Recipes for new product success: the interplay between orientations and environmental turbulence

Purpose – Prior studies suggest that strategic orientations not only impact innovation outcomes individually but also by interacting with each other and with environmental factors. Yet, inconsistent results in the literature remain, likely due to the common use of regression analysis and related limitations in capturing the complex reality of interdependent effects. This paper aims to overcome this challenge. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on configuration theory, this research uses fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis to investigate configurations of customer, competitor and technology orientations, interfunctional coordination (IC) and environmental turbulence leading to new product success (NP) among high-tech manufacturing business-to-business firms. Findings – Findings show seven configurations of strategic orientations as determining NP, including four configurations specific to firms operating in turbulent environments. Originality/value – This study offers important theoretical, empirical and managerial contributions. In particular, it is the first to reveal configurations of strategic orientations that determine NP. It also advances knowledge by delineating those configurations that are most suited to firms operating in turbulent environments. Finally, findings demonstrate the interchangeable nature of facets traditionally joined as a single market orientation construct – customer and competitor orientation as well as IC.Joanne Ho, Carolin Plew