Modelling the success factors for national R&D organizations: a case of India

Purpose National policy makers in India have realized that the research and development (R&D) performance of India has not been up to the benchmark. This paper aims to identify and develop the structural cause and effect relationship among various factors that affect the performance of national R&D organizations in India. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire‐based survey, interpretive structural modelling and structural equation modelling, has been applied in this paper. In this paper, ten factors have been identified such as clear R&D vision and strategic directions; top management commitment (TMC); customer focus and market orientation; organization culture, etc. Findings Clear R&D vision and strategic directions are the major drivers for the performance of national R&D organizations. Statistically, TMC; organization culture and human resource focus; R&D project management skills; and customer focus and market orientation have emerged as the critical factors for improving performance of national R&D organizations in India. Research limitations/implications This model can be validated for various other national R&D organizations in India as well as in other countries. Practical implications This model provides a comprehensive structural cause and effect relationship among various success factors to the policy makers and provides the direction to for designing and implementing appropriate policies in order to enhance the performance of national R&D organizations. Originality/value The paper not only provided a cause and effect relationship among various factors, but also a magnitude of relationship.