The impact of the corporate mind-set on new product launch strategy and market performance

In the last decade, there has been an increasing interest in the link between new product launch strategy and market performance. So far, new product launch research has focused on this performance relationship without giving much attention to background factors that can facilitate or inhibit successful launch strategies. However, investigating such antecedents that set the framework in which different strategic launch decisions enable or prevent the market performance of new products is useful for enhancing the current state of knowledge. Drawing on the concept of a firm’s orientation, the present study discusses the influence of the corporate mind-set on new product launch strategy and market performance. It is hypothesized that the capability to successfully launch new products is based on the interplay between a firm’s mind-set (i.e., an analytical, risk-taking, and aggressive posture) and its strategic launch decisions on setting launch objectives, selecting target markets, and positioning the new product. A research model with mediating effects is proposed, where the corporate mind-set determines the launch strategy decisions, which in turn impact market performance. The model is tested with data on 113 industrial new products launched in businessto-business markets in Germany using a multiple informant approach. The results support the mediated model as the dimensions of the corporate mind-set have a significant impact on most strategic launch decisions, which in turn significantly contribute to market performance. It is found that while an analytical posture relates to all three strategic launch decisions, risk taking and an aggressive posture have a significant impact on two, respectively one, launch strategy elements. These findings confirm the importance of investigating antecedents for a successful new product launch, as the corporate mind-set serves as a background resource that sets the framework for successful new product launch decisions. In the final section implications for research and managerial practice as well as limitations of this research are provided.