Knowledge management and new product development: a study of two companies

The essence of new product development is the creation, utilization and exploitation of new knowledge. Business sustainability is embedded in the firm’s ability to manage its new product development (NPD) processes. This paper explores the complex relationship between organizational context, NPD and knowledge management. A design‐based framework is proposed and utilized in the investigation of two NPD units in telecommunication and software development organizations. Directions for future research are identified and briefly discussed.