The moderating effects of job design on human capital and NPD performance: Evidence from high-technology MNCs in Thailand

Abstract

Purpose

In response to calls for the extension of job design research for the strategic team particularly in high-velocity environment, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the moderating roles of job design in the relationships between project team viewed as human capital resources and new product development (NPD) performance in the short and long run. Based on survey data from 117 NPD project teams in high-technology multinational companies (MNCs) in Thailand, this research finds that job design (i.e. autonomous, task identity and feedback) moderates the effects of human capital resources on NPD project success. In addition, job design works in concert with human capital resources to affect managing NPD project-to-project in the long run. Designing jobs by providing autonomy, identity and feedbacks could trigger the stronger contribution not only for fostering knowledge creation in the NPD project team, but also encouraging intrinsic motivation to commit extra effort to achieve NPD goals. This research contributes to the job design literature of how job design works for NPD project team to achieve short-and long-run NPD performance. Implications for these results are discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on survey data from 117 NPD projects in high-technology MNCs in Thailand, this research uses hierarchical regression to do analyses.

Findings

This research finds that job design (i.e. autonomous, task identity and feedback) moderates the effects of human capital resources on the short-run project performance. In addition, job design works in concert with human capital resources to affect managing project-to-project in the long run.

Research limitations/implications

This research contributes to the job design literature of how job design works for NPD project team to achieve short-and long-run NPD performance.

Originality/value

Investigating the moderating roles of job design in the relationship between human capital resources and NPD performance in the short and long run.

Citation

Popaitoon, S. (2020), "The moderating effects of job design on human capital and NPD performance: Evidence from high-technology MNCs in Thailand", Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 40-57. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJBA-01-2019-0017