Critical Factors for New Product Developments in SMEs' Virtual Team

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are considered as an engine for economic growth all over the world and especially for developing countries. During the past decade, new product development (NPD) has increasingly been recognized as a critical factor in ensuring the continued survival of SMEs. On the other hand, the rapid rate of market and technological changes has accelerated in the past decade, so this turbulent environment requires new methods and techniques to bring successful new products to the marketplace. Virtual team can be a solution to answer the requested demand. However, literature have shown no significant differences between traditional NPD and virtual NPD in general, whereas NPD in SME’s virtual team has not been systematically investigated in developing countries. This paper aims to bridge this gap by first reviewing the NPD and its relationship with virtuality and then identifies the critical factors of NPD in virtual teams. The statistical method was utilized to perform the required analysis of data from the survey. The results were achieved through factor analysis at the perspective of NPD in some Malaysian and Iranian manufacturing firms (N = 191). The 20 new product development factors were grouped into five higher level constructs. It gives valuable insight and guidelines, which hopefully will help managers of firms in developing countries to consider the main factors in NPD

Critical factors for new product developments in SMEs virtual team

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are considered as an engine for economic growth all over the world and especially for developing countries. During the past decade, new product development (NPD) has increasingly been recognized as a critical factor in ensuring the continued survival of SMEs. On the other hand, the rapid rate of market and technological changes has accelerated in the past decade, so this turbulent environment requires new methods and techniques to bring successful new products to the marketplace. Virtual team can be a solution to answer the requested demand. However, literature have shown no significant differences between traditional NPD and virtual NPD in general, whereas NPD in SME’s virtual team has not been systematically investigated in developing countries. This paper aims to bridge this gap by first reviewing the NPD and its relationship with virtuality and then identifies the critical factors of NPD in virtual teams. The statistical method was utilized to perform the required analysis of data from the survey. The results were achieved through factor analysis at the perspective of NPD in some Malaysian and Iranian manufacturing firms (N = 191). The 20 new product development factors were grouped into five higher level constructs. It gives valuable insight and guidelines, which hopefully will help managers of firms in developing countries to consider the main factors in NPD.Survey findings, new product development, factor analysis, virtual team

Semantic discovery and reuse of business process patterns

Patterns currently play an important role in modern information systems (IS) development and their use has mainly been restricted to the design and implementation phases of the development lifecycle. Given the increasing significance of business modelling in IS development, patterns have the potential of providing a viable solution for promoting reusability of recurrent generalized models in the very early stages of development. As a statement of research-in-progress this paper focuses on business process patterns and proposes an initial methodological framework for the discovery and reuse of business process patterns within the IS development lifecycle. The framework borrows ideas from the domain engineering literature and proposes the use of semantics to drive both the discovery of patterns as well as their reuse

Evaluating organisational readiness for virtual collaboration

This chapter endeavours to clarify some of the concepts related to the virtual organisation and to move away from the definition of a “virtual organisation” as one with few or no tangible assets, existing in virtual space created through information communication technologies (ICT) (Warner & Witzel, 2004). The authors focus on the concept of an organisation, which is “virtually organised,” employing ICT for the majority of its communication, asset management, knowledge management and customer resource management, across a network of customers, suppliers and employees (Venkatraman & Henderson, 1998). The authors consider the concepts of virtual organisations and virtual organising and develop an instrument that can be used to evaluate organisational readiness to exploit virtual networks. The instrument can be used initially to measure the value of virtual models to the organisation and then reapplied to measure the extent to which these values are actually embraced

Plotting virtuality : dimensions of eLearning space

The term eLearning enjoys wide currency, but is loosely employed. A lack of clarity as to its nature accompanies a lack of understanding as to its applications and appropriate use. These are important issues, as political, educational and commercial policy-makers need an informed frame of reference from which to make decisions regarding the employment of eLearning alongside or in the place of existing methods of education and training. There is also a need for accurate description of eLearning products for the clients who might use them. This paper seeks to provide contextual and internal analyses of eLearning as an initial stage in the process of creating such a frame of reference. Firstly, eLearning is located within a variety of education and training contexts so as to delineate its boundaries, and an overview is made of ways in which it is employed at higher education level within private, corporate and state-funded systems. Secondly, earlier conceptual models for eLearning are examined and a model is proposed comprising four dimensions of virtual space: course utility, study flexibility, delivery technology and learning paradigm. A graphical representation of the dimensional model is used to profile the different contexts for eLearning explored earlier; this method of visualisation affords ready comparison of the variety of ways in which eLearning is employed. Thirdly, a rationale is advanced for these dimensions, which are then discussed in relation to typical learning activities. Finally, consideration is given to how the dimensional model might be applied in the areas of learner appeal, course marketing, educational systems design and course quality evaluation

Critical analysis of interpersonal trust determinants in virtual teams, working in capability planning in the identification of capability gaps or needs, to provide required future military capability in the UK’s MOD

