6.5 Management Techniques

Management can play an effective role as regards proper selection, completion and commercial application of R&D – management techniques can improve linkage between ‘technical innovation’ and ‘ marketing’. In the context of management of S&T system and mechanisms for S&T development, a prominent feature of the Japanese approach to technology development is that the technology transfer includes the management aspect of technology as one of its essential ingredients. This is indeed very broad and comprehensive conception of technology. The five components in the pursuit of technology development have been identified as (i) Material (including energy), (ii) machines (equipment and machinery), (iii) manpower (skilled workers and engineers), (iv) management (technological management and managerial techniques), and (v) markets. In the sphere of engineering, there has been a continual feedback between the laboratory and the job site, as part of Japanese management techniques, without making a distinction between the laboratory and the job site.

Success of a result and industry-oriented project and its commercialization hinges to a considerable extent on its management, both in the research institutes while it is being developed, and during the process of the delivery of indigenous technologies. Management techniques play an important role in providing a link between technological innovation and marketing. Assistance in management techniques is, therefore, an important part of post-investment assistance. This is specially true in case of commercialization of technologies generated by the R&D institutions. This is because the S&T institutions are generally modeled on government/university standards and systems of management and are sometimes insulated from the development need of the country, patterning their research objectives and methods on those of the advanced countries.

Some of the managerial problems in research institutes are:

i) Lack of management capability;

ii) Meagre resources;

iii) Lack of competition and incentives for creativity;

iv) Failure to introduce an interdisciplinary approach;

v) Lack of team spirit in research;

vi) Failure to build credibility.

Managerial and marketing skills are necessary in the commercialization of technologies on several grounds. Entrepreneurs and assistance in conducting market survey, and government measures are required for promoting manufacturing and marketing of products and processes.

Post investment assistance, which is required at different stages in the development and commercialization of indigenous technologies such as for development of prototype, product improvement etc., is specially necessary in marketing a product, and in terms of management techniques, feasibility study etc.

In the countries of the Asian region, there is one or other kind of programmes for providing assistance of entrepreneurial type and/or required in management and marketing techniques, through mechanism and magnitude of such assistance vary from country to country.

The management and marketing assistance in the Republic of Korea is provided by the Korea Technology Advancement Corporation (K-TAC). It is provided in the commercialization of research results using the know-how generated by various institutes, by way of promotional activities such as:

i) Marketing and sales of research results and their related industrial rights.

ii) Sales of prototype equipment and by-products of research development work.

iii) Sponsorship of additional R&D when required.

iv) Management assistance and market research