bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, MANAGERIAL ROLE EXPECTATIONS AND MANAGERS’ WORK ACTIVITIES
Authors: Hales Colin , Tamangani Ziv
Published: May 2007

Having demonstrated the absence in the literature of an adequate conceptual treatment or empirical examination of the substantive relationship between managerial work, managers’ role expectations and forms of organizational structure, the paper reports the findings of a multimethod comparative case study of this relationship in four organizations from the hotel and retail sectors in Zimbabwe. Focusing on the differences between centralized organizations where unit operations are tightly regulated and decentralized organizations where unit operating autonomy is coupled with performance controls, the findings indicate that organizational structure impinges primarily upon the formal management division of labour, more weakly upon the role expectations surrounding unit managers and in only limited ways upon their work activities, with the effect of organizational differences co‐existing with and refracted by common work characteristics and inter‐industry differences. Although decentralization gave rise to unit manager jobs with more formal autonomy, broader responsibilities, greater pressure to attend to unit performance rather than monitoring work processes, and an obligation to operate in more complex networks, managers were no more free of constraints than were those in more centralized organizations and operated in similar ways, with an emphasis on day‐to‐day administration and routine staffing matters.
RISK TYPES AND INTER‐FIRM ALLIANCE STRUCTURES*
Authors: Das T. K. , Teng Bing‐Sheng
Published: May 2007

This paper examines the choice between equity and non‐equity forms of inter‐firm alliances from an ‘integrated risk’ perspective, which combines relational risk and performance risk in inter‐firm alliances. Relational risk relates to co‐operation among alliance partners, while performance risk has to do with the hazards of not achieving the performance objectives of an alliance, given co‐operation. We suggest that equity alliance is adopted to control relational risk, while non‐equity alliance is aimed at minimizing performance risk. Existing studies on the choice of alliance configurations are examined from the proposed risk perspective, and a number of key propositions are advanced for empirical testing and further development of the perspective.
INCENTIVES FOR COMPETITIVE RESPONSES IN REPLICATED ECONOMIES: A GENERALIZATION
Authors: Rashid Salim
Published: May 2007

A simple proof is presented of a theorem of Roberts and Postlewaite on truthful revelation of preferences for replicated economies. The proof provides some generalizations of the earlier result using the strict definition of feasibility. First, to economies with an infinity of agents but with a finite number of types; secondly, to economies with a countable number of commodities.
FIRM AND INDUSTRY OUTPUT WHEN PRODUCT DEMAND IS UNCERTAIN
Authors: Pemberton James
Published: May 2007

Previous work has established the partial equilibrium response to product demand uncertainty by a single firm in a competitive industry, but for many purposes the aggregate output response of the whole industry is more important. The paper shows that this depends in a simple and intuitive way upon the attitudes to risk of the industry's constituent firms.
FISCAL POLICIES IN AN INTERTEMPORAL DISEQUILIBRIUM MACROECONOMIC MODEL
Authors: Fender John , Moon Naehee
Published: May 2007

A two‐period macroeconomic model where consumption and investment decisions are given microeconomic foundations is presented. The model is used to analyse the effects of both current and anticipated fiscal expansion; careful attention is paid to the implications of the government's intertemporal budget constraint. It is shown that anticipated fiscal expansion may, in certain circumstances, be expansionary. Also, current fiscal expansion, if financed by bonds which are retired through future money creation, may be contractionary.
LABORS INFLUENCE ON THE BALANCE OF THE USA'S MERCHANDISE ACCOUNTS
Authors: Daniel Coldwell , Reid John J.
Published: May 2007

The results found here indicate that American labor does influence importantly the level of imports and exports of manufactures in the US. In particular, imports tend to be lower and exports tend to be higher in those industries in which higher skilled American workers are used more abundantly. Moreover, labor efficiency and productivity also influence inversely the level of imports and directly the level of exports.
A GENERAL CHARACTERIZATION OF MULTIPRODUCT COURNOT COMPETITION
Authors: De Fraja Giovanni
Published: May 2007

The problem of oligopolistic competition between multiproduct firms is analysed using a general framework, where a given number of firms have access to the same technology, and play a Cournot game, by simultaneously choosing a quantity vector.

Conditions guaranteeing the symmetry of the Cournot equilibrium are sought. The results obtained are very general, and can be given a straightforward natural economic interpretation, essentially requiring convexity of the cost function and the ruling out of pathological demand functions.
EXISTENCE AND UNIQUENESS OF AVERAGE COST PRICING EQUILIBRIA: A DEGREE THEORETIC APPROACH
Authors: Currier Kevin M.
Published: May 2007

This paper considers the issues of existence and uniqueness of average cost pricing equilibria within the context of a single, regulated, multiproduct monopoly with additively separable costs. We employ basic degree theoretic arguments to establish conditions under which an average cost pricing equilibrium exists. The degree theoretic approach permits the development of uniqueness results in a very natural manner.
THE ACCURACY OF INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC OBSERVATIONS*
Authors: van Bergeijk Peter A. G.
Published: May 2007

This paper investigates measurement errors in generally accepted figures on international transactions that are supplied by national statistical offices to the IMF and the OECD. Implicit minimal measurement errors in bilateral trade data for Germany and the Netherlands appear to be about 1.5–3 per cent. An investigation of foreign direct investment data for 20 OECD countries in the period 1950–89 shows that their accuracy has improved little if at all since the 1970s: in 15–25 per cent of the cases, implied minimal measurement errors are in excess of 10 per cent.
ASSESSING THE PERFORMANCE OF AN INCOME TAX
Authors: Duclos Jean‐Yves
Published: May 2007

The paper proposes an indicator of the performance of a tax and benefit system in generating a high level of social welfare. Under standard assumptions on the form of the admissible social welfare functions, the indicator is shown to be increasing in the progressivity of the system. Using UK household data for 1985, the paper asks (i) What can the performance of a tax system with constant residual progression be? (ii) Relative to a proportional system, what is the performance of existing or proposed tax and benefit systems? (iii) How can we estimate the average residual progression of unevenly progressive tax and benefit systems?
THE HECKSCHER‐OHLIN THEOREM WITH ENDOGENOUS LABOUR SUPPLY*
Authors: Chen Zhiqi
Published: May 2007

This note demonstrates that the Heckscher‐Ohlin Theorem, stated in terms of factor endowment ratios, is valid independent of the slope of the labour supply curve.
EXPLAINING THE UNITED STATES' INDUSTRIAL GROWTH, 1860–1991: ENDOGENOUS VERSUS EXOGENOUS MODELS
Authors: Greasley David , Oxley Les
Published: May 2007

This paper considers the historical record and time series properties of United States' industrial production for the period 1860 to 1991, utilizing unit root tests and measures of persistence. The results identify a segmented trend model which is used to assess the time‐series simulation performance of four well‐known models of economic growth: Solow (1957); Mankiw, Romer and Weil (MRW, 1992); Barro and Sala i Martin (BSM, 1992); and Rebelo (1991). Both the MRW and BSM models dominate the Solow model in accounting for twentieth century industrial growth, highlighting the importance of human capital, and the paper suggests a new measure related to higher education. However, the Rebelo model explains the post‐1973 slowdown more successfully than either of the ‘augmented‐Solow’ approaches. The paper concludes with a discussion of the impact of shocks on US industrial growth.
QUANTITY VERSUS PRICE IN A HOMOGENEOUS PRODUCT DUOPOLY*
Authors: Dastidar Krishnendu Ghosh
Published: May 2007

In a simple homogeneous product setting, the paper looks at the debate on whether firms should choose quantity or price as their strategic variable. It examines a two‐stage game between firms with symmetric costs in which the firms choose the strategic mode of operation in the first period and then, in the second period, price or output are chosen simultaneously according to the mode chosen in the first stage. In this game it is possible to have two Nash equilibria where either both play in quantities or both play in prices. One firm choosing price and the other quantity can never be a Nash equilibrium in the two‐stage game. Both choosing quantity is always a Nash equilibrium. Both choosing prices may be a Nash equilibrium only in some situations: the structure of the cost functions decides this issue.
THE MARKET FOR FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES*
Authors: Martin Robert E.
Published: May 2007

Franchised distribution accounts for a substantial proportion of retail sales each year. This form of vertical integration is frequently found in the accompaniment of parallel distribution through company‐owned establishments. Similarly, franchise contracts are characterized by mixed compensation strategies. This paper contains empirical models of the market for franchise opportunities where incentives for mixed distribution and compensation strategies are evaluated.
FUTURES MARKET EFFICIENCY, THE UNBIASEDNESS HYPOTHESIS AND VARIANCE‐BOUNDS TESTS: THE CASE OF THE FTSE‐100 FUTURES CONTRACT*
Authors: Antoniou Antonios , Holmes Phil
Published: May 2007

