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The article provides various announcement related to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Inc. Management Society, provides an overview on various issues published within the issue. Starting January 2008, the society will change its name into IEEE Technology Management Council. Names of the recipient for the 2006, volume 53 best paper award are presented. The issue of the journal presents various reports including one by D. Libaers on the role and contribution of foreign-born scientist in the U.S.

Organizational leaders routinely note the critical importance of human capital in enabling successful innovation outcomes. However, strategic human resource management (SHRM) practices, especially in large firms, often are not aligned with practices that facilitate breakthrough innovation (BI), where uncertainty, ambiguity, and risk of failure are high. In this paper, drawing from the motivation–opportunity–ability (MOA) framework, we identify and delineate SHRM practices that are likely to affect BI outcomes in firms. These include career risk mitigation, extrinsic rewards (motivation), idea generation facilitation (opportunity), innovation talent development, and managerial ambidexterity development (ability). We theorize that while these SHRM practices may directly affect BI outcomes, these effects are likely to be modulated by the broader organizational context, specifically, the degree of organizational conservatism. We test our hypotheses using survey data collected from 79 U.S.-based multinational firms and find that first, the impacts of career risk, extrinsic rewards, and innovation talent development on BI outcomes vary with the firm's degree of conservatism. Second, developing ambidextrous talent among middle managers positively influences BI outcomes, irrespective of the firm's level of conservatism. Overall, our study provides a basic framework to understand how SHRM practices can be leveraged to influence innovation under varying degrees of conservatism in organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly, stakeholders are asking or requiring organizations to be more environmentally responsible with respect to their products and processes; reasons include regulatory requirements, product stewardship, public image, and potential competitive advantages. This paper presents an exploratory study of the relationships between specific environmentally sustainable manufacturing practices, and specific competitive outcomes in an environmentally important but under-researched industry, the U.S. commercial carpet industry. In general, empirical research on the impact of environmental practices on organizational outcomes is inconclusive, partly due to limitations of earlier studies. This paper addresses some of these limitations, and surveys the entire U.S. commercial carpet industry; respondents represent 84% of the market. Findings suggest that environmentally sustainable manufacturing practices may be positively associated with competitive outcomes. In particular, different types of environmentally sustainable manufacturing practices (e.g., pollution prevention, product stewardship) are associated with different competitive outcomes (e.g., manufacturing cost, product quality). These specific findings can be helpful to engineering and operations managers as they respond to environmental and competitive demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign-born scientists and researchers have long been a fixture in the U.S. R&D system. This paper examines a key indicator of scientific performance—individual research productivity. In a large sample of public sector researchers in nanoscience and technology, it was found that foreign-born scientists are consistently more productive than their native-born counterparts across different organizational settings and within a federal laboratory environment. The results furthermore show that male foreign-born researchers are more productive than their female peers in an unusually multidisciplinary research environment, except in the federal laboratory system. Both policy and management implications of these findings will be discussed. An open-versus closed-door immigration policy debate has historically resulted in policies that favor an open-door immigration policy for foreign-born researchers, but lately, and particularly since September 2001, the policy pendulum has started to swing in the other direction. I argue that a reasonable and sound immigration and science policy would balance the benefits of having a strong contingent of foreign-born researchers with the interests of current and future native-born researchers. Research-intensive organizations would serve their interests well by initiating or sustaining diversity and equal opportunity employment practices, which are likely to have a positive impact on research productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Each year, billions of dollars are spent by U.S. manufacturers to acquire hard and soft manufacturing technologies. Hard technologies are bundle of equipment, computer hardware and software such as computer numerical control, computer-aided manufacturing, robots, etc. In contrast, soft technologies are manufacturing techniques and know-how such as just-in-time, total quality management, statistical quality control, etc.--hardware is not essential to their successful use but can enhance their scope and effectiveness. This large empirical study of 1042 U.S. manufacturing plants develops a model to study the impact of manufacturing technology use on various performance measures; this study provides first evidence from the field that soft manufacturing technologies have many times the measurable effects of hard technologies on product, process, and business performance. Further, the effects of technology use are enhanced by the skilled use of technology. Implications for research and public policy are addressed. This paper has found that, in the opinion of top management in manufacturing firms, soft technologies have an impact on 1) shop floor performance; 2) product line breadth; and 3) growth and profitability. These finding should make the investment in soft technologies easier to justify. If top management controls the purse, and if it sees a link between investment in soft technology and tangible benefits in these three areas, getting top management to invest in soft technology should be easier. Before deciding on requests for investments in soft technologies, we hope top managers would seriously consider the findings of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The globalization of complex engineering services has resulted in physically dispersed teams that can no longer rely on the traditional and familiar oral transmission of engineering expertise nor can they assume knowledge of their team members’ culture. Yet, such teams need to be able coordinate effectively the dispersed knowledge of team members. We know little about how cultural differences among engineering team members impact the coordination of dispersed knowledge, so called transactive memory systems (TMSs)—or “who knows what” and “who knows who knows what.” In this paper, we present a longitudinal case study of a dispersed, cross-cultural team involving U.S. and Romanian engineers. The cultural differences in values, practices, and institutions had a major impact on TMS indicators of specialization, coordination, and credibility. The paper demonstrates how the cultural differences impeded TMS development. The results provide insight into TMS as an implicit coordination mechanism in a global team. We provide advice in terms of interventions that can promote the development of TMS in a culturally diverse team. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Many U.S. government agencies and their contractors have subscribed to using the prescriptive metric of technology readiness level (TRL) as a measure of maturity of an individual technology, with a view toward operational use in a system context. A comprehensive set of concerns becomes relevant when this metric is abstracted from an individual technology to a system context, which may involve interplay among multiple technologies that are integrated through a system development life cycle. This paper proposes a system-focused approach for managing system development and making effective and efficient decisions during this life cycle. A system readiness level (SRL) index that incorporates both the current TRL scale and the concept of an integration readiness level is presented with methods for determining current and future readiness of a system. Using techniques in evolutionary algorithms, the SRL index is optimized based on resource allocation to provide a decision support approach that enhances managerial capabilities in the system's development life cycle. The optimization model for the SRL is then executed with a case example and resource constraints of 75%, 60%, 45%, 30%, and 15% to demonstrate how it can be used to make strategic planning decisions in the system's development life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The market uncertainties in the generation business in the U.S. electric power industry have increased the significance of two factors in generation planning: financial risks and managerial flexibilities. At the same time, numerous utilities have multiple generation planning: projects that are interrelated with respect to their market values. For such utilities, in order to quantitatively address these two factors, in this paper, we develop and analyze a real options model for general n interrelated projects. Specifically, first, we derive a unique lattice process that approximates interrelated continuous processes for the evolution of values of projects and options (e.g., selling a constructed project). The steps of the approximation for n projects are presented progressively starting from two projects. Next, based on the lattice process, we investigate the impact of interrelation on the values of options. Then, we provide a backward dynamic programming model for optimal sequential decision making where the decisions are made over the options. Finally, managerial insights and economic implications are illustrated via numerical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates factors affecting the, post-adoption behavior of first-Her supply chain members within the U.S. automotive industry toward a new information technology. This paper examined a specialized information technology known as the collaborative visibility network (CVN) used within the U.S. automotive industry that provides enhanced part-level visibility to Its supply chain affiliates. Using existing research on innovation diffusion, this paper examines cognitive and experiential antecedents of post-adoption behavior. A model grounded in innovation diffusion theory, social learning theory, and the technology acceptance model is proposed and tested. Field interviews followed by a mail survey were used to collect data from 515 first-tier supply chain users of CVN. A structural equation model tested the hypothesized relationships to support the proposed model. Results confirmed the majority of the hypotheses. The opportunity to experiment, training effectiveness, prior experience with a similar technology, and prior technological knowledge have an effect on perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, which ultimately affect technology performance. Implications of this study along with suggestions for future research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

