The enablers, inhibitors and triggers of NPD in SMEs

Conceptual research indicates that SMEs access to MI (Market Intelligence) data is crucial to increasing their response to decision-making in dynamic markets. Despite this , SMEs lack access to formalized data sources readily available to larger firms, resulting in an ad hoc approach to translating consumer insights into NPD outputs, limiting their ability to meet specific consumer.
Recent research has shown that that SMEs embrace MI data when provided, and has proven critical for SMEs to strengthen their market orientation and begin to inform a consumer-centric NPD process. Academics in this field have established that MI contributes towards the development of small business marketing capabilities and following MI data exposure SMEs adopt an insight-led approach to NPD. However, a gap in the literature remains, with recommendations suggesting that further research is needed to explore small-firm utilization of MI at specific points/stages of the NPD process. Research has explored how SMEs use the data, but this study seeks to address where MI embeds at specific points along the NPD process, whilst exploring capabilities as the enablers to a successful NPD process.
The proposed methodology for this study is a three stage qualitative approach over a longitudinal period of ten months working with SMEs from the NI Food and Drink Sector. Stage one involves semi-structured interviews to understand NPD processes and MI sources used. After the initial interview, participants will be provided with MI data from the Market Intelligence Lab UU Coleraine Campus. Stage two employs participant observation (with the researcher taking the role of observer as participant) to understand NPD practices and MI utilization. Stage three entails final semi-structured interviews to assess MI usage along the NPD process and where it embeds at specific points.