ABSTRACT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIO ECONOMIC FACTORS AND USE CONTEXT IN PRODUCT USABILITY Karapars, Zeynep M. Sc., Department of Industrial Design Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. &Ccedil / igdem Erbug April 2004, 184 pages Developments in the usability discipline have lead to new paths in new product development processes. The methods for development of usable products are abundant and the area is crescent for new research. One of the concerns in usability lies in the question of employment of user centered design in the prevailing product development processes. In this study, it is aimed to be clarified that inquiry into the use context should be an initial step in user centered design. However, use context is one of the less explored areas of usability. Detailed examinations of contextual factors may open paths to new methods of integrating usability into products. This study aims to take a step towards the analysis of the impact of socio economic factors on usability of product. A field study is made in order to acquire a deeper understanding. Samples of two different socio-economic groups are defined from the marketing perspective. Contextual factors are specified on the example of washing machines. Comparison of problems between the users from the two socio economic groups shed light on the relationship between socio economic variables and usability problems.

在台灣數位遊戲產業規模呈現持續成長之際，隨著產業環境的變遷，卻也面臨許多的挑戰，如代理產品比例過高、遊戲研發人才不足、市場規模有限等。近年來，國內遊戲軟體業者紛紛進軍大陸，因此，本研究透過個案研究與深入訪談，探討國內四家遊戲廠商赴大陸投資動機、地點選擇、新產品開發兩岸分工模式，並比較兩岸遊戲研發人才之優劣，及大陸研發人才之任用與訓練等議題，得到發現如下： 一、台灣遊戲廠商赴大陸投資動機 (一)台灣遊戲廠商赴大陸投資的主要動機在於大陸遊戲市場的興起，其次為人力成本與取得的考量。 (二)大陸投資據點的選擇以遊戲研發人才取得容易為主要考量。 二、遊戲新產品開發策略 (一)遊戲軟體新產品的開發朝向網路多人使用化及多平台化發展。 (二)遊戲的開發組成專案團隊進行，遊戲企劃扮演靈魂人物角色。 三、兩岸分工模式 不同的公司，採用不同的分工方式： (一)採用兩岸水平分工者，依遊戲產品分類，各產品分別於兩岸研發；兩岸人員的交流主要來自於公司的正式會議。 (二)採取兩岸垂直分工者，將遊戲開發中美術的部份由大陸製作。 (三)兩岸遊戲研發人才比較：台灣的遊戲企劃優於大陸，美術設計兩岸各有專長，程式撰寫兩岸程度相差無幾。 四、大陸子公司人員任用與訓練控制機制 (一)大陸分公司之高階主管，偏好不當地化，主要派遣台籍幹部。 (二)減少研發人員的流動，提供內部升遷管道。 五、大陸投資動機與兩岸分工方式對於新產品開發之影響 (一)大陸投資主要動機影響遊戲新產品研發類型，主要動機為市場因素者著重於線上遊戲的研發，成本因素者另著重於電視遊樂器遊戲之研發。 (二)兩岸分工方式影響遊戲開發團隊專業成員的佈置，水平分工者，兩岸皆擁有完整的研發團隊，垂直分工者，研發團隊重心放在台灣。 / Taiwan's digital game industry faces a lot of challenges when they try to grow up. For example, there are too many imported products, short of research & development (R&D) manpower and the limited market scale. In recent years, many domestic companies move their factories to China. The purpose of this research is to find out the industrial firms’motive,location choice, new products development in Taiwan and China,to compare the R&D manpower between Taiwan and China,to understand how they employ the staff and design the training program, etc. The study selected four major Taiwanese game software companies as research subjects for case studies in depth. Preliminary research findings are as follows: I.The motive of Taiwanese game software companies invested in China: 1.The main motive to invest in China is the marketing raising. The second consideration is human resources and availabilities. 2.The choice of location is based on obtaining R&D manpower easily. II.New products development strategy: 1.The new game toward to multi-user and multi-platform on the network. 2.Forming project team for each new products development. III.The division of labor between Taiwan and China. Different company has way of division: 1.If the company adopts horizontal division way, it conducts R&D for different products separately between Taiwan and China. The communication between Taiwan and China is implemented through the company's formal meetings. 2.If the company adopts vertical division way,its drawing or artistic design of game production process is completed in China. 3.Compare the R&D manpower between Taiwan China:the game planning of Taiwan is superior to China, the artistic design each have specialty,the program writing degree is very nearly the same. IV.The employment and training in China subsidiary company: 1.The China subsidiary company prefers assigned its executive to be from Taiwan instead of local people. 2.To prevent the research staff from losing,the company provides the internal promotion system to local people. V.The impact of Investment motive and the division of labor between Taiwan and China on new product development. 1.The main motive influences the new products development. With a motive on local market,the firm will focus on the on-line games development; with a motive on cost consideration,the firm will focus on the TV games development. 2.The division of labor between Taiwan and China influences the allocation of R&D manpower. If the company adopts horizontal division way, it will have complete R&D team in both Taiwan and China. If the company adopts vertical division way, it will place its R&D center in Taiwan.

