Cooperation in New Product Development

Abstract

This study analyses the drivers and impact of cooperation with external partners in the new product development (NPD) of small technology-based firms (STBFs). The authors used a mixed-method research design, carrying out 49 semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with STBFs in Germany. For data analysis, inter-coder agreement, content analysis, descriptive categorizations and contingency tables using Bayesian probabilities were applied. The authors found that STBFs predominantly cooperated with universities, non-university research institutions or laboratories, other enterprises and public agencies. Resource shortages in NPD were frequent among the STBFs in the study and, when faced with such shortages, STBFs had a higher propensity to cooperate with external partners. More specifically, qualification deficits were the most prominent cooperation driver. Furthermore, cooperation with external partners had a positive influence on the innovation success of STBFs. Several theoretical and practical implications are presented.