Understanding the relationship between technical and managerial factors and product innovation at a Tier 1 engine component supplier

<p>This study provided an assessment of the technical and managerial factors on the development of successful innovative internal combustion engine (ICE) components at a XYZ Tier 1 supplier firm. Further, factors related to regulations, component application, and customer integration were identified and complement the study.</p> <p>A deficiency has been identified in the literature in that most studies concentrate on inter-firm innovation from the customer’s perspective within the supply-chain relationship. While suppliers have increasingly become a source of innovation, very little is known about specific ways in which innovation occurs at Tier 1 suppliers. The mechanisms by which innovative ideas are created, fostered, and diffused in the development of ICE components from the Tier 1 supplier perspective are not obvious. It is a multifaceted phenomenon involving several predictor and criterion variables. Several critical factors were thought to affect the development of innovative ICE components, including technical capabilities and strength, management practices, customer integration, and government regulation. The present study investigated the association of technical and managerial factors on the development of innovative ICE components at a Tier 1 supplier. The contribution of this research was that it was centered on the supplier perspective and investigated the specific ways in which innovation occurs from inside out. This study responded to the call for more empirical research related to innovation in the context of supply chains.</p> <p>The primary purpose of this research was to investigate the association of technical and managerial factors to the successful development of innovative ICE components at a Tier 1 supplier firm. This study determined the extent to which technical elements—meaning technical capabilities, technical strength, and technical enabler (KMS) from the XYZ vi adaptive subsystem—were more or less relevant than managerial factors, specifically risktaking, future orientation, openness, creativity, and pro-activeness associated with the managerial subsystem in the development of innovative components for internal combustion engines at a XYZ Tier 1 supplier firm.</p> <p>It was found that openness and future orientation are significant factors from the managerial standpoint, and technical enabler and technical capability are significant from the technical standpoint.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

College of Technology

Year dc:date.available

2015

Author dc:creator

• Ribeiro, Carmo

Contributors dc:contributor

• Daniel Fields, Ph.D. (Dissertation Chair - School of Engineering Technology)
• Carol Haddad, Ph.D. (School of Technology and Professional Services Management)
• Muhammad Ahmed, Ph.D. (School of Engineering Technology)

• Engines
• management
• manufactures
• technology
• Science and Technology Studies

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.emich.edu/theses/653

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.emich.edu:theses-2032