Strategic Technology Management

This book deals with "Strategic Technology Management". The book is "strategic" in the sense that it places technology in a strategic context, elevating it to the policy level. In order for corporate and business strategy to be crafted in a sensible and balanced manner, the technological aspects of the firm must be well integrated into the strategy-making process. Technology can no longer be the province only of engineers and R&D managers. Reflecting this perspective, the book treats the range of concerns found in most texts on strategic management, albeit from a decidedly technological perspective. It does not, however, attempt to duplicate the role well-served by many existing texts (1). In fact, the book assumes familiarity with basics of industry and competitive analysis (2) and strategic analysis (3). The book is clearly "technological" in its orientation. Technology is defined and treated as the key strategic variable throughout the book. The analytical tools discussed all focus upon technology and the firm's technological competence is the target of discussion rather than its divisions of business units.
As noted above, however, the book is not exclusively focused upon the managment of R&D or engineering. For this the reader is referred to many excellent sources already available (4). Lastly, the book is definitely about "management". It is intended both for the engineer or technical person seeking to broaden their focus as well as the manager or executive seeking to better understand technological issues. It is multi-functional and integrative in its orientation, focusing upon the overall strategic posture and innovation performance of the firm.