To efficiently and effectively reduce the uncertainty inherent in the front-end of innovation processes, recent literature emphasizes new approaches that facilitate rapid knowledge generation and learning such as design thinking, lean innovation, and pretotyping. However, these approaches differ in their conceptualizations and, despite their popularity, the empirical evidence on the performance relevance of such approaches for established organizations is limited. In this research, we propose rapid validity testing (RVT), in which we conceptualize and harmonize existing approaches toward a unique and comprehensive set of front-end activities necessary to reduce uncertainty and equivocality inherent to this phase and enable planned flexibility. Drawing on information processing theory, we argue that organizations implementing RVT also increase the probability of achieving innovation outcomes of superior quality on time and within budget. We further argue that the effectiveness of RVT depends upon internal and external environmental factors. Drawing on multirespondent data collected from 1022 informants in 129 firms, we find empirical evidence that organizations implementing the RVT approach in their innovation activities achieve higher performance of their innovation programs, and that the performance relevance of RVT depends upon technological turbulence and the organization's long-term orientation and risk propensity. We contribute to the literature by conceptualizing RVT as a set of activities that enable planned flexibility. Furthermore, we overcome empirical shortcomings of studies on popular approaches that relied primarily on anecdotal or case study evidence and imply the generalizability of their effectiveness. Our findings highlight that organizations indeed not only benefit from RVT but also challenge the notion of a one-size-fits-all approach to the front end of innovation.

中文翻译：

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创新前端的快速有效性测试

为了有效地减少创新过程前端固有的不确定性，最近的文献强调了促进快速知识生成和学习的新方法，例如设计思维、精益创新和预制。然而，这些方法在概念上有所不同，尽管它们很受欢迎，但关于这些方法对已建立组织的绩效相关性的经验证据是有限的。在这项研究中，我们提出了快速有效性测试 (RVT)，在该测试中，我们将现有方法概念化并统一起来，以形成一套独特而全面的前端活动，以减少该阶段固有的不确定性和模棱两可，并实现计划的灵活性。借鉴信息处理理论，我们认为，实施 RVT 的组织还增加了在预算范围内按时实现优质创新成果的可能性。我们进一步认为 RVT 的有效性取决于内部和外部环境因素。利用从 129 家公司的 1022 名受访者收集的多方数据，我们发现经验证据表明，在创新活动中实施 RVT 方法的组织实现了更高的创新计划绩效，并且 RVT 的绩效相关性取决于技术动荡和组织的长期期限导向和风险倾向。我们通过将 RVT 概念化为一组实现计划灵活性的活动来为文献做出贡献。此外，我们克服了主要依赖轶事或案例研究证据的流行方法研究的经验缺陷，并暗示其有效性的普遍性。我们的研究结果强调，组织确实不仅从 RVT 中受益，而且还挑战了创新前端的一刀切方法的概念。