ABSTRACT
The research method adopted is a case study to answer the RQ at the heart of this book. A qualitative method allows effective data collection, which helps shed light on complex issues and enriches previous knowledge. The case study concerns the Boeing 787 Dreamliner programme, beginning in 2009 with the B787-8’s first model and continuing to track its evolution until more recent times through the B787-9 and B787-10 models. The commercial aircraft industry is an appropriate research setting for several reasons. Firstly, it is characterised by high-intensity technological innovation with multiple technology platforms supporting the design and manufacture of an aero-plane. The industry is hierarchically organised into four primary levels in the form of a pyramid.
