The last years have seen a profusion of books and articles on managing technology, focused almost exclusively on leading edge firms in leading edge countries. This book argues that succeeding as a follower-firm requires learning from many experiences and avoiding simplistic 'how-to' approaches that prescribe one best practice. Individual chapters cover: * the role of innovation on the shop-floor* the importance of mixing process and product innovation* the challenges involved in building an innovation culture* the special role of R&D and design. These topics instruct a deeper understanding of strategy in follower-firms, simultaneously providing insight for public policy in building local technological capacity. Forbes and Wield argue that there are many 'leading edges' which appear in the most unlikely places. Their book contains major case studies from many different firms in twelve countries over five continents, in industry segments as diverse as pharmaceuticals, software, garments, beer and steel. This informative book for students, researchers and professionals in the fields of business, management and information technology shows that successful experiences can arise anywhere in the world.
Author(s): Naushad Forbes, David Wield
Edition: 1ST
Year: 2002
Language: English
Pages: 232
Book Cover......Page 1
Title......Page 4
Contents......Page 5
List of figures......Page 10
List of tables......Page 11
List of boxes......Page 13
Preface......Page 14
Acknowledgements......Page 16
Beneath the surface......Page 18
Technology in development myths and realities......Page 20
From myths to building blocks: understanding technical capability in firms......Page 26
Innovation management in follower-firms......Page 31
Conclusion: growing value-added in firms is the core objective......Page 36
Innovation success in follower-firms......Page 37
Hero Cycles: success through flexible specialization......Page 41
Grupo Vitro......Page 44
The Indian software industry: miracle in the making or a hightechnology 'sweat-shop'?......Page 49
Cemex......Page 54
Conclusions......Page 58
Changing policies for science and technology: governments and markets......Page 61
Understanding technology and industrial development......Page 63
What worked......Page 65
Comparing national policy environments: what matters for firms?......Page 73
Conclusions......Page 78
Innovation on the shop-floor......Page 80
Wages as a source of competitiveness......Page 81
Going beyond wage competitiveness: the new manufacturing as road-map......Page 84
Making innovation happen on the shop-floor what do we know? What do we not know?......Page 97
Looking beyond the firm......Page 99
Conclusions......Page 100
From process to product and proprietary......Page 102
Three 'ideal types' of firms......Page 103
What explains the differences state, culture or firm?......Page 110
Capturing innovation rents by going proprietary......Page 115
Conclusion: what does it take?......Page 125
Managing RD in technology-followers......Page 126
Why do RD in a technology-follower?......Page 143
The role and organization of RD in technology-followers......Page 147
Conclusions: organizing for effective RD in followers......Page 152
Design leadership for technology-followers......Page 154
Why do good design?......Page 155
What is good design? Moving up the value-chain with 'soft' quality......Page 159
Building design capability is hard......Page 162
Conclusions: from RD to DD......Page 169
Building a culture for innovation......Page 170
National culture and cultural stereotypes......Page 171
Moving beyond the stereotypes......Page 177
Follower-firms: organizing against the grain......Page 181
Building a firm culture for innovation......Page 183
Conclusions......Page 189
Organizing for innovation: from followers to leaders......Page 190
Building a technology strategy for innovation......Page 199
Policy implications......Page 206
Notes......Page 210
Bibliography......Page 218
Index......Page 227
