Adquisicion de tecnologia e innovacion

Technology Acquisition and Innovation: An Integrative Approach for Organizational Success

Authors:
Rachna Kumar Ph.D* M. Krishnamoorthy Ph.D** Miguel Cardenez Ph.D***

15 Annual Production and Operations Management Society Conference

th

Submitted for:

*

Professor, United States International College of Business, Alliant International University, San Diego. ** Professor, UnitedStates International College of Business, Alliant International University, San Diego. *** President, San Diego Global University, San Diego.

Technology Acquisition and Innovation: An Integrative Approach for Organizational Success
Abstract
This paper presents an integrated organizational model where technology plays a key role. The paper is divided into three parts. The first part introducesbackground literature on the ETK concept and synchronization. ETK refers to Emotional Intelligence, Technology Awareness and Knowledge Management. Synchronization is defined as the process of linking events and actions so they occur at the same time or in a predetermined sequence. Synchronized organizations are usually successful since they are able to move all their constituent components inconcert and in harmony with each other so as to derive maximal synergy with the organization’s entirety. The second part focuses on the formulation of an integrative model for an organization’s behavior. Organizations that are successful are the ones that develop strategies, tactics, and operations by synchronizing elements of their external environment—elements such as customers, competition,community, suppliers, and other inputs--with elements of their internal environment such as: emotions, technology, knowledge, information, and finance. Technology acquisition and innovation plays a pivotal role in an organization’s successful, competitive behavior. A brief discussion on the ethics of technology use follows. The third part is devoted to several live examples that illustrate thesynchronized behavior. They include both large and small enterprises in manufacturing and service sectors: IBM, Nestles, Levis Strauss, niche airlines, automobiles, etc. The discussions also cover the impact of technology and production on the delicate environment. The practical steps needed to implement this synchronization model in any organization are then outlined in the concluding part.

Part I:Introduction

The concept of “technology” refers to any applied scientific knowledge that has a productive value to society. For example, the steam engine generated the Industrial Revolution; the silicon diode and the transistor produced the electronic and computer era; the satellite motivated the telecommunications explosion; and more recently, the mapping of human DNA is opening a new world forgenetics. But not all “technologies” have a worldwide or industry-wide impact; at the organizational level, all leading enterprises have a “certain way” of doing things that make them more competitive than others.

This paper presents an integrated organizational model where technology plays a key role. Market forces drive a business towards innovation that is key to remaining competitive.Discriminating customers expect high quality at a low price. Anyone who can deliver what the customer wants knows how to survive.

We will illustrate, through examples of several successful companies, how technology is intertwined with human emotions and knowledge, how strategies are formulated to serve the customer, how changing customer needs and tastes call for new products and processes. We willalso examine why some automobiles are more appealing to certain generations than others and what makes niche airlines thrive through the economic downturn, while the big six struggle to survive.

Recent works by Miguel A Cardenas and Jerome Finnigan (2002d) and Miguel A Cardenas and Stephen Goldstein (2003) have discussed the concepts of ETK and that of Synchronization. We will build upon...