Despite Multinational Enterprises’ growing interest in New Product Development (NPD), research into the
use of social media in the NPD process in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) is lacking. In
response, we propose and test an integrated model of the NPD process using social media. Data was
collected from SMEs across industry ...
Despite Multinational Enterprises’ growing interest in New Product Development (NPD), research into the
use of social media in the NPD process in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) is lacking. In
response, we propose and test an integrated model of the NPD process using social media. Data was
collected from SMEs across industry sectors in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research applies
structural equation modeling (SEM) to achieve a detailed understanding of the issue. The findings reveal
that Integrated Social Media Interaction (ISMI) depends on Customer-Centric Focus (CCF), Customer
Engagement Focus (CEF), and Customer Empathy Focus (CEmF). Based on the literature and our
analytical research, it is revealed that the use of social media networks as a source of knowledge for NPD
ventures is a systematic component of the NPD process for SMEs during the COVOD-19 pandemic. To
support their NPD initiatives, SMEs may depend on this hypothesized integrated model. The analysis
concludes with SME managers' realistic and managerial guidance. This study provides useful insights for
managers who wish to enhance NPD activities for SMEs through social media, and offers useful guidance
to SMEs and innovation scholars, encouraging further research in this area.