Fighting the fire: improvisational behavior during the production launch of new products
International Journal of Operations & Production Management
ISSN: 0144-3577
Article publication date: 27 May 2014
Abstract
Purpose
Short-term problem solving during production launch may result in extended lead times and increased overall costs of new product development, thereby reducing the overall profitability of a new product. While the previous literature suggests formalized procedures and systematic problem solving approaches, empirical analyses indicate improvised, non-systematic, and ad hoc responses actually being used in firms’ real world problem solving processes. The purpose of this paper is to explain the role of such non-systematic approaches for the efficiency and effectiveness of problem solving processes during production launch.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper empirically explores the impact of improvisational problem-solving behavior on a firm's production launch efficiency and on the success of new products. Moreover, the paper investigates the moderating role of technology familiarity, project complexity, and the number of occurring problems during production launch.
Findings
The paper finds evidence for a positive curvilinear effect of improvisational problem-solving behavior on new product success and production launch efficiency. Additionally, the paper finds that improvisation is especially reasonable in complex and familiar projects or in the case of many unplanned changes during production launch.
Research limitations/implications
The study provides evidence for the relevance of routinized and improvisational behavior during production launch.
Practical implications
Improvisational behavior decreases the performance of the production launch and the financial performance of a new product in the case of frequent product changes or complex projects.
Originality/value
For the first time behavioral theory is applied to the phenomenon of production launch and problem solving.
Keywords
Citation
Gross, U. (2014), "Fighting the fire: improvisational behavior during the production launch of new products", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 34 No. 6, pp. 722-749. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-08-2012-0306
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited