THE COMPLEXITY OF ‘GO/NO-GO’ DECISION MAKING IN BIOTECHNOLOGY R&D PROJECTS: INSIGHTS FROM AN EMPIRICAL STUDY
THE COMPLEXITY OF ‘GO/NO-GO’ DECISION MAKING IN BIOTECHNOLOGY R&D PROJECTS: INSIGHTS FROM AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

Summary/Abstract: The paper presents a qualitative study of contextual factors surrounding project evaluation decision making in a biotech R&D environment. It focuses on the ways in which key decision makers engage with uncertainty, ambiguity and culture dynamics in their everyday practice of R&D project evaluation. Drawing on the body of accounts from semi-structured interviews from a single UK-based biotech company and the principles of interpretative qualitative methodology, we identify a number of contextual factors that surround 'go/no-go' decision making process. These factors make project evaluation a non-linear, non-instrumental process, in contrast to conventional wisdom of mechanistic risk assessment and project valuation techniques. We conclude that a more effective process of this kind would rely, in practice, on learning, collaboration and flexibility among project participants.

• Details
• Contents