This paper demonstrates the latest research results of the relationship between cross functional product development teams and project respectively team performance. The aim of this paper is to support the basic hypothesis of the author, which is “The higher the technical draughters’ integration intensity in a 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) product development project, the higher the economic and socio-psychological efficiency within that project”, with the findings of recent research. Besides studying standard references, a systematic inquiry, using 2 scientific databases, Emerald and EBSCO was performed to study cross-functionality in New Product Development (NewPD). The increase of functional diversity in development teams which is supposed to promote performance is an inadequate variable. Essential to make a cross-functional team successful are competence diversity and familiarity. The intention is to apply competence diversity not only for companywide teams but also in single...
Category - Christoph STAITA
University of Latvia, Latvia
This experimental field study examines the influence of a variable ratio between engineers and technical draftspeople in New Product Development (NewPD) Teams in a three-dimensional CAD construction environment on economic and socio-psychological efficiency. With the implementation of the 3D CAD software (Three Dimensional Computer Aided Design) the world of engineers seemed to become a completely new and fascinating one in which the engineer is a 100% creative part in the NewPD process of an innovative company – with all supporting activities taken over by marvellous software, automatically and completely. Technical draftspeople who did supporting activities so far declined rapidly. The literature review shows the improvements by 3D CAD, the areas where the SW is over-challenged and a discussion of division of labor in detail. The Causal Model for socio economic analysis shows possible cause-effect relations between different team constellations in NewPD teams under 3D CAD conditions.