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Increasing R&D and Marketing Integration in the Fuzzy Front End to Stimulate and Support Radical innovation

Melin, Sara LU and Einarsson, Stefan (2014) FEKP02 20141
Department of Business Administration
Lund University School of Economics and Management, LUSEM
Abstract
Large and mature companies often struggle with their capability of introducing radical innovations, as they can be in conflict with existing business model, processes and bureaucracy. A vital phase of the radical innovation process is the first phase, called the Fuzzy Front End. Scholars claim that FFE activities are entailed with much complexity and uncertainty, yet crucial for a company’s competitive advantage. Innovation success is highly dependent on the integration between R&D and Marketing, which tends to be low in large and mature companies. The effects of R&D and Marketing integration in the FFE, when aiming to support radical innovation, have been little academically explored. Through conducting a case study on a Global... (More)
Large and mature companies often struggle with their capability of introducing radical innovations, as they can be in conflict with existing business model, processes and bureaucracy. A vital phase of the radical innovation process is the first phase, called the Fuzzy Front End. Scholars claim that FFE activities are entailed with much complexity and uncertainty, yet crucial for a company’s competitive advantage. Innovation success is highly dependent on the integration between R&D and Marketing, which tends to be low in large and mature companies. The effects of R&D and Marketing integration in the FFE, when aiming to support radical innovation, have been little academically explored. Through conducting a case study on a Global Manufacturing Company, the study aims to better understand challenges and opportunities of increasing R&D and Marketing integration in the Fuzzy Front End to support radical innovation. The study shows there are many external factors driving increased need for integration and physical barriers and different organizational responsibilities were considered the highest barriers for the case company. Most evident potential positive effects of increased integration were deemed: helping to grasp market and technology opportunities, making better business assessments and aligning goals and visions for the departments. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Melin, Sara LU and Einarsson, Stefan
supervisor
organization
course
FEKP02 20141
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Innovation Radical innovation Fuzzy Front End R&D and Marketing integration Large and mature companies
report number
271
ISSN
1651-0100
language
English
id
4456247
date added to LUP
2015-08-19 11:13:44
date last changed
2015-08-19 11:13:44
@misc{4456247,
  abstract     = {{Large and mature companies often struggle with their capability of introducing radical innovations, as they can be in conflict with existing business model, processes and bureaucracy. A vital phase of the radical innovation process is the first phase, called the Fuzzy Front End. Scholars claim that FFE activities are entailed with much complexity and uncertainty, yet crucial for a company’s competitive advantage. Innovation success is highly dependent on the integration between R&D and Marketing, which tends to be low in large and mature companies. The effects of R&D and Marketing integration in the FFE, when aiming to support radical innovation, have been little academically explored. Through conducting a case study on a Global Manufacturing Company, the study aims to better understand challenges and opportunities of increasing R&D and Marketing integration in the Fuzzy Front End to support radical innovation. The study shows there are many external factors driving increased need for integration and physical barriers and different organizational responsibilities were considered the highest barriers for the case company. Most evident potential positive effects of increased integration were deemed: helping to grasp market and technology opportunities, making better business assessments and aligning goals and visions for the departments.}},
  author       = {{Melin, Sara and Einarsson, Stefan}},
  issn         = {{1651-0100}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Increasing R&D and Marketing Integration in the Fuzzy Front End to Stimulate and Support Radical innovation}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}