Exploring the impacts of perceived e-collaboration service convenience on new product development in Taiwanese IC design companies

The emergence of collaborative information technology/systems (IT/IS) has profoundly influenced new product development (NPD) performance. However, the convenient e-collaboration functions/services delivered by collaborative IT/IS have not been received equal attention in academia and industry. Consequently, scholars and managers have only a limited understanding of the role perceived e-collaboration service convenience plays in NPD. By incorporating service delivery system concepts from the marketing literature, this study proposes a new concept of perceived e-collaboration service convenience and examines the role it plays in the e-collaboration service delivery system at the input, output, and performance levels. The analysis of survey data collected from Taiwanese integrated circuit (IC) design companies shows that product rework effectiveness, user technology readiness, and quality of interface are positively related to perceived e-collaboration service convenience. Moreover, perceived e-collaboration service convenience positively impacts customer orientation, product development efficiency, and product innovation outcomes. These theoretical and practical implications are discussed for further research in developing related theories and for managers in engaging NPD