William E. Souder

Disharmony between R&D and marketing

Abstract A variety of R & D/marketing interface problems are identified. They were found to be a major factor in the failure of new products. Some ways to promote a harmonious R & D/marketing interface are suggested.

The R&D/marketing interface: Results from an empirical study of innovation projects

Explores the effect of organizational factors which characterize the interface between marketing and R&D, with respect to the innovation process. The basic premise is that the degree of collaboration/integration between functional units, such as marketing and R&D, has a profound influence on the success/failure outcome of innovation projects in industrial settings. Several important variables which influence the quality of the R&D/marketing interface are defined. These variables are related in an overall model which identifies several actions managers can take to improve the quality of the interface.

Towards a scale for measuring technology in new product innovations

Abstract There are many uses for an operational scale that measures technologies. This paper describes the development of such a scale. It is an important potential tool for project selection, investment choice decision making, organizing new product developments and managing innovation processes.

Technology, innovation and performance in corporate mergers: A managerial evaluation

Abstract This study focused on the managerial perceptions of the success of corporate mergers and acquisitions as a means of acquiring new technologies. Based on the data from 31 acquisitions, it was found that the professed motives were rarely achieved. We found that a proactive and aggressive R & D posture in the postacquisition period was positively related with performance. Improved post-acquisition performance was related with competitive environment, which necessitated incremental changes in improvements of products and production processes. Sharing of corporate technology with the acquired division improved the divisions performance. Marketing help from the corporation also improved divisions performance. Finally, organizational integration without an excessive increase of formalization was found to be key to enhance the performance of the acquired division.

Industrial innovations: A demographical analysis

Presents a demographic analysis of industrial innovation projects by examining their characteristics and consequences. A total of 23 factors were found to be associated with the success and failure of industrial projects, in addition to a total of 14 factors which were specifically associated with the R&D-marketing interface. The results provide an in-depth picture of the important factors which can influence the commercial success of industrial innovations.

Government influence and industrial innovation

Abstract The role of government in stimulating, controlling and nurturing the innovation process is a controversial one. Proponents of the free enterprise system, many of whom are spokes- persons for various industries, have persistently pointed out the deleterious effects of regulation and control on the innovation process. By contrast, advocates of an activist government are often able to cite the protection of the common welfare as a primary need for government intervention. A third viewpoint is often take by policy analysts, who point out the realities of life, showing how government actions have in fact influenced and continue to influence the innovation process. This article takes the position of the policy analysts, who seek to enlarge and clarify the regulatory picture by studying both the positive and negative impacts that governments have had. The questions that stimulated and guided this study are the traditional ones that guide the policy analysts, that is: • Is government a barrier to innovation? • Can government influence be used as a stimulus for the innovation process? • Are there any differences between industries—and for that matter, between firms in the same industry—in terms of the differences in government influence on them? • What types of government actions are most likely to have positive impacts on the innovation process?

Experimental test of a Q-sort procedure for prioritizing R&D projects

In this study, fifteen managers and scientists experimented with the use of a Q-sort procedure for evaluating and prioritizing thirteen research projects. Q-sorting is a psychometric method for classifying items according to the opinions of a group of persons, and for evoking group consensus on these classifications. The procedure focuses on the rather natural individual opinion/group decision making process that must take place in project selection/evaluation. In general, the participants thought that Q-sorting was too imprecise to yield final decisions. However, progress was made toward organizational consensus, and the participants felt that procedure was valuable for facilitating scientist/scientist and the scientist-manager communications within the evaluation process. It was therefore concluded that Q-sorting may be a valuable aid to the heuristic idea-exchange process that should accompany any formal project selection exercise. The results here suggest that Q-sorting may be a good procedure to facilitate the use of a mathematical project selection model.

Planning a career path from engineering to management

Abstract In order to become successful managers, engineers must learn new skills, acquire new values and re-orient their thinking. The transition from engineering to management requires time for the individual to mature, a progression of on-the-job experiences, and careful career planning. Career planning is best viewed as part of a total human resource management system of goal-setting, performance appraisals, training, and continuous career counseling. Career planning becomes most effective where a variety of jobs and pathways are provided by the organization, when the performance requirements for these jobs are made explicit, when the criteria for promotions are spelled out, and where the salary brackets are consistent with this information. Useful career planning can be carried out without this system approach, as the case study herein demonstrates. But the systems approach makes career planning much more effective, and generally assists the engineer in making a better transition to management.

Critical factors in technological innovation and their policy implications

Abstract This paper explores the critical factors which affect the innovation proccess. Some ways in which some of these factors can be influenced by appropriate policy measures are discussed. In particular, the role of the federal government in promoting innovation is discussed. The role of the government in stimulating and nurturing the innovation process is a controversial one. Proponents of the free enterprise system, many of whom are spokespersons for various industries, have persistently pointed out the deleterious effects of regulation and control on the innovation process. By contrast, advocates of an activist government role are often able to cite the protection of the common welfare as a primary need for government intervention. In truth, the “government” is a patchwork of many governments, operating through many agencies and affecting firms and individuals at several levels and leverage points. The same regulation that has deleterious effects on Industry A may be a stimulus for innovation in Industry B. Even in Industry A, the regulation may act as a force in directing efforts toward certain types of R&D programs that would not otherwise be undertaken. In this paper we examine the specific instances where innovation projects, both product or process types, were affected by government regulation. We also briefly review the critical factors which affect the innovation process and how various governments in industrialized countries have taken actions to influence these factors. Finally, we examine some general guidelines for policymaking purposes.

Some designs for policy experiments and government incentives for the R&D/innovation process

Concern over a decline in the productivity of research and development (R&D) activities in the US economy has stimulated a search for ways to correct this situation. This paper presents a model of the RD/I process and a list of candidate experiments. The model was developed on the basis of an analysis of significant variables found by other researchers, case studies, and interviews with research administrators. The experiments were deduced from this model with the aid of a logico-deductive design paradigm and a panel of experts. The model and the list provide insights into the RD/I innovation process, and a checklist of policy guidelines and administrative actions for further study.