GAIA RUBERA

Cheryl Nakata, Gaia Rubera, Subin Im, Jae H. Pae, Hyun Jung Lee, Naoto Onzo, and Heungsoo Park
Journal of Product Innovation Management

Creativity in new products is highly coveted by firms. However, businesses are faced with questions of how to
inject creativity into new products, and whether it pays off in stronger product performance. To address these
questions, a survey on key antecedents and consequences of creativity was conducted among new product managers.
Based on gaps identified in the new product literature, this study examines several organizational culture
(market orientation), leadership (top management involvement and risk-taking encouragement), and
national culture (secularism and survivalism) antecedents, along with new product performance consequences.
Importantly, to uncover potentially complex nuances in creativity dynamics that may have been previously
overlooked, the creativity construct is decomposed into novelty and meaningfulness dimensions, and the possibility
of curvilinear relationships with antecedents and consequences are investigated. The study is also one of
the first creativity studies based on a geography rather than a single country, specifically the cluster of South
Korea, Japan, and China.

• New Product Creativity Antecedents and Consequences: Evidence from South Korea, Japan, and China (296 Kb)

Rubera Gaia, Ordanini Andrea, and Griffith David A.
Journal of International Business Studies, 42(4), 459-476.

Extending our understanding of the effects of perceived product creativity, this study contributes to the literature by empirically investigating the influence of cultural values on the relationship between the creativity dimensions of novelty and meaningfulness and intention to buy. Schwartz’s values framework is employed to theorize cultural differences. The results, based upon 206 Italian and 201 U.S. consumers surveyed via a mall-intercept approach, indicate that novelty is a more important dimension of product creativity in the U.S. (i.e., a low-resultant conservative/high-resultant self-enhancement culture) than in Italy (i.e., a high-resultant conservatism/low-resultant self-enhancement culture) in influencing intention to buy and that meaningfulness is a more important dimension of creativity in Italy than in the U.S. in influencing intention to buy. These results provide important standardization/adaptation implications for international marketing academics and practitioners.

• Incorporating Cultural Values for Understanding the Influence of Perceived Product Creativity on Intention to Buy (211 Kb)

Rubera Gaia, Ordanini Andrea, and Mazursky David
Marketing Letters, 21(2): 191-206
Although creativity is widely recognized as a critical element for firms to develop new products, knowledge about how consumers evaluate product creativity remains far from definitive. The authors analyze how the relevance of novelty and appropriateness—two main elements of creativity—varies according to the characteristics of the consumer. A sample of 283 consumers indicates a negative interaction effect between novelty and appropriateness, suggesting that creativity depends on either, according to contingencies. Novelty is more relevant when consumers are highly involved or have little knowledge of the product. Appropriateness is more relevant when consumers are minimally involved or have significant knowledge. Theoretical and managerial implications are provided.

• Toward a contingency view of new product creativity: (227 Kb)