U.S. hospitals are confronted with challenges of increasing service volume demand and inequitable payment by different private payers. Under this circumstance, budgeting the medical service volume efficiently and allocating the volume among private payers strategically becomes very important. Our paper proposes a hospital service volume assignment model to provide feasible solutions for hospitals. We develop our base model in the radiology department that provides comparatively homogenous medical service and involves high fixed cost. Under the fee-for-service payment schedule, the base model suggests that the hospital contracting decision with a private payer (insurance company) depends on an intuitive critical ratio. The critical ratio measures the tradeoff between the outsourcing cost generated from the actual service volume in excess of the capacity and the idling cost generated from the actual service volume below the capacity. Besides the base model, we explore two model extensions. First, we examine the criteria to budget the service volume above or below the service volume capacity. Second, we include the processing cost in the cooperation of the hospital and the insurance company. Efficient algorithms are presented for all models. Our findings provide managerial insight on hospital service volume budgeting decision by incorporating inequitable payment information. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Project management decisions are mostly made based on money. Now, a business's worth and profit are taken into consideration when making technical decisions. Over 80% of the United States GDP is derived from projects that emphasize money as being an essential component involved in the process. On the other hand, all other aspects of a project are becoming more complex, such as equipment installation, the design and manufacturing process, renovation, and replacement. Thus, these factors must be emphasized when making decisions, as well. The private sector and federal institutions view projects as being the newest avenue for creating profits and keeping the economy afloat. As a result, project management should be considered to be an essential component, because it can recognize citizen-paid taxes and can avoid wasting resources. This study will begin with a discussion of how vital economics can be to the project management and the project environment. Second, this study will address the various kinds of useful economic decisions and decision-making methods. Finally, it will send the importance of decision-making methods in projects, which is particularly true for engineering and technicalt projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the question of how projects are organized and how these management structures impact project success. Despite its widely accepted managerial importance, empirical studies could not provide significant evidence of a relationship between implemented management structures and project success. A major problem in finding meaningful empirical evidence is the conceptualization of the structure measure, which is derived from a typologist's perspective. In this study, we follow the taxonomists' perspective and empirically develop an alternative taxonomy of project management structures. We empirically compare both approaches, by using two different samples, collected in the United States and Germany, including together over 600 projects. Our empirical findings show that the validity of the widely accepted project organization typology is in question. The use of cluster analyses reveals an alternative taxonomy that encompasses five structural types, differentiated by the entities managing them: project coordinator, supervised project coordinator, autonomous project manager, supervised project manager, and autonomous functional project manager. The results strongly support the widely accepted proposition of a relationship between project organization and project success. The emerging taxonomy of project organization configurations enriches the theoretical and conceptual discussions of organizing projects and unravels the multiple aspects involved in organizing the execution of projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. legislation at both the federal and state levels mandates certain organizations to inform customers about information uses and disclosures. Such disclosures are typically accomplished through privacy policies, both online and offline. Unfortunately, the policies are not easy to comprehend, and, as a result, online consumers frequently do not read the policies provided at healthcare Web sites. Because these policies are often required by law, they should be clear so that consumers are likely to read them and to ensure that consumers can comprehend these policies. This, in turn, may increase consumer trust and encourage consumers to feel more comfortable when interacting with online organizations. In this paper, we present results of an empirical study, involving 993 Internet users, which compared various ways to present privacy policy information to online consumers. Our findings suggest that users perceive typical, paragraph-form policies to be more secure than other forms of policy representation, yet user comprehension of such paragraph-form policies is poor as compared to other policy representations. The results of this study can help managers create more trustworthy policies, aid compliance officers in detecting deceptive organizations, and serve legislative bodies by providing tangible evidence as to the ineffectiveness of current privacy policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines strategic capabilities as drivers of the development and launch of radical innovations. We construct a theoretical framework relating five strategic capabilities (mar- keting, market linking, technology, information technology, and management-related capabilities) to radical innovation. From this framework, we derive hypotheses concerning a division's propensity to engage in radical innovation. Using empirical data derived from a research study of 376 firms in the United States, Japan, and