Title: Networking for global new product innovation

Authors: Edward F. McDonough III, Nicholas Athanassiou, Gloria Barczak

Addresses: Northeastern University, College of Business Administration, Boston, MA 02115, USA. ' Northeastern University, College of Business Administration, Boston, MA 02115, USA. ' Northeastern University, College of Business Administration, Boston, MA 02115, USA

Abstract: The competitive advantage of companies that successfully develop new products globally lies in their ability to effectively manage knowledge across national boundaries. When it comes to global innovation, it is the dynamic creation, accessing and transfer of knowledge – explicit and tacit – that makes the difference between success and failure. Yet, we have a limited understanding of how global firms create, access, and transfer knowledge that is scattered worldwide to innovate in their product development process. Based on the findings from our two year investigation of the global product development effort of an international organisation, we suggest how social networks are used to manage complex interdependencies and create social capital that is leveraged to access knowledge critical to global innovation.

Keywords: global innovation; social capital; social networks; knowledge transfer; new product innovation; new product development; NPD; globalisation; business innovation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIR.2006.011086

International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 2006 Vol.1 No.1/2, pp.9 - 26

Published online: 13 Oct 2006 *

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