The impact of modular designs on new product development outcomes: the moderating effect of supply chain involvement
ISSN: 1359-8546
Article publication date: 1 October 2018
Issue publication date: 17 October 2018
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the impacts of product modularity (PM) and multiskilled employees (MEs) on new product development (NPD) outcomes and explore the moderating effect of supply chain involvement.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used data collected from 317 manufacturers to empirically examine the conceptual model and conducted hierarchical regression analysis to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results reveal that PM significantly improves NPD outcomes. The relationship between PM/MEs and NPD outcomes is strengthened when the level of supplier involvement is high, whereas the relationship between MEs and NPD outcomes is weakened when the level of customer involvement is high.
Research limitations implications
First, this study only focuses on PM and MEs as two types of modular designs. Second, the inter-relationship between modular designs and supply chain involvement might be contingent. Third, the authors use cross-sectional data that cannot reflect causal effects of modularity on NPD outcomes.
Originality/value
The findings contribute to the understanding of the alignment between modular designs and supply chain involvement considering NPD outcomes. This study also contributes to the concept of modularity by identifying MEs as a type of modular design.
Keywords
Citation
Ye, Y., Huo, B., Zhang, M., Wang, B. and Zhao, X. (2018), "The impact of modular designs on new product development outcomes: the moderating effect of supply chain involvement", Supply Chain Management, Vol. 23 No. 5, pp. 444-458. https://doi.org/10.1108/SCM-01-2018-0021
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited