The present work is based on a main stream of research: Contingency Analysis on Design Chain Visibility. Specifically, it aims at exploring the presence of contingent factors influencing the focal company’s ability to access/share information with the external partners involved in a New Product Development (NPD) project. Considering visibility as a strategy regarding decisions and choices on the whole design chain and on each partner involved, the study addresses two research questions: “which” are the Context Variables that may influence on the level of Visibility that a company has on its Design Chain? And “which” are the Context Variables that may influence on the choice of the focal company to differentiate the level of Visibility between its Design Chain partners? To answer these questions a set of possible context variables was proposed: this came from a deep investigation in literature studies concerning contingent factors relevant in design chain issues. The variables’ influence on visibility was tested through the analysis of 10 case studies representing a sample of company belonging to the same industry (Italian Home Appliances industry) . The findings highlighted that a combination of different typologies of context variables (i.e. variables related to features of the NPD project and related to characteristics of the involved partners) impact on visibility. This result provides a new perspective on the topic of Design Chain Visibility and suggestions for managers in addressing the management of their design chains: among these, the acknowledgement of the need of different visibility for different NPD projects and of the knowledge of drivers for differentiating visibility among design chain partners.
Questo lavoro di tesi si basa su principale filone di ricerca: Analisi di Contingenza sulla Design Chain Visibility. Nello specifico, l’obiettivo è indagare la presenza di fattori contingenti che possono influenzare l’abilità di un’azienda focale di accedere/condividere informazioni con i partner esterni coinvolti in un progetto di Sviluppo Nuovo Prodotto. Considerando la visibility come una strategia riguardante decisioni e scelte prese per l’intera design chain e per ciascun partner coinvolto, lo studio intende rispondere a due domande di ricerca: “quali” sono le Variabili di Contesto che possono influenzare il livello di Visibility che un’azienda ha sui partner coinvolti nella Design Chain? E “quali” sono le Variabili di Contesto che possono influenzare la scelta di un’azienda focale di differenziare il livello di Visibility tra i partner facenti parte la Design Chain? Per rispondere a queste domande è stato proposto un set di possibili variabili di contesto: è stato dedotto da un profondo vaglio su studi di letteratura che trattassero l’analisi di fattori rilevanti in questioni relative alla design chain. Si è testata l’influenza di tali variabili sulla visibility attraverso l’analisi di 10 casi studio, condotta con un campione di aziende appartenenti allo stesso settore (settore italiano degli Elettrodomestici). Dallo studio emerge che una serie di variabili di contesto (i.e. variabili relative alle caratteristiche del progetto di sviluppo nuovo prodotto e relative alle caratteristiche dei partner coinvolti), se combinate insieme, impattano sulla visibility. Il lavoro fornisce una nuova prospettiva al tema della Design Chain Visibility e presenta dei risvolti pratici utili ai manager nella gestione delle loro design chain: il riconoscere il bisogno di differenti livelli di visibility per i diversi progetti di sviluppo nuovo prodotto e la conoscenza di fattori che possano influenzare la scelta di differenziare la visibility fra i partner che compongono la design chain.
An exploratory analysis of the contingency variables influencing design chain visibility
FRANCIPANE, CHIARA
2013/2014
Abstract
The present work is based on a main stream of research: Contingency Analysis on Design Chain Visibility. Specifically, it aims at exploring the presence of contingent factors influencing the focal company’s ability to access/share information with the external partners involved in a New Product Development (NPD) project. Considering visibility as a strategy regarding decisions and choices on the whole design chain and on each partner involved, the study addresses two research questions: “which” are the Context Variables that may influence on the level of Visibility that a company has on its Design Chain? And “which” are the Context Variables that may influence on the choice of the focal company to differentiate the level of Visibility between its Design Chain partners? To answer these questions a set of possible context variables was proposed: this came from a deep investigation in literature studies concerning contingent factors relevant in design chain issues. The variables’ influence on visibility was tested through the analysis of 10 case studies representing a sample of company belonging to the same industry (Italian Home Appliances industry) . The findings highlighted that a combination of different typologies of context variables (i.e. variables related to features of the NPD project and related to characteristics of the involved partners) impact on visibility. This result provides a new perspective on the topic of Design Chain Visibility and suggestions for managers in addressing the management of their design chains: among these, the acknowledgement of the need of different visibility for different NPD projects and of the knowledge of drivers for differentiating visibility among design chain partners.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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2014_12_Francipane.pdf
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/99463