China, we apply analysis of variance and negative binomial distribution (NBD) regression techniques to test our hypotheses. We find evidence that, overall, technology and information technology capabilities are significantly and positively related to radical product innovation. We also find some significant differences among the three country samples concerning drivers of radical innovation. Marketing capability is more significantly and positively related to radical innovation in the United States than in Japan; and, in China, the only capability that is significantly and positively related to radical innovation is technology. All of the findings completely or partially support our research hypotheses. We conclude with a discussion of the managerial implications of our findings, and directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given their complexity and tight coupling, one of the most serious challenges high-reliability organizations (HROs) face is how to innovate, learn, and adapt without upsetting the internal processes that lead to their reliability. This paper describes the success of the United States Navy in using a "platform strategy" to facilitate modular innovation in its attack submarine program while maintaining high reliability. We compare the United States' submarine development program against that of the Soviets, who innovated by building a number of different types of nuclear attack submarines to test their new design concepts and thereby aggressively push both manufacturing and performance limits. We illustrate that, by adopting a platform strategy, the U.S. development program was able to sustain reliability by controlling factors that derived from four classes of concern: 1) operational; 2) manufacturing and design; 3) resource limitations, and 4) cultural constraints. The use of a platform strategy assists in maximizing systemwide organizational learning, which helps enrich a culture of reliability. However, at the same time, a platform strategy can hinder revolutionary and architectural innovation and reduce op- erational flexibility. Finally, we consider whether an HRO's innovation strategy is partially shaped by its decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Companies across industries have admired the success of Dell Computersin using modularity as part of a mass customization strategy to achieve build-to-order and a streamlined supply chain. Many companies are attempting to emulate this successful model, including the American automotive industry. This paper focuses on how the auto industry has been attempting to move to modularity, in part, motivated by a desire to build cars to order. This movement has led to major changes in supply chain practices based partly on imitation of successful keiretsu models in Japan and a move toward modules. This study finds significant impact of modularity on outsourcing, product development, and supply chain coordination based on interviews conducted with automakers and suppliers from 2009-2003. Based on our interviews, we observe that modularity has accompanied a major reorganization of the automotive supplier industry. We identify two major issues that appear to block U.S. automakers from gaining most of the advantages possible through modularity. First, most modularity activities appear to be primarily strategically cost reduction driven, leaving the potential of modularity for mass customization largely untapped. Second, the shift in industry reorganization has not been accompanied by changes in the supply chain infrastructure to encourage long-term partnerships. We contrast this to the more gradual approach used by Toyota as it incorporates modularity on a selective basis and moves to a build-to-order model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation is seen today as an indispensable practice if an organization wishes to achieve competitive advantage and sustainable success in the marketplace. The development of new products and services and new technologies that enable those products and services seem to be the crown jewel of innovation. The management of these technologies, more specifically the process through which technologies are transferred, has been the focus of scholarly debates and studies for several decades. Currently, there are no quantitative, comprehensive, and easily applicable models in the literature that researchers and practitioners can use to assess organizations’ technology transfer capabilities. This article has sought to delineate important factors and perspectives applicable to technology transfer, and to use those in order to assess an organization's capabilities, through the application of a hierarchical decision modeling model to create a technology transfer score. The research model is applied to a utility company in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, and the results provide insights on how to measure and interpret technology transfer capabilities as well as a starting point for technology managers to improve those capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined 79 Japanese MNCs' R&D subsidiaries in the US from the knowledge-based view. We found: 1) subsidiaries' R&D strategies encouraged some types of knowledge flows, but discouraged other types; 2) autonomous R&D subsidiaries promoted knowledge flows from local environments to the subsidiary; 3) process-oriented incentives promoted technical knowledge flows between a subsidiary and its headquarters; 4) knowledge flows and R&D strategies contributed to a subsidiary's knowledge accumulation; 5) organizational factors such as autonomy and process-oriented incentives contributed more to a subsidiary's overall performance than the subsidiary's R&D strategies did. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with a case study on the implementation of a computer-based manufacturing process planning system in an automotive assembly plant in the United States. Use of equity implementation model; Factors affecting employee reactions to the change; Significance of the model in assessing the job-related impacts of a system or technology implementation.

