Skip to main content
Log in

IT capabilities and NPD performance: examining the mediating role of team knowledge processes

  • Article
  • Published:
Knowledge Management Research & Practice

Abstract

While there is abundant research that examines how information technology (IT) affects new product development (NPD) performance, little is known about the mediating role of team knowledge processes. Drawing on IS and knowledge management literatures, this paper develops a model that conceptualizes team knowledge processes as distinct channels of influence and shows how they mediate the relationship between IT capabilities and NPD performance. The paper deepens our understanding of the nomological network that connects IT to NPD performance via the intermediate knowledge processes of knowledge sourcing and knowledge integration. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Figure 1
Figure 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Addas S and Pinsonneault A (2008) IT and NPD performance: unveiling the mediating effects of process integration and knowledge integration. In Proceedings of the 14th Americas Conference on Information Systems, Toronto, Canada.

  • Akgun AE, Byrne JC, Keskin H and Lynn GS (2006) Transactive memory system in new product development teams. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 53 (1), 95–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Akgun AE, Dayan M and di Benedetto A (2008) New product development team intelligence: antecedents and consequences. Information & Management 45 (4), 221–226.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alavi M and Leidner DE (2001) Review: knowledge management and knowledge management systems: conceptual foundations and research issues. MIS Quarterly 25 (1), 107–136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alavi M and Tiwana A (2002) Knowledge integration in virtual teams: the potential role of KMS. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 53 (12), 1029–1037.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Banker RD, Bardhan I and Asdemir O (2006) Understanding the impact of collaboration software on product design and development. Information Systems Research 17 (4), 352–373.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barczak G, Sultan F and Hultink EJ (2007) Determinants of IT usage and new product performance. Journal of Production Innovation Management 24 (6), 600–613.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barczak G, Hutlink EJ and Sultan F (2008) Antecedents and consequences of information technology usage in NPD: a comparison of Dutch and U.S. companies. Journal of Product Innovation Management 25 (6), 620–631.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berends H, Vanhaverbeke W and Kirschbaum R (2007) Knowledge management challenges in new business development: case study observations. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management 24 (4), 314–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bock G-W, Kankanhalli A and Sharma S (2006) Are norms enough? The role of collaborative norms in promoting organizational knowledge seeking. European Journal of Information Systems 15 (4), 357–367.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown SL and Eisenhardt KM (1995) Product development: past research, present findings, and future directions. Academy of Management Review 20 (2), 343–378.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burton-Jones A and Gallivan MJ (2007) Toward a deeper understanding of system usage in organizations: a multilevel perspective. MIS Quarterly 31 (4), 657–679.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cannon-Bowers JA and Salas E (2001) Reflections on shared cognition. Journal of Organizational Behavior 22 (2), 195–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlile PR (2002) A pragmatic view of knowledge and boundaries: boundary objects in new product development. Organization Science 13 (4), 442–455.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlo JL, Lyytinen K and Rose GM (2012) A knowledge-based model of radical innovation in small software firms. MIS Quarterly 36 (3), 865–895.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caya O, Léger P-M, Grebot T and Brunelle E (2014) Integrating, sharing, and sourcing knowledge in an ERP usage context. Knowledge Management Research & Practice 12 (2), 193–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen C-J (2007) Information technology, organizational structure, and new product development – the mediating effect of cross-functional team interaction. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 54 (4), 687–698.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chesbrough HW (2003) Open Innovation. Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen MA, Eliasberg J and Ho T-H (1996) New product development: the performance and time-to-market tradeoff. Management Science 42 (2), 173–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooke NJ, Salas E, Kiekel PA and Bell B (2004) Advances in measuring team cognition. In Team Cognition: Understanding the Factors that Drive Process and Performance (Salas E and Fiore S, Eds), pp 83–106, APA Press, Washington, DC.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper LP (2003) A research agenda to reduce risk in new product development through knowledge management: a practitioner perspective. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management 20 (1–2), 117–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corallo A, Lazoi M and Secundo G (2012) Inter-organizational knowledge integration in collaborative NPD projects: evidence from the aerospace industry. Knowledge Management Research & Practice 10 (4), 354–367.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crowston K (1997) A coordination theory approach to organizational process design. Organization Science 8 (2), 157–175.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D’Adderio L (2004) Inside the Virtual Product: How Organizations Create Knowledge through Software. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahan E, Soukhoroukova A and Spann M (2010) New product development 2.0: preference markets – how scalable securities markets identify winning product concepts and attributes. Journal of Product Innovation Management 27 (7), 937–954.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dennis AR, Fuller RM and Valacich JS (2008) Media, tasks, and communication processes: a theory of media synchronicity. MIS Quarterly 32 (3), 575–600.