Title: How to implement secondary product innovations for the domestic market: a case from Haier washing machines

Authors: Xiaobo Wu; Wei Dou; Yu Gao; Fangli Huang

Addresses: School of Management, Zhejiang University, 1101a, Management Building, Zi Jingang Campus, Hangzhou, 310058, China ' School of Management, Zhejiang University, 1101a, Management Building, Zi Jingang Campus, Hangzhou, 310058, China ' School of Management, Zhejiang University, 1101a, Management Building, Zi Jingang Campus, Hangzhou, 310058, China ' School of Management, Zhejiang University, 1101a, Management Building, Zi Jingang Campus, Hangzhou, 310058, China

Abstract: The large domestic market of China has provided opportunities for Chinese firms to implement successful product innovations based partially on imported technology. This paper analyses the secondary product innovations as redesigning and reconstructing the original product architecture of first movers in order to adapt to the customer needs in the domestic market. We have found that latecomers can implement secondary product innovations for the domestic market in three ways: architecture localisation (adjusting to general local needs), customer-triggered special design (changing to penetrate segments with special needs), and derivative integration (reconstructing/recombining components). Considering those implementation methods, there has been an induction of secondary product innovation stages in Haier washing machines. This paper contributes to latecomer market adaptation and product architecture issues in addition to the traditional technological catch-up analysis.

Keywords: latecomers; customer-market orientation; product architecture; secondary product innovation; domestic markets; case study; Haier washing machines; China; product redesign; product reconstruction; market adaptation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2014.059930

International Journal of Technology Management, 2014 Vol.64 No.2/3/4, pp.232 - 254

Accepted: 06 Nov 2012
Published online: 10 May 2014 *

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