Presents a study that examined the technological capabilities of Korea and Taiwan using United States patent statistics for the period 1969-1992. Information on the economic success of the newly industrialized countries (NIC); Aggregate view of Korean and Taiwanese technological activities; Evidence for the technological development paths pursued by Korea and Taiwan.

Presents a study which estimated the impact of just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing practices as it has been adopted in the United States manufacturing plants. Details on the practices that constitute JIT manufacturing; Methodology of the study; Discussion of model specifications and hypotheses; Conclusions.

Blockchain technology is a secure and distributed information accounting, storage, and retrieval modality which has the ability to disrupt and revolutionize business practices. One such disruption resides in the capability of Blockchain to serve as a secure method for storing and sharing electronic medical records in new and innovative ways. Current medical record storage and transmission methods are proprietary and have interoperability and security problems. To that end, secure, effective, and interoperable electronic records options are highly prized. This article uses a grounded theory approach to qualitative analysis of electronic medical records users in the United States to develop a perspective from industry and scholarly practice on the suitability of Blockchain technologies for electronic medical records, security, and storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have debated the relative importance of technology push and demand pull policies in the adoption of environmental technologies. Here, we examine how internationally distributed technology push and demand pull policies interact to support the diffusion of a renewable energy technology. We analyze 40 years (1974–2013) of solar photovoltaic policies in three countries: USA, Germany, and China. We identify four phases of international policy interactions: in Phase 1 (1974–1990), the USA launched technology push policies; in Phase 2 (1991–2003), Germany pioneered demand pull policies; in Phase 3 (2004–2008), China responded to international market incentive programs with a scaling up of manufacturing; and in Phase 4 (2008–2013), Germany reduced whereas China increased demand policies. Our contributions are threefold: First, we demonstrate the importance of “manufacturing push” alongside the standard technology push and demand pull factors; second, we show how global adoption was spurred by the complementarity of policy efforts across national boundaries, while considering the tradeoffs in climate change policy between increasing global environmental welfare and improving national economic development; third, we demonstrate three generic patterns of cross-national policy complementarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technologies and procedures for effectively securing the enterprise in cyberspace exist, but are largely underdeployed. Reasons for this shortcoming include the neglect of the role of stakeholder perceptions in organizational reward systems, and misaligned incentives for effective allocation of resources. We present a methodology for practitioners to employ, with examples for identification of perverse incentives—situations where the interests of a manager or employee are not aligned with those of the organization—and for estimation of the damage caused by incentive misalignment. We present our revision to the risk perception model developed by Fischhoff and Slovic. We also present the results of our findings from our interviews of 42 information security executives across the U.S. about the role of risk perception and incentives in information security decisions. We discuss how to identify and to correct misalignments, to develop efficient incentive structures, and to include perceptual principles and security governance in making information security a property of the organizational environment. This research contributes to the practice and theory of information security, and has several implications for practitioners and researchers in the alignment of incentives and symmetrization of information across organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study analyzes how the time allocation decisions of tenured and tenure-track academic scientists in U.S. research universities affect the odds of being engaged in the creation, transfer, and commercialization of novel technologies with one or more industrial