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Dimensions of uncertainty and their moderating effect on new product development project performance
Author(s) -
Sicotte Hélène,
Bourgault Mario
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
randd management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.253
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1467-9310
pISSN - 0033-6807
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9310.2008.00531.x
Subject(s) - moderation , dimension (graph theory) , reliability (semiconductor) , new product development , product (mathematics) , differential (mechanical device) , measure (data warehouse) , computer science , econometrics , knowledge management , mathematics , business , marketing , engineering , data mining , power (physics) , physics , geometry , quantum mechanics , machine learning , pure mathematics , aerospace engineering
In this study, we measure the dimensions of uncertainty, starting from the definitions constructed for and generally used in innovation projects. We then evaluate their direct and indirect effects on the performance of product and service development projects. Four dimensions of uncertainty are delimited with satisfactory validity and reliability, suggesting a differential moderating effect of the four types of uncertainty (technical and project uncertainty, market uncertainty, fuzziness and complexity) depending on the performance dimension (effectiveness and efficiency) and co‐moderator (project methods and human resource adequacy). Of the four dimensions explored, technical and project, and market uncertainty are true moderators and have the largest interactive effect, fuzziness has a strong direct effect on both performance dimensions whereas complexity weakly directly influences effectiveness. The latter two also influence the relations between performance and the factors related to human resources and project management methods.