Upgrading new product development performance in digital context: a configuration analysis based on fsQCA

New product development (NPD) is necessary for enterprises’ growth and the maintenance of competitive advantage. Although previous studies have explored the multiple antecedents of NPD performance, most of them consider the effect of antecedents in isolation, neglecting their interdependence. Drawing on complexity theory, the study presents a configuration model that combines six antecedents based on the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework. The results of fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) show that digital technology application, product innovation, functional coordination, user participation, peer competition and environmental turbulence need to combine with each other in order to produce high NPD performance. The combination of product innovation, functional coordination and user participation plays an important role in NPD. The complementary effects of digital technology application, product innovation, functional coordination and user participation on NPD performance are demonstrated.