bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Some perspectives on the use of management science techniques in R&D management
Authors: Higgins J. C. , Watts K. M.
Published: May 2007

We were prompted to carry out a study by the apparent shortage in the literature of accounts of the successful application of the more advanced MS/OR and of IT techniques. Hopefully, the results would also prove useful in the design of appropriate R&D management courses. Our information was largely collected via a postal questionnaire. Face‐to‐face interviews with a number of the respondents and with R&D managers attending some of the Bradford Management Centre's post‐experience events provided the rest of the data.

In this paper we report on the techniques used in project selection and project planning and control. In general, we concluded that there is a significant gap between the prescriptions of academics and consultants and the actual usage of advanced techniques for project planning and control. Project selection techniques tend to be relatively simple, e.g. checklists and project profiles. In project planning and control, PERT‐based methods and Research Planning Diagrams are much more popular than the more sophisticated approaches.
A Guide to Development
Authors: Goltz G. E.
Published: May 2007

The guide proposes a simple model consisting of a set of divergent and convergent activities with reviews before continuing to the next phase of development. The use of the model is designed to improve the productivity of those associated with development. None of the individual tasks is novel; the key to increasing the chances of success lies in the commitment and common understanding which can be generated. Examples are given relating to the chemical industry and to software engineering. Keywords: Development methodology, chemical processes, software engineering.
New Ventures and Small Business Innovation for Economic Growth
Authors: McMullan W. Ed. , Vesper Karl
Published: May 2007

Over the last twenty years evidence has been accumulating in favour of targeting innovative early‐stage entrepreneurs for new forms of assistance. Experimental programming has been underway to find new ways to effectively support technologically innovative entrepreneurs. Further experimentation is needed to overcome remaining uncertainties and continuing objections.
What makes a new product a winner: * Success factors at the project level.*
Authors: Cooper R. G. , Kleinschmidt E. J.
Published: May 2007

The research seeks to identify different types or dimensions of new product success and the specific determinants of these different success types. Based on a sample of 125 companies, including 123 new product successes and 80 failures, three independent dimensions of success were found: financial performance, opportunity windows and market share. The determinants of success differ for the three performance dimensions. Managerial implications are discussed.
Scientific research evaluation: a review of methods and various contexts of their application
Authors: Luukkonen‐Gronow T.
Published: May 2007

The author has conducted a critical review of methods for evaluating R and D, focussing on levels above the individual project or researcher. Methods are classified as peer review, interview and questionnaire, qualitative methods, and case studies. The author reviews their methodological strengths and weaknesses, the types of criteria applied (eg internal or external) in judging their values, and the uses to which the results of the evaluations are put, especially in policy‐making.

She concludes that at the level considered evaluations have come to stay, but she can find no accepted rationale guiding the choice of method for a particular purpose or circumstance. Caution is therefore needed in selecting methods. She points out the need for empirical study of the effects of such evaluations.
Environmental considerations associated with experimental units1
Authors: Rice Steven C.
Published: May 2007

The emphasis of environmental protection has been expanded from the protection of our surrounding natural world to the protection of our health and well‐being. Research facilities often have a responsibility, as individual organizations and as an industry, to consider this protection and comply with all applicable governmental regulations. The intent of this article is to increase the expertise of R&D managers so that they will be able to recognize environmental issues and potential costs associated with, and prior to any future commercialization of, their subject research. While it is directed toward considerations unique to pilot plant and laboratory operations, several of the issues discussed can be valid for full‐scale commercial facilities developed as a result of that research.
R&D‐based strategies in the semiconductor and drug industries: rationale, organization and actions
Authors: Van Der Meer Jacques B. H.
Published: May 2007

The author's aim was to elicit the factors that determine the success or failure of corporate innovations in the European semi‐conductor and pharmaceutical industries. To do this he divided firms into two groups, the members of one having a good innovation record (‘prospectors’) and of the other a poor one (‘would‐be innovators’). Members of both groups spent heavily on R&D. The author used as his data‐base a combination of publicly available data, interviews and questionnaires administered to staff.

Among the success factors identified are the following: Concentrate innovation projects and related R&D into fairly restricted channels; minimise diversification; work to explicit but not too detailed top management guidelines for innovation activity; define clear and realistic goals; minimise red‐tape and formality and be willing to revise plans frequently; ensure a close relationship between R&D, Marketing and Manufacturing, but allow R&D to maintain a long‐range perspective; provide a stimulating, supportive and well‐supervised working environment.
Stimulating innovation in large companies: Observations and recommendations for Belgium
Authors: Lemaitre Nadine , Stenier Bernard
Published: May 2007

This article summarizes the results of a large scale research which was conducted in 41 large Belgian companies. One hundred thirty‐one innovation projects were studied in order to bring to light the factors encouraging or inhibiting the innovation process in large companies.

A stage‐model of the innovation process is proposed, including the following phases: perception of the idea, conceptualization, development and operationalization. Favourable and unfavourable factors are emphasized at each stage. On the basis of these conclusions, recommendations are drawn which are aimed at managers, the public authorities, the universities and the trades unions. These recommendations concern three areas: increasing the technical‐economic forecasting capacity of the companies and of the economic community at large; stimulating the research efforts inside and outside the firm; organizing the innovation development process within the firm.
A methodology for reducing technological risk
Authors: Eres Beth Krevitt , Raz Baruch
Published: May 2007

The purpose of the paper is to suggest a quantitative method for analyzing the innovation risk from both technological and an economic point of view as a contribution to the strategic evaluation and planning process. Specifically the method provides a predictive evaluation of the probability of the commercial success of technological breakthroughs.

The method is a quantification of the qualitative method originally developed by White and Graham. It consists of a stepwise process in which the benefits of a technology are classified under four major headings: inventive merit, embodiment merit, market merit, and operational merit. Within each heading, the target technology is evaluated by pairwise comparison with alternative technologies, using a Saaty‐type procedure. The decision‐maker can conduct a sensitivity analysis and the evaluation can be made collaborative by using a group of judges.

The methodology which is computerized is described in some detail. Its use is illustrated by applying it to an hypothetical project in the field of information retrieval in which CD‐ROM is compared with three alternative technologies.
Technology development processes: A model for a developing country with a global perspective
Authors: Lee Jinjoo , Bae Zong‐tae , Choi Dong‐kyu
Published: May 2007

This paper presents a conceptual model as a new framework of the technology development processes in LDCs based on global perspective. The proposed model consists of three development stages such as initiation, internalization, and generation, as well as some propositions related to the levels of transferred technology, technology acquisition modes, technology elements mastered, and major contributors of technology development in each development stage.

The model explains several dynamic changes in LDC's development processes with global perspectives focussing on the DC‐LDC linkages. In addition to formal channels, this model also deals with non‐formal channels, including imitation, which are unduly neglected in the literature, equally important as methods of technology acquisition. Moreover, the proposed model analyzes the technology development processes from several different standpoints and embraces multi‐level units of analysis such as country, industry, firm, and unit technology. Because the proposed model explains the observable phenomena only and is a conceptual model to be tested, further theoretical studies are needed to explain the underlying principles of technology development in LDCs such as the technology learning theory. In addition, further empirical studies to test the global perspective model in various situations are needed.
Factors affecting brainstorming: towards the development of diagnostic tools for assessment of creative performance
Authors: Rickards Tudor , Aldridge Simon , Gaston Kevin
Published: May 2007

To test a model of creative behaviour in teams, twenty five problem‐solving groups were assembled from a Business School graduate programme, trained in creative problem‐solving techniques and given a realistic product development task. Self‐assessment ratings were collected for factors perceived as influencing performance. Three experienced trainers rated the ideas produced. Four major factors were identified from the self‐assessed statements, each mentioned as positive and negative influences. The study provides a foundation for developing diagnostic tools for assessing creative performance in problem‐solving teams, and gives pointers to factors which are important for improving performance.
Academic entrepreneurship at Belgian Universities
Authors: Van Dierdonck R. , Debackere K.
Published: May 2007

In this paper a framework of university‐industry interactions is discussed. The presence or absence of academic entrepreneurial behaviour is considered as a basic variable in distinguishing a host of transfer mechanisms. As a hypothesis it is stated that university‐industry interactions are hampered by three types of barriers: cultural, institutional and operational.

This framework is then applied to the Belgian university system. The relative importance of different groups of transfer mechanisms is described. Particular attention is given to the barriers occurring during licensing arrangements and entrepreneurial ventures. A mix of cultural, institutional and operational barriers helps to explain why licensing arrangements and entrepreneurial ventures occur at present less frequently then the assistance mechanisms.
A systematic technique for new product idea generation: the external brain
Authors: Bar Jacob
Published: May 2007

The author outlines a novel computer‐based technique to generate ideas for new products. Essentially the technique uses the so‐called Dialog databank, claimed to have access to 152 million units of information, to search for all publications in the database which combine a root concept and words such as idea, innovation, novelty, and so on. The computer can then be instructed to print out the titles of a restricted number defined by the searcher from each database accessed. The searcher can then study the contents of each publication at leisure. In principle other similar databanks can be used.

The technique is illustrated by two hypothetical cases: new uses for water and new uses for metal‐powder technology.

The author claims that the technique will generate a large number of ideas in a short time at low‐cost, can be used selectively (eg to search within a stated time‐period), will link otherwise unrelated disciplines, and is well suited to brainstorming. The main drawbacks are that much of the information may be irrelevant, it cannot provide entirely new ideas though it can link existing concepts in a new way, and it cannot print out the total text from an identified source.
Research findings in strategic management with implications for R&D management
Authors: Cooper Arnold C.
Published: May 2007

Abstract

The author has reviewed the literature, predominantly North American, on the relationships between corporate strategy and corporate performance.

The general context is the question of where and how a firm should diversify. The author considers three areas of decision: corporate strategy, (where to compete), business strategy, (how to compete), and corporate organization (receptiveness to diversification). It appears that the most advantageous corporate strategy is to diversify into a high‐profit area but to maintain a substantial relatedness to existing businesses; the best business strategy is to have a market‐related perspective, to use R&D to develop new products with a marked competitive advantage rather than new processes, to minimise investment but to enter the market on a sufficiently large scale. This last condition presupposes a high degree of top‐management commitment to the venture. Furthermore, consideration has to be given to whether the organizational culture is such as to nurture rather than stifle the venture by insisting on administrative controls appropriate to the firm's traditional base.

The author points to three areas deserving of further investigation: How a firm in a mature industry can find a related area that is sufficiently attractive; how to fix on the correct scale of an entry taking into account the long lead times before the venture shows a net return; and how to ensure that the corporate culture will be able to accommodate novel interests and procedures.

All the above matters pose questions for the management of technology and the direction of R&D.
Cost benefit and public policy issues
Authors: Jones P. M. S.
Published: May 2007

Abstract

The paper reviews the work done and conclusions reached on resource allocation to R&D in the public sector in the last twenty years, and examines what changes have been made in the field of R&D assessment. The paper is based mainly on the author's experience with the UK government's Programmes Analysis Unit (PAU) which was set up in the early 1960s.

The Unit's main remit was to examine and disseminate techniques by the use of which the benefit to the nation from possible R&D strategies, programmes and projects might be calculated. It was also called in to help review policy and carry out long‐range forecasting. In the course of its existence — it was wound up in 1977 — it analysed many new techniques of analysis which have now passed into common use and took part in studies to support decisions at all levels from the macro‐economic sector down to the individual project.

The author lists the benefits derivable from such analyses — helping to identify objectives, assemble total programmes, evaluate efficiency of technological transfer, carry out technology assessment and so on. But he warns of their limitations.

As for the present day, the author is unhappy about the importance given by the UK Government to the market as a test of value in decision‐making about R&D, in so far as it leads to neglect of long‐term issues and relies on uncertain causal relationships among critical inputs. Cost‐benefit is adequate for dealing with short‐term, small‐scale projects. For larger projects with controversial long‐term implications he advocates broader‐based techniques such as multi‐attribute analysis, which bring the interests of many parties into the judgment and take into account considerations such as the environment, finite resources and social
Company technology strategy
Authors: Clarke Ken , Ford David , Saren Mike
Published: May 2007

Abstract

The authors report the results of a small‐scale study of the attitudes of 174 British companies to managing their technology. Their data sources were replies to a questionnaire and interviews with 18 senior managers of the respondent companies. They relate their findings to current academic thinking about technolgy strategy, of which a bibliography and critical review is presented in the paper.

The results showed that the firms in the survey did not give much specific attention to technology when formulating their strategies. Some do not have a clear notion of what is meant by ‘their technology’, and others have difficulty in deciding its character. In any case a ‘firm's technology’ is usually seen as a cluster of technologies, which is enmeshed in a network of external technologies such as those practised by suppliers and customers, rather than as a single entity. After in‐house R&D the most often used forms of technology acquisition are licensing‐in and contract R&D. The import of technology presents difficulties, such as codifying it in usable form and making sure that there are in‐house staff capable of using it.