The efficiency of futures markets is critical to their price discovery role. This paper investigates the joint hypothesis of market efficiency and unbiasedness of futures prices for the FTSE‐100 stock index futures contract. Unlike previous studies, it tests for both long‐run and short‐run efficiency using cointegration and error correction models. Variance‐bounds tests are developed and utilized for examining the question of efficiency. Results show that the market is efficient and provides an unbiased estimate of future spot prices for one and two months away from expiration. However, for three and more months away from expiration this is not the case, which has implications for the users of this market.
DO OLDER WORKERS DROP OUT OF THE LABOUR MARKET? SOME RECENT BRITISH EVIDENCE
Authors: Manning Neil
Published: May 2007

This paper demonstrates the significance of age and duration effects in the relationship between earnings and unemployment using two‐step GMM estimation and UK county level data for 1984–1993.
A simple model approach to multi‐project monitoring
Authors: Hardingham R. P.
Published: May 2007

The commonly recommended network approach to project monitoring and scheduling can make very useful, detailed contributions to individual projects. However, it has not yet been adequately developed to deal with a large number of projects, particularly where considerable uncertainties are involved. To try to overcome this weakness an attempt has been made to use a project model that is so simple that it can easily be handled in large numbers. Although details of individual projects are lost, considerable benefit can be obtained from analyses of the resulting, collective data. This approach has been used successfully for some time to present project programmes and progress with the work in an engineering development laboratory and is currently being extended to assist with multi‐project scheduling.
An index for sequential project selection
Authors: Gittins J. C.
Published: May 2007

Abstract.In the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, a series of screening experiments is often run on a class of compounds or mixtures of several classes of compounds. The data obtained from the screens can be utilized to assess the project progress and/or the best routes to take for further research.

This problem is similar in many ways to that of project selection. In this paper a sequential method of calibrating individual projects is developed which is relevant both to project selection and assessing how best to deploy further effort in projects of the type described. This paper was delivered at the European Conference of Management of Research and Development and Technological Forecasting. Paris. October, 1970.
Project and program decisions in research and development
Authors: Pessemier Edgar A. , Baker Norman R.
Published: May 2007

Abstract. This paper describes the application of three comparative procedures for scaling the relative worth of research and development projects. One procedure which assigns a monetary value to each project in units comparable to those used to measure the resources consumed proved to be simple for judges to understand and apply. Its application to sets of projects drawn from two laboratories permits investigating the degree of consensus among subject judges with various organizational affiliations and responsibilities. Significant differences in behavior were observed. Both the methodological and behavioral findings are potentially valuable to researchers and administrators dealing with the R&D function in public and private sectors.
The information requirements of R & D management
Authors: Sugden T. M.
Published: May 2007

This brief survey describes the role of R & D in industry, with particular respect to some of the requirements which its management has in order to fulfil its function effectively, more particularly in the field of information, bearing in mind that the product of R&D is yet more information, and that a very broad approach to the problems is required.
Symbiotic competition: future trends of the open know‐how market
Authors: Uenohara Michiyuki
Published: May 2007

The question of whether or not to buy in scientific know‐how is an important one for many organizations. Japan has done so in many areas and to good effect. Japan is also willing and able to sell as well as buy. It is argued that there are considerable advantages to be gained from an increased level of trade in scientific and technological knowledge and it is suggested that the development of an open know‐how market is of value to many parties.
The economics of industrial R & D
Authors: Rowlands D. G.
Published: May 2007

The relationship between research and commercial operation is examined in terms of production using a simple Cobb‐Douglas production function, where output is expressed in terms of inputs of labour, capital and‘technical progress’. The model was tested in a single company environment by multiple regression analysis of output as the dependent variable on various measures of research, labour and capital. The results of the regression analysis are in full agreement with the model as outlined and the assumption that output is dependent simultaneously on labour, capital and the cumulative research investment.
An analysis of decision processes
Authors: Loasby Brian J.
Published: May 2007

This paper outlines three ways of looking at decision processes, and relates them to problems of research management. A classification of decisions is suggested, based on three dimensions of complexity. On each dimension, innovative decisions are normally more complex than operating decisions, but since the latter are more common, there is a danger that the former will be inadequately treated, as shown in an example. These dangers may be mitigated, first, by regarding complex decision‐making as an explicitly cyclical process, and, second, by recognizing the significance of reference standards. Four types of reference standard—historical, external, planning, and imaginative—are noted, and brief consideration is given to their origins and to their influence on the perception not only of problems but also of solutions. It is argued that the range and quality of the reference standards used are likely to be significant factors in the success of research management.
A new business venture
Authors: Vernon A.
Published: May 2007

This paper describes the action which was taken by the Pharmaceuticals Division of ICI Limited to move into a New Business Venture, the experiences so far and some of the lessons learned which either have confirmed or contradicted the original ideas.

