Turning heterogeneity into improved research outputs in international R&D teams

The heterogeneity that characterises international research and development (R&D) teams often brings with it a wide spectrum of knowledge resources potentially relevant for the operation of the team. The study looks at a context where a positive relationship exists, and high levels of knowledge sharing take place between team members, referred to as knowledge orchestration, as a prerequisite for successful outputs in international research. The research involved 93 members of R&D teams working –either directly or indirectly, on the domain of industrial mortars. Within that domain, research participants are focused on the search for innovative solutions to improving the energy efficiency of buildings and the production of renewable energy. Partial Least Squares (PLS) using the SmartPLS allowed for the analysis of the data collected from practitioners. The results show that knowledge orchestration has a significant mediation effect between the heterogeneity of knowledge created by international R&D and their outputs.