SMEs; Virtual research and development (R&D) teams and new product development: A literature review

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are indeed the engines of global economic growth. Their continued growth is a major subject for the economy and employment of any country. Towards that end, virtual research and development (R&D) could be a viable option to sustain and ease the operations of SMEs. However, literature shows there has not been a great deal of research into the diverse characteristic of virtual R&D teams in SMEs. This article provides a comprehensive literature review on different aspects of virtual R&D teams collected from the reputed publications. The purpose of the literature review is to provide an outline on the structure and dynamics of R&D collaboration in SMEs. Specifying the rationale and relevance of virtual teams, the relationship between virtual R&D team for SMEs and new product development (NPD) has been examined. It concludes with identifying the gaps and feebleness in the existing literature and calls for future research in this area. It is argued to form of virtual R&D team deserves consideration at top level management for venturing into the new product development within SMEs

Virtual R&D teams in small and medium enterprises: a literature review

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the driving engine behind economic growth. While SMEs play a critical role in generating employment and supporting trade, they face numerous challenges, the prominent among them are the need to respond to fasting time-to-market, low-cost and rapid solutions to complex organizational problems. Towards that end, research and development (R & D) aspect deserves particular attention to promote and facilitate the operations of SMEs. Virtual R & D team could be a viable option. However, literature shows that virtual R & D teaming in SMEs is still at its infancy. This article provides a comprehensive literature review on different aspects of virtual R & D teams collected from the reputed publications. The purpose of the state-of-the-art literature review is to provide an overview on the structure and dynamics of R & D collaboration in SMEs. Specifying the foundation and importance of virtual teams, the relationship between virtual R & D team and SMEs has been examined. It concludes with the identification of the gaps in the existing literature's and calls for future research. It is argued that setting-up an infrastructure for virtual R & D team in SMEs still requires a large amount of engineering efforts and deserves consideration at top level management

SMEs; Virtual research and development (R&D) teams and new product development: A literature review

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are indeed the engines of global economic growth. Their continued growth is a major subject for the economy and employment of any country. Towards that end, virtual research and development (R&D) could be a viable option to sustain and ease the operations of SMEs. However, literature shows there has not been a great deal of research into the diverse characteristic of virtual R&D teams in SMEs. This article provides a comprehensive literature review on different aspects of virtual R&D teams collected from the reputed publications. The purpose of the literature review is to provide an outline on the structure and dynamics of R&D collaboration in SMEs. Specifying the rationale and relevance of virtual teams, the relationship between virtual R&D team for SMEs and new product development (NPD) has been examined. It concludes with identifying the gaps and feebleness in the existing literature and calls for future research in this area. It is argued to form of virtual R&D team deserves consideration at top level management for venturing into the new product development within SMEs.Virtual teams, small and medium enterprises, new product development, R&D

Team factors and the moderating effect of top management support on product innovation performance: The Malaysian experience

This study examined the relationships between team factors, namely functional diversity, trust and coordination and the moderating effect of top management support on product innovation performance.A total of 512 team members in various industries within the manufacturing companies in Peninsular Malaysia participated in this study.This figure comprised of 53 participating companies and 120 teams. The results found the difference in impact of independent variables (team factors) on different dependent variables (task-outcomes and psychosocial-outcomes).The R 2 value is higher for psychosocial-outcomes (R 2 =.67) as opposed to task-outcomes (R 2 =.28).Regarding the direct relations between independent variables and dependent variables, only coordination was found to directly relate to both task and psychosocial-outcomes.Affective trust has direct relations with psychosocial-outcomes only but not on task-outcomes. Regarding the indirect relations between the independent and the dependent variables when moderating variable (top management support) was incorporated in the relationships, it was found that top management support act as an independent for psychosocial outcomes, i.e. quasi moderator but not for task-outcomes.Top management support moderates the relationship between functional diversity and coordination on task-outcomes, and affective trust on psychosocial-outcomes

La contribution des TIC et du présentiel à l’efficacité de la coordination des équipes projets de NPD distribuées La contribution des TIC et du présentiel à l\u27efficacité de la coordination des équipes projets de NPD distribuées