The venture is into the business area of Medical Aids. The first steps were taken by the Division just over three years ago.
Communication patterns in two UK R & D laboratories
Authors: Evans M. A. , Woods M. F. , Levene R. J.
Published: May 2007

Abstract The literature shows that two patterns of communication exist in an R&D environment, one dominated by a project system and the other directly related to distance. A study was made of the communication patterns of two laboratories about to merge. The study was able to show that differences do exist between the two laboratories, mainly because of the geographical differences on the two sites, but overall communication patterns were similar. These patterns showed that the number of communications did drop off with distance but work contacts and a project system override the distance factor.
The technological gatekeeper and policies for national and international transfer of information
Authors: Cooney S. , Allen T. J.
Published: May 2007

In this paper, the main conclusions of the research which has demonstrated the significance of person to person communication in technical information transfer are summarized. Some of the major international and national policy statements and projects on ‘STI’ are then reviewed in the light of these findings. Finally, the implications of the comparison are discussed and suggestions put forward as to how the agencies concerned and the Information Profession may take active measures to further develop the informal channels, shown to be the most effective of those available.
The engineering department matrix organization
Authors: Videlo D. A.
Published: May 2007

This paper describes the development of an organizational structure within the Engineering Department of the Sperry Gyroscope organization. A matrix form of structure has been operating in the last 15 years or so in various forms. However, the power balance between the project and function teams has been carefully changed over this period to meet changing circumstances, it is accepted that this structure may not necessarily be suitable for all time, but its flexibility has proved of tremendous value in enabling the Engineering Department to perform effectively.
European views on the transfer of technology from military to civil uses
Authors: Udis B.
Published: May 2007

A study was conducted in seven major industrialized countries of Western Europe aimed at throwing new light on problems of military to civilian transfer of resources (Udis, 1975). While a variety of subjects are discussed in the full report, the section on technology transfer has been abstracted for this paper. The basic interview was designed for organizations forced to adjust to a reduced level of dependence on military expenditures and the consequent need to develop civil market alternatives. The field work consisted of a series of interviews with industrial executives, government officials, university professors and journalists.
The selection and evaluation of word processing equipment in a research organization
Authors: Barradell P. , Bennett F. J. , Bentham S. , Clarke J. G. A. , Mills P.
Published: May 2007

. This paper is concerned with the selection, evaluation and subsequent implementation of shared logic word processing equipment in an R & D environment. The authors formed a multidisciplinary team in order to carry out the project from the stages of problem definition to final evaluation in all its aspects of the chosen equipment.
Managerial problems of university‐industry interaction
Authors: Pelc Karol I.
Published: May 2007

In post‐war Poland, universities and higher schools of technology have had to take over not only the role of centres of intellectual activity, but also of animators of technological and economic life. Universities employ more than 60|X% of the total scientific staff of the country, so that the issue of university‐industry cooperation is of major importance to them. Despite obstacles caused by the different needs of the two partners, there are many motives for both sides to cooperate, and the various forms the contract can take in practice are described. Design of the coupling is analysed in terms of a two‐cycle model of technology transfer, and ways of strengthening the coupling between the two are elaborated. The extent of the university's involvement in research with industrial application is described. Specific measures need to be taken by university boards of management to ensure that this kind of work does not lead to undesirable limitation of scientific freedom in the choice of objects of research, and that the research profile is compatible with the educational programme of the university.
Weighted individual perceptions and the productivity and innovativeness of research groups
Authors: Manners G. E. , Stahl M. J.
Published: May 2007

The output of Research and Development (R & D) work groups was characterized along the two dimensions of productivity and innovativeness. Differential weightings of individual perceptions were used to arrive at a group score of those perceptions. Perceived leader behavior and work group differentiation were related to both output measures.
Creativity and organization in pharmaceuticals R & D
Authors: Osbaldeston M. D. , Cox J. S. G. , Loveday D. E. E.
Published: May 2007

This paper reviews the results of a study carried out in conjunction with the Chemical and Allied Products Industry Training Board to link internal environmental factors of an organization to measures of creativity in R & D in the pharmaceutical industry. The methods adopted have been described and the preliminary results of the pilot study carried out in one organization in order to develop, refine and test methodology. It is hoped in the future that the techniques developed will be extended to provide comparisons in other organizations in the pharmaceutical industry in order to draw firm conclusions. The paper also sets the study in the context of a brief historical review of other studies in this field. It is concluded that the investigation has evolved a methodology capable of identifying and measuring some facilitatory and inhibitory influences on creativity in an R & D environment, allowing comparisons to be drawn between environmental influences in different parts of the same organization.
Organizational climate factors and the evaluation of technical ideas
Authors: Manners G. E. , Barth R. T.
Published: May 2007

