Title: Exploring new product innovation types and performance: the roles of project leadership, functional influences, and design integration

Authors: Morgan Swink

Addresses: Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, Eli Broad School of Business, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA

Abstract: This research study explores the impacts of project management on performance in three empirically identified new product development (NPD) project contexts: incremental NPD projects; architectural NPD projects; radical NPD projects. Each project type involves different levels and types of uncertainty. An information processing view of NPD suggests that different aspects of project leadership, functional influences, and design integration might be more or less important to project performance, depending on the project setting. The results of an exploratory analysis of 137 NPD projects confirm this expectation, suggesting that NPD project managers would benefit from recognising and acting upon these differences. Similarly, researchers should develop a contingent approach to project management reflecting the differing nature of uncertainties associated with different types of NPD.

Keywords: cross-functional integration; project management; innovation management; empirical analysis; new product innovation; project leadership; functional influences; design integration; product design; new product development; NPD; information processing; uncertainty.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPD.2005.005941

International Journal of Product Development, 2005 Vol.1 No.3/4, pp.241 - 260

Published online: 03 Jan 2005 *

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