• Print Page
• eMail Page

Search website for :

Home→The Westburn Dictionary of Marketing→L→lateral thinking

lateral thinking

Definition:
Concept developed by the Cambridge mathematician Edward de Bono which is of particular relevance to the idea generation stage of NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT. According to de Bono, lateral thinking is a way of using the mind, a deliberate process, a general attitude which may make use of certain techniques on occasion. The most basic principle of lateral thinking is that any particular way of looking at things is only one form among many other possible ways. Lateral thinking is concerned with exploring other ways by restructuring and rearranging the information that is available. As the word 'lateral' suggests the movement is sideways, to generate alternative patterns, instead of moving straight ahead with the development of one particular pattern.

Cross-References:
[new product development (NPD)]

Links:

Figures:

© Westburn Publishers Ltd 2002, The Westburn Dictionary of Marketing edited by Michael J Baker, ISBN 978-0-946433-01-8. www.themarketingdictionary.com. Entry: [Michael J. Baker],.