Exploring the Fuzzy Front-end of the New Service Development Process – A Conceptual Framework

Existing streams of literature in service innovation and services marketing are integrated to propose a conceptual framework which describes specific team-related and interfunctional level antecedents of the fuzzy front-end (FFE) of the new service development process and discusses their role for enhancing FFE execution quality. In particular, the importance of Internal Market Orientation for role stress, motivation to participate in NSD (team-related antecedents), personalization strategy, conflict resolution and employee integration (interfunctional drivers) is discussed. Additionally, the impact of the aforementioned variables on FFE execution quality is proposed. The moderating effect of some critical contingencies of FFE (i.e. political activity) is also discussed.