Project management in academic studies tends to be regarded as an adequate solution to the problems raised by innovation. This paper sets out to question this tendency to equate projects and innovation which, in our view, can lead to the improper use of projects to manage innovation. We argue...

This paper proposes and empirically investigates two strategies that companies can employ to involve indirect suppliers in new product development (NPD): supply network delegation; and supply network intervention. The implications of the two strategies are explored. The paper brings together the...

The new generation of network-based organizations has triggered the emergence of distributed and more complex contexts for the analysis of firms' strategies. This gradual change in the way we understand enterprises has induced radical evolutions on the Quality Management domain. As a...

literature proves the importance of the process role in the effectiveness of virtual research and development (R&D) teams for new product development (NPD). However, the factors that make process construct in a virtual R&D team are still unclear. The manager of virtual R&D teams for NPD does not...

At present, the existing literature shows that the factors which influence the effectiveness of virtual teams for new product development are still ambiguous. To address this problem, a research design was developed, which includes detailed literature review, preliminary model and field survey....

Long-term success of firms depends on the efficiency of their management of R&D projects. However, there is a gap between standard economic and strategic indicators and the high uncertainty, complexity of commitments, and organizational issues that can be observed in the more innovative R&D...

New interaction tools such as internet allow companies to gain valuable input from research and development (R&D) engineers via virtual teams. Consequently, engineers also get more expertise in diminutive timeframes. Virtual R&D teams present the key impetus to the technology acquisition...

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are indeed the engines of global economic growth. Their continued growth is a major subject for the economy and employment of any country. Towards that end, virtual research and development (R&D) could be a viable option to sustain and ease the...

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine how firms deal with a situation of true uncertainty about their potential markets and technologies. Specifically, we ask how firms can create products when the corresponding market does not exist. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is...

A number of studies have found that the performance of NPD projects greatly depends on the support they get from top management. However, research into why some projects get more support than others has been limited. The present paper takes a political approach to NPD, in which top management...