Corporate strategy and the buying and selling of know-how

At this time, following a protracted period of recession, many companies have need to add to or change their technological base. For a company whose basic business is founded on a mature technology and unlikely to recover to its former level of activity, there is need to consider the transition process into a new area of development. For companies, on the other hand, whose businesses are inherently sound but now find themselves lagging behind technologically because of cut-backs and economies in their R&D spend during the recession, some process of catching up may be necessary. In either case, internal development is a possibility but, it is argued, unlikely to be able to act fast enough or to be of sufficient magnitude to make even catching up possible. The acquisition of know-how is an alternative course of action but one which companies can be loath to follow. These statements are supported by evidence on international comparisons of R&D expenditure, and on the national ratios of royalty payments and receipts in respect of know-how. The circumstances under which companies should consider such acquisition, and the strategic considerations guiding which know-how to purchase, are discussed.     

刘强东学习亚马逊

京东商城早就在学亚马逊,只不过现在才学得更像了。     

Technology transactions: networks over markets

There is a widespread belief in the business community that firms can rely on the market for buying and selling technological opportunities. The argument is: with so much technology development going on in the world, ‘there must be somebody somewhere who has the technology we need.’ According to this belief, acquiring new technology just boils down to finding the supplier, possibly with the help of a specialized intermediary. Several large firms have indeed developed ambitious mechanisms for acquiring the needed technological know-how as they proceed to make and market a new product. We contend that this concept of the technology transfer process is erroneous, as it conflicts with actual practice. The very high transaction costs entailed leave considerable room for opportunistic behavior and are more likely to occur when the parties do not know each other. An effective way to reduce transaction costs, therefore, is to limit technology transfers to the firm's partners, i.e. organizations with which the firm has already interacted in the past. Our research provides evidence that successful technology transfers typically take place between suppliers and buyers who had business relationships before considering a technology agreement. In addition, we report findings that companies using intermediaries (technological opportunities catalogues, databases, fairs, etc.) have been disappointed in their attempts to find new technologies from unknown sources. Because of the high risk of opportunistic behavior, it is practically impossible to assess the value of a technology without knowing who sells it. Similarly, the technology transfer capabilities of a company are difficult to appraise without prior knowledge through business interaction. To a certain extent, it may be better to buy any technology from a partner that one knows well than to buy a supposedly good technology from a firm with which one has had no experience. To put it bluntly: the identity of the partner may actually matter more than the technology being traded! Consequently, the relevant framework for technology transfer is built on a ‘network concept’ rather than the ‘market concept’. Firms wishing to acquire new technology should turn first to their network of trusted business partners, looking for available technological opportunities instead of trying to buy technology from unrelated organizations.     

Knowledge Types in Technology

Starting with the distinction of natural science, engineering science ("technology") and engineering practice ("technics"), the paper will stress the difference between technological and technical knowledge. The first part will discuss the relationship between science and technology, arguing that technology is a genuine type of knowledge rather than "applied science". In technics, however, even technological laws, as transformations of scientific laws, cover a certain part of knowledge only. The greater part of technical knowledge includes technical know-how, functional rules, structural rules, and socio-technological understanding, which is just developing in our times. The classification of knowledge types will be used for determining which kind of knowledge may seem appropriate to general technological education.     

Know-how transfer: the role of social,economic/competitive,and firm boundary factors

Using policy capture methodology, this study examines the effect of different contextual cues upon the know-how transfer efforts reported by 79 biotechnology R&D scientists. Theoretically, these different cues are believed to affect the scientists' expectation of reciprocity, and thus their know-how transfer behavior. Three types of contextual cues between the know-how source and recipient were studied: competitiveness, social relationship, and within or across firm boundaries. We find these cues are associated, in the expected directions, with know-how transfer effort. The findings support a general theory of reciprocity whereby social, competitive, and firm boundary cues have a summative effect upon the expectation of reciprocity and know-how transfer. This is the first study to examine how these cues taken together influence the know-how transfer decision. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

How much to make and how much to buy? An analysis of optimal plural sourcing strategies

While many theories of the firm seek to explain when firms make rather than buy, in practice firms often make and buy the same input—they engage in plural sourcing. We argue that explaining the mix of external procurement and internal sourcing for the same input requires a consideration of complementarities across and constraints within modes of procurement. We create analytical foundations for making empirical predictions about when plural sourcing is likely to be optimal and why the optimal mix of internal and external sourcing may vary across situations. Our framework also proves useful for assessing the possible estimation biases in transaction level make‐or‐buy studies arising from ignoring complementarities and constraints. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

