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Integrating product and technology development Increasing competition at product, firm, and industry level makes it more and more important to be able to develop new products and - at the same time - develop the necessary new technologies for producing those new products. In this paper we shall take a look at how four firms go about integrating their product and technology development. This serves as the basis of a model for this kind of integration and a general definition of possible means for integrating product and technology development.
Keywords: Integration, New product development, Technology
The multicultural context of brand loyalty In today's global market, a brand's marketing strategy must go head-to-head, not only with regional or national brands, but also with international competitors' marketing strategies. This adds an entirely new dimension to a company's marketing strategy when it comes to identifying, attracting, and retaining a market. This paper examines the concept of brand loyalty, discusses the various issues connected with brand loyalty, discusses cross-cultural views on brand loyalty throughout the world, and illustrates the proliferation of brand loyalty across international frontiers.
Keywords: Brand loyalty, Brands, Innovation, New product development, Marketing strategy
From product innovation to solutions innovation: a new paradigm for competitive advantage Organisations have traditionally employed new product development frameworks to increase the effectiveness of their innovation programmes. These strategies have worked in the past but are increasingly being challenged by developments in the marketplace and technologies. This has led firms in some sectors to move to a new paradigm of competitiveness, namely solutions innovation. This paper examines the challenges facing the computer and electronic equipment sector and the movement to a solutions innovation paradigm.
Keywords: Product innovation, Computers, Electronics, Competitiveness, Paradigms
Management styles in industrial R&D organisations This paper aims to understand whether there are different styles of organisation and management of industrial R&D activities. Recent cases of re-organisation of R&D activities within firms suggest that: R&D activities tend to be carried out in different units of the same organisation and often in different locations, and there seem to be inter-industry differences among R&D processes. This paper attempts to explore whether and how a certain managerial/organisational style relates to the type of the R&D process (which varies from industry to industry) and to the different nature of the R&D activities. It also identifies the key characteristics of the R&D organisation and the strategic management of technology, associated with each style. The analysis is based upon an empirical study of 19 multinationals operating in various industrial sectors. A classification of the types of R&D process is adopted and the key characteristics of R&D management and organisation in each R&D type are described and discussed.
Keywords: R&D, Management styles, Technology, Innovation
Developing skills in strategic transformation This article considers strategic transformation and how organisations can learn to become better at strategically transforming themselves over time. Two case studies are considered, Marks & Spencer and Intel, and these provide two contrasting examples of how organisations can either be reactive or proactive in managing strategic transformation. The article argues that in order for strategic transformation to become an art it must become part of the unconscious competence mindset of the organisation. A number of questions/statements are developed which help managers to fine-tune their strategic transformation skills and these are interlinked and combine to form a strategic transformation framework. Thus, the article intends to be of practical use to managers.
Keywords: Strategic planning, Organizational change, Management techniques
Service innovation multi-country launch: causes of delays Little research has focussed on launch of service innovations across international markets. The determinants of timeliness (conversely, delays) in the launch of service innovations across multiple country markets has equally received little attention in the literature. This paper reports on the findings of an exploratory case-based research investigation into service innovations launched by Cypriot financial institutions across three or more foreign country markets. The analysis shows that on-time introduction of service innovations rely heavily on: service innovation synergies with existing operations; sufficiency of marketing resources; extensive use of "soft" integrating organizational mechanisms; and proficiency in the development process. External environmental elements, including market heterogeneity and extensive competition have a lesser impact on the timeliness of such multi-country introductions. Several propositions are forwarded for further investigation.
Keywords: Innovations, Cyprus, Service industries, Financial insititutions, International business
Managing and organizing innovation in the knowledge economy In the knowledge economy, where the business environment is characterised by turbulence and complexity, knowledge is the main source of creating both innovation and sustainable competitive advantage. This paper describes a conceptual model and an associated set of managerial and organising implications for the innovation-led company. The question we are trying to answer is: which management and organising characteristics are necessary to manage innovation in the knowledge economy? The paper is based on in-depth interviews of 32 CEOs and top executives in leading European organisations, 40 people known internationally for their ability to achieve and maintain a position among the top performers in their fields, and a "best practice study" of five leading international companies.
