Developing new products--an action, interaction and contextual approach

Most new-product models are based on the assumption that the development process can be planned. It is argued here that innovation development is by no means as goal-oriented or linear as these models suggest. The process has more of an emergent, trial-and-error character. The results of several studies indicate that the development process can be explained much better in action, interaction and contextual terms than in terms of planning. Earlier models are too limited. They do not grasp the innovative background, the competence-building activities, the interaction with customers and suppliers or the driving forces and mechanisms in the process. The purpose of this paper is to suggest and develop a new, alternative approach incorporating these other aspects.

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