Startups and innovation challenges

: does the use of social media impact the new product development process in Startups?

Abstract

This thesis investigates the impact of social media usage on the new productdevelopment process in Portuguese startups. The study aims to fill the gap in research on howsocial media usage impacts the different stages of the new product development process instartups. The research objectives are twofold: to assess the innovation intentions of Portuguesestartups over the next 12 months and understand the extent to which they plan to engage in newproduct development, and to investigate the impact of social media usage on the new productdevelopment process in these startups. The study employs a quantitative research design,collecting data from a sample of 76 Portuguese startups using a self-administered survey. Theresults indicate that external knowledge acquisition is more prevalent than internal knowledgegeneration, and startups in Portugal are increasingly using social media as a tool for productdevelopment. The findings also suggest that social media usage is an important factor that can positively impact the level of innovation in a company. Overall, the study provides valuableinsights into how startups can use social media effectively to develop and launch new productsand contributes to a better understanding of the role of social media in the Portuguese startupecosystem. The recommendations provided can inform startup managers, policymakers, andresearchers and serve as a foundation for further research in this field.

Date of Award	27 Jun 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Boris Durisin (Supervisor)