Keywords: Innovation, Vision, Process management, Knowledge workers
From direct to hybrid marketing: a new IBM go-to-market model In the 1980s, a profound change in the information technology (IT) market forced IBM to modify the organisation and management of its selling structure. There was only an internal sales channel at first and IBM had interactive relationships with individual customers. The process of change began when the number of customers increased and their average size decreased. IBM began to support its internal channel of sales representatives with an external channel of business partners for the distribution of high volume products. Having to face new problems, like business partner loyalty and the loss of market control, IBM has decided to adopt, as a general strategy, a new go-to-market model called the hybrid model. By mixing and coordinating direct activities, such as mailings, phone calls and tele-coverage, with commercial business partner actions and operations, IBM now has a new competitive advantage.
Keywords: Distribution channel, Marketing, Innovation, Information technology
Gaining competitiveness through innovation Innovation has always been at the centerpiece of competitiveness. Experimentation, exploration and a drive to maximize resources is as essential for companies as it is for nations and our whole species. Many of the lessons for how to best innovate can be drawn from nature herself. The Cambrian explosion provides a good blueprint for how innovations occur. It shows us that true innovation often occurs in sudden dynamic shifts. It is not one of continual or gradual improvements but rather "lumpy" improvements. It is these sudden competitive changing innovations that open up and close out vast areas of commerce. Unfortunately, we never know where these competitive changing innovations will occur, so it is best to be ever vigilant and explore not only main lines of inquiry but also by-products. Often, it is these by-products that turn out to be the competitive shifting innovations.
Keywords: Competitiveness, Creativity, Improvement, Innovation, Risk
The business-to-business customer in the service innovation process This paper addresses a major impediment to business-to-business service innovation. The focus is on the role played by the client in a service dominant offering, compared to product dominant offerings. Part of this concerns the concept of customer input uncertainty includng the diversity of customer demand and the customer's disposition to participate in the innovation process. The paper concludes by tracking and innovation process in a consultation between a major global consulting firm and one of its clients.
Keywords: Consultants, Customers, Innovation, Participation, Service
Explaining ethical failures of leadership When an ethical failure of leadership is exposed, we are often disposed to look for an explanation of the leader's behavior, not an analysis of the moral status of what was done. On one such explanatory account, ethical failures are essentially volitional, not cognitive. Ethically fallen leaders knew that what they were doing was morally wrong but, nevertheless, were motivated to do it anyway. My thesis is that the volitional explanation of human immorality will not be sufficient to explain ethical failures of leadership. Simply applying the volitional explanation of human immorality to leadership contexts ignores the fact that leadership brings with it peculiar cognitive challenges that can lead to ethical failure. Specifically, leadership induces and maintains a leader's belief that he is somehow excepted from the moral requirements that apply to the rest of us.
Keywords: Leadership, Ethics, Business failure
Transcendental leadership Looks at leadership from a relational perspective. This perspective focuses on the relationship that is created between a leader and a collaborator. We call this relationship a partnership, and distinguish three types of partnerships: transactional, transformational, and transcendental. The type of partnership that the leader is able to create, determines the quality of the collaborator's following behaviors, and demonstrates sets of values and behaviors that the leader shows in action. Transcendental leadership adds to the transformational one a service orientation, which solves the possible manipulative side of tranformational leaders.
Keywords: Leadership, Ethics
Leadership for strategic change Organizations in need of strategic turnaround often seek charismatic leaders to lead change efforts. With the growing popularity of democratizing workplaces, team-based approaches to strategic change are emerging. The literature on each of these change approaches is reviewed. Several research propositions are offered which suggest that strategic teams can be a better choice than charismatic leaders for turning around an organization. The authors also note the need for future research to compare the effectiveness of charismatic leaders with the effectiveness of strategic teams in planning and initiating strategic change.
Keywords: Organizational change, Strategy, Turnarounds, Organizational design, Teams,
Leadership
Testing the SMT and Belbin inventories in top management teams This article focuses on, examines and contrasts two managerial inventories: the Spectral management theory (SMT) and the Belbin team roles inventory. The SMT inventory is one of the only approaches that involves not only a management typology, but also learning roles as well as team assessment. The theory leads to eight such types of managerial style, measured through an analytical instrument designed to enable people to identify their personal orientations. Belbin's inventory is focused on team roles, prescribing nine options. Both were used to analyse members of top management teams in leading UK management buy-outs. The analysis undertaken serves to enhance self awareness in the individual as well as team and organisational effectiveness. At the team level, it highlights the antecedents of successful teams, how and why they work together in harmony or dissonance, and what other teams may learn from the exercise.
Keywords: Management development, Team building, Buy-outs
Using vision to improve organisational communication Research on communication in organisations has enabled us to develop a body of knowledge about recognising and overcoming barriers to effective communication. In contrast to the tenet in the communication literature that communication barriers require minimisation, the leadership literature provides a basis for a re-conceptualisation of the "problems" into opportunities. This article offers a theoretical synthesis of the communication and leadership literatures to extend our knowledge of improving communication in organisations.
Keywords: Corporate communications, Leadership, Vision, Internal communications
Politicking for success: the missing skill Argues that leaders with extensive backgrounds in organizational politics are more likely than technology-focused leaders to complete their information technology projects successfully. Describes how successful technological leaders in the public sector manage their projects, mainly upwards and outwards, and tailor their technical visions to the day-to-day reality of their organizations. Compares the evolution and fate of two information technology projects, one managed by a technology-oriented scientist (success) and the other by a politics-driven bureaucrat (failure). Proposes that senior decision makers can hone the political skills of their technological leaders by training them on the "soft" skills of management and helping them balance the skill sets of their teams. Suggests how to change current incentive systems in order to encourage technological leaders to politick their projects to success.
Keywords: Leadership, Public sector, Information technology, Organizational politics
Encouraging creative thinking In order to develop more innovative products, process and services, organisations must encourage their employees to think more creatively. One method of achieving this is to encourage teams to utilise creative problem-solving (CPS) techniques. There are a variety of different CPS techniques. Perhaps the most common technique utilised is that of brainstorming. This, however, does not necessarily produce novel and innovative solutions. The purpose of this article is to explore creative problem solving and to present a model that can help facilitators and team members choose an appropriate technique for their situation. The model has divided creative problem solving into three categories, namely paradigm preserving techniques, paradigm stretching techniques and paradigm breaking techniques. The article discusses these three categories and presents some examples of their use.
Keywords: Creativity, Problem solving, Teams, Paradigms
The relationship between commitment and organizational culture, subculture, leadership style and job satisfaction in organizational change and development The concept of organizational commitment has been examined extensively in organizational literature, yet the relationships between organizational culture, subculture and commitment have received little attention so far. Acknowledging the complexity and the multifaceted nature of antecedents involved in organizational commitment, it is still necessary to understand the dynamics of relationships between these variables. It was found that organizational subculture was more strongly related to commitment than was organizational culture. Satisfaction with the level of control over working environment had the highest correlation with the level of commitment. The leadership style variable, consideration, was also relatively strongly related to commitment when compared with other variables. There was a small positive association between age and commitment. However, participants' level of education, years in position and years of experience failed to show any relationship with commitment.
Keywords: Organizational change, Commitment, Organizational culture, Leadership, Management
styles, Job satisfaction
Bosses or leaders? Bruce Lloyd in discussion with Roger Trapp, author of Blunder Boss: How Britain's Bosses are Failing You. In his book the author argues that there is too often a serious mismatch between what executives say and what they do. This is particularly relevant when those at the top maintain "people are our most important asset". As a result, not only do we need to consider redefining "professionalism" but new attitudes are needed to passion and commitment, within the overall context of work providing meaning to people in their lives. These issues require greater focus on the long term, within a broader sense of social responsibility, rather than the tendency to be more and more pre-occupied with the short term.
Keywords: Leadership, Managers, Learning, Social responsibility, Short-termism
Using team - individual reward and recognition strategies to drive organizational success Discusses the value of team and individual reward strategies and how these can be used to contribute to organisational change and success. A review of team effectiveness and models of teamwork are first discussed so that team rewards are understood as important motivators to accomplishing organisational objectives. Four factors need to be considered in establishing team-based rewards: the stages of a team life cycle, reward and recognition categories, the type of teams and the culture of the team and organisation. Forty-four specific reward tools are described which can be used for individual or team incentives. Comprehensive matrices are put forward which can be used to determine which tool should be used at which stage in a team's life cycle and with which type of team. Finally, the implementation cost, evaluation of team reward systems is considered.
Keywords: Reward, Teams, Recognition, Motivation, Incentives
As always we have only skimmed the surface of relevant articles this week and only those that are particularly relevant for Asia-Pacific managers. Many other articles are available as well including those focusing on other countries and international perspectives.
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