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Huston, L. and Sakkab, N. (2006). Connect and Develop: Inside Proc-ter & Gamble’s New Model for Innovation. Harvard BusinessReview 84(3):58–66.
IBM (2006). Global Innovation Outlook 2.0: Innovation Opens Up.Available at http://domino.research.ibm.com/comm/www_innovate.nsf/pages/world.gio.html.
MacGregor, S.P. (2005). Review of Achieving Project ManagementSuccess Using Virtual Teams and Virtual and Collaborative Teams.Journal of Product Innovation Management 22(3):293–5.
Smith, P.G. (2001). Review of Mastering Virtual Teams. Journal ofProduct Innovation Management 18(2):127–9.
Steven P. MacGregor
IESE Business School
Management of Technology: Managing Effec-tively in Technology-Intensive OrganizationsHans J. Thamhain. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley &Sons, Inc., 2005. 381þ xii pages. US$95.00.
This is a valuable reference book written with an aca-
demic slant and from a technical manager’s perspec-
tive and represents the author’s collective effort of 10
years of formal field research in the area of engineer-
ing and technology management as well as 20 years
in high-technology management positions in large
corporations. Hans Thamhain is professor of man-
agement and director of the Technology and Man-
agement Programs at Bentley College in Waltham,
Massachusetts.
The book is meant to be a professional reference
for managers and technology-oriented professionals
at all levels in industry, as well as a text for college
courses in technology management. It is well organ-
ized, with a total of 14 chapters and five appendices.
Each chapter contains a common subset of headings
that follow the chapter content: ‘‘Summary of Key
Points and Conclusions,’’ ‘‘Critical Thinking and
Questions for Discussion,’’ and ‘‘References and
Additional Reading.’’ This highlights the academic
and reference nature of the book. Also, each chapter
begins with a small case study using either a large cor-
poration (e.g., GE, GM, Merck & Co.) or a large
agency (e.g., NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense)
as the example of a particular topic in technology
management. This is possibly the only drawback to the
book, as a reader in a small company must determine
how that example might relate to his or her situation.
Logically, the scope and definition of management
of technology (MoT) should be one of the first topics,
and this is precisely what the author states in chapter
1: ‘‘The words ‘management’ and ‘technology’ each
carry different meanings and boundaries, and in com-
bination, they stand for a wide array of actions, meth-
ods, tools and techniques’’ (p. 3). The author points
out that the scope of technology management has not
changed and runs parallel to the general field of man-
agement. Following some discussions on this point,
the author proposes his definition of MoT: ‘‘the art
and science of creating value by using technology to-
gether with other resources of an organization’’ (p. 6,
emphasis in original). The first chapter also empha-
sizes a common denominator, which is that the speed
of advances in technology is perhaps the greatest obs-
tacle to efficient MoT. As if he knew what the reader
would likely ask next, the author graphically illus-
trates the increasing level of technology versus time in
Figure 2.2 (p. 26)—prompting a possible reaction
from a reader of ‘‘How can we cope with such expo-
nential growth in complexity?’’
A chapter-by-chapter analysis is beyond the scope
of this review, but some key points in most of the
chapters are certainly worth mentioning.
Organizational issues in technology companies are
subject to the constraints posed by the need for flexi-
bility, speed, and efficiency (chapter 3). The author
uses examples of organizational designs and forms
(e.g., by function, project, matrix) along with their
strengths and weaknesses. Chapter 5 presents further
discussions on management of people and uses the
core management issues such as management of tech-
nical work content, talent, and knowledge as a good
introduction to other issues such as employee motiv-
ation and performance.
Thamhain provides a good discussion of concur-
rent engineering (CE) and integrated product devel-
opment in chapter 4. He sees CE as a unique project
management approach, and the criteria for success
listed in Table 4.2 (p. 67) are quite revealing and of
some considerable value—for example, lay out the
master project plan (top level) covering the project life
cycle, establish effective cross-functional communica-
tions channels and specific methods for work transfer,
have tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty, and
have top management buy in and support the CE
process.
