Premium
Who's who in technology: identifying technological competence within the firm
Author(s) -
Kandel Nicholas,
Remy JeanPierre,
Stein Christian,
Durand Thomas
Publication year - 1991
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.1467-9310.1991.tb00759.x
Subject(s) - competence (human resources) , human resources , knowledge management , portfolio , competence based management , business , population , computer science , engineering management , strategic planning , engineering , marketing , management , sociology , economics , demography , strategic financial management , finance
This paper addresses the issue of assessing the technical expertise within the organization of a large firm. It presents the results of a study that examined the technical competence of the human resources of a large, high technology company. Various data about the company's technical professionals (engineers, researchers, etc.) were systematically identified and collected. A general framework for the Strategic Management of Technology is first presented to explain the importance of constructing a firm's portfolio of technologies and competence. The design and construction methodology of the “Who's Who in Technology” (WWT) is then briefly described. Several possible uses of this tool are subsequently mentioned. Analyses across the technical staff population using the WWT data base are then presented in greater detail. They show how one may understand (1) the accumulation and utilization of the firm's competence over time, (2) the distribution of expertise within the organization, (3) the level of expertise reached, (4) the age distribution of the technical professionals, (5) the nature of the work experience of the technical staff, etc. The WWT scheme appears to be a practical and enlightening way to gain insight into a firm's portfolio of technical competence, while also providing the basis for a more appropriate methodology in technical human resource planning. Some limits of the tool are finally presented and discussed.