Market-oriented product development as an organizational learning capability: findings from two cases

Abstract

Conceptualizing market orientation at the level of the product development process is relevant, because market orientation is a highly critical factor for new product success and this conceptualization can be used as a starting-point to transform the whole organization into a more market oriented one. Market-oriented product development appears to be more than carrying out a number of marketing activities in a product development process. Using concepts from resourcebased theory and organizational learning theory, we draw up a conceptual framework of marketoriented product development as an organizational learning capability substantiated by findings from two case studies. This capability encapsulates the values and norms, knowledge and skills, technical and managerial knowledge systems, which enable learning about markets through information processing behavior in product development and improve this market learning behavior. This conceptualization stimulates research on operationalizing market orientation in the managerial context of a critical business process and research on enhancing the degree of market orientation.