Do what and with whom? Value creation and appropriation in inter-organizational new product development projects

Inter-organizational new product development (NPD) tasks vary in levels of uncertainty, hence, they might bring different levels of opportunities and risks to participating organizations. However, it is not well understood how an uncertain task context influences project-level value creation, a comprehensive concept which goes beyond short-term and tangible financial outcomes to also include long-term and intangible gains (such as know-how and patents). To fill this gap, this study examines the effects of two uncertainty-inducing factors, product novelty and technology interdependence, on value creation in inter-organizational NPD projects. Adopting a behavioral view of the firm, we propose that two types of conflicts, task conflicts and relationship conflicts, could explain how an uncertain task context influences project-level value creation and value appropriation. The analysis of 272 inter organizational NPD projects indicates that product novelty and technology interdependence are differentially associated with conflicts, and ultimately value creation and appropriation. Our results help managers understand what types of NPD tasks have greater value creating potential, and the mediating roles of task and relationships conflicts in inter-organizational NPD projects.