PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN  MANUFACTURING COMPANIES IN BENIN CITY, NIGERIA

Azuonwu Benneth Elekwachi (Ph.D); Akenbor, Lucy C. (Ph.D)

Authors

Azuonwu Benneth Elekwachi (Ph.D)
Akenbor, Lucy C. (Ph.D)

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between product development and Organizational
performance of manufacturing companies in Benin City, Nigeria. The dimensions are product idea
generation, product validation of ideas and product design. The descriptive survey design was
adopted for this study. The target population for this study is a cross-section of employees of
selected manufacturing firm in Benin city Edo State. The sample consisted of 177 respondent
selected using Convenience sampling technique. The study used data from a survey of 4
manufacturing companies in Benin City. The instrument for data collection is from primary
(questionnaire) source and secondary (textbooks and journals) source. The researcher applied
content and construct validity for this study. The reliability was established using Cronbach Alpha.
and found that product development was an important factor in the performance of these
companies. The simple percentage and mean was used to answer research questions and test the
hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance and square man ranked order correlation. The conclusion
of the findings showed that there is a positive significant relationship between Product
development and Organizational performance. Based on the conclusion, the study recommended
the following: 1) Nigeria Bottling Company should organize regular and continuous training for
marketing managers and R&D personnel so as to update their professional skill and knowledge on
product development. 2) Product construction, idea generation, validation of ideas, product
screening, product design, packaging, branding, product positioning and usage testing should be
an integral component of product development in the bottling sector. 3) Effective information
management and communication should be applied in the daily operations of the bottling as it can
provide management and staff with data and understanding critical to successful product
development