In this paper, we report on the results of a large-scale study about typical front-end-related innovation practices in 553 Japanese mechanical and electrical engineering companies. We explore typical activities concerning the generation and assessment of new product ideas, the reduction of...

As a consequence of the demographic change, the workforce is aging and shrinking at the same time. Based on the resource-based view of the firm, we discuss implications for innovation and human resource management in SMEs. A review of the literature and empirical studies show that a shortage of...

In this study of new product development projects, the fuzzy front end of innovation was explored. The new product development process has multiple stages, so two types of fuzzy front end impacts on the success of new product development were examined: (1) a direct impact and (2) an indirect...