Impact of invention -to -implementation distance on manufacturing process implementation performance: Does the implementation team's ability to learn matter

This study investigates factors that affect a manufacturing process innovation (MPI) implementation project performance. It empirically examines the effect of the invention-to-implementation distance (IID) on MPI implementation performance. Three types of IID included in this study are physical, temporal and organizational distance. This study develops a conceptual framework of the MPI implementation process as a project management task involving learning and knowledge-creating that requires absorptive capacity. The primary hypotheses are that distance has a negative effect on implementation performance, and that the effect is moderated by the level of technical competence, functional diversity and psychological safety of the implementation team. A cross-sectional survey methodology is employed to test the hypotheses of the conceptual framework. The results indicate that organizational IID is the only IID associated with lower MPI implementation performance. Technical competence, functional diversity and psychological safety each has a direct positive effect on a different type of implementation performance. Some interaction effects between IID and absorptive capacity are significantly positive. The results are discussed in light of their theoretical contributions.