The author covers the people side of technology
and organizations in chapter 5, which includes a very
good list and description of 16 professional needs
critical to technology-based performance. Some
examples include interesting and challenging work,
clearly defined objectives, job security, and open
BOOK REVIEWS J PROD INNOV MANAG2007;24:91–98
97
communication. This chapter puts heavy emphasis
on motivational concepts and theories. Table 5.3
(p. 125) presents a useful list of the criteria for man-
aging effectively in a technology-based organization,
although many of these items would apply to almost
any type of organization.
Technology project management is considered as a
continuously evolving system, and chapter 6 examines
the tools and techniques for effective project manage-
ment. By and large, this discussion is typical project
management stuff, such as statement of work, mile-
stones, scheduling, budgeting, and task matrix.
The following chapter, ‘‘Measuring and Control-
ling the Work,’’ is probably the best one in the book.
An extensive list of analytical management techniques
for project control (Table 7.4a, pp. 180–5) with a de-
scription of each should be posted in every manager’s
office, along with the top reasons for project failure
(Table 7.2, p. 175). The popularity, skill level, and
value of 29 management techniques, studied in field
research, were also quite revealing (Table 7.5, p. 189).
Schedule tracking topped the list at 99% popularity.
The low popularity of benchmarking (42%) and voice
of the customer (25%) were somewhat surprising.
Chapter 8 covers quantitative and qualitative
approaches and methods for project evaluation and
selection. Examples include net present value and re-
turn on investment. Chapter 9, ‘‘Leading Technology
Teams,’’ certainly covers the human side of the tech-
nology management equation and the anxieties
caused by new tools and techniques.
Managing technical innovation is the subject of
chapter 10, which includes a very good discussion of
barriers to effective team performance (group dynam-
ics). Table 10.3 (p. 264) lists innovative company per-
formance indicators, for example, quality, patents,
and publications.
It was refreshing to see full environmental cost
accounting being presented in chapter 11, which is
devoted entirely to the subject of managing
environmental quality and contains examples of
many companies that have demonstrated environ-
mental stewardship (Table 11.1, p. 284). A useful list
of recommendations for implementing environmental
quality programs (Table 11.3, p. 298) rounds out this
chapter.
Tools for managing risks in high technology are
presented in chapter 12. Perhaps the best quote in the
entire book can be found here: ‘‘Regardless of the
specific tools available, seasoned managers have an
intuitive sense of where uncertainties lurk’’ (p. 307).
The results of a field study that revealed 1,000 unique
risk situations—subsequently grouped and ranked
into 13 generic risk categories of undesirable effects
(Figure 12.2, p. 309)—was another useful part of this
chapter. Examples include changing project require-
ments (#1), technology changes (#4), and changing
social or economic conditions (#13). The author also
identified three subsystems in effective risk manage-
ment: within work and organizational processes, with
analytical tools and methods, and with people.
The last two chapters were marginal. Chapter 13,
‘‘Developing New Business,’’ was mostly devoted to
the bid process, which would be typical of a large or-
ganization’s continuing battle to cope with the lengthy
and cumbersome competitive bid process. Chapter 14,
‘‘Consulting in Technology Management,’’ was most-
ly a pitch for the need for consultants but nevertheless
provided some useful information that an internal
‘‘consultant’’ or manager in an organization could
use.
Finally, the appendices provided listings of
professional groups of relevance to technology man-
agement, professional journals, conferences, and re-
search centers.
Overall, this book is useful and informative and
engages the reader. The individuals most likely to
benefit are new or middle managers, as experienced
technology managers will find that most of the con-
tent is probably known to them. This is also a good
textbook whose main advantage over others is that it
is backed by some interesting research that shows up
in the tables. The author’s mixed experience in indus-
try and academia is probably responsible for his use-
ful viewpoints.
Steve Guerin
Axiomatic Research Corporation
98 J PROD INNOV MANAG2007;24:91–98
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