Competitive intensity and new product development outcomes: The roles of knowledge integration and organizational unlearning

New product development (NPD) is essential for the growth and success of firms facing intense competition. The pathways through which competitive intensity affects NPD have not been adequately examined. This study addresses the gaps by developing a research model investigating the relationships between competitive intensity, knowledge integration, organizational unlearning, and NPD outcomes (innovativeness and speed) and the contingency effect of firm size. Survey data from 242 Chinese firms reveal that competitive intensity is positively associated with knowledge integration and organizational unlearning, and these relationships are moderated by firm size. Firm size strengthens the competitive intensity and knowledge integration relationship and weakens the competitive intensity and organizational unlearning relationship. Comparing the relative effects of knowledge integration and organizational unlearning on NPD outcomes shows that knowledge integration has a stronger relationship with NPD speed than with NPD innovativeness. Organizational unlearning has a stronger relationship with NPD innovativeness than with NPD speed.