The enigma of technology management in strategy deployment

Abstract

The ever-increasing emphasis on knowledge acquisition and assimilation is forcing companies to focus on methods to improve their effectiveness in technology management. Corporate strategists are increasingly focusing on the integration of technology throughout the organisation as a source of sustainable competitive advantage. The purpose of this study was to investigate technology management principles in widespread use in technology intensive industries and to explore their relationship to company performance. A non-probability, judgment sample of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) were taken. The study makes a contribution to the field of strategic management research by integrating the dimensions of several previous studies, to derive a more comprehensive taxonomy of technology management archetypes. Two distinct technology management factors obtained with the analysis were proved to positively influence the company performance dimensions and were classified as R&D Commitment and Control Market Planning factors. The results show that strategic management choices can significantly affect company performance. It thereby indicates which of the underlying dimensions have the strongest relationship with company performance. From an industry perspective, the greatest significance of these findings may be that they accentuate the importance technology management in developing and implementing a strategic approach to technology. This study has expanded on the identified technology process dimensions and has highlighted the link between technology strategy and technology management through different measures of performance.