Based on data obtained from 359 idea evaluators, canonical correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between several organizational factors and a set of criteria used in the evaluation of technical ideas. In contrast to other studies, it was found that organizational factors—assessed in terms of organizational climate—could be explained in terms of two dimensions: organizational clarity and risk. Technical evaluation criteria could be explained in terms of professional self‐gratification and organizational responsibility. In light of the multivariate relationship among the two sets of factors, a number of organizational design implications are outlined.
Academic interdisciplinary research: problems and practice1
Authors: Birnbaum P. H.
Published: May 2007

Evaluation of the research management literature identified key issues relevant for managing academic interdisciplinary research projects. Based on these issues, a nationwide survey of American academic interdisciplinary research projects was made to determine the extent and form of these literature issues in practice. Similarities and differences between literature claims and research findings are presented, together with comparisons between academic interdisciplinary research and other forms of group research.
Problem–solving and idea‐generation in R&D: the role of informal communication
Authors: Nagpaul P.S. , Pruthi S.
Published: May 2007

This paper is a part of the study on the pattern and role of communication in small R&D projects which was carried out on two ongoing projects in one of the national laboratories of C.S.I.R. Here an attempt has been made: (i) to examine the types of problems solved and ideas generated by the scientists; (ii) to investigate the role of formal and informal communication channels actually used for problem‐solving and idea‐generation and the association, if any, between the type of channel used and the type of problem solved or idea generated; and (iii) to study the role of technological gatekeepers in the processes of idea‐generation and problem‐solving.
Comparison of patterns of research effectiveness and output and their stability across six countries*
Authors: Stolte‐Heiskanen Veronica , Visart Nicole , Gainche Cinda
Published: May 2007

The focus of the study is an exploration of the stability of relationships between characteristics of research groups and various dimensions of the effectiveness of research activities across different national settings. The analysis is based on data collected by a Unesco coordinated international research team in six European countries. Data were collected by means of a survey of research groups engaged in research and experimental development activities in a variety of scientific disciplines, primarily in the natural and technological sciences. The total sample consists of 1,222 research groups. From a wide variety of data a set of indices describing the age, patterns of communication, management, diversity, morale and inter‐personal relations in the unit, etc., were selected on the basis of observed correlations to measures of effectiveness in the samples of each of the six countries. By means of a residualization procedure the indices were adjusted for the effect of the type of institution end scientific field of research groups to eliminate differences with respect to these two structural dimensions in the samples of the different countries. Stepwise regression analyses were performed separately for each country to explore the relationships of the ‘adjusted’ indices to seven different measures of effectiveness. The common pattern of relationships of certain indices to give effectiveness measures is described and discussed. The recurrent relevance of certain variables in the individual countries across a variety of effectiveness measures is analysed. On the basis of these analyses a few ‘universal’ indices are isolated such as quality of research planning, communication with users of the research results, and the research morale as perceived by unit heads and scientists. These seem to have consistent, systematic and additive relationships across countries to most of the specific dimensions of research group effectiveness. In conclusion the theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Dual ladders in research: a paradoxical organizational fix
Authors: Gunz H. P.
Published: May 2007

Summary

Dual ladders have long been advocated as valuable devices for handling career problems in technical organizations, although equally their difficulties have been emphasized. Of 33 U.K. R & D organizations included in a recent survey, 60% had dual ladders, although they were more common in some industries than others. Two main conclusions came from the survey. Firstly, R & D organizations do not form a homogeneous group for which dual ladders are either good or bad: some organizations have cultures more receptive to them than others. Secondly, using dual ladders to solve the career problems of more than a very small minority of potential beneficiaries is very likely to defeat the aims of the system. It is difficult to see a way out of this paradox while career rewards remain valued according to their scarcity.
Book Reviews
Authors: Wilkinson A. , BUTLER J. , AITKEN R. S. , AITKEN R. S. , PARKER R. C. , POWELL N. K.
Published: May 2007

Pollution Prevention Pays

Industrial Innovation‐Technology, Policy, Digusion

Technical Change and Employment

Unemployment

Industrial New Product Development‐A Manual for the 1980's

The Heart of the Enterprise
Industrial R & D and the British economic problem
Authors: Pavitt Keith
Published: May 2007