In the last twenty years, new product development (NPD) teams have been characterized by increased spatial and temporal distribution. Some authors assert that this distribution hinders the coordination of these teams, especially because it limits the opportunities for ex- change as well as the use of face-to-face dialogue. Other authors consider that coordina- tion through ICT is as effective as face-to-face communication. Although scholars have been debating this point for years, the issue has never been empirically validated in the case of NDP project teams. To fill this gap, we study the influence of technological and non- technological media on coordination by taking into account the distribution level of NPD team members. Results of PLS modelling indicate that the effect of the various media on co- ordination varies according to the level of spatial and temporal distribution. The results dispute the relevance of face-to-face exchanges when project teams are highly distributed, teams in which coordination is frequently based on the use of ICT (for design support and for task organization). Therefore, this study indicates that the richness of media does not alone explain the media’s efficiency. We also contribute to the literature which tends to equate team distribution to the media type by showing that the two concepts are different

Measurement of Geographical Dispersion in Virtual Project Teams

RÉSUMÉ : Le contexte actuel de mondialisation et de développement rapide des technologies de communication incite les organisations à mettre en place des équipes de projets dispersées. À mesure que se généralise ce mode d’organisation, plusieurs chercheurs s’y intéressent et tentent de mieux comprendre les facteurs, processus et conditions qui favorisent son implantation. Bien qu’un corpus de connaissances se soit bien développé au cours de la dernière décennie, plusieurs dimensions de ce phénomène restent peu explorées, et c’est précisément le cas de la mesure de dispersion des équipes. La littérature suggère en effet un manque de rigueur et d’homogénéité à ce niveau. L'objectif global de cette étude consiste justement à analyser un certain nombre de propositions de mesure de dispersion appliquées à des équipes de projet réelles. Après avoir examiné les principales définitions de la dispersion des équipes dans la littérature, certaines mesures sont sélectionnées. Le potentiel de ces mesures est ensuite analysé à partir d’une base de données contenant plusieurs informations fournies par des professionnels de la gestion de projet. La comparaison de ces mesures s’appuie sur un modèle théorique mettant en relation la dispersion, l’efficacité des équipes de projets, et certains facteurs contextuels dont l’impact sur le fonctionnement des équipes est établi dans la littérature. Au terme de l’analyse, il est possible d’identifier une mesure simple et deux mesures combinées présentant un plus grand potentiel d’applicabilité que les sept mesures simples et 56 mesures combinées considérées initialement. Parmi toutes les mesures de dispersion simple, les résultats des analyses effectuées rapportent que l'indice appelé Member Index est la meilleure solution pour cerner la dispersion. Parmi les mesures combinées, les résultats des analyses révèlent que les deux meilleurs types de mesures de dispersion sont 1) celle qui combine la distance, le temps, et l’indice de voyage, et 2) celle qui combine la distance, le nombre de sites et l’indice de voyage.Outre la contribution sur la plan méthodologique (analyse des mesures de dispersion), cette recherche fournit également des résultats intéressants tant sur le plan théorique que pratique. Plusieurs implications managériales sont identifiées notamment en ce qui concerne l’effet de l’expérience du chef de projet et la fréquence de réunions entre les membres des équipes dispersées. Au plan théorique, cette étude contribue à l’avancement de l’état actuel des connaissances portant sur le thème de la dispersion dont le degré est rarement étudié dans des projets concrets. En effet, bien que certains auteurs aient proposé diverses structures pour cerner cette dimension, les mesures théoriques sont rarement étudiées dans des projets concrets. Afin de pallier cette limite, cette étude explore les mesures proposées, sur la base d'un échantillon de 149 projets réels de la diversité considérable en termes de distance géographique, les fuseaux horaires et les caractéristiques organisationnelles.----------ABSTRACT : The current context of globalization and the fast development of communication technologies encourages organizations to use virtual project teams. As this organizational form is becoming more demanded, many researchers are interested in and try to better understand the factors, processes and conditions that favor its implementation. Although a body of knowledge is well developed over the last decade, several aspects of this phenomenon remain poorly explored, and this is precisely what the measurement of dispersed teams experienced. Indeed, the literature suggests a lack of rigor and consistency at this level. The overall objective of this study is precisely to analyze a number of proposals for measuring dispersion applied to real project teams. After reviewing the main definitions of virtual teams in the literature, some measures are selected. The potential of these dispersion measures is then analyzed from a database containing information provided by several project management professionals. The comparison of these measures is based on a theoretical model linking the virtual teamwork effectiveness of project teams, and certain characteristics of the organization whose impact on the functioning of the teams were established in the literature. After the analysis, a simple measure and two combined measures were identified with greater potential applicability of the seven (7) simple measures and fifty six (56) combined measures initially considered. Among all the simple dispersion measures, member index is the best fit to capture dispersion. Among combined measures, the combined measures of spatial, temporal, and travel indices and spatial, number of sites and travel indices are proved to be the best. Besides the methodological contribution (analysis of measures of dispersion), this research also provides interesting results both in theory and practice. Several managerial implications are identified in particular as regards the effect of the experience of the project manager and the frequency of meetings between members of virtual teams. The current study provides several theoretical contributions to virtual dispersion research community. First of all, the degree of dispersion is rarely studied in real-life projects. Many authors have provided different structures to capture this dimension. However, theoretical measures are rarely studied in ongoing real projects. The present study looks at the proposed measures using a sample of 149 real projects of considerable diversity in terms of geographic distance, time zones and organizational characteristics. The results are of practical use to both researchers and managers of virtual teams. The concept of creating combined measures to capture the multi-dimensional nature of dispersion is another contribution of this thesis. The combined measures capture the various aspects of dispersion simultaneously. Among the managerial implications of the thesis, the importance of project manager experience and managerial skills is revealed. The technological support is also a essential factor to consider for project managers

