Splendid Isolation : Does Networking Really Increase New Product Success?

This paper presents the case for and against the involvement of external organizations in new product development projects. It examines both the frequency of interaction of firms with their customers, suppliers, universities, research institutes and competitors, and also the correlation between such interaction and new product success. Empirical data were collected from 60 electronics firms in Ireland and the UK using a well-established framework ((Souder, et al., 1998). The analysis examines small and large, Irish and UK firms and concludes that the impact of networking and collaboration on new product success is dependent on a range of factors and should not be viewed as a panacea for product development problems