Isabelle Dostaler

Avoiding rework in product design: evidence from the aerospace industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a study commissioned by an aircraft producer that is concerned about the efficiency of its new product development process and the high number of engineering changes generated during aerospace programs.Design/methodology/approach – The paper focuses on nine structural design projects and explores the factors explaining the inter‐project differences in the number of engineering changes required after the structural drawings are released to the methods department. The method of inquiry used in this paper combines questionnaire‐based measurement of design performance with in‐depth semi‐structured interviews of managers and designers.Findings – The research results suggest that, in an industrial context where both time pressure and labour shortage are considerable, design practices such as functional diversity, intense communication, collocation and strong project leadership, are associated with higher design performance. Furthermore, in a speci...

Combining old and new tricks: ambidexterity in aerospace design and integration teams

Purpose – This paper seeks to examine how aerospace design and integration teams in a highly partnered supply chain are able to leverage extant capabilities and develop new ones when faced with the necessity to adapt to organizational change. Design/methodology/approach – Building on the concept of contextual ambidexterity (Gibson and Birkinshaw), this research uses a combination of qualitative material and objective performance data to investigate the working context of five aerospace design and integration teams, their solutions to crisis-triggering events, and their subsequent schedule adherence. Findings – Team members enacted ambidextrous roles similar to those identified by Birkinshaw and Gibson. These behaviors allowed teams to create ambidextrous solutions when faced with crisis. Teams working in a supportive context were found to produce a greater diversity of ambidextrous solutions, which was found to relate to both overall ambidexterity and schedule adherence performance. Research limitations/i...

A Focus on Engagement: Defining, Measuring, and Nurturing a Key Pillar of AACSB Standards

ABSTRACT The 2013 Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Standards emphasize three “pillars” upon which schools accredited by the association must regularly demonstrate quality improvement, namely, impact, innovation, and engagement. Focusing on the last of these, our article examines the concept of engagement through both a content analysis of the 2013 AACSB Standards and an empirical study exploring different types of course-level engagement within an undergraduate business course (measured using the Student Course Engagement Questionnaire; Handelsman, Briggs, Sullivan, & Towler, 2005). The results of our content analysis of the 2013 AACSB Standards underscore the focus placed on engagement within the AACSB documentation. However, it is also noted that the definition of engagement within the AACSB Standards is somewhat vague. The findings of our empirical study (N = 142) suggest that students were engaged in the course and that three of the four types of engagement measured (skills, participation/interaction, and performance engagement) were positively correlated with final performance in the course.

A Model of Supplier Dissidence in Flexible Vertical Partnerships

In the age of outsourcing, flexibility becomes a watchword for competitiveness. OEMs operating in a build-to-order environment face considerable external fluctuations that they pass down their supply chains. Consequently, lower-tier suppliers who contribute to a manufacturers efficiency and success face a difficult situation. This study explores the suppliers viewpoint. Its focus is on the premise that being highly flexible is not always in the suppliers interest: a supplier must know when to refuse certain relational demands imposed on him by all-powerful buyers and know when to become a dissident. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to propose a conceptual model identifying the sources of supplier dissidence with regard to customers requirements for increased levels of flexibility.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PERFORMANCE: EVIDENCE FROM THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY.

This paper presents the results of a study conducted in an aerospace company where the performance and practices of nine structural design projects were examined. More specifically, the paper explores the factors explaining the inter-project differences in the number of engineering changes required after the structural drawings were released to the methods department. The method of inquiry used in this research combined objective measurement of design performance using a questionnaire with in-depth semi-structured interviews of managers and designers. The aim of the interviews was to evaluate to what extent and how successfully the product development practices identified in the literature were utilized, and to explore the contextual elements that have shaped the nine structural design projects. The research results suggest that, in an industrial context where both time pressure and labour shortage are high, design practices such as functional diversity, intense communication, co-location and strong proje...