Convergence of product, production, and supply chain design rules: Evidence from pharmaceutical pre-competitive collaboration networks

Singh Srai, Jagjit, Harrington, Tomás, Joglekar, Nitin R. and Narayanan, Sriram (2025) Convergence of product, production, and supply chain design rules: Evidence from pharmaceutical pre-competitive collaboration networks. Journal of Operations Management. ISSN 0272-6963

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Abstract

We address a trans-specialist learning and coordination question in pre-competitive manufacturing R&D networks: how do early-stage consortia develop products across ‘dissimilar’ (where knowledge requirements are different, and not solely based within) specialized networks? A unique aspect of the R&D consortia is that they integrate knowledge across product, production, and supply chain domains. This paper uses network ethnography as the methodology – in combining social network analysis with ethnographic methods – while drawing on a 10-year dataset on the evolution of pre-competitive collaboration networks in pharmaceutical continuous manufacturing deploying digital technologies. Our analysis reveals mechanisms through which design rules for products and processes are developed and converged across product, production, and supply chain domains. Specifically, we show that design rules, which are both ‘set-based’ and ‘trans-specialized’, are the key mechanisms that enable heterogeneous specialist stakeholders to exchange knowledge and facilitate the convergence of development efforts. Second, we highlight the roles of boundary spanners and institutional actors (i.e., academia and regulatory bodies) in steering dialogues towards the convergence of design rules in early-stage R&D settings. The theoretical implications of these findings are not only germane to pharmaceutical drug development networks, but to early-stage product and technology development networks at large.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Funding: This work was supported by EPSRC Future CMAC Manufacturing Research Hub, EP/P006965/1; EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Continuous Manufacturing and Crystallization, EP/I033459/1; UK BIS Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (ReMediES), 35708-233529; Innovate UK, SmartPSC/Ref 93088; and UKRI Made Smarter Innovation Digital Medicines Manufacturing Research Centre, DM2/Ref EP/V062077/1.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	boundary spanners,continuous manufacturing,digital technologies,institutional mechanisms for design rules,network ethnography,pre-competitive consortia,supply network analysis,trans-specialization,industrial and manufacturing engineering,strategy and management,management science and operations research,4*,this 10-year study of ‘design rules’ and pre-competitive consortia engaged in drug development published in the journal of operations management - the only abs 4* journal in the field of operations and technology - reflects not only academic rigour but also practical relevance in advancing management practices globally. this impact-driven scholarship is informing mass customisation concepts for individualised therapies at a leading mnc ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2200/2209
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Norwich Business School
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Innovation, Technology and Operations Management
Related URLs:	http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?...
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	17 Dec 2024 01:42
Last Modified:	28 Mar 2025 13:07
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/98008
DOI:	10.1002/joom.1352

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