A cross-national survey on norm and nature of idea generation in new product development

The nature of idea generation in new product development is challenging, competing, risky, and requires an interdisciplinary approach. Being aware of the types, sources, techniques, and metrics of ideation is crucial for the achievement of effective and efficient idea generation. The present research attempts to identify the support mechanisms used within different national cultures in terms of generating new product ideas. A descriptive survey was conducted in order to exemplify idea generation norms in new product development and to establish the nature of this process from a multidisciplinary perspective. Then, an explorative qualitative research was carried out with the participation of 78 experts from 39 countries. Subsequently, partial raw data were refined, categorized, and interpreted via content analysis. The literature on idea generation in new product development ought to be more explorative rather than confirmative; it also needs to adopt a wider perspective because of the multidisciplinary nature of the phenomenon it is concerned with. Since successful idea generation can be cultivated along with the development of human capital, more importance should be attached to interdisciplinarity in human resources, multidisciplinarity in human skills, and perceptual vision than to technical excellence.