James Brian Quinn

Managing Professional Intellect: Making the Most of the Best

In the postindustrial era, the success of a corporation lies more in its intellectual and systems capabilities than in its physical assets. The capacity to manage human intellect—and to convert it into useful products and services—is fast becoming the critical executive skill of the age. As a result, there has been a flurry of interest in intellectual capital, creativity, innovation, and the learning organization, but surprisingly little attention has been given to managing professional intellect.

Technology in services: Past myths and future challenges

Abstract Common misperceptions about services are that they are low-value-added, small-scale, low-capital-intensity, and technologically unsophisticated industries. The paper offers evidence that services such as communications, finance, transportation, and health care are large, capital-intensive industries responsible for commercial application of some of the most sophisticated technologies available. The paper explores the ways in which technologies applied in services activities are changing the structure of domestic and global competition in both goods and services industries. An analysis of competitive structures—the way production and distribution are organized in different industries—suggests strongly that services and manufacturing activities are inextricably interdependent and that many of the emerging strategic opportunities and threats in world trade—and particularly in global manufacturing operations—arise from the services technologies created for the communication, transportation, distribution, and financial management (services) industries.

Core-Competency-with-Outsourcing Strategies in Innovative Companies

Vision, clear strategy, and balanced deployment of resources provide essential frameworks for high innovation, but they are not sufficient in themselves. Top managements in successful innovating enterprises go much further: they ensure their firms will win in competition. They see that their strategies embody: □ In-depth development of a few core competencies that give the company best-in-world capabilities in a few key areas critical to customers. □ More inte-llectual resources focused on these key areas than anyone else in the world. □ Maximum leveraging of the enterprise’s resources through alliances with and stli]rategic outsourcing to best-in-world outside parties.

Key policy issues posed by services

Abstract The paper addresses the central policy initiatives needed to support the effective use of technology in services industries. The focus is on (1) macroeconomic and tax policies; (2) policies for investment (public, private, or mixed investment) in services infrastructures; (3) changes in the form of economic regulation; (4) human resource development policies; and (5) recognition of the interdependence of services and manufacturing in trade negotiations. The paper integrates issues of productivity, investment, regulation, and trade in services to argue for more balanced attention to the role and importance of services industries in policy agendas.

Norway: Small Country Plans Civil Science and Technology Experience suggests how cooperative applied science programs can be linked to national goals and needs

Smaller countries—and even more advanced large countries—need to carefully plan and allocate their limited resources in civil science and technology for maximum impact in terms of national goals. Norways recently completed 2�-year attempt at more formal planning in the civil-industrial sector may suggest some useful approaches to this complex problem. It should also offer helpful insights to those interested in broad-scale, government-private planning in science and technology elsewhere.