Research On Knowledge Integration In Complex New Product Development

Since the era of knowledge economy, knowledge has become a key elementof the core competitiveness of enterprises, Complex New Product Development,more and more exhibits the characteristics of knowledge-based system. As one ofthe core aspects of knowledge management, knowledge integration is a powerfulpropeller for enterprises to enhance their new product development capabilitythrough effectively using all relevant knowledge. To effectively promote complexnew product development through knowledge integration has become a majorissue for every business must face and solve.Currently, research on complex new product development and knowledgeintegration is quite rich, and many scholars have begun to introduce theories andmethods of knowledge management and knowledge integration into complex newproduct development. But research on content and process of knowledgeintegration in complex new product development is lacking, and empiricalresearch on influencing factors has yet to be further. All of these put obstacles forenterprises to enhance their complex new product development capability throughknowledge integration. Therefore, this article intents to do logical analysis andempirical research on the content, process and influencing factors of knowledgeintegration in complex new product development, aiming to better theoreticalframework and method reference for enterprises to implement knowledgeintegration in complex new product development.This article first defines the definition and characteristics of complex newproduct development, elaborates on the complex new product development process,makes the definition and pattern of knowledge integration clear and defines theconnotation of knowledge integration in complex new product development interms of knowledge ontology, cognitive theory and organizational learningperspective. On this basis, the article conducts a detailed analysis of the contentand features of knowledge that needs to be integrated in complex new productdevelopment, and appropriate integration ways. And then the author builds theknowledge integration process model in SECI based on knowledge fermentingmodel, and makes an in-depth analysis and discussion on knowledge integrationprocess in complex new product development. Then, the article conducts empiricalanalysis of influencing factors of knowledge integration in complex new productdevelopment by Structural Equation Model, from product complexity, knowledgecharacteristics, team characteristics, integrated environment, InformationTechnology platform and organizational learning. According to the survey results, the article uses structural equation model to do model fitting for structure modeland measurement model, testing whether the scale’s reliability and validity isreasonable and acceptable. Then based on the fitting results, the article verifieswhether the assumptions could be supported, in order to determine effect directionand degree of these factors. Finally, based on the empirical results, the author putforward a few strategies to improve knowledge integration in complex newproduct development, with combination of the content and process of knowledgeintegration in complex new product development, and other related theoreticalbasis.