CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND INTER-PROJECT LEARNING IN NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

In an age of discontinuity, one of the few sources of sustainable comp etitive advantage remains in the ability of companies to innovate thei r products effectively. As innovative processes for products become mo re frequent and strategically relevant, long-term competitiveness comp els firms to exploit synergy and learning among projects. In fact, mas tering the overall process of knowledge creation, dissemination and ap plication is the basis for creating and continuously improving a capab ility in product development. Learning through sequences of unique inn ovations, however, is neither simple nor natural, but requires adequat e enabling mechanisms. This paper proposes an interpretative model of learning in product innovation. The objective is to identify the barri ers that inhibit learning and the main enabling mechanisms to overcome them. The application of these mechanisms and their effects on a firm 's performance are discussed on the basis of the results of research i nvolving nineteen case studies of Italian and Swedish companies.