26th International Association for Management of Technology Conference - IAMOT 2017

Technology management is a crucial issue for any company; a technology applied to the company determines its competitiveness and long-term development. At the same time this is a field with many dilemmas and hard decisions for managers. An ability to operate effectively in this area eventually gives a company many advantages. The literature from this field proposes models and approaches, which explain how technology management is carried out by companies as well as tips and guidance how to perform effectively in this field. The literature’s models of technology management identify its significant components and the links between them. The most widely known model of technology management by Gregory (1995) identifies five generic processes: identification of potential technologies, selection, acquisition, exploitation of technologies and finally protection of knowledge. This model, developed over 20 years ago, provides a general framework of technology management, but it leaves many ambiguities and gaps, mostly because its generality. Modifications of Gregory’s model by other authors do not fully encompass the complexity of the highly variable environment of business and R&D institutions. From the point of view of business entities, needs such as effective cooperation within particular triple helix ecosystems, make more detailed empirical studies highly desirable. This study aims to investigate the technology management in several companies operating in the metal processing industry in Poland, which are associated in a business cluster. The qualitative methodology of a multiple case study is employed. In the selected five companies, study visits were carried out. During these visits direct interviews with the production and technology managers, as well as with selected employees were conducted. Visits were carried out according to a previously developed scheme, consisting of items referring to identification of technology families, detailed process course identification including activities, links between them, and decisions taken, and identification of the factors influencing the technology management process. Each case was meticulously written down immediately after the visits. The investigation in companies makes it possible to see and analyze whole technology management process cycles, including the early decisions, through exploitation, development and modifications, replacement with others forecasts/plans of liquidation. From the in-depth analysis emerges the view of a model approach in a company engaged in a cluster structure and operating in the metal processing field. This qualitative descriptive model of the technology management process includes a number of activities at different organizational levels, feedback and decision points. It enriches technology management models described in the literature by providing many more details such as new loops and connections. The case studies allow identification of series of factors and activities specific to the conditions of cooperation within the technology management process. The identified model provides the framework for wider investigation in metal cluster companies based on a quantitative approach. The research results are indeed a new point of view in the development of technology in a company and its influence on company competitiveness. The association in a cluster structure is a very important determinant shaping the technology management process.