The authors conclude overall that few firms in the sample can assess their technological strengths and weaknesses or clearly conceptualize their situation. They remark that academic approaches to technology strategy are oversimplified and do not sufficiently address the main problems in this area, which are to help managers to understand the nature of their technology position and the technological network of which their firm forms a part.
Managing the search for new product concepts: a strategic approach
Authors: McGuinness Norman W. , Conway H. Allan
Published: May 2007

Abstract

The authors point out that there is little in the academic literature about the way ideas for new products emerge and how the emergence is managed. They have identified the main top management problem as the strategic one of achieving the right balance between resources put into new product search and those put into current business operations. To obtain more information on good and bad practice in this area they have investigated how a specially selected sample of small to medium‐sized Canadian technological companies actually carry out new product search.

The research method was to ascertain how far corporate goals, organization structures and corporate values affected the effectiveness of new product search. Unstructured interviews were conducted with senior staff in the companies, during which information was sought about company goals, innovation strategy, internal relationships and how these impinged on the genesis of 35 projects.

The authors found an important corporate goal spurring innovation was growth (or survival), to be achieved by using new products to dominate their markets. R&D was oriented to achieving a technical edge, though not necessarily a radical breakthrough in market driven ways. Few had effective formal strategic plans for new product search. On the whole, top managements emphasized the importance of individual initiative and commitment to get results and the necessity of open communication throughout the organization.

Overall, this research reveals once more that any organization that wishes to pursue a strategy of product innovation has to build a climate which explicitly favours that strategy. Corporate strategy, itself, has a major influence on that climate. New product search requires resources and a place in the strategic plan but the extent to which it can be formalized is limited. It must be possible for new ideas, wherever generated, to emerge and gather momentum informally.
Uncertainty and stress in an R&D project environment
Authors: Bodensteiner Wayne D. , Gerloff Edwin A. , Quick James Campbell
Published: May 2007

Abstract

R&D project managers work in an environment in which the uncertainty and complexity of engineering development problems are an important source of episodic job stress. A study of the US. Navy's top major project R&D managers (N = 118) was conducted to test the use of various coping skills and social support as preventive stress management techniques for this population. It was found that perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU) had a direct, positive effect on psychological distress of these project managers while social support had a therapeutic effect on their experience of burnout. While problem focussed coping had a small, positive effect on burnout, neither coping skills nor social support were found to have a primary prevention effect upon perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU).

Engineering managers engaged in high technology R&D are confronted by a wide range of uncertainties, risks and changing demands that give rise to the stress response with its attendant physiological and psychological changes (Asterita, 1985). Adams (1980) has argued that an episodic versus chronic dichotomy of stressors is valuable because it distinguishes between intermittent stressors of finite duration (episodic) and ongoing stressors of indeterminant duration (chronic). This article reports the results of a study of uncertainty as an episodic work stressor for the U.S. Navy's high technology R&D project managers. The results suggest that R&D project managers should develop social support systems and structures to maintain well‐being and avert distress and strain.
R&D centred innovation: extending the supply side paradigm
Authors: Knox S. D. , Denison T. J.
Published: May 2007

This working paper addresses the interaction processes of separate organisations combining in the development and commercialisation of innovations. A conceptual model is outlined, which expounds the transfer of technology from Dedicated R&D Centres (DRDCs) to manufacturers. The authors term this the ‘intermediate’ technology transfer stage. The paper discusses the role of DRDCs in innovation initiation and suggests that DRDCs differ in their innovation strategy and client base according to their sources of funding.
The organizational impact on R&D: Computer aids for the disabled
Authors: Kirschenbaum Alan
Published: May 2007

R&D often reflects social concerns which are represented in the organization and implementation of scientific inquiry. An analysis of R&D projects for the disabled provides a glimpse into the link between such social concerns and its consequent organizational basis.

A content analysis of 89 R&D computer‐related projects between 1979 and 1983, focussing on R&D, interest areas, funding sources, research emphasis, institutional setting and prototype production, illustrates the organizational influence involved in this type of specialized R&D.

