Net Present Value Techniques and Their Effects on New Product Research

Abstract This article presents an exploratory analysis of the effects of emphasizing net present value techniques and short-term returns in the analysis and selection of new product research projects. A large body of literature exists in economics indicating that such emphases hinder successful innovation, yet the authors usually argue from anecdotal and case-generated data. We present empirical results that lend support to the aforementioned criticisms of net present value techniques and the short-term biases that they reflect.

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