Towards a modular toolkit for strategic technology management

Many strategic technology management methods and tools have been proposed and deployed by academics and practitioners. Each approach, with its advantages and disadvantages, provides a particular perspective for supporting understanding, analysis, decision and action. Many approaches overlap in function, the interfaces with other methods are not clear, and many variants of tools are often available with little guidance provided for their application. As a step towards the construction of a flexible toolkit for supporting strategic technology management, this paper sets out a workshop-based approach that comprises functional modules that can be combined to address a range of management challenges. Copyright © 2012 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Key principles for developing industrially relevant strategic technology management toolkits

When considering the potential uptake and utilization of technology management tools by industry, it must be recognized that companies face the difficult challenges of selecting, adopting and integrating individual tools into a toolkit that must be implemented within their current organizational processes and systems. This situation is compounded by the lack of sound advice on integrating well-founded individual tools into a robust toolkit that has the necessary degree of flexibility such that they can be tailored for application to specific problems faced by individual organizations. As an initial stepping stone to offering a toolkit with empirically proven utility, this paper provides a conceptual foundation to the development of toolkits by outlining an underlying philosophical position based on observations from multiple research and commercial collaborations with industry. This stance is underpinned by a set of operationalized principles that can offer guidance to organizations when deciding upon the appropriate form, functions and features that should be embodied by any potential tool/toolkit. For example, a key objective of any tool is to aid decision-making and a core set of powerful, flexible, scaleable and modular tools should be sufficient to allow users to generate, explore, shape and implement possible solutions across a wide array of strategic issues. From our philosophical stance, the preferred mode of engagement is facilitated workshops with a participatory process that enables multiple perspectives and structures the conversation through visual representations in order to manage the cognitive load in the collaborative environment. The generic form of the tools should be configurable for the given context and utilized in a lightweight manner based on the premise of 'start small and iterate fast'. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.

Technology management tools: Generalization, integration and configuration

Managers in technology-intensive businesses need to make decisions in complex and dynamic environments. Many tools, frameworks and processes have been developed to support managers in these situations, leading to a proliferation of such approaches, with little consistency in terminology or theoretical foundation, and a lack of understanding of how such tools can be linked together to tackle management challenges in an integrated way. As a step towards addressing these issues, this paper proposes the concept of an integrated 'toolkit', incorporating generalized forms of three core technology management tools that support strategic planning (roadmapping, portfolio analysis and linked analysis grids). © 2006 World Scientific Publishing Company.

Dissidents with an innovation cause? Non-institutionalized actors ’ online social knowledge sharing, solution-finding tensions and technology management innovation

Purpose
– Traditionally, most studies focus on institutionalized management-driven actors to understand technology management innovation. The purpose of this paper is to argue that there is a need for research to study the nature and role of dissident non-institutionalized actors’ (i.e. outsourced web designers and rapid application software developers). The authors propose that through online social knowledge sharing, non-institutionalized actors’ solution-finding tensions enable technology management innovation.

Design/methodology/approach
– A synthesis of the literature and an analysis of the data (21 interviews) provided insights in three areas of solution-finding tensions enabling management innovation. The authors frame the analysis on the peripherally deviant work and the nature of the ways that dissident non-institutionalized actors deviate from their clients (understood as the firm) original contracted objectives.

Findings
– The findings provide insights into the productive role of solution-finding tensions in enabling opportunities for management service innovation. Furthermore, deviant practices that leverage non-institutionalized actors’ online social knowledge to fulfill customers’ requirements are not interpreted negatively, but as a positive willingness to proactively explore alternative paths.

Research limitations/implications
– The findings demonstrate the importance of dissident non-institutionalized actors in technology management innovation. However, this work is based on a single country (USA) and additional research is needed to validate and generalize the findings in other cultural and institutional settings.

Originality/value
– This paper provides new insights into the perceptions of dissident non-institutionalized actors in the practice of IT managerial decision making. The work departs from, but also extends, the previous literature, demonstrating that peripherally deviant work in solution-finding practice creates tensions, enabling management innovation between IT providers and users.

