Summary This paper argues that design innovation constitutes an important means for multinational corporations (MNCs) to manage the standardization-adaptation dilemma in product development for international markets. Through design innovation MNCs can accommodate the heterogeneity of different...

This interview-based study of three design-oriented KIBS firms proposes a U-shaped project-stage model of co-production intensity in firms offering knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) requiring a high level of creativity. During the central stage of project execution the creative KIBS...