Stage Model Research in the UK Fast Moving Consumer Goods Industry

There is a large body of literature on the subject of organizational innovation, but little of this specifically addresses the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry. In particular, none of the stage models presented in this literature adequately described the UK FMCG development processes witnessed by the researcher during his case-based Ph.D. study. This paper consequently addresses the question what is the sequence of main stages for lower innovation product development processes in the UK FMCG industry? A new stage model is offered that recognizes the dual product and packaging development imperatives of this industry. The paper also contributes to the development of theory by characterizing a dominant paradigm that has emerged within the innovation literature and presenting a detailed explanation of the development process that is based upon the empirical evidence collected from five case studies. Finally, the paper suggests the use of multiple forms of representation to supplement the stage model to better understand and improve the dynamics of product development processes.