面臨來自中國、越南廉價鞋品及國外鞋品業者高品牌知名度的威脅，台灣的鞋品零售業者除了在品質上力求精進外，開始逐漸轉型走向OBM（Original Brand Manufacture），企圖尋找相關的策略來因應來自國外的競爭。而在企業經營中，新產品開發的成功代表著獲利來源及取得競爭優勢的要項。鞋品零售產業屬於流行時尚業的一環，面對消費者快速多變、個性化的需求，如何從市場調查中精準的掌握消費者流行喜好及潛在需求，是業者進行鞋品開發時的一大考驗。 本研究採個案研究法，首先針對鞋品零售產業之經營環境進行檢視，並透過訪談與實地觀察，分析位於該產業龍頭的個案公司是如何透過導入門市服務創新—「鞋品e學專家服務系統」來精確掌握消費者需求變動，協助開發符合消費者需求之鞋品。本研究從兩個面向進行探討，其一先針對個案公司既有之新產品開發模式進行分析，接著探討導入服務創新後的新產品開發模式，並將兩模式進行比較，討論其中相異之處。最後，透過導入服務創新後之個案公司績效，以瞭解該模式所帶來之效益。 本研究期望探討個案公司係如何透過提供服務創新來改善其新產品開發模式，並提出一概念模式給台灣的業者參考。透過該模式，除了加強對消費者需求的掌握度外，更期許業者能瞭解如何提升鞋品的附加價值及經營績效，進而轉型至服務型精緻鞋業，提高國內鞋品零售廠商的競爭優勢。 / Nowadays, the Taiwanese footwear retail industry is facing two direct challenges: the low price footwear imported by Chinese and Vietnamese competitors, and also the dominant branding and marketing power of American and European leading players. In order to stay in the game, besides continuing improve the quality of footwear, the Taiwanese footwear retailers also starting to engaged with the strategy of OBM(Original Brand Manufacture), hoping to confront with the oversea competitors. On the other hand, a successful New Product Development(NPD) means the potential of gaining revenue and acquiring competition advantages. As one members of the fashion industry, the footwear retail industry also facing the rapid change in consumer demand, how to accurately grasp the needs and potential demand from the market remains a difficult task for all retailers. This thesis uses Case Study method. Firstly, the thesis surveyed the business environment of the footwear industry. Secondly, through interviews and field observations, the thesis analyzed the case company, to see how the company accurately grasps the demand of consumers by importing an innovative service system- Footwear E Expert Service System, and examined how this system helps the company to improve the NPD process. The analysis is divided into two aspects. One is the analysis of the traditional NPD model; another part is the analysis of the new NPD model after importing the new innovative service. Then these two models would be compared and discussed. Finally, the thesis analyzed the performance of the case company after the implementation of the system. The goal of this thesis is to examine how the case company improves its NPD model by importing the new service system, and hoping to provide a novel concept for the Taiwanese footwear retailers. In addition to NPD, this study also provides an example of enterprise transformation for the retailers from the traditional service model to tailor-made service model, and allows them to understand how to increase the added value and operating performance through the implementation of innovative service.

