Creating Dynamic Capabilities - R&D Network Management for Globally Distributed Research and Development in the Software Industry

The sustainable long-term growth and survival of a corporation can only be achieved through the ongoing creation of innovative products and services. This is especially true in today’s global software industry, which is characterized by ever-shorter product cycles, intense global competition and knowledge-intense research and development (R&D). The effective organization and management of a corporate R&D function in a software enterprise has thus become a key success factor for sustainable competitive advantages. This doctoral dissertation submitted to the City University of Hong Kong, designs, implements and evaluates an organizational transformation and its supporting framework for a globally dispersed R&D organization in the software industry as part of a two-year longitudinal case study at SAP, one of world’s largest software companies.