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Researchers have recognized the unique characteristics of innovation in the food industry since at least the early 1980s (Ettlie 1983). Since this time much research has shed light on our understanding. Significant amongst these findings is the recognition that in low and medium technology (LMT) intensive industries the traditional science and technology model of innovation is not applicable and cannot explain continued product and process innovations (see Bush, 1945; Maclaurin, 1953; Arrow, 1968; Pavitt, 2001; Fitjar and Rodriguez-Pose, 2013). Further, in the classic article by Pavitt (1984: 343–373) he spelt out, in his typology of firms, that 'LMT industries are characterised by process, organisational and marketing innovations, by weak internal innovation capabilities and by strong dependencies on the external provision of machines, equipment and software'. LMT sectors are central to economic growth. Whether measured in terms of output, capital invested or employment, they dominate the economies of highly developed as well as developing nations, providing more than ninety percent of output in the European Union, the USA and Japan. Given this dominant position within modern industrialised economies attempting to better understand the nature of innovation within this sector is of concern to policy makers and industrialists.

Purpose– The purpose of this study is to: contribute to existing models of new product development (NPD) and provide new understanding of how a new product's packaging is managed and integrated into the NPD process of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) firms and build on prior research, suggesting that firms lack a pipeline of new packaging innovations by uncovering the factors that influence this pipeline issue.Design/methodology/approach– A grounded theory methodology was adopted. Research was conducted through a total of 37 interviews with key informants in the UK FMCG industry, packaging industry and associated firms.Findings– Three distinct levels of packaging development were revealed: skin deep, body modification and format change. The emphasis within many firms is primarily on changes to packaging at the level of the label (skin deep) or aesthetic design (body modification), whilst technological and format changes are overlooked. The factors that contribute to the level at which development is undertaken are identified.Research limitations/implications– Existing literature has largely examined packaging at the level of skin-deep and body modification. The development of new packaging technology has been overlooked. This study's propositions guide the way forward for further research.Practical implications– For firms, the development of new formats and genuine packaging innovation may be being overlooked. There is a need for them to re-examine their activities to ensure that they are addressing all three levels.Originality/value– This theory-building study has generated a new typology which, alongside the unique framework, reveals the factors influencing the level of emphasis within firms.

Packaging plays a key role in product success, particularly in the fast moving consumer goods industry (Wansink and Huffman, 2001) and can affect consumers' purchasing decisions at the point of sale (Sara, 1990). However, relatively little has been written about packaging in the marketing literature (Johnsson, 1998; Saghir, 2002; Rundh, 2005). The purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretical framework with which to examine how packaging contributes to marketing in general and new product development (NPD) in particular. The paper reviews the literature and develops a unique framework that can be used to evaluate more fully the needs of all parties that are relevant to the development of packaging, including members of the distribution channel. This framework aims to provide new insight into the creation of new product opportunities through packaging development in a more systematic way than has been evidenced in the past.

Purpose– The field of research on resource-based competition is full of nuanced terminology and misunderstandings. This has led to confusion, and thus the authors offer a critical review, which provides a structure and clarity to this subject. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach– This analysis structures the literature on resources, capabilities, and competences into three distinct schools of thought: the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm, the rational-equilibrium school; the dynamic capability-based view of the firm, the behavioural-evolutionary school; and the competence-based view of the firm, the social constructionist school.Findings– The authors uncover 13 criticisms of the most widely adopted theoretical framework of the RBV of the firm – Valuable-Rare-Imperfectly imitable-Organisation (VRIO).Research limitations/implications– The misinterpretation and neglect of the classic scholarly work may help to explain why the VRIO framework has been elevated from a view to a theory and why it has received so much attention.Practical implications– The authors show how the relative ease of measuring resources as compared to (dynamic) capabilities and (core) competencies has helped raise the profile of RBV.Originality/value– This analysis contributes to management research by illustrating the deviation among the three schools of thought; the authors show how this has contributed to wide terminological confusion and offer a structure to help researchers situate their work within the relevant school of thought.

In this paper we discuss how to develop service innovation through building branding competence. We demonstrate that using relationships in a process of sharing adds value to the service innovation process. We draw upon two distinct perspectives in the literature. We agree that value in new service development comes from incorporating the consumer. Yet we also deduce that it is the firm's core competencies that provide optimal resources for innovation. We then conceptualize how these two perspectives on service innovation can be integrated around relationships incorporating the 'customer resource'. This process is relational, interactive service innovation. The conceptual framework we have developed offers a different approach for companies to view the new service development process in general and the building of branding competence in particular. We suggest that organizations may be able to improve their new service development process by emphasizing the internal and external linkages within the management of innovation.

AbstractThe importance of involving citizens in the early stages of public sector innovation and bottom‐up governance arrangements for collaboration has been proposed in a number of theoretical papers. However, to date, few empirical studies are evident in the literature. To deepen our understanding of collaborative public sector innovation, our exploratory article analyses: (i) the actors of collaboration, (ii) collaboration across the innovation stages, (iii) the perceived aspects of collaboration for innovative outcomes, and (iv) the governance of collaboration. Our analysis covers 99 innovations from Italy, Japan, and Turkey. We reveal that collaboration still largely occurs within the bureaucracy of public sector organizations. Attempts to include civic and private sectors are evident, depending on the country context. Further, we uncover that a mutual understanding and shared goals are crucial for success, which is accomplished through top‐down governance as opposed to self‐governed bottom‐up networks.

Abstract

This paper addresses a significant gap within the present body of work on the resource‐based view of the firm: the lack of empirical research on the resource‐based perspective within the SME sector (Newbert, 2007).


This study applies the resource‐based view and core competencies analysis in a very practical situation: a small manufacturing firm in the UK. The study is the result of a two‐year 'action research' project where the researcher was embedded within the firm. The manufacturing firm supplies hydraulic tube assemblies to the yellow construction industry and has experienced rapid growth over the past 10 years. Using a causal mapping methodology the findings reveal distinctive capabilities that the firm is able to use as a basis for diversification into the leisure marine industry.


The findings contribute to the body of literature on the resource‐based view of the firm by providing a methodological approach which helps to uncover core competencies in practice.

Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.