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dougherty D (1992) Interpretive barriers to successful product innovation in large firms. Organization Science 3 (2), 179–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Droge C, Stanko MA and Pollitte WA (2010) Lead users and early adopters on the web: the role of new technology product blogs. Journal of Product Innovation Management 27 (1), 66–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Durcikova A, Fadel KJ, Butler BS and Galletta DF (2011) Research note – knowledge exploration and exploitation: the impacts of psychological climate and knowledge management system access. Information Systems Research 22 (4), 855–866.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Durmusoglu SS (2009) The role of top management team’s information technology (IT) infrastructure view on new product development: conceptualizing IT infrastructure capability as a mediator. European Journal of Innovation Management 12 (3), 364–385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Durmusoglu SS, Calantone RJ and Sambamurthy V (2006) Is more information technology better for new product development? Journal of Product & Brand Management 15 (7), 435–441.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El Sawy OA and Josefek Jr. RA (2004) Business process as nexus of knowledge. In Handbook of Knowledge Management: Knowledge Matters (Holsapple C, Ed), pp 425–438, Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Faraj S and Sproull L (2000) Coordinating expertise in software development teams. Management Science 46 (12), 1554–1568.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frank AG and Ribeiro JLD (2014) An integrative model for knowledge transfer between new product development project teams. Knowledge Management Research & Practice 12 (2), 215–225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gopal A and Gosain S (2010) Research note – the role of organizational controls and boundary spanning in software development outsourcing: implications for project performance. Information Systems Research 21 (4), 960–982.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grant RM (1996) Prospering in dynamically-competitive environments: organizational capability as knowledge integration. Organization Science 7 (4), 375–387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gray PH and Durcikova A (2006) The role of knowledge repositories in technical support environments: speed versus learning in user performance. Journal of Management Information Systems 22 (3), 159–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gray PH and Meister DB (2004) Knowledge sourcing effectiveness. Management Science 50 (6), 821–834.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gray PH and Meister DB (2006) Knowledge sourcing methods. Information & Management 43 (2), 142–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hameri A-P and Nihtila J (1997) Distributed new product development project based on internet and World Wide Web: a case study. Journal of Production Innovation Management 14 (1), 77–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He J, Butler BS and King WR (2007) Team cognition: development and evolution in software project teams. Journal of Management Information Systems 24 (2), 261–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoegl M and Schulze A (2005) How to support knowledge creation in new product development: an investigation of knowledge management methods. European Management Journal 23 (3), 263–273.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu IC and Sabherwal R (2012) Relationship between intellectual capital and knowledge management: an empirical investigation. Decision Sciences 43 (3), 489–524.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iansiti M and Clark KB (1995) Integration and dynamic capability: evidence from product development in automobiles and mainframe computers. Industrial and Corporate Change 3 (3), 557–605.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson P and Klobas J (2008) Transactive memory systems in organizations: implications for knowledge directories. Decision Support Systems 44 (2), 409–424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jayasingam S, Ansari MA, Ramayah T and Jantan M (2013) Knowledge management practices and performance: are they truly linked? Knowledge Management Research & Practice 11 (3), 255–264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkin TA (2013) Extending the 4I organizational learning model: information sources, foraging processes and tools. Administrative Sciences 3 (3), 96–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanawattanachai P and Yoo Y (2007) The impact of knowledge coordination on virtual team performance over time. MIS Quarterly 31 (4), 783–808.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kankanhalli A, Tan BCY and Kwok-Kee W (2005) Contributing knowledge to electronic knowledge repositories: an empirical investigation. MIS Quarterly 29 (1), 113–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khedhaouria A and Ribiere V (2013) The influence of team knowledge sourcing on team creativity: evidences from information system development. The Learning Organization 20 (4/5), 308–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kleis L, Chwelos P, Ramirez RV and Cockburn I (2012) Information technology and intangible output: the impact of IT investment on innovation productivity. Information Systems Research 23 (1), 42–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klimoski R and Mohammed S (1994) Team mental model: construct or metaphor? Journal of Management 20 (2), 403–437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kotlarsky J and Oshri I (2005) Social ties, knowledge sharing and successful collaboration in globally distributed system development projects. European Journal of Information Systems 14 (1), 37–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koufteros X and Marcoulides GA (2006) Product development practices and performance: a structural equation modeling-based multi-group analysis. International Journal of Production Economics 103 (1), 286–307.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kozica A, Bonss U and Kaiser S (2013) Freelancers and the absorption of external knowledge: practical implications and theoretical contributions. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, advance online publication, 25 February 2013; doi:10.1057/kmrp.2013.2.

