Managers' perceptions of learning in new product development

Abstract

Purpose Post‐project reviews (PPRs) are widely recommended as an appropriate mechanism to stimulate project‐to‐project learning in new product development (NPD) teams. However, empirical research on their potential is limited and so this study aims to answer two questions: how do NPD professionals perceive PPRs? and is tacit knowledge created during PPRs? Design/methodology/approach Five in‐depth case studies were conducted in German companies. The main sources of data were: company documentation; in‐depth interviews with managers; and observation of PPRs. The different data sources enabled extensive data triangulation and a high degree of reliability and validity to be achieved. Findings The results indicate that NPD personnel perceive PPRs to be a very useful mechanism. They also show that social interactions and tacit knowledge play key roles in NPD learning. Research limitations/implications Tacit knowledge was investigated using a proxy measure – the usage of metaphors and stories in NPD discussions and documents. More robust ways of studying the generation and transfer of tacit knowledge are needed. The whole area of knowledge and learning in NPD requires significant further study. Practical implications Management needs to drive the dissemination of the results of PPRs more effectively, in order to make more use of the tacit knowledge generated. Originality/value The main contributions of this study are the insights it provides on how PPRs are perceived and the exploratory investigation it makes of tacit knowledge – a complex topic that has previously only been discussed at a theoretical level.

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