Britain's poor industrial and economic performance over at least the past fifteen years is closely related to a national pattern of R & D activities that—by comparison with our main competitors—has been insufficient in volume, heavily concentrated in sectors of relatively minor industrial significance, and inadequately coupled to the problems and possibilities of production and the market. Reversing what in the 1970s was a strongly downward trend in British R & D and other innovative activities will require, amongst other things, more professionalism and skills in British engineering and management, and deliberate long‐term strategies in industry and government to develop products, processes and markets that enable British industry to compete on the basis of quality and skills rather than low wages.
The determinants of best‐practice technology
Authors: Sahal D.
Published: May 2007

This study examines the mechanism underlying the advances in the forefront of technical knowledge. A case study of the growth in the maximum capacity of turbogenerators is presented. Two main determinants of technological change emerge in the light of available evidence. One is the accumulated experience of a practical nature. The other is the scale of the larger system for the use of technology. The role of these twin processes of learning and scaling is shown to be of a fundamental nature. In particular, they account for a remarkably simple law of an otherwise complex system of technological innovation in electric power industry: the ratio of maximum unit capacity to total installed capacity remains relatively constant over long periods of time. The study has further implications for the national technology strategy. They are discussed.
Critical comments on the gatekeeper concept in science and technology
Authors: Persson O.
Published: May 2007

The concept of the gatekeeper as a means of improving information dissemination in science and technology has been given much attention. The criticism of the two‐step flow model has been extensive in mass‐media research. In principle, this criticism should also apply to studies of gatekeepers in R & D organizations. The two‐step flow model does not tell us with whom the gatekeeper is communicating, what is being discussed, and what effect the gatekeepers have on the internal information dissemination. Using an empirical study of an R & D organization, the thesis is presented that gatekeepers can contribute to an eliteist pattern of distribution rather than to a reduction of the information gap. Finally, it is argued that studies of internal communication in R & D organizations should deal with communication relationships rather than with individuals as units of analysis.
The components of risk in new product development: Project New Prod
Authors: Cooper Robert G.
Published: May 2007

Although new product development is one of the riskiest activities of a modern corporation, relatively little account is taken of risk measurement in the R & D project selection literature. The existing consensus is that risk is measured by some combination of the total amounts at stake and the uncertainties of the situation. The paper describes a project aimed at more exactly identifying and defining the components of risk as perceived by a decision‐maker within a firm undertaking new product ventures. The project is based on data from a study of the behaviour of 103 firms and 197 ventures.

The results show broadly that managers perceive risk to be highest when the product shows least synergy with the firm's current business. In contrast, the possibility of reducing uncertainty components of risk through information‐seeking seems to be of little account in risk perception. The author concludes from this that decision‐makers are much more influenced by factors that control the amounts at stake (in general, the less the synergy the greater the resources needed to back a new product entry) than by uncertainty as to the outcome. The latter must constitute an important element of risk in reality. Its neglect may be because managers find they can deal conceptually more easily with concrete matters like the amount at stake than with the intangibles of uncertainty reduction. This may explain why many firms fail to integrate information into their new product development process.
A modelling approach to planning product innovative research
Authors: Muckersie J. B. O. , Sherlock E. , Weeks J. C.
Published: May 2007

Abstract. The generation of ideas for new products and their subsequent survival through a number of evaluation and development stages are—at least in part—random processes. To examine the implications of this for research planning and resource allocation a model has been constructed to simulate the progress of ideas through such an evaluation system using Monte Carlo methods. Use of the model on such typical product‐innovative fields as a ‘new venture’ portfolio and effect‐chemicals R & D has yielded valuable insights into variability in output of ventures suitable for commercialization, the degree of confidence which may be placed in achieving a desired objective, and its relation to costs and resource allocations at different stages of the process. The model also allows examination of sensitivities to the assumptions made in its construction and to data used as input.
Leadership styles and planning and monitoring techniques in R & D
Authors: Pearson A. W. , Davies G. B.
Published: May 2007

There is no shortage of literature on the subject of planning and control in research and development. There is less evidence that many of the more formal techniques are effectively used in practice. It can be argued that some of these techniques are very valuable aids to project managers, and to individual team members, if seen as components of leadership style, In this paper a link is made between a number of planning and control methods and the leadership model of Hersey and Blanchard. In conclusion it is argued that the potential value, and hence use, of different methods will be increased if more attention is paid to the contribution they can make to understanding and promoting individual development and project team performance.
Ten years of R & D Management‐some major themes: the role of communication in R & D
Authors: Epton S. R.
Published: May 2007

