Research Proposal Example the Functionality Model as Conceptual Foundation for Management of Technology (mot)

1 1. INTRODUCTION This introduction presents a context for this dissertation and helps clarify to the reader how fulfillment of the research aims and objectives will make a contribution to management science and practice. To do so, the discussion starts off with a background and purpose of the research project, and then it explains the research focus and gives a brief overview of the project's approach towards a literature research. The introductory section ends with a mission statement and an overview of the proposed research method. 1.1 Background and purpose Technology consists of a diversity of manifestations, applications and disciplines, and now needs a unified theoretical structure and body of knowledge, so that students and practitioners of Management of Technology [from here onwards described by its acronym of MOT] may benefit by creation of these paradigmatic foundations in their task of strategic technology analysis and management. Given the omnipresence of technology, described by Van Wyk (2000:204) as ―technification‖, the necessity to promote technology literacy among students and practitioners of technology becomes self-evident. Drejer (2002:363) states unequivocally that MOT should be a significant part of organisational management. The management imperatives to understand technological progress and its multiple outcomes are also implied by Gottfredson, Schaubert, and Saenz (2008:68), when they state that market leaders typically outperform market followers on return on assets (ROA), compared in terms of their relative market shares. It is in agreement with the argument that corporate technologies are assets on the balance sheet and include manufacturing tools and processes, products and services, associated intellectual property and subsequent patents, as well as innovations in products and services. This is so, even if General Accepted Accounting Practice (GAAP) still treats research and development (R&D) as an expense on the income statement rather than as an asset on the balance sheet (Ehrbar, 2000:55). To the decision-makers, and technology practitioners, of these corporations, the task and indeed challenge is to pursue a comprehensive understanding of management of technology, which would typically encompass understanding of technology progress and supporting technology intelligence processes, to all aspects involving product and service lifecycles and all processes in the relevant value chains. 2 Van Wyk (1988:4,7) promotes wider academic and management acceptance of MOT and has been doing so since the late 1970's. He describes MOT as the management discipline which pursues understanding of technology potential and harnessing of such potential to the benefit of organisations (Van …