Mulder, Karel Frits

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   University of GroningenChoosing the corporate future. Technology networks of chiose concerning the creation of highperformance fiber technologyMulder, Karel FritsIMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite fromit. Please check the document version below.Document VersionPublisher's PDF, also known as Version of recordPublication date:1992Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research databaseCitation for published version (APA):Mulder, K. F. (1992). Choosing the corporate future. Technology networks of chiose concerning thecreation of high performance fiber technology. s.n.CopyrightOther than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of theauthor(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons).The publication may also be distributed here under the terms of Article 25fa of the Dutch Copyright Act, indicated by the “Taverne” license.More information can be found on the University of Groningen website: https://www.rug.nl/library/open-access/self-archiving-pure/taverne-amendment.Take-down policyIf you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediatelyand investigate your claim.Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons thenumber of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum.Download date: 08-06-2022184SUMMARYThis study deals with the question of what determines the outcomes of the choices made bylarge corporations when they develop new technology. To this end, four types of choice made in thecourse of the development of technology are distinguished in Chapter one:- concerning the entrance to a scientific./technological research domair.- coocerning the product to be developed and its characteristics.- concerning the processes and additional techaologies to be developed in order to be able to manufac-ture and sell the product efhciently.- concerning the construction of large scale production facilities.The outcomes of these choices can only partially be accounted for by existing economic and social theo-ries: In economic theory, only the need for the development of new products or processes is explained,and not the content of these technologies. Theories that also aim at accounting for the content of tech-nology often couceptualize corporations as independent monoliths. The internal relations within the cor-porations as well as the close relations between corporations are therefore missing in their observations.In this study, relations in regard to the development of a new technology are defined as being the resultof an agteement on the part of functional groups on their mutual roles in regard to the development of anew technology. These relations create a technology network. Technology networks can be described bymeaqs of a number of characteristics: exteDsion, variety, fuactional origin of prominent actors, strengthof relations, degree of integration, flexibility of relations, degree of secrecy, availability of resources, weakrelations with external pa-rtners, and the environment of the technology network. In this study, the relati-on befween these characteristics and the outcomes of the choices made concerning technology is investi-gated further. To limit the influence of'technologl/ as a variable, all case studies analyze the develop-ment of related technologies, i.e. specific high performance fibers: aramid fibers (Du Pont, Monsanto,Bayer, NPO Khimvolokno, VNIISV, AKZO and ICI) and high performance polyethylene fibers (DSM).ID Chapter 2, the emergence of the fiber industry is described. In the twenties and thirties, theartilicial silk industry changed considerably. Large scale internationally operating corporations started todominate the business. Corporate laboratories were increasingly important. New theories developed inpolymer chemistry were of great importance. In Chapter 3, ar overview is given of the development ofthe hber industry and (high performance) fiber technology after 1945.In Chapter 4, the choice concerning the entry to a specific scientific/technologic research do-main is analyzed. Pioneers, i.e. corporations that enter a domain first, are distinguished from followers,i.e. corporations that, when they enter, are following competitors. Scientists were the most prominent ac-tors at both pioneer and follower corporations. At pioneer corporations, they maintained many weak re-lations with academic colleagues. At follower corporations, weak relations with innovative customerswere more important h order to obtain information on competitors'research findings. Therefore, inthese cases the corporate sales department and patent office were more prominent in the technologlrnetwork than in the case of the pioneers. A positive environment in which to engage in new research wascrucial in this stage.In Chapter 5, the choice of a product is analyzed. Three types of product choice are distingui-shed: products that had already been foreseen when one entered the domain, unforeseen products whichwere encountered during research, and products which had been developed by others. Singular and pro-minent actors were of great influence when a specific product was chosen. The technology network grewgradually when the product had been foreseen. When the product was unforeseen, it could survive by be-ing linked to an existing technology nefwork. In this way, the technology network could rapidly attain areasonable extension and variety, which was needed to overcome resistance in the organization. In choo-sing a product following the example of an external organization, the 'image' of the technologic capabili-ties and motives of this organization were of great importance. Within the technology networks of thesecorporations, sales departments and patent offices were relatively more prominent. Relations with custo-mers were very important.In Chapter 6, the choices concerning processes were analyzed. In this stage, many projects wereterminated, especially when there were recessions that influenced the environment of the technology net-185work negatively. Termination of a project coincided in particular with a lack of e*ension and varieties inthe technology networks. Availability of resources sometimes influenced the processes that were chosenconsiderably.In Chapter 7, a comparison is given of the choices made by two corporations that decided tostart manufacturing a high performance aramid fiber on a large scale. Avoiding the risks that were rela-ted to this huge investment was of primary concern. Availabfity of resources was very important in con-nection with the risks that a corporation could run. Risks could be limited by extending the technologynetwork further.In Chapter 8, the characteristics of technology networks are evaluated separately and their rela-tive influence on the outcomes of the four choices is estimated. For the survival of an R&D project du-ring its stages of development a number of technology network characteristics were of special importan-ce: strength of individual relations, eKension, variety and degree of integration of the technology net-work. Together, these characteristics appeared to be indicative of the survival of R&D projects if theproject was dealing with an unfavorable environment. The content of technologies was determined inparticular by the functional background of prominent actors, the actions of singular actors, and the avai-lability of resources. The mechanisms by which these relations between technology network characteris-tics and the outcomes of the choices made could be understood. are discussed.

Choosing the corporate future. Technology networks of chiose concerning the creation of high performance fiber technology

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Choosing the corporate future. Technology networks of chiose concerning the creation of high performance fiber technology

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