This paper builds on social network theory to understand technological development. Based on the empirical evidence of 367 research organisations in plant biotechnology over a nineteen-year period, we demonstrate how a structural analysis of the research network within the technological...

This paper empirically assesses the economic size (in terms of full time equivalent employees (FTEs)) of postponed manufacturing applications and related activities. Based on a survey among 782 companies, the differences in size and scope of applications between manufacturers, wholesalers and...

Two basic characteristics of a service -- intangibility and simultaneity -- imply many consequences for management. Roland Van Dierdonck explores these and recommends a number of success strategies such as precise definition of the service concept, focus, internal communications and training,...

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new, empirically derived typology of plants in the international manufacturing network of multinational companies. This typology is based on the knowledge flows between the plants. In our research, network analysis has been used as a methodology for...

This paper suggests a framework for operations managers to use in making focus decisions in professional services. This framework is supported empirically from data from the health care industry using three types of data: (1) industry statistics, (2) case studies, and (3) questionnaire surveys....

There is limited empirical evidence to support the importance of design-manufacturing (DM) integration on the performance of new product development projects. This article focuses on the impact of integration processes and their outcomes on multidimensional project performance. When considering...

There is no consensus on the construct project performance. This article examines how to suitably operationalise project performance as it is viewed by practitioners. An alternative research approach, based on the repertory grid method, was used in combination with a survey to develop a...

This article describes the major barriers across the design-manufacturing interface and examines ways to overcome them to achieve a smooth production start-up. An integration model reveals that formalization facilitates a smooth production start-up. Independent of the degree of formalization...

The aim of this paper was to achieve a better understanding of the specific role of physical prototyping in the product development process. Data from a survey of 25 companies revealed that the direct effect of prototyping on multidimensional project performance is limited. However, physical...