Specifically, a model is created, arguing that public funding mechanisms influence the type and direction that research takes, while factors in the form of institutional division of resources and specialization, lead to specific research concentrations. These findings add support to the argument that the organization of R&D of computer aids is influenced by societal priorities which, through a series of constraints, affects its output.
Focussed funding in an international agency: systems science, chaos and advanced educational technology
Authors: Sinclair Craig
Published: May 2007

The present is a companion paper to one dealing with the more general evolution of one particular funding programme for international R&D against a background of calls for the economic utility of such work. In the other paper the general unsolicited applications are shown, in general, to follow scientific demand and, as a case study, the response of the programme in one highly topical case is described. The present paper supplements these descriptions and observations with an examination of the directed research funding of the same organisation in special commissioned ‘sunset’ programmes, and offers some indications for policy formation as well as insights for applicants for funding.
An application‐oriented guide to R&D project selection and evaluation methods
Authors: Fahrni Peter , Spätig Martin
Published: May 2007

The purpose of this paper is to provide managers with a set of guidelines to help them to choose the project evaluation and selection model that best suits their business environments. To this end the authors have surveyed the literature of the subject and used contacts made in training workshops with Swiss industry.

From this information the authors have identified five key issues — signposts that mark the route towards the appropriate project selection method. Once a sufficiency of project proposals has been identified — more than could be implemented with the resources available — then one takes into account successively how far the selection parameters can be quantified, how far one project interferes with or depends on the completion of another, whether a project has one or more than one objective, and the degree of acceptable risk. The procedure is presented in the form of a binary decision tree the various branches of which lead ultimately to twelve archetypal groups of methods. Each group is in principle suited to a practical situation represented by some combination of the key issues recognizable by a manager.

The paper discusses the strengths, weaknesses, limitations and practicality of the methods falling into each group. It concludes with suggestions about how a framework could be extended and refined. Keywords: Research and Development, Project Selection.
Design — the starting point for CIM
Authors: Brooks Barry
Published: May 2007

The author reviews the spectrum of computer‐integrated manufacturing (CIM) aids now available to speed up the development, manufacture and marketing of new products. To help firms to decide which aid is best suited to their needs the author presents a 2‐by‐2 typology of business environments, the dimensions being uncertainty and complexity. For each cell he derives a factor critical to achievement of competitive advantage, to which is matched a suitable form of CIM.

The paper includes a survey of the characteristics and limitations of commercially available hardware and associated software, advice on the administration of the systems and the storage of information generated. The author concludes by defining the key to the successful use of CIM as ensuring its conscious integration into the business, which means having a clear understanding of what is involved in design and development, management awareness of and commitment to the potential usefulness of CIM, defining clear responsibilities for creating and owning data and planned introduction of a design and engineering information system.
How a patent conflict affects industrial R&D Management
Authors: Mulder Karel F. , Vergragt Philip J.
Published: May 2007

The authors relate and analyse the case of a long‐running patent conflict between two very large multinational firms in the synthetic fibre business ‐ AKZO and Du Pont. The subject of the conflict was a new fibre of the aramid dass. They show that the case reveals deficiencies in international patent law in need of correction.

The analysis is conducted with the aid of social network theory applied to pub‐lished information and data supplied by AKZO and other sources. The theory takes as its starting point that when a number of related functional groups unite behind a common and vital interest the pursuit of this interest becomes virtually unstoppable. In this case the crucial social network was formed first within AKZO and then extended outside to include politicians and government. It propelled the firm to pursue to the end attempts to by‐pass a patent position held by Du Pont.

The paper reveals that an apparently strong patent position can actually help a rival to circumvent it. This defect in the patent law is leading companies to avoid patenting and to rely instead on secrecy alone. The authors believe that this will act against the public interest, for exam‐ple, by preventing thorough public assessment of a new technology before it is implemented. They argue for changes in the patent law to reduce this risk.
Developing an expert system on project evaluation: Part 1: Structuring the expertise
Authors: Wilkinson A.
Published: May 2007

This paper reports interim results obtained from research on the development of an expert system originally intended to be advisory to managers at all levels of R&D on the selection of projects. Whilst diversity had been expected, when the ‘Experts’ were consulted, there was a total absence of agreement as to how projects were selected.