New Service Development in banking: The organization and coordination of virtual development teams - Volume 1

New Service Development (NSD) is frequently executed on a project-management basis with the organizational nucleus being the cross-functional team. Radical changes in information technology have led to the emergence of a new type of cross-functional team, the virtual team. Virtual teams comprise an important structural component of many organizations and are particularly important in globally dispersed efforts. This thesis investigates the workings of virtual NSD teams in corporate banking. The literature indicates that leaders of virtual teams often struggle to achieve effective teamwork. As virtual teams involve geographically dispersed members who rarely meet in person, a key challenge for team leaders is to organize and coordinate. This study develops a conceptual model of the organization and coordination of virtual teamwork grounded both in previous literature and in qualitative multiple case studies. A systematic process was used for conducting case research using purposive sampling and multiple data collection methods. Data was collected from 16 project teams in 8 international banking institutions - Goldman Sachs, Schroders, Barclays, Rothschild, Deutsche Bank, Abbey National, Lloyds TSB and Bank of Scotland. The findings shed new light on the workings of virtual teams in the NSD context. They suggest that some analysts have exaggerated the potential of flexibility and adaptability in virtual teams. There is little evidence of flexibility and adaptability in the management of high performing teams. High performing teams are distinguished by formalized work processes, centralized decision-making, and standardized communication patterns. It is the physical structure of high performing teams (size and membership especially) which is flexible and adaptive. Yet, the more flexible the physical structure the tighter organization and coordination. Tightly organized and coordinated work processes reduce complexity and ambiguity and so provide stability. These surprising findings contribute to emerging research suggesting that loosely coupled organizational forms need to be underpinned by tight managerial mechanisms. Managers are challenged to implement these mechanisms in the form of formalized, centralized and standardized work processes. Managerial implications are identified in the context of, but not limited to, NSD. They highlight the limitations of virtual teams and suggest that team leaders evaluate with great care whether to deploy a virtual team as opposed to a traditional co-located work group. In particular, the advantages of flexible physical team configurations may be diminished by the attendant need for rigid managerial mechanisms to organize and coordinate. Unless these mechanisms are skilfully implemented, their rigidity may curb efficiencies related to time and cost and may even hinder creativity and innovation. These potential limitations provide rich possibilities for further research

What the differences in conflict between online and face-to-face work groups mean for hybrid groups: A state-of-the-art review

