TYPE OF KNOWLEDGE SHARING AND ITS IMPACT ON COLLABORATIVE NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

While integrating suppliers into producer new product development (NPD) would appear to be beneficial, there lacks a consensus as to what knowledge should be shared between producers and suppliers, especially within turbulent environments. This paper examines how in-depth and complex the knowledge sharing should be between producers and suppliers, given varying environmental conditions. To this point, we propose that small-scale technical exchanges are generally more effective in collaborative NPD efforts than more complex technology transfers. We also analyze two forms of environmental uncertainty, market turbulence and technology turbulence, as they influence the knowledge sharing measures. A survey of project managers reveals that while technical exchanges positively influence NPD performance, technology transfers have no impact (except in radical product development projects) and thus may not always be appropriate in producer–supplier NPD collaborations. We also find that market turbulence and technology turbulence influence technical exchanges, but in differing manners.