AbstractsBusiness Management & Administration

Managing the front and of innovation (FEI) activities have become a critical issue in the new product development process. Previous researchers have found out, that effectively managed FEI process could have a positive effect both on FEI and new product development process performance. This research paper focuses on issues related to organizational attributes and their impact on FEI performance. More precisely, the aim of the study was to find out if four organizational attributes: innovation strategy, innovation culture, senior management commitment and proper organized team have a positive impact on front end of innovation performance, as one of the most significant, but highly unpredictable phases of innovation processes. A quantitative research methodology was applied to answer the research questions. Thirty-five software development and IT service providing companies were randomly chosen to participate in the research. The finding results confirmed, that organizational attributes applied in this research: innovation strategy, innovation culture, senior management commitment and properly organized team are positively correlated with the front end of innovation performance and explain approximately 45% of FEI performance. Furthermore, the research demonstrated a strong positive correlation between innovation strategy and FEI performance. It was also found out a moderate positive correlation between FEI performance and another organizational attributes: innovation culture, senior management commitment and team organization. The research findings indicate a strong necessity in improving the efficiency of the FEI process and need more focus on time and financial resources utilization. Current results also demonstrate a relatively high level of effectiveness of the FEI process within the Icelandic IT organizations. This research contributes to understanding and decision-making for the choosing right modus operandi for implementing and improving the FEI activities, what in turn could have a positive effect on FEI performance and innovation process in whole. Við þróun nýrrar vöru skiptir forstig nýsköpunar (e. front end of innovation) gríðarmiklu máli. Rannsóknir hafa sýnt að sé ferli forstigs nýsköpunar stýrt á skilvirkan hátt hefur það jákvæð áhrif á bæði forstig nýsköpunar og árangur vöruþróunar. Í þessari rannsóknarritgerð er fengist við áhrif eiginleika fyrirtækja á forstig nýsköpunar. Nánar tiltekið var markmið rannsóknarinnar að finna út hvort nýsköpunarstefna, nýsköpunarmenning, stuðningur yfirstjórnenda og skipulag hópa, hafa jákvæð áhrif á árangur forstigs nýsköpunar, sem er einn mikilvægasti en ófyrirsjáanlegasti þáttur í nýsköpunarferlum. Megindlegum rannsóknaraðferðum var beitt til þess að svara þessum spurningum. Þrjátíu og fimm fyrirtæki sem starfa á sviði hugbúnaðarþróunar og upplýsingatækni voru valin af handahófi til að taka þátt í rannsókninni. Niðurstöðurnar staðfesta jákvæða fylgni á milli eiginleikanna sem teknir voru fyrir í þessari rannsókn: nýsköpunarstefnu, nýsköpunarmenningar, stuðnings…