Both practice and theory present good reason to believe that collaborative interorganizational relationships have become particularly important for innovation and new product development in industries characterized by rapid technological change and dynamic competition. Even though collaboration across organizational boundaries represents an important change in the way companies innovate and develop new products (services and processes), it appears as if the process and practical steps of such arrangements are scantly explored.   The thesis Dating for Innovation addresses this gap by empirically studying a focal company’s attempts to bring new opportunities into the world through collaborative interorganizational relationships under conditions marked by fluid change. A diverse set of research methods ranging from an insider action research approach to more conventional case study methods were applied to shed light on contingencies that may play a role in influencing the process and practical steps.   The result suggests an explorative logic and process, where the partners make use of interorganizational relationships as a means to explore the knowledge necessary for creating, recognizing, and, eventually, developing future opportunities. Not only interest and continued motivation, but also calculated costs and perceived risks, were thus outcomes of the collaboration rather than prescribed beforehand. Furthermore, the empirical findings suggest that corporate entrepreneurs at lower levels in the organization have a more significant influence than previously assumed. From a general point of view, these results imply that parts of the process can be facilitated, but not all initiatives or activities can be directed. Managers are thus challenged to reflect on how to productively deal with interorganizational innovation activities without adapting a classical linear and/or hierarchical monitoring of interorganizational innovation initiatives. / Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2004 [10], iii, [1], 107 s.: sammanfattning, s. 108-265, [6] s.: 5 uppsatser

Thesis (DBA)--Macquarie University, Graduate School of Management, 2008. / Bibliography: p. 267-292. / The telecommunications industry ('Telco'), a service provider business, is undergoing significant changes such as deregulations, technology changes and increasing competition. Managers face increased pressure to bring new products with the latest technology into the market faster. Few previous studies have analysed New Product Development (NPD) projects in this hypercompetitive industry. This research addresses this gap by investigating Telco NPD projects and the associated skill sets needed by successful project managers.--The study evaluated how project managers' various skills contribute to project management success. Incorporating clear definitions grounded in the recent literature on NPD, management and leadership, the research proposed a new organising framework of four groups of skill sets: technical, leadership, managerial and administrative. Technical skills are the knowledge of technologies on which the project work is based. Leadership skills involve influencing project stakeholders to deliver a quality product within time and budget. Managerial skills are needed to develop and execute project plans and to get project work done. Administrative skills include understanding an organisation's structure, culture, policies, processes, methods and tools.--Previous classifications for Telco NPD projects have over-emphasised product innovation and undervalued the process aspects. While small projects provide fewer management challenges, this study found that project managers of large and complex projects require all four skill sets. Managerial skills are mandatory. Technical and administrative skills enhance understanding of the technology and business processes. Leadership skills are limited at an operational level. Managerial and administrative skills are essential for developing and implementing project plans; technical skills are important in the initial project stages; leadership skills are needed from the beginning until delivering a new product.--The research outcomes can be used when hiring and developing NPD project manager professionals in the Telco industry to complement current project manager competency standards, which do not cover all the skill sets. Findings may be applicable to Telco companies in other countries new to such market conditions. Furthermore, other industries may adapt the skill set framework to suit their own particular requirements. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / xvi, 336 p. ill

群眾募資成為近年廣被討論和使用的新興籌資方式，線上募資平台普遍被認為具提供資金、市場驗證及行銷曝光的功能，學術圈和實務界有許多如何成功募資的研究，但卻鮮少討論群眾募資帶來的影響與挑戰，因此本研究欲探討從產品開發到出貨，群眾募資在完整的專案歷程中代表的意涵，供未來提案者參考。 本研究採個案研究法，選擇「Stair-Rover八輪滑板」、「Voltset智能電表」、「ATOM 3D印表機」和「器研所New Urban Bike」做為研究個案。首先，了解提案者募資動機以及了解募資平台扮演的角色；其次，以新產品開發的觀點分析個案，討論群眾募資如何影響募資專案；最後，從專案管理的角度討論群眾募資帶給提案者什麼正面效益，以及需留意的風險。 研究結果發現，資金不一定是提案者使用群眾募資的主要動機，市場驗證及行銷曝光的功能仍為提案者所看重。除此之外，也有提案者將募資平台視為產品通路、或是建立社群的管道，群眾募資的意義與團隊所欠缺的資源有關，因而對其產生不同的定義。 此外，群眾募資改變了一般循序式的新產品開發流程，不同階段可能同時發生，且加速市場的反應，但並沒有因群眾募資而省略任一開發流程，這樣的改變更加考驗提案者同時處理技術端和市場端的能力。 最後，從專案管理看群眾募資，「成本」可視為產品發展時所需的經費、「時間」則是指募資結束後產品商品化的速度、「品質」代表社群互動和客戶服務。提案者必須謹慎拿捏，找到三者的平衡，包括建立群眾參與感、準時出貨和產品與專案內容描述一致，達到最終「贊助者滿意」，才算是一個成功的募資專案。

During product development, most of the customer value, as well as the cost and the quality of a product are defined. This key role of development in industry has led to an intense search for better ways to develop products, software, services and systems. One development methodology that has received positive attention is Set-Based Concurrent Engineering (SBCE). Some authors claim that SBCE and related practices from Lean Development are four times more productive than traditional development models. Unfortunately, SBCE is also described as hard to implement. This thesis presents the results of a three year research project aimed at implementing and describing the effects of Set-Based Concurrent Engineering in industry. The scope of the research is to use the principles of SBCE as a means to improve the productivity of industrial product development processes and its resulting products. The contribution of this work is a better understanding of Set-Based Concurrent Engineering and a support to implement its principles. The results show that SBCE gives positive effects on many aspects of product development performance and on the resulting products. The improvements are especially dominant on product performance, product cost and the level of innovation Moreover, a comparison between a Set-based decision process and a traditional matrix for design evaluation is presented, showing that these two approaches generate different results. The matrix evaluation promoted the development of new technology and the Set-based process promoted a thorough understanding of the important design parameters of the current designs. Finally, this work presents a structured design process and computer tool for implementing the principles of SBCE. The process was demonstrated by using information from an industrial development project, showing how the proposed process could implement the three principles of SBCE in a traditional Point-based development environment.