  • Laurindo FJB and de Carvalho MM (2005) Changing product development process through information technology: a Brazilian case. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management 16 (3), 312–327.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leonard-Barton D (1995) Wellsprings of Knowledge: Building and Sustaining the Sources of Innovation. Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis K (2004) Knowledge and performance in knowledge-worker teams: a longitudinal study of transactive memory systems. Management Science 50 (11), 1519–1533.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin B-W and Chen C-J (2006) Fostering product innovation in industry networks: the mediating role of knowledge integration. International Journal of Human Resource Management 17 (1), 155–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin T-C, Hsu JS-C, Cheng K-T and Wu S (2012) Understanding the role of behavioural integration in ISD teams: an extension of transactive memory systems concept. Information Systems Journal 22 (3), 211–234.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ling H, Hong DC and Zhang CH (2012) Research on tacit knowledge integration: a synthesis of social ties and TMS. Knowledge Management Research & Practice 9 (3), 256–262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Linton JD and Thongpapanl N (2004) Perspective: ranking the technology innovation management journals. Journal of Product Innovation Management 21 (2), 123–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Majchrzak A, Jarvenpaa SL and Hollingshead AB (2007) Coordinating expertise among emergent groups responding to disasters. Organization Science 18 (1), 147–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malhotra A, Majchrzak A, Carman R and Lott V (2001) Radical innovation without collocation: a case study at Boeing-Rocketdyne. MIS Quarterly 25 (2), 229–249.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marks MA, Zaccaro SJ and Mathieu JE (2000) Performance implications of leader briefings and team-interaction training for team adaptation to novel environments. Journal of Applied Psychology 85 (6), 971–986.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maruping LM, Zhang X and Venkatesh V (2009) Role of collective ownership and coding standards in coordinating expertise in software project teams. European Journal of Information Systems 18 (4), 355–371.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Massey AP, Montoya-Weiss MM and O’Driscoll TM (2002) Knowledge management in pursuit of performance: insights from Nortel Networks. MIS Quarterly 26 (3), 269–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mathieu JE, Heffner TS, Goodwin GF, Salas E and Cannon-Bowers JA (2000) The influence of shared mental models on team process and performance. Journal of Applied Psychology 85 (2), 273–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell R and Nicholas S (2006) Knowledge creation through boundary-spanning. Knowledge Management Research & Practice 4 (4), 310–318.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell VL (2006) Knowledge integration and information technology project performance. MIS Quarterly 30 (4), 919–939.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohammed S and Dumville BC (2001) Team mental models in a team knowledge framework: expanding theory and measurement across disciplinary boundaries. Journal of Organizational Behavior 22 (2), 89–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montoya MM, Massey AP, Hung Y-TC and Crisp CB (2009) Can you hear me now? Communication in virtual product development teams. Journal of Product Innovation Management 26 (2), 139–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nambisan S (2002) Designing virtual customer environments for new product development: toward a theory. Academy of Management Review 27 (3), 392–413.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nambisan S (2003) Information systems as a reference discipline for new product development. MIS Quarterly 27 (1), 1–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Noblet J-P, Simon E and Parent R (2011) Absorptive capacity: a proposed operationalization. Knowledge Management Research & Practice 9 (4), 367–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nonaka I (1994) A dynamic theory of organizational knowledge creation. Organization Science 5 (1), 14–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2012) Main Science and Technology Indicators Database. Vol. 2012.

  • Okhuysen GA and Eisenhardt KM (2002) Integrating knowledge in groups: how formal interventions enable flexibility. Organization Science 13 (4), 370–386.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oosterwal D and Reese A (2004) Harley-Davidson’s formula for NPD. Visions Magazine, Vol. 28, p. 15.