This led to a shift in objectives. The first shift was from project selection to project evaluation which was identified as the real activity which managers undertook in conditions where the number of projects was likely to exceed the resources available. The second was to try to classify projects such that projects in one class might have similar criteria for evaluation

In pursuit of these new objectives, the rigorous thinking necessary to structure the guidance of the ‘Experts’ into an expert system gave new insights into the nature of projects themselves and their management in support of corporate strategy. This paper sets these out and will be followed by Pt. II which will report on structuring the actual Expert System, and Pt. Ill giving the details of the managerial approach and the decision support process of the actual expert system
Research and Development in Algeria
Authors: Oukil Mohand Said
Published: May 2007

Since 1971, that is nine years after gaining its independence, Algeria has among some Third World countries formulated an ambitious Science and Technology (S&T) Policy. In the last few years, the relevant administrative structure has been completed by installing a centralised body at the highest level. Policy itself has changed very little, and remained in some aspects well behind developments in the structure. In this paper, the author intends to consider the evolution of both structure and policy of Algeria's research and development (R&D); and the extent of their coherence or harmony and their linkages with industry.

Even though structure and policy are the key factors affecting R&D effectiveness of a country, no significant success could be achieved without strengthening the relevant network allowing for the technical competence to be used effectively. Hence, the main theme of the paper concentrates on Algeria's need to review its R&D system to allow both structure and policy to be effective or cause relevant activities to be integrated within the production system, build better technological capabilities, and work for a more efficient industrial development.
How Many Graduates in the 21st Centuary?
Authors: PEARSON ALAN
Published: May 2007

The Evolution of Technology. George Basalla. Cambridge University Press, 248 pages. Paperback $8.95.
Innovation and creativity: woods, trees and pathways
Authors: Rickards Tudor
Published: May 2007

The terms ‘innovation’ and ‘creativity’ are in danger of complete degeneracy into a single blurred catch‐all concept. This paper examines ‘potted thinking', and some of the main sources of confusion in everyday thinking, and then considers four current theories which help resolve aspects of the confusion. Creativity is studied as intrinsically motivated behaviours and as a form of intelligence. Creativity and Innovation are compared within a systems framework, and as examples of complex problem‐solving. The models help distinguish the highly personal nature of the creative process and the essentially social nature of the innovation process.
Analytical techniques for focussing software research
Authors: Norris M. T. , Bustard D. W.
Published: May 2007

For all the advances in the management of software research and development over the last few years, it is never easy to ensure that complex programmes of research are efficiently directed and assessed. There are a number of inherent difficulties that contribute to this, for instance—the complexity of modern technology, the abstract nature of research and the need to work in an area which is, by definition, largely unexplored. This paper discusses two techniques aimed at easing the evaluation of complex projects. Both techniques are designed to ensure that critical decisions and their dependencies are explicitly addressed. The effectiveness of the techniques is illustrated by their application to research in software engineering.
Who's who in technology: identifying technological competence within the firm
Authors: Kandel Nicholas , Remy Jean‐Pierre , Stein Christian , Durand Thomas
Published: May 2007

This paper addresses the issue of assessing the technical expertise within the organization of a large firm.

It presents the results of a study that examined the technical competence of the human resources of a large, high technology company. Various data about the company's technical professionals (engineers, researchers, etc.) were systematically identified and collected.

A general framework for the Strategic Management of Technology is first presented to explain the importance of constructing a firm's portfolio of technologies and competence.

The design and construction methodology of the “Who's Who in Technology” (WWT) is then briefly described. Several possible uses of this tool are subsequently mentioned.

Analyses across the technical staff population using the WWT data base are then presented in greater detail. They show how one may understand (1) the accumulation and utilization of the firm's competence over time, (2) the distribution of expertise within the organization, (3) the level of expertise reached, (4) the age distribution of the technical professionals, (5) the nature of the work experience of the technical staff, etc.

The WWT scheme appears to be a practical and enlightening way to gain insight into a firm's portfolio of technical competence, while also providing the basis for a more appropriate methodology in technical human resource planning.

Some limits of the tool are finally presented and discussed.
Evaluation of two schedule control techniques for the development and implementation of new technologies: a simulation study
Authors: SHTUB AVRAHAM
Published: May 2007

Abstract

The development and implementation of new technologies are areas of engineering and technological management which are subject to uncertainty. To assist management in dealing with the effects of uncertainty, control systems can be used for projects. In particular, for projects in which new technologies are used, control systems can be very useful because of the lack of experience in the new fields. The systems enable the deviations from schedule to be seen and assist management by identifying the corrective actions that are required.

