A project–based perspective on complex product development

In this chapter we review the literature on complex product development focusing on a project–based perspective. We start from showing the specific nature of complex product development processes, and acknowledge the need of relying on external sources of innovation and its organizational implications. We then focus on the challenges of leveraging such dispersed knowledge, pointing to the specific problems brought by the crucial role of “learning by doing” in complex product innovation processes. The chapter highlights the necessity of shifting the focus of attention from firms knowledge boundaries to the project knowledge boundaries, so as to gain a more fine–grained analysis of some important phenomena that happen “around” the formal boundary of the firm and cope with knowledge development problems. In the conclusion we hint at the necessity to investigate in more depth how using development projects as unit of analysis can contribute to offer new ways for performing organizational ambidexterity.