Fifteen papers on the role of interpersonal communication in R & D appearing in the first ten volumes of R & D Management are reviewed. The conclusions reached by the various contributors on three major themes are compared. The themes are: the relation of communication to performance, the effect of physical separation on communication rate, and the role of communication stars in information transfer. A clear division of opinion emerges on the extent to which managers can impose or create effective communication patterns as distinct from merely being able to stimulate those that already exist. Differences in experimental approach and the existence of methodological gaps prevent any judgment being made between the two viewpoints based only on the evidence in the papers under review.
The search for the latent information star
Authors: Fischer W. A. , Rosen B.
Published: May 2007

Abstract: R & D groups are knowledge‐intensive organizations. As such, their principal assets are the men and women with scientific and technical training who constitute these groups. The raw materials that they work on and the products that they produce are ideas or information. The patents, papers, and hardware which emanate from these groups represent the physical manifestations of these ideas. One important concern for increasing productivity in R & D laboratories, therefore, is the facilitation of information flow into, within, and out of research group (Fischer, 1980). This paper considers an approach for improving the performance of an R & D group by increasing its information acquisition and processing capabilities and reports findings from a field study undertaken to examine this approach.
Product innovation in food processing—a Swedish survey
Authors: Nyström Harry , Edvardsson Bo
Published: May 2007

Abstract: Product development strategies in 20 major Swedish food processing companies are described and evaluated both from a company and a consumer point of view. Three types of company outcomes are focused on, technological, market and commercial success. Company variables related to success are size, ownership and research intensity. Strategic variables analyzed in relation to success are technology use, R and D cooperation and marketing. Consumer outcome is studied in terms of price differences, convenience, taste, nutritional benefit and medical value. As in previous studies carried out in the same research programme in more research and technology intensive industries, cooperating with the outside research environment and combining technologies is shown to be clearly associated with success in finding and developing new products. With regard to consumer outcome, convenience and taste differences are the most common attributes of new food products, differentiating them from existing products.
The role of the process plant contracting industry in technological change
Authors: Jones E. G. , Ball D. F. , Cockerill T. A. J.
Published: May 2007

The function of process plant contractors is to design and engineer plants, supply process technology, procure plant equipment and supervise the construction and commissioning of plant for producers in various process industries such as chemicals, gas and steel. As such they play a major part in the process of capital formation and are one of the major inputs for facilitating technological change.

This paper describes recent attempts to identify the factors which determine contractor involvement and use this information as a basis for analysing the part contractors will play in developing trchnologies such as coal conversion and biotechnology.
The development from prototype construction to workshop production of an advanced underground locomotive: A case study
Authors: Dale B. G. , Winderbank J. M.
Published: May 2007

This paper reports on the problems encountered and their subsequent solution during the development and construction of an advanced locomotive from prototype to full production assembly. A fleet of these locomotives are to work in the UK National Coal Board's (NCB) Selby coalfield. In order to ensure that all the information was accurately recorded and could be applied to a reasonably precise point in the development process, visits were made to the company at intervals of about two weeks. In developing products of this nature a strongproblem solving capacity is a necessity and in the main it was found that engineering and theoretical design problems were solved quickly and once solved did not recur on subsequent units. Strong links between specialist suppliers and customers are vital, since components will often be used in unfamiliar applications and the customer may have to spend time carrying out applied development of suppliers' components. The development and production of the locomotive would have been aided by the NCB providing more accurate specifications, giving an indication of future volume requirements and being better prepared to site test the prototype after its delivery.
A study of co‐authorship and collaborative research among Indian space technologists
Authors: Sridhar M. S.
Published: May 2007

The paper sets out the methodology adapted and the sample studied, analyses the productivity of space scientists and engineers in terms of number of papers published with full as well as fractional authorship credits, discusses in detail the pattern of collaboration of space technologists in publishing papers, and lastly, identifies nonintersecting informal communication groups and ‘communication stars’ based on collaboration.
Strategies of Product and Process Innovation: A Loglinear Analysis
Authors: Calantone Roger J. , Di Benedetto C. Anthony , Meloche Martin S.
Published: May 2007

Utterback and Abernathy (1975) developed a dynamic innovation model to explain the patterns of product and process innovation and to show which types of innovation would be most strategically appropriate for firms with particular objectives. In this paper the relation‐ships between type and/or source of innovation and a number of firm‐characteristic variables are examined. Loglinear regression is employed to determine the extent of the postulated relationships in a set of actual industry data on product innovation. The loglinear model provided results which were highly consistent with predictions made on the basis of previous research into product and process innovation.
Gaining added value from centres of excellence in the UK medical equipment industry
Authors: Shaw Brian
Published: May 2007

New technologies and the transfer, exchange and pooling of existing technologies are impacting, at the strategic level. Research on joint activities has emphasised the industry sectoral differences and the need for more in‐depth analysis at these levels. This study of eleven companies' joint activities with government research institutes, university medical schools and other companies, in developing thirty‐four medical equipment innovations, details the mechanisms by which the expected added value from joint activities is realised.