partners. Academic scientists are making time allocation decisions across three types of activities typically associated with the academic profession: teaching, research, and service. In a representative sample of 1543 scientists, the empirical results show that those scientists spending more time on research funded by federal grants and industrial contracts have higher propensity of being engaged in technology commercialization efforts than those who spent less time on this type of research. In contrast, scientists spending more time on research that is not funded by grants or industry contracts have significantly lower chances of being involved in technology commercialization. Surprisingly, spending more time on either teaching undergraduate or graduate students does not affect scientists’ chances for technology commercialization. Scientists doing more paid consulting also have a higher likelihood of being involved in technology commercialization. Finally, we found complementary and substituting effects between certain types of research and time spent on teaching undergraduate students and their impact on being involved in technology commercialization. We discuss the implications for policy and academic entrepreneurship. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite the increasing use of electronically mediated communication when team members are not collocated, research continues to underline the importance of face-to-face (F2F) communication for the successful accomplishment of complex team tasks. Although a crucial aspect of F2F communication is the physical proximity of participants, studies that have explored the relationship between the design of the physical workplace and F2F communication have produced conflicting findings. The results of this field study conducted at two R&D sites of a large Midwestern U.S. pharmaceutical company suggest that the typical space planning solution of simply moving people from closed offices to open cubicles does not, in and of itself, increase F2F communication. We found that the visibility of the work environment and the amount of collaboration opportunity, defined as formal and informal space available for meetings and collaboration, are related to F2F communication. The implications of our findings for theory, future research, and management practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Predicting commercialization progress (CP) for early-stage technologies is critical for funding agencies and private equity investors. This study employed an ex-ante analysis of expert assessments on the future potential of early-stage technologies by a U.S. Department of Defense funded Technology transfer agency. We examined expert assessments of 271 technologies that were considered for funding. We then evaluated subsequent CP of these technologies. Our results indicated that evaluations of technical merit were significantly and positively related to obtaining follow-on grants, license agreements, and partnership alliances, while evaluation of commercial potential was related to obtaining subsequent private equity investment. Evaluation of management team expertise was positively related to future revenue generation, but negatively related to future equity investment, partnership alliances, and license agreements. Meeting established milestones was also related to future commercial success. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We argue that the decision of inventors to build upon a pioneering technology is a function not just of technical merit but also of social forces. The identification of technological predecessors in the patenting process (i.e., prior art) goes beyond merely delineating legal boundaries of a technological claim; the act, we posit, also provides a roadmap for potential inventors to follow. Thus, in technologies where such a roadmap does not exist (i.e., “new to the world” technologies), innovative impact is stifled as compared to technologies where such roadmaps are preserved (i.e., “new to the firm” technologies). To build our story, we distinguish between two types of radical technologies—globally radical technologies (GRTs) and locally radical technologies (LRTs)—and juxtapose them in an exploration of the technology's cumulative impact of entrepreneurial firm invention. Results from a negative binomial regression analysis of inventions in the U.S.-based biotechnology industry show that LRTs are far more likely to be cited in the long run than GRTs, as hypothesized. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

