Technology Use in the Virtual R&D Teams

Ale Ebrahim, Nader and Ahmed, Shamsuddin and Salwa Hanim, Salwa Hanim and Taha, Zahari (2011): Technology Use in the Virtual R&D Teams. Published in: American Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences , Vol. 5, No. 1 (31 January 2012): pp. 9-14.

Abstract

Problem statement: Although, literature proves the importance of the technology role in the effectiveness of virtual Research and Development (R&D) teams for new product development. However, the factors that make technology construct in a virtual R&D team are still ambiguous. The manager of virtual R&D teams for new product development does not know which type of technology should be used. Approach: To address the gap and answer the question, the study presents a set of factors that make a technology construct. The proposed construct modified by finding of the field survey (N = 240). We empirically examine the relationship between construct and its factors by employing the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). A measurement model built base on the 19 preliminary factors that extracted from literature review. The result shows 10 factors out of 19 factors maintaining to make technology construct. Results: These 10 technology factors can be grouped into two constructs namely Web base communication and Web base data sharing. The findings can help new product development managers of enterprises to concentrate in the main factors for leading an effective virtual R&D team. In addition, it provides a guideline for software developers as well. Conclusion: The second and third generation technologies are now more suitable for developing new products through virtual R&D teams.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Collaboration teams, questionnaires, performance, cross-functional teams, product development, structural equation modeling, measurement model, literature review
• Subjects: O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O2 - Development Planning and Policy > O25 - Industrial Policy; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q5 - Environmental Economics > Q55 - Technological Innovation; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O3 - Innovation ; Research and Development ; Technological Change ; Intellectual Property Rights > O32 - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D; L - Industrial Organization > L1 - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O14 - Industrialization ; Manufacturing and Service Industries ; Choice of Technology; L - Industrial Organization > L2 - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior; M - Business Administration and Business Economics ; Marketing ; Accounting ; Personnel Economics > M5 - Personnel Economics > M54 - Labor Management; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O3 - Innovation ; Research and Development ; Technological Change ; Intellectual Property Rights; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J5 - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining

References

ALE EBRAHIM, N., ABDUL RASHID, S. H., AHMED, S. & TAHA, Z. 2011. The Effectiveness of Virtual R&D Teams in SMEs: Experiences of Malaysian SMEs. Industrial Engineering & Management Systems, 10 (ARTICLE IN PRESS).

ALE EBRAHIM, N., AHMED, S., ABDUL RASHID, S. H. & TAHA, Z. Year. The Effectiveness of Virtual R&D Teams in SMEs: Experiences of Malaysian SMEs. In: The 11th Asia Pacific Industrial Engineering and Management Systems Conference 2010 (APIEMS 2010) December 7-10 2010 Melaka, Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: University of Malaya Press, 1-6.

ALE EBRAHIM, N., AHMED, S. & TAHA, Z. 2009a. Modified Stage-Gate: A Conceptual Model of Virtual Product Development Process. African Journal of Marketing Management, 1, 211-219.

ALE EBRAHIM, N., AHMED, S. & TAHA, Z. 2009b. Virtual R & D teams in small and medium enterprises: A literature review. Scientific Research and Essay, 4, 1575–1590.

ALE EBRAHIM, N., AHMED, S. & TAHA, Z. Year. Virtual R&D Teams: Innovation and Technology Facilitator In: Engineering Education in 2025, 11-12 May 2009c School of Engineering and Technology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. University of Tehran, 1-14.

ALE EBRAHIM, N., AHMED, S. & TAHA, Z. 2009d. Virtual Teams: a Literature Review. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 3, 2653-2669.

ANDERSON, A. H., MCEWAN, R., BAL, J. & CARLETTA, J. 2007. Virtual team meetings: An analysis of communication and context. Computers in Human Behavior, 23, 2558–2580.

ANDERSON, J. C. & GERBING, D. W. 1988. Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach. Psychological Bulletin 103, 411-423.

BASKERVILLE, R. & NANDHAKUMAR, J. 2007. Activating and Perpetuating Virtual Teams: Now That We’re Mobile, Where Do We Go? IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 50, 17 - 34

BYRNE, B. M. 2010. Structural equation modeling with AMOS: Basic concepts, applications, and programming, New York, Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

CHEN, M., LIOU, Y., WANG, C. W., FAN, Y. W. & CHI, Y. P. J. 2007. Team Spirit: Design, implementation, and evaluation of a Web-based group decision support system. Decision Support Systems, 43, 1186–1202.

CHUDOBA, K. M., WYNN, E., LU, M., WATSON-MANHEIM & BETH, M. 2005. How virtual are we? Measuring virtuality and understanding its impact in a global organization. Information Systems Journal, 15, 279-306.

