Title: The impact of ICT tools on new product development performance and collaboration

Authors: C.W. Chathurani Silva; Sanjay Mathrani; Nihal Jayamaha

Addresses: Department of Decision Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Gangodawila, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka ' School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand ' School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Abstract: New product development (NPD) practitioners increasingly rely on information and communication technology (ICT), aiming to achieve lower costs, higher quality and greater speed to market. Only a little is known about the effect of various ICT tools on NPD performance, and exploring this would ease effective deployment of technological resources in innovation programmes. This study uses data collected in the Product Development Management Association's 2012 Comparative Performance Assessment Study, from 450 firms across different countries and industries. The direct and indirect effects of thirteen ICT tools on overall NPD performance are examined using hierarchical regression analysis. Results suggest that six ICT tools indirectly improve NPD performance by increasing collaboration, while the direct effects of PDM systems and project management systems are significant. The study implies that extensive use of ICT significantly contributes to improve collaboration, which is vital for achieving the NPD programmes' objectives, increasing competitiveness, and improving overall NPD performance.

Keywords: new product development performance; information and communication technology; ICT; organisational information processing theory; relational resource-based view; collaboration.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISAM.2019.103607

International Journal of Information Systems and Management, 2019 Vol.2 No.1, pp.46 - 70

Received: 05 Apr 2018
Accepted: 18 Mar 2019

Published online: 13 Nov 2019 *

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