Customer involvement in New Product Development: The case of New Technology-Based Firms (Nbts)

Abstract

This paper analyses the effects of consumer involvement in new product development (NPD) on innovation level. In recent times Open Innovation model is developing thanks to the positive effects in the results for enterprises and, in this framework, social networks are a support for implementing it. The research focus on New Technology-based Firms (NBTs) to recognize behavior structural and to know business perception about collaborative innovation potential as well as contribution in competitiveness. The objectives are: (1) to review the different approaches to collaborate with consumer in NPD, (2) to analyse how social networks help to adopt Open Innovation model and (3) to verify if enterprises whose consumers are involved in innovation process get better results. A cluster analysis propose three different groups, each one has a special way to assume Open Innovation model. Moreover the dissimilarity between groups, NBTs match with the use of social networks to establish a co-creation environment because they want to increase their profits and their brand positioning. The main practical implication is that social networks become in a useful tool for meeting better consumers and, moreover, for supporting company innovation level.