting four R&D configurations and two knowledge transfer mechanisms: expatriate management policy and communication frequency. Results show that both transfer mechanisms are very important for MNCs for the management of knowledge transfer in global R&D operations. However, each of these mechanisms will need different a focus depending on R&D strategy and configuration. The article summarizes recommendations for managers as drawn from these insights. © 2015 World Scientific Publishing Company.