ABSTRACT
Rothwell and Gardiner (1984) first suggested the use of the term robust design to denote a product design that has sufficient inherent versatility to enable it to evolve into a “design family” of significant variants. Robust strategic response capabilities (i.e., the potential for success under varying circumstances or scenarios), such as robust design capabilities, are an organizational response to rapid technological change and the inability to forecast (Bettis and Hitt, 1995). An enduring advantage is created through an ability to anticipate evolving customer needs and dynamic competitive situations across a broad range of contexts (Garud and Kumaraswamy, 1993; Kotha, 1995; Sanchez, 1999; Sanchez and Mahoney, 1996; Teece, Pisano, and Shuen, 1997). The promise of a robustly designed product may be realized in application to global markets.