University research parks constitute a potentially important mechanism for university technology transfer and regional economic development. Unfortunately, there is little theoretical or empirical evidence on the firm-level choice decision to locate on such a facility. We fill this gap by outlining and testing a theoretical model of this selection process. Our empirical results suggest that U.S. firms locating on university research parks are more research active and more diversified than the typical public firm reporting R&D activity. We discuss the managerial implications of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grounded in the technology acceptance model (TAM), this study examines the influence of technology trust and interorganizational trust on postadoption utilization. This study extends the innovation diffusion literature by drawing upon past diffusion research and considering trust-based determinants in facilitating technology usage. Field interviews were conducted to develop an understanding of the user population and the unique challenges the individuals experienced while working with the new system. The results of the interviews enabled the author to identify which variables to investigate further through the use of a survey data collection protocol. In the present study, 273 first-tier supply chain members of the second-largest U.S. automotive service-parts logistics operation, who were recently introduced to a new supply chain management technology, were surveyed. Using a structural equation model, nine hypotheses were tested. As hypothesized, an individual's technology trust and interorganizational trust have an effect on perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, which further influence postadoption technology utilization behavior. The results suggest that even in supply chains where usage is mandated, the presence of technology and interorganizational trust can increase individual utilization of new technologies. Implications of this study along with suggestions for future research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a long and productive U.S. history, industry-university (I-U) relations have become increasingly testy around intellectual property (IP). The Bayh-Dole Act is cited the driver for sharply increased university patenting, less fundamental research focus, and disinterest in traditional missions, although there is little data to corroborate these conclusions. A National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored workshop points to I-U relationship issues in the context of the path a new technology must follow from lab to market. We propose some critical variables affecting I-U IP relationships; describe areas of agreement and contention between the parties, drawing also on secondary data and the broader literature of I-U relations; and offer IP policy observations of interest to universities, researchers and technology transfer managers, their industry counterparts, and government. We end with propositions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the knowledge-based view of the firm as our theoretical underpinning, we study partnerships between industrial firms and university research centers (URCs) in order to identify facilitators of knowledge transfer, particularly focusing on how firms learn from URCs. Data for this study were obtained from senior-level executives from a random sample of one hundred and seventy-three firms located in the northeastern US. Results indicate that social connectedness, trust, URC technology transfer-intellectual property policies, technological relatedness and technological capability are significant facilitators of knowledge transfer. We also found that the type of knowledge transferred, i.e., explicit versus tacit, moderated these relationships. We conclude with implications for future research and R&D policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to determine if the environmental management standard ISO 14001 helps organizations reduce the negative impact their business activities may have on the environment, and as a result, also improves their business performance. Forty organizations participated in the study and described how they implement ISO 14001 requirements. They also reported how the standard impacts on their environmental and business performance. The results show that if ISO 14001 requirements become part of the organization's daily practices, then standardization of the organization's handling of environmental issues follows—leading, consequently, to better organizational environmental performance. In addition, standardization augments its effect on organizational environmental performance through its positive impact on employee discretion. Allowing employees discretion further improves environmental performance. We saw that discretion partially mediates the effect of standardization on environmental performance. Analysis of survey and financial data did not reveal any support for the hypothesis that achieving improvement in environmental performance as result of ISO 14001 implementation leads to better business performance; on the other hand, we saw that business performance was not harmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gap in understanding between the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the top management team (TMT) has often been cited as a cause of a troubled CIO/TMT relationship. Recent research has proposed the development of a shared understanding about the role of information systems (IS) in the organization as a key endeavor in bridging the ‘gap in understanding’ between CIOs and TMT members. The authors propose a variety of knowledge exchange mechanisms, as well as relational similarity as key mechanisms for the development of this shared understanding. This study examines the cross-cultural efficacy of such mechanisms. Specifically, the study compares the development of this shared understanding between CIOs and the TMT in U.S. and French organizations. The research model is empirically tested using structural equation modeling via a field survey with two data samples: 1) 163 U.S. CIOs and 2) 44 French CIOs. The results show both similarities and differences in these mechanisms. Specifically, in both samples, CIO educational mechanisms impact the development of a shared understanding. However, while in the French sample social systems of knowing are key mechanisms, in the U.S. sample structural systems of knowing and relational similarity are key mechanisms of achieving a shared understanding between the CIO and TMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. Shipbuilding Industry, while producing the finest ships for combat, are generally not competitive when it comes to commercial ships. However, when questioned many U.S. Shipyards seemed to believe that their status quo was good enough to compete in the present and future. They did not seem to know that they needed to change in order to compete for commercial business. What was needed was a method which could assess their ability to change. Then, if they were in that group that was not open to change, they would know it. What was developed to address that need was a computer-based questionnaire which results in an assessment of the organization's ability to change. The perceptions of the participants are captured through analysis of their answers gathered through individual input to a personal computer. The measurements are then used as the basis of a dialogue with the participants which leads to a valid self-assessment. The results are generally presented in a single plot referred to as the organization "radar plot." In the beta tests, the visual plot was successfully used to develop an informative self-assessment of the organizations strengths and weaknesses. The ability to develop meaningful dialogue about a company's ability to change is the strength of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study that investigated the factors that affect accuracy in reporting the status of a software project. Background on problems in managing software development projects in the U.S.; Development and application of a model that accounts for project manager errors and reporting bias; Results and implications.

