WHEN INTRA-FIRM AND INTER-FIRM COLLABORATIONS CO-OCCUR: COMPARING THEIR IMPACT ACROSS NEW SERVICES VERSUS NEW PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Abstract

There is evidence that intra-firm collaboration and inter-firm collaboration are important for new service development (NSD) and new product development (NPD) success. However, evidence of the contributions of each to innovative outcomes is inconsistent. This inconsistency is associated with the tendency of studies to examine the impact of intra-firm collaboration or inter-firm collaborations exclusively. However, most firms involved in NSD or NPD engage simultaneously in intra-firm and inter-firm collaborations. Using a multi-dimensional conception of collaboration we advance a deeper understanding of the relative contributions of these attributes in intra-firm versus inter-firm collaborative environments during NSD versus NPD. Analyses of survey data from 134 innovations confirm that collaboration clearly matters for both NSD and NPD success, but its impact differs depending on (a) whether a new product or service was developed, (b) on the collaborative environment (intra-firm or inter-firm), and (c) on the collaborative attributes examined. Implications for advancing innovation theory and practice are provided.