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New Research Evaluation Model: Indentifying Obstacles and Remedies

New Research Evaluation Model: Indentifying Obstacles and Remedies. Jerald Hage, Director Center for Innovation, University of Maryland College Park, Maryland. New Ways of Thinking about Research Evaluations. Five Ideas:

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New Research Evaluation Model: Indentifying Obstacles and Remedies

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  1. New Research Evaluation Model: Indentifying Obstacles and Remedies Jerald Hage, Director Center for Innovation, University of Maryland College Park, Maryland

  2. New Ways of Thinking about Research Evaluations Five Ideas: Emphasize the evolution of science and technology or knowledge generally; 2. Connect the outputs to larger societal objectives, ideally comparatively; 3. Recognize multiple levels of analysis -—at least three if not five; 4. Focus on obstacles and potential remedies at each level; 5. Remedies come from social science theory.

  3. Larger Objective: Decline in US Economic Growth Five Signs of Decline: Negative trade balances in most high tech sectors, niches; Lower rate of radical innovations of many high tech companies; Decline in patents of some high tech companies; Weakening in wage levels of educated workers; Loss of employment in many high tech sectors.

  4. Comparative Data: Research Nation RDT% Patents/GDP Million People Israel 4.15% 49 Sweden 3.75 100 Switzer. 3.00 115 South Korea 3.21 40 Japan 3.44 107 Germany 2.53 72 U.S.A. 2.77 46 Economist 1 October, 2010: 97

  5. Evolution of Scientific and Technological Research: U.S. Growth in Knowledge leads to: • differentiation of research organizations in arenas • evolution of new networks to connect arenas Public research laboratories Basic research Pharmaceutical companies Universities Manufacturing research Quality research Commercialization research Bio-tech companies Applied research Development research

  6. The Role of Theory in Policy Evaluation of Research Advantages: • The evolutionary theory of knowledge growth allows for predictions to be made; • Patterns of failed evolution are specified and different in U.S. and Europe • The causes lie at multiple levels; • Search for obstacles and remedies in social science theory and beyond in other countries

  7. Obstacles Preventing Economic Growth: Research Obstacles: Managerial and Policy Remedies: • Static strategies Seize evolutionary opportunities • Low risk research Broaden research team vision • Lack of learning Stimulate cross-fertilization of ideas • Stove pipes Integrate the organization • Reactive leaders Appoint transformational teams • Valley of death Construct network coordination • No industrial policy Public/private cooperation • Non-visible Blockages Perform timely feedback on innovation at team level and blockages Behind each obstacle are multiple blockages and the remedies have alternatives, each with problems

  8. Obstacle: Static Strategies Evolutionary changes: • Growth in the number of radical innovations; • Globalization in the development of radical innovations; • Differentiation in consumer tastes; • Changes in the way in which radical innovations are produced; • Expansion in the number of non-economic concerns; • Emergence of a new stage of manufacturing.

  9. Remedy: Seize Evolutionary Opportunities Appropriate Response: • customize products/services; • recognize the evolution in the patterns of doing research; • solve national concerns and global problems; • increase flexibility in manufacturing by being able to change the composition of parts.

  10. Obstacle: Low Risk Research Evolutionary changes in research problems • The cost and risk (meaning choice of wrong solution) have increased; • The variety of arenas that have to develop radical solutions for radical product innovation are now greater; • More need to eliminate multiple kinds of risks to the environment and to the individual; • Global solutions have to be customized for specific regional and national differences.

  11. Remedy: Broaden the Vision Mechanisms for Increased Diversity; • Increase the emphasis on radicaliness of innovation in each of the arenas; • Add new kinds of specialists to team; • Change problem so that it considers processes and multiple levels; • Explore more arenas of research; • Create redundancy between differentiated research arenas to facilitate the transfer of tacit knowledge

  12. Remedy: Cross-fertilization of Ideas Mechanisms for More Communication: • information that reduces the distance somewhat between individuals; • emotional bonding that slows the rate of decline in effective communication as diversity increase; • continuously learning that raises the equilibrium curve between effective communication and radical innovation

  13. Obstacle: Stove Pipes Evidence for • Study of universities • IBM history • GM history • SEMATECH history

  14. Remedy: Integrate the Organization Mechanisms of integration: • Complex organizational strategy that is visionary • Transformational leadership team • Multiple sources for funding

  15. Obstacle: Reactive Leaders Evidence for: • Failure to adopt flexible manufacturing • Decline in innovativeness in large firms • Loss of manufacturing jobs • Loss of technologies developed in the US

  16. Remedy: Transformational Leadership Teams Characteristics of: • Overcome obstacles; • Expand the frontiers by innovations in occupational specialties and research technologies; • Change the “know-how” of relevant researchers and professionals; • Work on a global problem.

  17. Obstacle: Valley of Death Evidence for: • Study of Brookhaven • Trade deficit in health care products • Lack of public-private cooperation in manufacturing

  18. Remedy: Construct Networks Modal Types: • Japan’s supply chains • SEMATECH as a research consortium • Silicon Valley as a knowledge pool

  19. Obstacle: Blockages in Organizations Kinds of Blockages: • Absence of team processes associated with innovation; • Lack of certain kinds of communication; • Inappropriate managerial style; • Inadequate reward structure for researchers; • Not enough research resources; • Absence of long term strategy. Jordan’s Environmental Research Survey

  20. Remedy: Feedback Levels of Feedback • Connecting measures of technical progress to organizational blockages; • Situating the organizational research outputs relative to the sector nationally and internationally; • Counting the differentiation of research organizations; • Measuring the degree of integration between them.

  21. Implications for Data Collection by NSF, STPI, IDA, USDA, etc. • Funding and capabilities in each of the six arenas in each sector/niche; • More measures of radical innovation performance in each arena; • Specialized studies of evolution and failed evolution in a specific sector/niche; • Specialized studies of the causes of failure to have radical innovation in each arena of a sector. Measurement is necessary to pinpoint both failure and its causes

  22. Summary The Proposed Evaluation Model: • Uses a model of knowledge growth; • Connects specific research projects to larger issues; • Operates at multiple levels; • Identifies obstacles and suggests remedies; • Enriches theory and vice-versa

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