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The organization I work in has 13 subsidiary businesses operating in the branded footwear and apparel industry. The industry currently faces significant macroeconomic and industry challenges. One of our biggest challenges is how to avoid excessive and wasteful new product development whilst still building an attractive range of products for the customer. So the focus of my research is on the management control and governance of the New Product Development (NPD) process to solve a pressing business problem. However, there is a gap in the literature. Many authors have claimed that our knowledge of the governance of NPD processes is incomplete and there is a dearth of actual studies in this area. My literature review looked at management control and in particular at the enduring problem of the need to generate control without stifling creativity. The literature led me to focus on the use of feedforward controls to influence NPD management teams to improve portfolio value and strategic alignment whilst simultaneously encouraging NPD experimentation. During this research I developed the concept of Feedforward Anticipatory Control (FAC), which encompasses the combination of feedforward control and double-loop learning. From this start my research question became “How does the use of FAC influence NPD management teams to improve portfolio value and strategic alignment?” From theory and my initial case study research I developed, tested and refined a tool for ascertaining the level of FAC sophistication in use by NPD teams in their development process. The tool was then used in action research interventions to help the teams develop their sophistication in the use of FAC. The tool was found to be useable, useful and have value. The action research case studies were embedded in a case study protocol to ensure the rigour of my research. This involved developing a framework to investigate the consequences of my interventions, in terms of both hard performance metrics and softer team perceptions. The contribution is in the use of management controls in NPD. The findings show that different levels of FAC sophistication can be applied in NPD and that the use of higher levels of FAC influences NPD teams to improve portfolio value and strategic alignment. The contribution to practice is an intervention “toolkit” that can influence NPD teams to develop higher levels of FAC sophistication and generate improvements in NPD portfolio performance.

The journal articles, reports and book chapters that make up this submission for a PhD by publication represent over a decade of applied academic research into English statutory plan-making processes at the local, sub-regional and regional spatial scales. This period has witnessed major shifts in the administrative, institutional and procedural basis of plan-making which culminated in the major reforms to the planning system introduced via the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. The conceptual developments, from rather narrowly defined physical land use planning to broader perspectives based around integrated spatial strategy development and delivery, have been equally significant. Collectively, the thesis provides a rich source of empirical research that sheds light on a number of key aspects of English statutory planning processes that lie at the heart of this shift towards a spatial planning approach. Topics investigated and analysed include the efficiency and effectiveness of policy and strategy making at different spatial scales; the role of central government and the interrelationships of the various partners involved in spatial strategy-making at the regional and local scales; the extent and effectiveness of participation and stakeholder involvement in plan-making; the development of evidence-based policy approaches and the associated monitoring and review of local and regional strategies; and plan implementation and infrastructure delivery, including housing requirements. A significant proportion of the research was derived from externally funded research projects with the explicit intention of rigorously analysing existing planning systems and practice in order to identify and highlight relevant issues, experiences and 'good practice' to inform future policy and practice. As evidenced by citations in academic publications, the research has impacted upon a wide range of other academic work related to land use and spatial planning, particularly in respect of planning processes and governance at the regional and sub-regional scales. Beyond the academic impact, the lessons and findings of this applied research have influenced national government policy and local professional practice in a number of ways, including subsequent national and local policy and practice in respect of participation and stakeholder involvement. local and regional policy monitoring, and plan implementation and infrastructure delivery.