Knowledge Recombination in New Product Development : Boundary Types and Combinative Capabilities

Researchers have repeatedly emphasized the importance of knowledge recombination for firms' new product development efforts. For this purpose, prior studies identify multiple combinative capabilities and analyze their combined effects for knowledge integration across intra-firm boundaries. However, it remains largely unexplored to what extent these intra-firm boundaries differ and how combinative capabilities may be deployed to deal with different boundary types. Drawing upon an inductive study of six modular innovation work units, we identify boundaries of power, identity, and competence and observe how managers deploy system, socialization, and coordinative capabilities to deal with the integration challenges related to these different boundary types. Further, we derive a process model, describing how multiple combinative capabilities may be developed to mutually support each other.