  • Oshri I, Pan SL and Newell S (2005) Trade-offs between knowledge exploitation and exploration activities. Knowledge Management Research & Practice 3 (1), 10–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patnayakuni R, Rai A and Tiwana A (2007) Systems development process improvement: a knowledge integration perspective. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 54 (2), 286–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patnayakuni R, Ruppel CP and Rai A (2006) Managing the complementarity of knowledge integration and process formalization for systems development performance. Journal of the AIS 7 (8), 545–567.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavlou PA and El Sawy OA (2006) From IT leveraging competence to competitive advantage in turbulent environments: the case of new product development. Information Systems Research 17 (3), 198–227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petruzzelli AM (2014) Balancing knowledge exploration and exploitation within and across technological and geographical domains. Knowledge Management Research & Practice 12 (2), 123–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rai A, Maruping LM and Venkatesh V (2009) Offshore information systems project success: the role of social embeddedness and cultural characteristics. MIS Quarterly 33 (3), 617–641.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramesh B and Tiwana A (1999) Supporting collaborative process knowledge management in new product development teams. Decision Support Systems 27 (1–2), 213–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roussel CS and Deltour F (2012) Beyond cross-functional teams: knowledge integration during organizational projects and the role of social capital. Knowledge Management Research & Practice 10 (2), 128–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarin S and McDermott C (2003) The effect of team leader characteristics on learning, knowledge application, and performance of cross-functional new product development teams. Decision Sciences 34 (4), 707–739.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott JE (2000) Facilitating interorganizational learning with information technology. Journal of Management Information Systems 17 (2), 81–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Segarra-Ciprés M, Roca-Puig V and Bou-Llusar JC (2014) External knowledge acquisition and innovation output: an analysis of the moderating effect of internal knowledge transfer. Knowledge Management Research & Practice 12 (2), 203–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Serenko A and Bontis N (2009) Global ranking of knowledge management and intellectual capital academic journals. Journal of Knowledge Management 13 (1), 4–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sethi R, Pant S and Sethi A (2003) Web-based product development systems integration and new product outcomes: a conceptual framework. Journal of Production Innovation Management 20 (1), 37–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song M, Droge C, Hanvanich S and Calantone R (2005) Marketing and technology resource complementarity: an analysis of their interaction effect in two environmental contexts. Strategic Management Journal 26 (3), 259–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Staats BR, Valentine M and Edmondson AC (2011) Performance tradeoffs in team knowledge sourcing. Working Paper, Harvard Business School, Harvard University.

  • Tan CL and Tracey M (2007) Collaborative new product development environments: implications for supply chain management. The Journal of Supply Chain Management 43 (3), 2–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tippins MJ and Sohi RS (2003) IT competency and firm performance: is organizational learning a missing link? Strategic Management Journal 24 (8), 745–761.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tiwana A (2004) An empirical study of the effect of knowledge integration on software development performance. Information and Software Technology 46 (13), 899–906.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tiwana A and McLean E (2005) Expertise integration and creativity in information systems development. Journal of Management Information Systems 22 (1), 13–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tiwana A, Bharadwaj AS and Sambamurthy V (2003) The antecedents of information systems development capability in firms: a knowledge integration perspective. In Proceedings of the Twenty Fourth International Conference on Information System (ICIS), Seattle, WA.

  • Verona G and Ravasi D (2003) Unbundling dynamic capabilities: an exploratory study of continuous product innovation. Industrial and Corporate Change 12 (3), 577–606.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vitari C (2011) The success of expert recommending services and the part played by organizational context. Knowledge Management Research & Practice 9 (2), 151–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wade M and Hulland J (2004) Review: the resource-based view and information systems research: review, extension, and suggestions for future research. MIS Quarterly 28 (1), 107–142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson S and Hewett K (2006) A multi-theoretical model of knowledge transfer in organizations: determinants of knowledge contribution and knowledge reuse. Journal of Management Studies 43 (2), 141–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Webster J and Watson RT (2002) Analyzing the past to prepare for the future: writing a literature review. MIS Quarterly 26 (2), 13–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wegner DM (1995) A computer network model of human transactive memory. Social Cognition 13 (3), 319–339.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yassine AA, Kim K-C, Roemer T and Holweg M (2004) Investigating the role of IT in customized product design. Production Planning & Control 15 (4), 422–434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shamel Addas.

Appendices

Appendix A

Table A1

Table A1 Dimensions of IT capabilities

Appendix B

Table B1

Table B1 Support for the relationship between knowledge sourcing and NPD process efficiency

Appendix C

Table C1

Table C1 Support for the relationship between knowledge integration and NPD product effectiveness

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Addas, S., Pinsonneault, A. IT capabilities and NPD performance: examining the mediating role of team knowledge processes. Knowl Manage Res Pract 14, 76–95 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1057/kmrp.2014.16

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/kmrp.2014.16

Keywords

Navigation