COLEMAN, D. & LEVINE, S. 2008. Collaboration 2.0: Technology and Best Practices for Successful Collaboration in a Web 2.0 World, Silicon Valley, California, USA, Happy About®.

DEKKER, D. M., RUTTE, C. G. & VAN DEN BERG, P. T. 2008. Cultural differences in the perception of critical interaction behaviors in global virtual teams. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 32, 441-452.

DIBRELL, C., DAVIS, P. S. & CRAIG, J. 2008. Fueling Innovation through Information Technology in SMEs. Journal of Small Business Management, 46, 203-218.

EBRAHIM, N. A., AHMED, S. & TAHA, Z. 2010. Virtual R&D teams and SMEs growth: A comparative study between Iranian and Malaysian SMEs. African Journal of Business Management, 4, 2368-2379.

HUANG, C.-C. 2009. Knowledge sharing and group cohesiveness on performance: An empirical study of technology R&D teams in Taiwan. Technovation, 29, 786-797.

KOTELNIKOV, V. 2007. Small and Medium Enterprises and ICT. In: HAK-SU, K. (ed.) Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (UNDP-APDIP) e-Primers for the Information Economy, Society and Polity. Bangkok: UNDP Regional Centre.

KRATZER, J., LEENDERS, R. & ENGELEN, J. V. 2005. Keeping Virtual R&D Teams Creative. Research Technology Management, 1, 13-16.

LAM, P.-K., CHIN, K.-S., YANG, J.-B. & LIANG, W. 2007. Self-assessment of conflict management in client-supplier collaborative new product development. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 107, 688 - 714.

LEE-KELLEY, L. & SANKEY, T. 2008. Global virtual teams for value creation and project success: A case study. International Journal of Project Management 26, 51–62.

LEENDERS, R. T. A. J., ENGELEN, J. M. L. V. & KRATZER, J. 2003. Virtuality, communication, and new product team creativity: a social network perspective. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 20, 69–92.

LIN, C., STANDING, C. & LIU, Y.-C. 2008. A model to develop effective virtual teams. Decision Support Systems, 45, 1031-1045.

LUREY, J. S. & RAISINGHANI, M. S. 2001. An empirical study of best practices in virtual teams Information & Management, 38, 523-544.

MCNAMARA, K., DENNIS, A. R. & CARTE, T. A. 2008. It’s the Thought that Counts: The Mediating Effects of Information Processing in Virtual Team Decision Making. Information Systems Management 25, 20–32.

PAULEEN, D. J. & YOONG, P. 2001. Facilitating virtual team relationships via Internet and conventional communication channels. Internet Research, 11, 190 - 202.

PENA-MORA, F., HUSSEIN, K., VADHAVKAR, S. & BENJAMIN, K. 2000. CAIRO: a concurrent engineering meeting environment for virtual design teams. Artifcial Intelligence in Engineering 14, 203-219.

REDOLI, J., MOMPÓ, R., GARCÍA-DÍEZ, J. & LÓPEZ-CORONADO, M. 2008. A model for the assessment and development of Internet-based information and communication services in small and medium enterprises Technovation, 28, 424-435.

SHUMAROVA, E. V. 2009. Authority-based and Bottom-up Diffusion of Collaboration Information Technologies: Constraints and Enablements. MBA(Mgmt Information Systems), Universität Koblenz-Landau.

SILLS, S. J. & SONG, C. 2002. Innovations in Survey Research: An Application of Web-Based Surveys. Social Science Computer Review, 20, 22-30.

STOCK, G. N. & TATIKONDA, M. V. 2004. External technology integration in product and process development. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 24, 642-665.

THISSEN, M. R., JEAN, M. P., MADHAVI, C. B. & TOYIA, L. A. 2007. Communication tools for distributed software development teams. Proceedings of the 2007 ACM SIGMIS CPR conference on Computer personnel research: The global information technology workforce. St. Louis, Missouri, USA: ACM.

TOWNSEND, A. M., DEMARIE, S. M. & HENDRICKSON, A. R. 1998. Virtual Teams: Technology and the Workplace of the Future. The Academy of Management Executive, 12, 17-29.

WALVOORD, A. A. G., REDDEN, E. R., ELLIOTT, L. R. & COOVERT, M. D. 2008. Empowering followers in virtual teams: Guiding principles from theory and practice. Computers in Human Behavior, 24, 1884-1906.

ZEMLIANSKY, P. & AMANT, K. S. 2008. Handbook of Research on Virtual Workplaces and the New Nature of Business Practices, New York, IGI Global; illustrated edition edition (April 7, 2008).