TY - JOUR
T1 - Developing complex, business-to-business products
T2 - Issues and implications
AU - Madhavaram, Sreedhar
AU - Appan, Radha
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify issues that are critical to developing complex, business-to-business products and discuss implications for vendor firms. Design/methodology/approach: This paper employs the critical review approach to current complex product literature and draws from relevant literature streams in engineering, management, and marketing to propose a conceptual framework. Findings: The critical review of the complex products research reveals the following as critical issues for research and practice in the development of complex products: definition, internal and external complexity, product and process complexity, standardized to customized complex products continuum, component and process modularity, and operant resources. Research limitations/implications: This paper identifies six specific operant resources that are critical to the development of complex products and proposes a conceptual framework. Clearly, more needs to be done in terms of theoretical and empirical research with reference to the development of complex, business-to-business products. For example, researchers could empirically test the proposed framework; identify other relevant operant resources; and critique the proposed framework and develop a new, more comprehensive framework. Practical implications: Firms that develop complex products could focus on developing the six operant resources that can help them become competent in developing complex products; and developing organizational structures and policies and providing an organizational environment that is conducive to developing robust internal and external social capital. Originality/value: The proposed conceptual framework provides a theoretical foundation for practitioners and researchers to build on.
AB - Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify issues that are critical to developing complex, business-to-business products and discuss implications for vendor firms. Design/methodology/approach: This paper employs the critical review approach to current complex product literature and draws from relevant literature streams in engineering, management, and marketing to propose a conceptual framework. Findings: The critical review of the complex products research reveals the following as critical issues for research and practice in the development of complex products: definition, internal and external complexity, product and process complexity, standardized to customized complex products continuum, component and process modularity, and operant resources. Research limitations/implications: This paper identifies six specific operant resources that are critical to the development of complex products and proposes a conceptual framework. Clearly, more needs to be done in terms of theoretical and empirical research with reference to the development of complex, business-to-business products. For example, researchers could empirically test the proposed framework; identify other relevant operant resources; and critique the proposed framework and develop a new, more comprehensive framework. Practical implications: Firms that develop complex products could focus on developing the six operant resources that can help them become competent in developing complex products; and developing organizational structures and policies and providing an organizational environment that is conducive to developing robust internal and external social capital. Originality/value: The proposed conceptual framework provides a theoretical foundation for practitioners and researchers to build on.
KW - Business-to-business marketing
KW - Critical thinking
KW - Product development
KW - Product management
KW - Resources
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77954222205&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1108/01409171011055807
DO - 10.1108/01409171011055807
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77954222205
VL - 33
SP - 715
EP - 733
JO - Management Research Review
JF - Management Research Review
SN - 2040-8269
IS - 7
ER -