The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) balances defence policy aspirations and available resources through the capability planning process. Arguably, the cornerstone of this process is the cross-functional integration of skills and capabilities across defence. This is realised through a construct of Virtual Teams (VTs) called Capability Planning Groups (CPGs). Literature on the topic of interpersonal trust in VTs highlights the development of trust as a key element, if not the most significant, in pursuing desired outcomes. Furthermore, literature on this topic, in a defence context, is scarce. This thesis undertakes a specific research approach, in accordance with its aim: To develop a critical analysis of interpersonal trust determinants in VTs, working in capability planning for the identification of capability gaps or needs, to provide required future military capability. Consequently, three research questions are investigated: What are the pertinent determinants of interpersonal trust in the CPG?; What, if any, are the issues surrounding those determinants within the CPG?; and, What risks are there, beyond the interpersonal relationships, which could influence the trust behaviour of CPG members? A critical review of pertinent literature is followed by the development of a research methodology under a phenomenological paradigm. Building from this, fieldwork was undertaken in two phases. As a result of semi-structured interviews to the members of a number of CPGs, the way in which interpersonal trust is generically perceived was conceptualised, and confirmation of the interpersonal trust determinants considered in an adapted model of interpersonal trust in CPGs was provided. In addition, a cross-case analysis allowed the integration of the data gathered, in order to identify target areas to be covered in the second wave of data collection. Subsequently, in Phase II, information was gathered through a survey questionnaire addressed to the whole population under consideration, in order to increase the robustness of the study, by confirming and providing further insights about key issues identified, as well as underpinning more powerful conclusions. From this, interpersonal trust determinants pertaining to the CPGs, as well as the issues and risks regarding interpersonal trust, were asserted. A major finding was the conceptualisation of these issues and risks, because they are critical in determining if a specific behaviour will be taken. Moreover, as highlighted in the Defence Reform Report (2011), some of these are already identified as very real concerns, and appear as structural or enduring problems at MOD level. These elements are deemed a central focus for future research, because of their significance as contextual variables that have to be addressed in order to stimulate interpersonal trust and, consequently, improve performance in the CPGs. As the use of VTs is considered most likely to increase over time in MOD organisations, the findings from this research will be useful to all personnel involved in capability planning, and other cross-functional activities. In particular, it could inform the design of organisational processes and systems as capability management is taken forward. Finally, the issues and risks associated with such virtual trust are asserted as not believed to be a manifestation of dysfunctional strategic planning because defence organisations can have clarity of purpose, can have clear direction, and yet still send competing messages. Paradoxically, that is the weakness of being strong. The analysis suggests that action has to be taken in order to stimulate interpersonal trust, because it is important to avoid or mitigate negative effects of contextual variables influencing CPGs. To this end, it is crucial to understand the role that interpersonal trust plays in the cross-functional work that is critical for the successful integration of skills and capabilities, and to ensure that people involved in capability planning and other cross-functional activities are assisted in understanding the nature of this challenging and complex context

Virtual R&D teams and SMEs growth: A comparative study between Iranian and Malaysian SMEs

This paper explores potential advantages of using virtual teams for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a comprehensive review on various aspects of virtual teams. Based on the standing of the pertinent literature, attempt has been made to study the aspects by online survey method in Iran and Malaysia. In both countries, SMEs play an important role in their economies, employments, and capacity building. Virtual R&D team can be one of the means to increase SMEs efficiency and competitiveness in their local as well as global markets. In this context, surveys have been conducted to evaluate the effects of virtuality to the growth of SMEs. The study addresses some differences between two countries in engaging virtual research and development (R&D) teams in their SMEs. It is observed that there is a significant difference between the SMEs turnover that employed virtual team and that did not employ the virtual team. The way for further studies and recommend improvements are proposed.Virtual R&D team, small and medium enterprises, survey, developing countries.

Reimagining e-leadership for reconfigured virtual teams due to Covid-19

Driven by an unexpected transition into virtual working worldwide as a result of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, in this paper, we examine the extent to which existing knowledge from the literature on virtual teams (VTs) spanning two decades can be used to inform how leadership can be exercised in the Covid-19 ‘new normal’, involving ‘reconfigured’ VTs which have both similarities with, and differences from, earlier VTs. Drawing on existing literature on VTs pre-Covid-19, we explore what current (and future) VTs might look like and what this means for leadership in this new context with an emphasis on how leadership, or e-leadership, can be exercised to help the leaders of traditional, physically collocated teams that had to transition into VTs. These new e-leaders need to come to grips with a variety of new challenges in order to create high-performing and sustainable VTs. Following a semi-systematic, state-of-the-art literature review, we: (a) identify key themes and explain with a theoretical model how existing knowledge can lead to new insights for newly transitioned e-leaders; (b) discuss what future information systems (IS) researchers should focus on given the reconfiguration and new characteristics of VTs in the Covid-19 context; and (c) ‘translate’ the findings of our synthesis of the existing literature into prescriptive advice that can be used to inform practitioners