Seiichi FUJII

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Ōita, Japan.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: fujiis@apu.ac.jp.

There have been a number of studies on the roles of both project managers and product champions in new product development. However, few, if any, studies have examined the relationship between the two roles. This study therefore, aimed to fill that gap, and set out a future research agenda in this field. This study reviewed articles discussing new product development, to see whether the roles of project manager and product champion could be distinguished based on organizational type or product characteristics. Other articles were then used as a secondary data source to identify projects involving one or both roles. The initial review found that project managers and product champions could be distinguished in several ways, including mode of appointment, with project managers appointed formally, and product champions emerging. Product champions could also be identified using a set of activities from the literature. The second review identified 75 new product development projects, of which 35 had a project manager, 23 a product champion, and ten both. Six propositions were identified to guide future empirical research on the interactions and relationships between project managers and product champions. Few, if any, studies, and none in Japan, have examined the interactions between project managers and product champions. By making an initial attempt to do so, this study has been able to set out a future research agenda in this field.

Keywords: Project manager, product champion, new product development, innovation, innovative products.