[pt] Esta dissertação aborda o tema de Integração de Projeto e Manufatura, designado pelo acrônimo inglês de DMI (Design-Manufacuring Integration). Trata-se de um novo e crescente campo de pesquisa dentro da Gerência de Operações. DMI é definido como um conjunto de práticas de integração, coordenação e colaboração, que unificam diferentes áreas funcionais da organização (e.g., vendas, marketing, desenvolvimento de novos produtos, manufatura e compras) com a finalidade de criar valor e impacto no desempenho das empresas. Nas últimas décadas, as organizações estão enfrentando uma feroz concorrência e competem simultaneamente em qualidade, eficiência, flexibilidade e entrega de produtos cada vez mais complexos, com ciclos de vida mais curtos e demandas flutuantes. Por conseguinte, requerimentos de sistemas de planejamento e controle em empresas de manufatura são cada vez mais complexos. Esse contexto levanta a seguinte questão de pesquisa: Em diferentes contextos do ambiente em que se desenvolve a organização, as práticas de integração produzem o mesmo impacto sobre o desempenho? Resultados da pesquisa apontam para uma escassez de pesquisas empíricas rigorosas sobre o impacto do DMI no desempenho operacional da manufatura, sob a lente de efeitos moderadores da incerteza do mercado e da complexidade do mercado. Incerteza é entendida como a falta de habilidade de predizer ou prever devido à aleatoriedade do ambiente externo, que não pode ser alterado pelas ações das empresas individuais ou gerentes; e complexidade é entendido como sendo o estado ou qualidade de ser intricado ou complicado. O objetivo principal da Dissertação é identificar e medir o impacto do DMI sobre o desempenho operacional da manufatura, sob o efeito moderador da Complexidade da manufatura e da Incerteza do mercado. Os dados de 725 produtos da indústria de metal e fabricantes de máquinas (ISIC 3.1, código 28-35) foram obtidos em 21 países a partir da quinta rodada do International Manufacturing Strategy Survey e foram usados para testes das hipóteses. As escalas foram validadas por meio da análise fatorial confirmatória e analisadas com regressão múltipla hierárquica passo a passo. DMI impacta positivamente em três dimensões do desempenho operacional da manufatura (qualidade, flexibilidade e entregas). Complexidade da manufatura modera a flexibilidade e entrega, mas não a qualidade. A incerteza do mercado não apareceu como um moderador para a relação entre a DMI e desempenho operacional da manufatura. Profissionais devem perseguir implementações do DMI, em níveis mais elevados de complexidade de manufatura. Mais pesquisas devem se concentrar na incerteza do mercado, e fortalecer o construto de incerteza com a incerteza tecnológica. / [en] Design-Manufacturing Integration (DMI) is a new and growing research field in Operations Management. The primary goal of the Dissertation is to identify and measure the DMI impact on manufacturing operational performance. The research findings point to a paucity of rigorous empirical research on the impact of DMI on manufacturing operational performance under the lens of moderating effects of market uncertainty and market complexity. Data from 725 metal products and machinery manufacturers (ISIC 3.1, code 28-35) in 21 countries from the fifth round of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey was used for hypotheses tests. Scales were validated with confirmatory factor analysis and analyzed with hierarchical stepwise multiple regressions. DMI positively impact on the three dimensions of manufacturing operational performance (quality, flexibility, and delivery). Manufacturing complexity moderates flexibility and delivery but not quality. Market uncertainty did not appear as a moderator for the relationship between DMI and manufacturing operational performance. Practitioners should pursue DMI implementations, under higher levels of manufacturing complexity. Further research should focus on market uncertainty, and strengthen the construct of uncertainty with technological uncertainty.