The manufacturers gained added value by:

1. Appropriating user knowledge to them‐selves

2. Transferring costs to the users

3. Increasing private returns through co‐operation with the user in gaining market penetration

4. Diffusion of costs and the capturing of benefits through intermediary‐manufactureruser interactions

5. The coupling of ‘outside product champions’ to ‘inside product champions’.
Project team aging and performance: The roles of project and functional managers
Authors: Allen Thomas , Katz Ralph , Grady J. J. , Slavin Neil
Published: May 2007

The authors have explored further the effect of the tenure of an R&D group (that is, the length of time in which it has existed) on its performance. Several studies have shown that groups tend to reach a peak of productivity after a few years and decline thereafter. However, it seems that not all teams so decline and the aim of the authors' study reported in this paper was to see what could be learned from those groups that continued to be successful.

They therefore studied a sample of 181 teams comprising 2000 subjects drawn from a wide variety of R&D organizations. Their objectives were first to pick out those teams that remained effective and second, to discover the secret of their success. Group performances were assessed subjectively by senior members of each organization. Group tenures were measured by calculating the average time each individual member had spent in the group. Further information was obtained from questionnaires completed by participants.

Analysis of the results led to the surprising conclusion that there was no evidence whatever for the previously reported curvilinear relationship between performance and tenure. Nevertheless, some long‐tenured teams per‐formed much better than others and better than newly‐formed teams, for which the authors have sought an explanation.

From information deduced from the questionnaires they conclude that the crucial factor is the extent to which the functional manager (department head) as distinct from the project manager nurtures individual researchers, especially in ensuring that they keep abreast of progress in relevant areas of expertise. The role of the project manager on the other hand is to maintain connection between the team and institutional objectives.
Technology and strategic management progress and future directions
Authors: McGee John , Thomas Howard
Published: May 2007

Abstract

Strategic management researchers are showing increasing interest in the interface technology and strategic management. This paper provides a literature review focussing on theory development and empirical examination. It also indicates some of the more common strategic responses and prescriptions which have been proposed to manage technology. A set of issues for guiding future research are suggested and research designs for handling some of these research hypotheses are proposed.
Innovation and change in organizational relationships: interdisciplinary contexts
Authors: Klein Julie Thompson
Published: May 2007

From July 13–15 of 1988 individuals from nine countries gathered at the Manchester Business School for the fifth international conference of INTERSTUDY (the International Association for the Study of Interdisciplinary Research). Entitled Interdisciplinary Research and the World Marketplace, the conference was co‐sponsored by the Manchester Business School and the journal R&D MANAGEMENT. Founded in 1980, Inter‐study has endeavoured to advance the art and science of IDR (interdisciplinary problem‐focussed research) by organizing international meetings for representatives of the academy, industry, and government. Its major accomplishment has been publication of the results of those meetings in four books. These books, along with other publications in the growing field of IDR, provide a valuable collection of resources for scholars, managers, researchers, and practitioners.
Social management in professional organizations: searching for new impulses
Authors: Tuininga E. J.
Published: May 2007

The paper addresses the present interest in human resources management in Dutch professional organizations, primarily in research institutions and engineering firms. The author has used the opportunity afforded by interviews with seven personnel managers to check their experiences with the academic literature on the social policies for professionals. He also benefited from responses of the interviewed persons and five personnel managers of industrial research organizations to his draft paper. After the overview of the policies of the seven organizations, the article looks at theoretical aspects that seem to stick out as essential for a more coherent social policy for professionals.

First, it is concluded that management of human sources is not a hot issue in science and engineering discussions, but the need for it is often mentioned. Career development issues are already discussed in this and other journals, but still seem to be a key problem as there are no simple solutions available. Mid‐career issues are acknowledged and new directions for this increasingly important problem are discussed. Job assignment and motivation seem to be essential elements in career development. Management can increase the motivation by offering challenging assignments and opportunities for education and training, even at a later stage in the career of a professional. Some remarks are made about the advantages of the ‘dual ladder system’ for career development and the system of ‘assessment centres’ for career development selection of managers.

The article ends with a strong plea for more management interest in the human resources aspect of professional Organizations. A new conference on the subject would be timely.