Land management systems : status of BLM's actions to improve information technology management : report to the Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives /

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Managerial perceptions of factors influencing technology management in South Africa

A challenge for developing countries is to become part of the global economy. Their economic well being is dependent on their ability to attain the levels of technological development which could make them globally competitive. Infrastructural and educational problems pose immediate barriers which should be addressed as these countries embark on projects to enhance their technological base. The technology selected should be appropriate for the country's level of development and expertise. The implementation of that technology will place a new set of demands on managers and workers. This paper describes an investigation of perceptions of technology management in South Africa, a country which is developed in certain areas, but which remains desperately poor in other respects. South Africa's politics and history have always confronted managers with unique demands. The paper examines the perceptions of 132 South African managers regarding technology management by studying the relationship between the importance of different factors in managing new technology, and the extent to which a manager can control them. An importance-control grid framework is used to isolate individual parameters and to assess these in relation to the complexity of a manager's environment. The research highlights imbalances between importance and control, and suggests reasons therefor. Some broader implications for managers are also discussed. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tracking the trends in manufacturing technology management

Purpose – This Editorial Viewpoint explores the practical developments in manufacturing technology management (MTM) over the last 22 years and links these to some of the subject trends of previous articles in JMTM. Design/methodology/approach – Themes and relevant articles have been identified from the Emerald advanced search facility and linked with developments in hard technologies, information technology and production organisation. Findings – There are numerous examples of where trends in the real world of MTM are reflected in changes to the orientation of JMTM articles, but there are still many articles following more well-worn paths of previous academic research. Research limitations/implications – Evidence for the findings is only from a small sample of articles identified in one journal. Practical implications – Over time, practitioners can find useful connections between published research and their own emerging areas of concern. Originality/value – The paper is based on original bibliographic research, supplemented by extensive editorial and practical experience.

Dissidents with an innovation cause? Non-institutionalized actors’ online social knowledge sharing, solution-finding tensions and technology management innovation

Purpose – Traditionally, most studies focus on institutionalized management-driven actors to understand technology management innovation. The purpose of this paper is to argue that there is a need for research to study the nature and role of dissident non-institutionalized actors’ (i.e. outsourced web designers and rapid application software developers). The authors propose that through online social knowledge sharing, non-institutionalized actors’ solution-finding tensions enable technology management innovation. Design/methodology/approach – A synthesis of the literature and an analysis of the data (21 interviews) provided insights in three areas of solution-finding tensions enabling management innovation. The authors frame the analysis on the peripherally deviant work and the nature of the ways that dissident non-institutionalized actors deviate from their clients (understood as the firm) original contracted objectives. Findings – The findings provide insights into the productive role of solution-finding tensions in enabling opportunities for management service innovation. Furthermore, deviant practices that leverage non-institutionalized actors’ online social knowledge to fulfill customers’ requirements are not interpreted negatively, but as a positive willingness to proactively explore alternative paths. Research limitations/implications – The findings demonstrate the importance of dissident non-institutionalized actors in technology management innovation. However, this work is based on a single country (USA) and additional research is needed to validate and generalize the findings in other cultural and institutional settings. Originality/value – This paper provides new insights into the perceptions of dissident non-institutionalized actors in the practice of IT managerial decision making. The work departs from, but also extends, the previous literature, demonstrating that peripherally deviant work in solution-finding practice creates tensions, enabling management innovation between IT providers and users.

The role of science and technology management companies in the set-up and coordination of multi-partners scientific alliances

Mestrado em Economia e Gestão de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação

Ageing, learning, technology, and health management

The world’s population is ageing rapidly. Ageing has an impact on all aspects of human life, including social, economic, cultural, and political. Understanding ageing is therefore an important issue for the 21st century. This chapter will consider the active ageing model. This model is based on optimising opportunities for health, participation, and security in order to enhance quality of life. There is a range of exciting options developing for personal health management, for and by the ageing population, that make use of computer technology, and these should support active ageing. Their use depends however on older people learning to use computer technology effectively. The ability to use such technology will allow them to access relevant health information, advice, and support independently from wherever they live. Such support should increase rapidly in the future. This chapter is a consideration of ageing and learning, ageing and use of computer technology, and personal health management using computers.