LEVEL OF SUCCESS INPUTS FOR SERVICE INNOVATIONS IN THE SAME FIRM

Examines the differences in internal and external inputs to the new service development process for two innovations within the same firm. The differences are explored for the most versus least successful innovations. The article is an extension of earlier work on services innovation that compared successful firms to unsuccessful firms. Here the focus shifts from the firm to the individual innovations. Signi-ficant differences were found in the innovation level of success within the same firm for input by senior management; input by customer contact and non-contact personnel; direct input from customers themselves; and in the amount of information used about that customer at three major stages of the development process.