Innovation and new product development: Reflections and insights from the research published in the first 20 years of manufacturing & service operations management

Abstract

In this short essay, we reflect on the innovation-related studies that have appeared in Manufacturing & Service Operations Management (M&SOM) in its first 20 years of publication and consider the future work that M&SOM could publish in this domain. Innovation management can be defined broadly enough to encompass the efforts of organizations to effectively design and develop novel solutions to existing or new needs. Several different approaches and thematic lenses have emerged in the academic community to address diverse questions in innovation management; however, the work published in M&SOM has a narrow focus. This gap reveals an opportunity for the M&SOM community, which may be addressed in part by improvements in the review process of the journal. We also suggest some specific innovation topics that the researchers in the community might tackle.