Premium
R&D‐based strategies in the semiconductor and drug industries: rationale, organization and actions
Author(s) -
Van Der Meer Jacques B. H.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
randd management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.253
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1467-9310
pISSN - 0033-6807
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9310.1988.tb00578.x
Subject(s) - formality , diversification (marketing strategy) , business , marketing , perspective (graphical) , work (physics) , knowledge management , operations management , industrial organization , engineering , computer science , mechanical engineering , artificial intelligence , philosophy , linguistics
The author's aim was to elicit the factors that determine the success or failure of corporate innovations in the European semi‐conductor and pharmaceutical industries. To do this he divided firms into two groups, the members of one having a good innovation record (‘prospectors’) and of the other a poor one (‘would‐be innovators’). Members of both groups spent heavily on R&D. The author used as his data‐base a combination of publicly available data, interviews and questionnaires administered to staff. Among the success factors identified are the following: Concentrate innovation projects and related R&D into fairly restricted channels; minimise diversification; work to explicit but not too detailed top management guidelines for innovation activity; define clear and realistic goals; minimise red‐tape and formality and be willing to revise plans frequently; ensure a close relationship between R&D, Marketing and Manufacturing, but allow R&D to maintain a long‐range perspective; provide a stimulating, supportive and well‐supervised working environment.