Virtual R&D Teams: A New Model for Product Development

Abstract

Increased global competitions have urged small and medium enterprises
(SMEs) to develop new products faster. Virtual research and development
(R&D) teams in SMEs can offer a solution to speed up time-to-market
of new product development (NPD). However, factors that affect the
effectiveness of virtual teams for NPD are still not adequately
verified. This book presents the correlations between virtual R&D
team constructs and virtual team effectiveness by developing a “Virtual
Research and Development Team” (ViR&DT) model. The items, which may
influence the effectiveness of virtual teams, are taken from the
literature. Through an online survey and by application of structural
equation modeling (SEM) technique, the proposed model (ViR&DT) has
been tested. The results suggest that the process construct is strongly
correlated to the effectiveness of virtual teams. Therefore, NPD
managers in virtual R&D teams should concentrate on the process of
new product development rather than simply equipping the teams with the
latest technology or employing highly qualified experts. Further
empirical research is recommended to fully explore and appreciate the
breadth of application of the ViR&DT model. This paper is a part of
my PhD journey.

Suggested Citation

Nader Ale Ebrahim. "Virtual R&D Teams: A New Model for Product Development" International Journal of Innovation 3.2 (2015): 1-27.
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/aleebrahim/107

"Virtual R&D Teams: A New Model for Product Development" by Nader Ale Ebrahim