Assessing Knowledge Configuration of New Product Development Teams and Performance

Abstract

In order to better understand how team composition is related to performance, this research investigates new product development (NPD) team composition and performance based on the individual team member’s knowledge rather than the function to which he or she is currently assigned. A survey of 174 technology firms in Korea, rated as “excellent” companies, shows that the inclusion of multi knowledge members with both marketing and technological knowledge in NPD teams significantly improves innovativeness and time efficiency in comparison to NPD teams without such diverse membership. These findings help illuminate previous contradictory findings in the NPD literature and show the important role of multi knowledge members in NPD performance for senior managers to consider when staffing such teams.