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:49:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseJLMC.pdf: 2573293 bytes, checksum: e97d2ef13b6cde5e6d1649ca1b19be7c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-09-01 / Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos / Continuous development of new and improved products is seen as a key factor for business survival and growth. A new product that satisfies consumer s needs in an efficient and opportune manner increases competitive advantage. New product development (NPD) process has a multidisciplinary and multifunctional character, demanding specialized kinds of technical knowledge, peculiar of different disciplines or functions. A successful NPD requests a good integration among these functions, so that an auxiliary tool that helps this integration can increase project s performance and, consequently, competitive performance. In this thesis an auxiliary tool for managing functional integration in new product development processes is proposed, based in three conditional factors (Context, Technological Positioning, Competences) and three dimensions (Communication, Coordination and Collaboration). The tool s proposal includes a discussion about these conditional factors and dimensions, describing how they can be used to acquire an adequate functional integration in new product development process. As a secondary contribution of the thesis, a discussion about a particular case of integration, the one between applied research and NPD project, is made, including a theoretical discussion and case studies. / O desenvolvimento contínuo de produtos novos e aprimorados é considerado um fator chave para a sobrevivência e o crescimento das empresas. Um produto que atenda às necessidades dos consumidores de maneira eficiente e oportuna aumenta a vantagem competitiva. O processo de desenvolvimento de produto (PDP) tem um caráter multidisciplinar e multifuncional, demandando conhecimentos técnicos especializados, próprios de diversas disciplinas ou funções. Um PDP bem sucedido requer uma boa integração entre estas funções envolvidas, de forma que uma ferramenta de auxílio a essa integração pode melhorar o desempenho no desenvolvimento de produtos e, conseqüentemente, o desempenho competitivo. Nesta Tese propõe-se uma ferramenta para auxiliar a gestão da integração funcional no Processo de Desenvolvimento de Produto baseada em três condicionantes (Contexto, Competências, Posicionamento Tecnológico) e três dimensões (Comunicação, Colaboração e Coordenação). A proposta de ferramenta inclui uma discussão sobre esses condicionantes e dimensões, descrevendo como estes podem ser usados para atingir uma integração funcional adequada no projeto de desenvolvimento de produto. Como uma segunda contribuição da Tese, um caso particular de integração, a das atividades de Pesquisa Aplicada com os Projetos de Desenvolvimento de Produto, é também abordado através de uma discussão teórica e em um estudo de casos.

New product development (NPD), represent a valuable source for companies’ futuresustainability and development. Previous literature underline the importance of managing theearly period of NPD, since this can increase the performance and consequently reduce theproducts time to market. Organizational politics is present during the whole innovation process,but especially in the front end where there is uncertainty or dissent about choices. For thisreason, contributing a developed understanding of organizational politics within the front end ofinnovation (FEI), is the aim of this study.The theoretical framework of this study combines prior theories that relate to the organizationalpolitics. The structure of it is based on two elements referring to the individual- and theorganizational elements. Organizational elements can further be particularised to structural- andstrategical elements.A qualitative study and a research design with six interviews, where conducted in six innovativefirms of all size. This choice of methodology reflects the explorative purpose of this research.The empirical data are only primary data, collected during the interviews with Research andDevelopment (R&D) managers and R&D subordinates.The analysis of empirical findings revealed relevant conclusions, which can bring value to theresearch area, and also to the practice. Our findings show that diverse sources of organizationalpolitics can be identified in the front end of innovation. Organizational politics both on theindividual and organizational level are identified. Further its we find that informal and formalpower is distributed both in the organizational level and the individual level.The study’s practical relevance consists in the advices and implications to decision makers ofinnovative companies and managers within R&D. By identifying and increasing knowledge inthe field of organizational politics in the front end of innovation, organizations can make frontend activities more efficient and therefore obtain competitive advantages. The theoreticalimplications reflect the organizational politics in the area of the FEI.