This study compares the value of Critical Path Methods and an Earned Value Method by the use of a simulation approach.
BOOK REVIEWS
Authors: KILBURN K. D.
Published: May 2007

Research and Development in Expert Systems V. Edited by B. Kelly and A. I. Rector. Cambridge University Press, 1989, 359 pp, hardback $29.
BOOK REVIEWS
Authors: TWISS BRIAN C.
Published: May 2007

Innovate: how to gain and sustain competitive advantage. By Mark O'Hare. Basil Blackwell, Oxford, 1988, hardback $15.
Barriers to scientific and technical knowledge acquisition in industrial R&D
Authors: Sheen Margaret R.
Published: May 2007

An understanding of how companies acquire external knowledge is important for any organisation which participates in technology transfer partnerships. The process of external knowledge acquisition within the development function of the pharmaceutical industry is described. Six pharmaceutical companies participated in this study. Group depth interviews were conducted with scientists from a wide range of disciplines and at different levels of seniority within their companies. Senior managers and information officers were interviewed individually. The findings indicated that, although this industry is a leader in formalised information services and commercial database usage, even here significant barriers to the acquisition of scientific and technological knowledge exist. In several of the companies examined the process of information acquisition is not addressed strategically and implemented at laboratory level.
Technology transfer issues in licensing pharmaceutical products
Authors: Fitzgerald J. D.
Published: May 2007

The discovery and development of a new therapeutic agent may take five to ten years, cost in excess of £90m with a significant risk of product failure, due either to lack of safety or efficacy. Pharmaceutical companies require a new product every three to five years in order to sustain growth. This need is often met by licensing a product from a competitor. The evaluation of a potential licensing opportunity is a complex task in technology transfer since firstly, the time frame for decision taking is markedly foreshortened compared with the usual time involved when developing a drug from within the company. In addition the therapeutic field may be unfamiliar to the company personnel. The evaluation process involves a parallel but closely linked activity involving pharmacologists, toxicologists, pharmacy, pharmaceutical physicians, strategic marketing, legal experts as well as representatives from the major territorial international markets. This paper attempts to identify some problems in technology transfer which include organisational, attitudinal and behavioural factors. Possible topics for future research are identified.
Technology as perceived by R&D team leaders: an analysis
Authors: Lya Sandhya , Akhilesh K. B.
Published: May 2007

The work reported in this paper was carried out as part of a larger study on the uncertainties experienced by R&D scientists and engineers. It pertains to the development of a perceptual measure of technology, and its subsequent application to an R&D work context. Twelve perceptually based characteristics of technology were identified from literature, and formed the basis for a questionnaire. The survey methodology was adopted in this study. Responses to the questionnaire were elicited from sixty leaders of R&D teams belonging to the Telecommunications and Space Technology R&Ds. Analysis of data revealed that while certain characteristics seemed to constitute the ‘core’ of technology, the dominance of certain others varied between teams from the two R&Ds. This suggests that managerial implications from the perception of technology should be drawn with specific reference to the context. The study outlines some implications for R&D managers based on the profile of technology perception.
Postgraduate scientists and R&D: the role of reputation in organisational choice
Authors: Jones Oswald
Published: May 2007

This paper reports on a series of interviews with postgraduate scientists in a number of UK universities. The interviews were designed to investigate the attitude of young scientists to employment in the pharmaceutical industry. The sample consisted of postgraduates in the biological sciences and included a broad cross‐section of universities. The primary objective was to ascertain each student's ideal employer and to establish the role organisational reputation played in that choice. Students not intending to seek employment in commercial R&D were asked to explain why they had made that decision. The research established that knowledge of potential employers in the pharmaceutical industry was concentrated on two major companies, ICI and Glaxo. Students not considering the pharmaceutical industry indicated that lack of academic freedom was their major concern.
Technological interweavement: a means of achieving innovation success
Authors: Gemünden H. G. , Heydebreck P. , Herden R.
Published: May 2007

In this paper, results are presented of an empirical study of the Lake Constance region covering a sample of 848 manufacturing companies. Based upon multivariate analyses, the paper documents that the mobilization of external resources and know‐how is a critical factor for a firm's technological innovation success which in turn is the main determinant of commercial innovation success. The findings show that there are three kinds of technology‐oriented external relationships, which prove to be of special importance: close contacts with customers, linkages to universities and research institutes and R&D‐cooperations with other companies.
R&D management responses to the environment: current theory and implications to practice and research
Authors: Winn S. F. , Roome N. J.
Published: May 2007

The environmental problems faced by society are often regarded as global in importance. The global imperatives linked to environmental concerns pose critical questions about the international management of R&D. This theme is developed in this paper which was initially written as the basis for a workshop on R&D management responses to the environmental challenge held as part of the 1992 Conference on Managing R&D Internationally at Manchester Business School.

