Multi‐dimensionality of learning in new product development teams

Abstract

New product development team learning is important in today’s turbulent and uncertain markets and technologies. However, the literature treats team learning as a single construct, ignoring its multi‐dimensionality. In this study, we develop a multi‐dimensional team learning framework based on socio‐cognitive constructs. By studying 124 new product development projects, we show empirically that learning in new product development is best conceived as a multi‐dimensional structure with nine correlated but distinct constructs including: information acquisition, information implementation, information dissemination, unlearning, thinking, improvisation, memory, intelligence and sensemaking. Further, we demonstrate that a model based on the multi‐dimensionality of team learning provides a more robust explanation of new product success than does a unidimensional team learning model.