Edward F. McDonough

Using Simultaneous Structures to Cope With Uncertainty

The article discusses a study pertaining the corporate use of simultaneous structures in work units to cope with uncertainty. A work unit in this context refers to a supervisor and their subordinat...

Management control of new product development projects

Management control systems that are used to control new product projects and the characteristics of effective management control systems are identified. Results of a study of the management control systems used in twelve new product development projects indicate that the systems used in successful new product projects were different than those used in less successful projects. It was also found that on all projects individual rewards were not directly tied to project performance or to a products commercial success. Implications of the findings for managers of development departments are discussed.

An investigation of the relationship between project performance and characteristics of project leaders

Abstract This study examines the relationships between project performance and the cognitive style and career orientation of project leaders. The impact of differences in project type on the relationships are also investigated. The sample consisted of the leaders of 41 new product development projects in 13 British firms. Our results lend support to the notion that the performance of a project is affected by the cognitive style, career orientation, and background characteristics of the project leader and further, that these relationships are moderated by the type of work undertaken by the project team. Implications of the results for R&D managers are also discussed.

An investigation of global, virtual and co-located NPD projects

In this paper, in order to understand if and how global, virtual and co-located new product development (NPD) projects differ, the authors sought to: (1) investigate the impact of team climate and transparent leadership on collaboration and trust within each type of team; and (2) examine the impact of collaboration and trust on commercial performance and speed of development within each type of team.