Presents a study that examined strategies for corporate governance in engineering corporations in the U.S. Discussion on the influence of corporate governance on the long-term strategy of a firm; Analysis of changes in corporate governance in the U.S.; Results and implications.

Provides information on a study which examined just-in-time purchasing (JITP) technique as a component of supply chain management as it relates to performance of firms in the U.S. Processes of inventory management; Evaluation of the productivity of the firm to test the effectiveness of JITP; Management commitment to JITP.

Proposes several archetypes of supplier-supplier relationships, and their implications for buyer-supplier relationships. Changes in the manufacturers of the U.S.; Overview of the buyer-supplier relationship; Implications of the supplier-supplier archetypes for management.

Presents information on a study which examined the competitive dynamics in a standard-based industry through a historical observation of the United States home video game industry. Historical analysis of the home video game market; Issues in relation to standards and innovation; Conclusion.

Presents a model of technology portfolio management for the Boeing Co. in Seattle, Washington. Background on technology portfolio management; Process of selecting investment management programs.

Presents information on a study which examined the role of buyer and supplier relationships in the adoption of electronic data interchange by the automobile industry in the United States. Background on buyer-supplier relations; Methodology; Results of the study.

Presents information on a study which dealt with the adoption of concurrent engineering approach that focuses on coordination and integration among engineering, production and marketing functions. How the added complexity of the product development path in semiconductor manufacturing in the United States may impede integration; Factions of engineers in a manufacturing firm; Examination of product development at semiconductor plants.

Examines the use of participative methods in semiconductor wafer fabrication and how those methods impact performance. Overview of the semiconductor industry in the United States; Details on Lawler's theory of participative management; Correlation of participative management with manufacturing quality and quantity.

Presents information on a study which examines the price elasticity of computer spending in the United States over 30 years from 1955 to 1984. Introduction on the quality-adjusted price index; Description of computer spending model and calibration; Discussion and limitations.

Presents a study which examined the institutional and organizational influences upon information exchange and governance structures within research and development consortia in the United States and Japan. Data analysis and research design; Results of the study; Conclusions.

Discusses the efforts of geologists and authorities in the United States (US) to improve earthquake risk assessment and management in earthquake-prone regions in the US. Requirements for earthquake risk assessments; Provisions under the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program enacted as Public Law 95-124 in October 1977; Principal earthquake-prone areas of the western US.

Stresses the design solutions made in a study conducted by the Dissemination Project on use of advanced meteorological information by local government operations. Approach adopted by the Dissemination Project to achieve its objective; Details on one of the severe cases of flash flooding occurred in the Big Thompson, Canyon, Colorado; Key data sources used by emergency managers for decision making.

Examines the performance of a particular category of American temporary workers who labor at the professional level. Number of managers surveyed in six high-technology settings; Questions asked to the managers; Analysis of the hypotheses for contractor performance versus employee performance.

Examines key factors which affect make-or-buy decisions in research and development R&D settings, whether technology is acquired or developed in house or from external sources. Review of related literature to contrasts external technology acquisitions with in house R&D; Information about cost, revenue and timing of product introduction; Factors affecting make-or-buy decisions; Research method used in the study; Results of the study; Conclusions.