Conflict has been a topic widely studied in communication and management studies literature. How groups handle conflict can affect group performance, satisfaction, and commitment (Martínez-Moreno, González-Navarro, Zornoza, & Ripoll, 2009; Pazos, 2012; Staples & Webster, 2007; Workman, 2007). Much of this literature focuses on online, task-oriented work groups, and how these groups differ from face-to-face (F2F) groups. However, hybrid groups (i.e., those that work both F2F and online) are increasingly common. To better understand conflict in hybrid groups, we review 68 articles regarding online, hybrid, and F2F groups that highlight the differences between F2F and online groups and consider what these differences mean for hybrid groups. In doing so, we identify several emergent themes related to how conflict is managed in online and hybrid groups. The literature suggests that there are many benefits to online and hybrid groups, such as the ability to assemble more diverse teams and work asynchronously, but that conflict is also more common in online than F2F groups. Strong norms and leadership behaviors that encourage trust and cohesion appear to reduce conflict and its effects on group performance and decision making, especially in online groups. These findings suggest that in hybrid groups, F2F meetings might be used to quickly establish group norms, trust, and cohesion, which can then improve online group interactions. However, more research is needed to understand how conflict occurs and is managed in hybrid groups. Future communication research should focus on examining conflict management in hybrid groups using computer-mediated communication perspectives

L’impact de la GRH sur le succès des projets : revue de littérature et synthèse

Travail Dirigé présenté à la Faculté des arts et des sciences – École de relations industrielles en vue de l'obtention du grade de Maître ès sciences (M.Sc.) en Relations Industrielles.La gestion des ressources humaines (GRH) comprend les pratiques et les politiques destinées à gérer le capital humain dans le but de la réalisation des objectifs des organisations. La GRH a été reconnue comme un déterminant important de la réussite des organisations et de leur compétitivité durable dans un monde en mutation. Au cours des dernières décennies, la structure des organisations dans de nombreuses industries différentes a changé de façon spectaculaire. En particulier dans les secteurs à forte intensité de connaissances, les organisations sont passées de structures permanentes à des entités qui ont de plus en plus recours à des projets pour atteindre leurs objectifs. Les projets sont des tâches complexes qui peuvent faire appel à un large éventail de compétences pour atteindre un ensemble prédéfini d'objectifs approuvés par les parties prenantes dans un temps et un budget limité. Les caractéristiques inhérentes aux projets, telles que le caractère temporaire, la complexité, l'incertitude et l'interfonctionnalité, à tous les stades, de la définition du projet à son exécution, imposent des défis et des opportunités uniques aux membres de l'équipe, aux gestionnaires de projet et aux autres entités chargées de la mise en oeuvre des politiques de GRH. Tout en permettant à l'organisation de bénéficier de la plus grande expertise pour effectuer des tâches hautement spécialisées et en permettant au personnel d'apprendre continuellement en participant à différents projets, les défis des projets peuvent conduire à la perte de capital humain et à l'échec s'ils ne sont pas gérés de manière appropriée. Néanmoins, compte tenu des différences considérables entre les projets et les environnements de travail traditionnels, les pratiques de GRH peuvent-elles encore être pertinentes et déterminantes pour la réussite des projets ? De plus, quels sont les défis spécifiques aux environnements de travail des projets qui doivent être pris en compte dans la conception et la mise en oeuvre des pratiques de GRH pour les équipes de projet ? Dans cette recherche, la littérature disponible est analysée afin de mettre en évidence les aspects distinctifs de l'environnement de travail basé sur des projets et d'évaluer si et comment les pratiques de GRH peuvent déterminer le succès des projets et des organisations. Human resource management (HRM) comprises practices and policies designed to direct the human capital toward realizing the organizations’ goals. HRM has been acknowledged as a significant determinant of organizational success and sustainable competitiveness in the changing world. Over the past few decades, the structure of organizations in many different industries has dramatically changed. Especially in knowledge-intensive sectors, organizations have shifted from permanent structures toward entities that increasingly employ projects to reach their goals. Projects are complex tasks that can involve a wide range of expertise to reach a predefined set of objectives approved by the stakeholders over a finite time and budget. The inherent characteristics of projects, such as temporariness, complexity, uncertainty, and cross-functionality, in all stages from project definition to implementation, impose unique challenges and opportunities for the team members, project managers, and other entities in charge of implementing the HRM policies. While allowing flexibility for the organization to benefit from the highest expertise to perform highly specialized tasks and allowing personnel to learn continuously through participating in different projects, project challenges can lead to loss of human capital and failure if not appropriately managed. Nevertheless, considering the dramatic differences between project and traditional work settings, can HRM practices still be relevant and determinant in project success? Moreover, what challenges specific to the project work settings must be accounted for in designing and implementing HRM practices for project teams? In this research, the available literature is analyzed to highlight the distinguishing aspects of the project-based work environment and evaluating whether and how HRM practices can determine the success of the projects and the organizations