Human Systems Management 29 (2010) 253–264 DOI 10.3233/HSM-2010-0732 IOS Press 253 Product development: An integrative tool and activity research framework Gerrit Anton de Waal a,* and Paul Knott b a School of Business, Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, Christchurch, New Zealand b College of Business and Economics, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand Abstract. The paper addresses research issues in new product development (NPD) activity, practices and tools, in particular the need to integrate the set of tools practitioners use with the praxis of how they use these tools in day-to-day activity. It draws on the strategy-as-practice literature to derive a model that integrates the concepts of NPD practices, practitioners and praxis. It then draws on a systematic review and synthesis of existing NPD literature to develop a generic multi-stage, 12-perspective organizing framework for NPD activity, and provides examples from the literature of twelve corresponding classes of NPD tools. The literature currently lacks such a framework and hence uses individually defined schemes, resulting in a fragmented and incomplete picture. We have designed our generic framework so that it can both integrate existing findings and stimulate research that overcomes this fragmentation. We use the framework and our model of NPD practitioners, practices and project execution to articulate a comprehensive set of research challenges in NPD tool adoption and use. Our 12-perspective framework could also provide a basis for practitioners to develop or redesign NPD processes for specific situations and purposes. Keywords: New product development, tools, activities, integrative framework, practice perspective, innovation Gerrit Anton de Waal is a senior lecturer in innovation and product devel- opment at the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology in New Zealand. He has previously worked as R&D physicist in the areas of uranium enrich- ment and underwater acoustics, and later in the commercialization of electro- optical products. His current research is in the field of new product devel- opment (NPD), focusing on the use of innovation tools to obtain improved NPD performance. He has published in R&D Management, The Journal of Contempo- rary Issues in Business and Government, and the International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business. * Corresponding author: Gerrit Anton de Waal, School of Busi- ness, City Campus Madras Street, Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, PO Box 540, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand. Tel.: +64 3 9407505; Fax: +64 3 9408602; E-mail: dewaala@cpit.ac.nz. Paul Knott is a senior lecturer in strate- gic management at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, where he currently coordinates the Strategy and International Business discipline group. He is an active researcher in this field, studying how managers use techniques and ideas in the practice of strategic thinking and action. He has published this work in the Journal of Business Strategy, in Management Decision, and in the Journal of Strategy and Manage- ment, for which he also serves on the editorial board. He is also involved with research projects in new product development management and in strategic planning. He completed his Ph.D. at Manchester Business School in 1997 and held positions at the University of Bath and at Al Akhawayn University, Morocco, before moving to New Zealand in 1999. He has experience of product development in the aerospace industry both as an engineer and as a researcher. 1. Introduction In this paper, we address the contribution that tools and practices make to new product development (NPD) 0167-2533/10/$27.50 © 2010 – IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved