ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the main operational issues arising out of the case investigations and also comments on developments in organisational structuring aimed at efficient and effective product innovation in manufacturing firms. It discusses trends in organising for speedy and efficient product innovation. In the survey of current marketing practice and performance in the UK, Hooley et al. found a predominance of markets deemed by their respondents to be in maturity or decline, which led them to suggest the following strategic imperatives. First, it would seem that an essential prerequisite for corporate success in complex and turbulent markets is a high level of flexibility and adaptability in an organisation's systems, attitudes and structures. Secondly, the constant shifts in the relative value of products and markets necessitate the setting of clear priorities in resource allocation. Thirdly, organisation structures must be designed which can accommodate strategic flexibility.
