Report R2.11 Research in Technology Management Seminar Leader: Alok K. Chakrabarti chakrabarti[at]njit.edu This seminar dealt with the following issues: * Theoretical issues in technology management * Evolution of the field * Globalization and technology management * Industry-academia interaction Research focus in technology could be at the micro, macro-corporate or macro-regional levels. One model that illustrates research in technology management at the macro-regional level is the Myers-Marquis model. This is an attempt to establish a linkage between the state of technology at a particular time with the economic and social conditions prevailing at the time. According to this model, potential demand and the current technical feasibility are compared to evolve a ‘design concept’. Further refinement of this concept is done with available information and new knowledge developed through research and innovation. The solution thus advances the state of the technology and if adopted, it has profound influence on the socio-economic situation as well. Thus, technology management has evolved as a discipline with contributions from behavioral, economic, and quantitative domains. Organizations adopted information technology in the past with the aim of integrating various divisions of the organization. Today the emphasis is shifting to the role of technology as a key enabler of value chain integration. New technology development efforts can also be looked at from the twin perspectives of newness and customer centeredness. A co-evolution of technology and the market leads to a high degree of newness and the capability to attract a large number of new users for the product. It was argued that the understanding of this process is no longer linear but iterative and the control is shifting from single ownership to collaborative systems of innovation. The emphasis is not on technology per se, but on knowledge. This process, operating in a triangle of coordination, collaboration and cooperation with trust at its center was also illustrated. In an era of increasing globalization, it is imperative that firms be competitive. One important way to achieve this is by appropriate investment in research and development. However, some firms opt to procure technology than develop it in-house. This transformation of technology as a tradable asset has only been facilitated in the modern era. ICT clusters that specialize in certain types of technology development have prospered around specific locations in various countries. Capabilities for technology identification and absorption are key strengths of the modern organization. Various arrangements exist, to enable optimal use of the products of innovation. Patents play an increasingly important role in this. Strategies for patenting differ from industry to industry. Some companies like Coca Cola have competitive strategies that rely on mechanisms other than patents, to achieve their objectives. It was pointed out that the collaboration between academia and industry becomes increasingly important in this context. However, the problem-solving knowledge that the industry craves for, is not easily available in academia. There exists a gap between this demand and the work done in universities today. This is due to the mismatch in a number of factors. These factors could be structural (as in the difference of organizational structures), cognitive (as in the difference regarding perceptions of time) or related to content (as in the difference of languages employed by both). The Pasteur quadrant proposed by Donald E. Stokes offers a model for understanding this dichotomy. It categorizes research efforts as seeking either fundamental understanding (pure basic) or catering to considerations of use (pure applied). The former is exemplified by the work of Neils Bohr and the latter by that of Thomas Alva Edison. However some researchers like Louis Pasteur have succeeded in achieving high degrees of both. It was explained that the knowledge generated through research is transferred in a number of ways. Tacit knowledge can only be transferred through personal modes. This is achieved through the efforts of university graduates, consulting faculty, trainers, etc. Explicit knowledge is transferred through personal modes like conferences and also through impersonal modes such as published papers, patents, reports, etc. Various modes of academia–industry interaction are implemented in different countries. Many institutions accommodate programs sponsored by the industry. In certain others, the industry is encouraged to be an observer of the work without the power to influence its direction. In countries like Finland, organizations such as Tekes act as nodal points in funding and promoting research in academia, accommodating concerns of the industry. Reported by Jacob D. Vakkayil. Copyleft Xavier Institute of Management, Xavier Square, Bhubaneswar 751013, India Research World (ISSN 0974-2379) http://www1.ximb.ac.in/RW.nsf/pages/Home |