“失控”的手机江湖

“小米手机还未正式发售，各种明枪暗箭扑面而来，让子弹先飞一会吧。8月29日，工陧纪念版，小米不跳票。”8月22日早上8点，雷军一大早发的这条微博引来了1300多条的评论和转发。当天下午1点多，雷军又发了另外一条微博，只有10个字：“他横任他横，明月照大江。”     

Determination of the research of computer-based technologies for urban traffic systems some experiences in project organisation and management

Research and development activities concerning urban traffic systems are the subject of a long-standing program at the German Federal Ministry of Research and Technology. A fairly recent field of investigation is the deployment of computer-based technologies in urban traffic situations. The German Federal Ministry of Research and Technology has sponsored a study to determine a comprehensive middle-term research-program for these technologies.
The study contained the following steps of investigation:
(1) Determining possible areas of deployment for computer-based technologies.
(2) Selecting deployment areas from those generated.
(3) For the deployment areas selected, deriving the required research activities, coordinating and consolidating them into a research program.
Because of the comprehensive nature of urban traffic the know-how and results from many and diverse scientific disciplines had to be incorporated into the study.
As the study has significant real-life consequences for the direction and funding of urban traffic research by the Federal Ministry of Research and Technology it had to be ensured that its outcomes were operational.
To arrive at an operational research program, the study required inputs from areas, in addition to the scientific disciplines:
(a) politics (traffic policies in general, research and funding strategies etc.)
(b) industries (manufacturers of vehicles, electronic parts etc.) and traffic operating authorities.
Some experiences gained in managing the project are reported in this paper. They pertain to the study described. Hopefully, they can be put to use in some other projects of comparable structure and objectives.     

Research joint ventures vs. cross licensing agreements: an agency approach

In this paper two broad categories of organizing a cooperative R&D project are compared: a Research Joint Venture (RJV) and a Cross Licensing Agreement (CLA). In a non-deterministic R&D setting including asymmetric information, we show that an RJV is more efficient in providing incentives, it allows to capture existing synergies and facilitates the dissemination of the partners’ know-how, which is socially desirable. However, contrary to a CLA, an RJV faces the risk of opportunistic behavior by the partners regarding the provision of their know-how to the venture, which could lead a CLA to perform more efficiently and, in some cases, this organization turns out to be superior.     

Large European manufacturers and the management of R&D

At the end of 1984, for the third consecutive year, a research team from INSEAD administered a survey of the largest manufacturers in Europe. This survey attempts to provide an insight into the technological and manufacturing strategy designed and implemented by these large manufacturers.
Each year since 1982 about 150 companies have completed the questionnaire, and of these 150 replies about one third are repeat answers. The database thus covers about 350 companies. As a consequence this allows us not only to analyse the static picture for a single year, but also to draw a dynamic picture of how thinking about technological and manufacturing strategy is changing within the European Manufacturing Industry.
An analysis of the questionnaire's results allows us to assert some hypotheses about:
a. Changes in the length of the product lifecycle.
b. The importance of process engineering and proprietary process know-how.
c. The interface between manufacturing and research and development as perceived by the manufacturing side.
Since a similar survey is conducted for North America and Japan at the same time, it is possible to posit the European manufacturers vis-à-vis their global competitors for some of these issues.     

The Roles Incubator Organizations in Hi-Tech Venture Creation in Korea

In order to examine the roles of incubator organizations (places where entrepreneurs work before they start their ventures), ten high-tech venture founders were interviewed. Based on these interviews, their experience at incubator organizations and subsequent performance were analyzed, and 11 hypotheses regarding the characteristics of incubator organizations were formulated. The hypotheses are: high-tech venture are more likely to succeed if their founders have had the opportunity to prepare a business plan, to develop the prototype of a new product, to be acquainted with other disciplines, to work together as a team, and to acquire various kind of capabilities such as market-specific know-how, entrepreneurial skills and financing know-how at incubator organizations. However, it is hypothesized that the opportunity to acquire technological know-how and traditional managerial skills at incubator organizations are not positively correlated with venture success. The technological know-how and managerial skills could be regarded as a necessary but not sufficient condition for successful ventures. As the first study about Korean incubator organizations, the cases and the discussion of the hypotheses provide insights and implications for future studies.     

The make or buy decision

The make or buy decision is one which is frequently faced. The factors to be considered are many and various, and in some cases interactive, and because of the many departments involved there is danger that the decision will end up being taken on an ad hoc basis. This situation can be prevented by reformulating the policy statements in the form of a logic diagram which ensures that the same questions are answered in the same sequence by all departments. This approach has been put to practical test and found to be very useful in a variety of ways. This paper describes the method and illustrates its use by reference to three examples.     

The strategic analysis of intangible resources

Sustainable competitive advantage results from the possession of relevant capability differentials. The feedstock of these capability differentials is intangible resources which range from patents and licenses, to reputation and know-how. A framework of intangible resources has been produced which formed the basis for a national survey of chief executives in the U.K. Some of the more significant findings of the survey were that: employee know-how and reputation are perceived as the resources which make the most important contribution to business success; and that for most companies operations is the most important area of employee know how. This article argues, by means of both theoretical reasoning and empirical evidence, that the analysis of intangible resources should play a major role in the strategic management process.     

Electronic transportation marketplaces: a transaction cost perspective

Electronic transportation marketplaces (ETMs) are Internet-based mechanisms that match buyers and sellers of transportation services. With claims of reducing the administrative costs of transportation procurement to virtually nothing, the allure of ETMs is considerable. Shippers (transportation buyers) must therefore determine whether to pursue the new-founded opportunity and buy transportation services through an Internet-based intermediary or to buy services in a traditional manner. To date, there has been little structured thought on the topic to guide managers. Transaction cost economics (TCE) provides a robust framework toward this end. The TCE framework is adapted to present the procurement decision as one of “make” versus “buy.” The analysis is designed to help firms navigate their own determination to use an ETM and, when considered, the most appropriate form of ETM. The merits and caveats of ETM adoption are presented in the article.     

日本发展低碳经济的财政政策及借鉴

作为能源资源非常匮乏的国家,日本非常重视推动低碳经济的发展,出台了大量切实有效的财政政策。主要包括三个方面：增加政府财政预算,对家庭和企业的减排行为实施补贴;调整税收政策,对环保型产业减税,而对损害环境的行为征收碳税;实行环保积分制度,鼓励国民购买节能产品。这些政策效果非常明显,对我国发展低碳经济有较强的借鉴意义。     

Provider involvement in business service definition: A typology

This paper proposes a typology for provider roles in defining business services. The starting point of the study is the underlying rationale of much of the service purchasing literature that buyers have or can easily access the necessary know-how to procure business services. If this does not hold, the implication is that buying firms would shy away from buying complex services. An alternative perspective recognizes that purchasing business services requires its own set of sourcing capabilities, which may be lacking. Buying firms may have limited know-how in terms of defining and articulating their requirements or not be fully aware of them in the first place. However, the buyer's lack of sourcing capabilities need not be an injunction to internalize the service. In these circumstances, service providers step in, help buying firms specify their requirements and play a key role in defining what is procured and how. We build on this interactive view of service definition to undertake a comparative case analysis of four business service contracting situations arrayed along two dimensions — buyer perceived uncertainty and provider's buyer-specific experience. We conclude that service providers play different roles in each case. These are classified as translating, re-engineering, developing, and fine-tuning roles.     

让IBM搞定Sun吧！

无论是硬件、软件，还是客户，Sun对IBM都具有不菲的商业价值，而且具有丰富并购经验和强大企业文化的IBM才是收购Sun的唯—候选人。     

每一个玩具都有一个故事

我们这代人大多数在童年时都没有玩过买的玩具,就是有也不过一两样。就是因为这个,我的老公常常转着圈指着女儿的玩具说：“看看你有多少玩具,怎么还要买玩具呢？”每到这时我总是要笑他,而后告诉他：弦子的玩具恐怕也和爱美女人的衣服、爱美男人的领带一样,永远也不够。     

语音情感识别专利分析

为了深入了解语音情感识别领域的技术发展状况,采取定量与定性交叉融合的分析方式,对当今语音情感识别领域相关专利的申请态势、技术发展脉络、申请国别、主要申请人等进行了多角度的分析和探讨。结果表明,在语音情感识别技术的发展进程中,中国虽然起步较晚,但发展速度很快,已逐渐赶超美、日、韩等发达国家;中国大部分专利还处于科研阶段,距大规模商业化尚有一定距离。另外,中国语音情感识别领域还有很多技术空白点,亟待专利布局,因此,中国的科研院校与企业应积极合作,发挥各自优势,以市场为导向,提高语音情感识别技术的市场竞争力。同时,要进一步加大对语音情感识别技术基础要件的科研力度,并勇于探索更尖端的技术领域。研究结果不仅可作为语音情感识别领域科研人员确定研究方向的依据,还可为政府和企业的规划决策提供参考。     

Why do firms both make and buy? An investigation of concurrent sourcing

Transaction cost economics, neoclassical economics, and the firm capabilities literatures propose theories of the firm that typically depict firm boundaries determined by a dichotomous choice: the make or buy decision. However, none of these theories presents a satisfying explanation as to why firms would concurrently source, i.e., simultaneously make and buy the same good. This study combines these organizational economics theories and compares when firms make, buy, and concurrently source through surveying small manufacturing firms. Support was shown for aspects of all three theories, with evidence indicating that concurrent sourcing is a distinctly different choice, rather existing along a make/buy continuum. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.