Typology of Factors Affecting the Success of Knowledge Integration in Production and Development Projects of Complex Products and Systems (Case Study: Iran Aviation Industry)

Complex products and systems (CoPS) have a vital role in the development process of countries, especially in emerging economies. One of the most important components affecting the success of production and development projects of complex products and systems is the ability in knowledge integration. This capability directly influences the country's innovation capability and enables timely response to changes in the dynamic global environment. The aim of this study is to typology of the factors affecting knowledge integration in the production and development projects of these products. For this purpose, a qualitative thematic analysis research method has been used for data analysis and 235 basic themes, 22 organizing themes and finally 4 global themes have been extracted from the literature review and the opinions of Iranian Aviation Industry experts. The research findings demonstrate that the success of knowledge integration of complex products and systems depends on four categories of contextual factors including environmental factors, product and technology specifications, organizational requirements and contexts, and knowledge development strategy, network structure and processes. The results also indicate that various solutions to the problem of complex product design and development require deep consideration of the environmental factors including institutional components and government.