The paper considers recent literature on R&D management responses to the environmental challenge drawn primarily from English language sources out extending beyond traditional R&D management literature. The intention was to identify current theories about R&D management and the general business context for R&D and to consider the implications of environmental concerns for R&D management practice.

The paper suggests that R&D management and the environment is still at a relatively early stage of development. Nevertheless, there is a demonstrable gap between the approaches to environmental problems adopted by R&D practitioners and those chosen by R&D theoreticians. This mirrors a more general gap between theory and practice seen in the basic R&D management literature.

In general, R&D management and the environment has been constructed in the literature as a set of tools and techniques, rather than a strategic management issue. However, there is a developing body of literature which links R&D management and environmental management in a more strategic way and focuses on the need to consider organizational as well as technological change.

The paper concludes that an important way forward for research in this area is to establish an R&D Management and Environment Focus Group to bridge the gap between theory and practice and to explore the application of environmental concepts to R&D management.
Evaluation of the impact of European community research programmes upon industrial competitiveness
Authors: Georghiou L. G. , Metcalfe J. S.
Published: May 2007

The precise meaning of competitiveness is examined. Some basic concepts are reviewed and from these is chosen a relative concept which must be measured dynamically. The paper then discusses the application of this concept to the evaluation of R&D programmes, in particular the EC Framework Programme. Practical guidance is provided.

How firms expect to enhance their competitiveness must be understood by the evaluator. Technology transfer within and beyond projects is significant. The results of an evaluation must be relevant to current decisions if it is to be useful to policymakers.
Controlling new product R&D projects
Authors: Bart Christopher K.
Published: May 2007

New products are critical to the success of most corporations. But managing the R&D projects that produce new products has proven to be a risky and tricky business. Theorists and practitioners claim that one of the major obstacles to higher new product output is the ‘tight’ control practices found in large corporations. The conventional wisdom argues that, to correct this, firms need to find ways ‘to loosen‐up.’ But is that all there is to it? This article presents five findings for effectively controlling new product R&D projects. These findings emerged at the conclusion of an empirical research investigation into the formal and informal control practices that business unit managers use to control various new product R&D situations. The article concludes with several recommendations for those managers who want to control their new product R&D projects better.
Strategic partnerships in Canadian advanced materials
Authors: Niosi Jorge
Published: May 2007

The analysis of technical (R&D) collaborations in Canadian advanced materials industries show strong interactions between producers, users, government laboratories and universities. Management patterns show the predominance of flexible governance structures: long‐term agreements instead of joint ventures, two‐member partnerships, and collective management. Most of the alliances involve two or three partners, usually a producer, a user and/or a university or government laboratory. Advantages (gaining complementary assets, accelerated innovation, financing and R&D economies of scale among others) outnumber difficulties, thus bringing some evidence against the usefulness of the transaction cost approach to the study of technical alliances in advanced materials. The vast majority of the partnerships were entirely domestic (i.e. did not include foreign partners). The study was conducted on a sample of 30 Canadian private firms (both producers and users) and 6 government corporations and public research laboratories.
Business Strategy, R&D Management and Environmental Imperatives
Authors: Roome Nigel
Published: May 2007

Abstract

Environmental imperatives are seen by many business leaders to represent a major issue for the 1990's and beyond. The debate about the environmental sustainability of economic activity has important implications for the development of business and places considerable emphasis on the need for planned corporate change. The strategic significance of the environment is particularly critical to R&D as this is characterised by long planning horizons and provides the setting for the development of future products and processes.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the connections between environmental imperatives, strategic change and R&D management. To this end the paper reviews the strategic nature of environmental pressures on business. From this base, consideration is given to the responses required by business, in meeting these pressures. The paper concludes by suggesting that the application of management techniques in concert with organisational change is needed for R&D management to build environmental considerations effectively into innovation. These suggestions can be used to gauge how far individual businesses have developed the systems and structures to enable them to move towards sustainability. The implication of the paper is that R&D management will not only need to apply new management techniques but will have to play a leading role in innovative organisational structures in order to fulfil the full potential of environmentally sensitive products and processes.