The influence of market orientation on new product success

Purpose - This research seeks to investigate key determinants of new product success (NPS) from the perspective of new product development (NPD) team leaders in the electronics industry in China. A model is proposed investigating the interplay among elements of market orientation and the moderating effects of customer and competitor orientations on the relationship between R&D‐Marketing cooperation and NPS. Design/methodology/approach - Data were collected from 217 respondents to an online questionnaire that had been sent to 3,000 potential participants randomly selected from electronics firms across China. Regression analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings - Results from the research support the hypotheses that NPS is driven by R&D‐Marketing cooperation, customer and competitor orientations. Also, the association between R&D‐Marketing cooperation and NPS is moderated by customer and competitor orientations. Practical implications - This research confirms the positive role that R&D‐Marketing cooperation plays in NPS and the moderating effects of customer and competitor orientations on the association between R&D‐Marketing cooperation and NPS. The findings are of relevance to management practitioners as developing successful new products has become an ever more pressing issue in the wake of rising labour cost and increasing market competition. Originality/value - Previous NPD literature has focused primarily on NPD activities in Western and developed countries. This research fills the research gap by identifying the empirical links between R&D‐Marketing cooperation and NPS. It is the first to examine the moderating effects of customer and competitor orientations in the relationship between R&D‐Marketing cooperation and NPS of electronics firms in China.