In this thesis, we present an exploratory research on effective decision making structures for the aircraft codevelopment, analyzing qualitative data on six projects of international aircraft codevelopment. The primary objective of this thesis is to suggest an effective decision making structure and success factors for the aircraft codevelopment. The thesis discusses three issues, (i) effective decision making structures for codevelopment, (ii) successful decision making processes and information sharing methods, (iii) effects of government policy on the codevelopment performance in the aircraft industry.
The thesis starts with reviewing relevant literatures of organization science, strategic alliances, and aircraft industry environments. From the lierature review, we can see that the decision making structure and management processes are indeed critical to the development project performance.
Based on the qualitative data analysis, we put forth three propositions. First, an effective decision making structure needs to take into account objectives of the codevelopment and partners' capabilities. When the objectives and partner capabilities are similar, a separate (independent) decision making structure to control the projects is important for the project success. If the objectives and capabilities are not equal, a dominant decision making structure led by a senior partner (company) can be critical. In addition, we can infer that the scope of decision making relates to the project performance: a decision making structure that can integrate development activities such as design, production, and marketing is essential for the project success. Second, our research indicates that participatory and consistent decision making processes are critical for the project success. Finally, we can identify other organizational supports for the project performance such as fluent communication, shared goals and procedures, and common information systems.
