European Journal of Innovation Management

Axel Johne

doi: 10.1108/14601069910248838pmid: N/A

This article reviews three types of innovation which contribute to organic business development: product innovation, process innovation and market innovation. It argues that market innovation ‐ defined as improving the mix of target markets and how these are served ‐ provides a powerful focus for identifying new business opportunities. Examples from the field of financial services illustrate how skilful market innovation can serve to grow a business as well as to safeguard it from attacks by competitors.

Angel R. Martínez Lorente; Frank Dewhurst; Barrie G. Dale

doi: 10.1108/14601069910248847pmid: N/A

Business innovation, that is, the adaptation of management systems to the changing conditions of the environment, is a key factor for organisations if they wish to survive and grow. Total quality management (TQM) has demonstrated its potential to be a successful way for organisations to elimintate costs, improve productivity and gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. However, are TQM and business innovation compatible? The advantages and disadvantages to TQM as a means of developing and facilitating business innovations are discussed in this paper. It is argued that TQM does not hinder business innovation and some of its dimensions can assist an organsation to be more innovative. The compatibility of reengineering, which is a form of business innovation, with TQM is also considered in the paper, along with the effects of TQM on the successful implementation of information technologies.

Susan Hart; Nikolaos Tzokas; Michael Saren

doi: 10.1108/14601069910248856pmid: N/A

An overview of the success/failure literature in new product development points to a long list of critical success factors (CSF), which define what should be done to enhance new product success rates but not how to do it. The net result is failure rates which are marginal improvements on previous decades. The basic tenet of this paper is that the effective use of market information throughout the new product development process (NPD) can enhance the success rates of new products. We examine the contingencies affecting the perceived utility and use of market information in the NPD process and develop propositions describing these contingencies. The outcome of our discussion is a conceptual framework, which can aid research in this critical area of organisational activity.

Pervaiz K. Ahmed; Mohamed Zairi

doi: 10.1108/14601069910248865pmid: N/A

Notes that benchmarking is an under‐utilised tool in the field of innovation. Examines consumer brands in the UK cosmetics and toiletries sector and attempts to use both soft and hard metrics in terms of benchmarking measurement. Considers various types of benchmarking approach and also the nature of both “hard” and “soft” measurement. Focuses on numerous factors relating to brands, using data from the cosmetics and toiletries sector. Concludes by underlining the need for organizations to pay attention to both quantitative and qualitative dimensions if benchmarking is to be effective.