Converting knowledge into the capability to meet environmental demands is one way to develop competitive advantage. For business units, this means a continuous readjustment of the balance between mechanistic and organistic structures. Grounded on the contingency view, this paper attempts to identify, beyond the structure, the organizational mechanisms that impact new product introduction under the technology uncertainty context. First, we investigate the set of organizational mechanisms that allow for achieving new product introduction in such context. Second, because such a congruence only corresponds to a specific context, we investigate how absorptive capacity impacts as a trigger in achieving congruence. The results not only reveal the congruent organizational mechanisms, but they also show the differential impact of knowledge acquisition, knowledge assimilation, and knowledge transformation on such a congruence.

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In this study, we examine the factors that determine the success or failure of package planning that involves adjusting the shape or size of automobile parts and their assembly processes. Using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis of 15 cases identified in four Japanese automobile companies, we found that, in order to optimize the packaging by adjusting parts’ shape or size and assembly processes, collaboration between the logistics department and other departments is a necessary (core) condition, while front-loading of package planning based on early input of parts design information is included in the combination of sufficient conditions, but are not necessary conditions. In addition, Transportation distance and changes in production equipment or layout significantly affect the success of package planning.

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Japanese railways are regarded as one of the best in the world in terms of mass transport capability and safety. One of the reasons for this is the excellent product development of rolling stock. However, the overseas expansion of Japanese product development of rolling stock has not progressed smoothly. In this paper, we describe an actual case in which a Japanese manufacturing company struggled in product development projects of rolling stock for overseas railway companies. We analyze the causes of this situation by focusing on the boundaries of activities and knowledge, which is the main theme of research on large-scale products and systems development. We find that the challenge in overseas expansion of Japanese product development of rolling stock is how to build trusting relationships with overseas railway companies and suppliers, because overseas product development is less frequently done than domestic one. We also find that another challenge is how to expand the boundaries of knowledge required in overseas product development of rolling stock, such as the capabilities to understand overseas clients and manage supply chains.

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