A technological lifecycle approach to the organizational-factors determining gatekeeper activities

The paper deals with the question whether gatekeepers arise spontaneously (non-hierarchical) or are created by administrative action (hierarchical). The author's approach to the problem relies on the use of a lifecycle model of an organisation devised by Utterback and Abernathy. They distinguis...

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Main Author: DE MEYER, Arnoud
Format: text
Language:English
Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 1984
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Online Access:https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/5446
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/6445/viewcontent/TechnologicalLifecycleApproachOrgFp_1984_wp.pdf
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spelling sg-smu-ink.lkcsb_research-64452019-08-30T07:08:20Z A technological lifecycle approach to the organizational-factors determining gatekeeper activities DE MEYER, Arnoud The paper deals with the question whether gatekeepers arise spontaneously (non-hierarchical) or are created by administrative action (hierarchical). The author's approach to the problem relies on the use of a lifecycle model of an organisation devised by Utterback and Abernathy. They distinguish a product-innovation, a transitional and process- innovation (consolidation) phase in the development of an enterprise. The author's hypothesis is that gatekeepers can arise via either route depending on the phase in which enterprise is operating. In the earlier phases the author predicts that gatekeepers will either be absent or non-hierarchical (spontaneous) while in later phases they will be hierarchical (ex-officio).A test of the hypothesis was carried out on R&D engineers in 16 small firms making non-consumer products in Belgium. The investigation involved sociometric analysis of the communication patterns of members of various R&D groups with their group colleagues or with contacts outside the organisation from which a new gatekeeper definition was derived. The author also devised a new means of characterising the innovatory phase of an enterprise.The results are broadly in accordance with the author's hypothesis. The lesson for management of firms about to innovate radically is to set up its structure in such a way that spontaneous communication links cross-cutting formal communication lines are able to flourish. 1984-10-01T07:00:00Z text application/pdf https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/5446 info:doi/10.1111/j.1467-9310.1984.tb00520.x https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/6445/viewcontent/TechnologicalLifecycleApproachOrgFp_1984_wp.pdf http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business eng Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University Operations and Supply Chain Management Technology and Innovation
institution Singapore Management University
building SMU Libraries
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider SMU Libraries
collection InK@SMU
language English
topic Operations and Supply Chain Management
Technology and Innovation
spellingShingle Operations and Supply Chain Management
Technology and Innovation
DE MEYER, Arnoud
A technological lifecycle approach to the organizational-factors determining gatekeeper activities
description The paper deals with the question whether gatekeepers arise spontaneously (non-hierarchical) or are created by administrative action (hierarchical). The author's approach to the problem relies on the use of a lifecycle model of an organisation devised by Utterback and Abernathy. They distinguish a product-innovation, a transitional and process- innovation (consolidation) phase in the development of an enterprise. The author's hypothesis is that gatekeepers can arise via either route depending on the phase in which enterprise is operating. In the earlier phases the author predicts that gatekeepers will either be absent or non-hierarchical (spontaneous) while in later phases they will be hierarchical (ex-officio).A test of the hypothesis was carried out on R&D engineers in 16 small firms making non-consumer products in Belgium. The investigation involved sociometric analysis of the communication patterns of members of various R&D groups with their group colleagues or with contacts outside the organisation from which a new gatekeeper definition was derived. The author also devised a new means of characterising the innovatory phase of an enterprise.The results are broadly in accordance with the author's hypothesis. The lesson for management of firms about to innovate radically is to set up its structure in such a way that spontaneous communication links cross-cutting formal communication lines are able to flourish.
format text
author DE MEYER, Arnoud
author_facet DE MEYER, Arnoud
author_sort DE MEYER, Arnoud
title A technological lifecycle approach to the organizational-factors determining gatekeeper activities
title_short A technological lifecycle approach to the organizational-factors determining gatekeeper activities
title_full A technological lifecycle approach to the organizational-factors determining gatekeeper activities
title_fullStr A technological lifecycle approach to the organizational-factors determining gatekeeper activities
title_full_unstemmed A technological lifecycle approach to the organizational-factors determining gatekeeper activities
title_sort technological lifecycle approach to the organizational-factors determining gatekeeper activities
publisher Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University
publishDate 1984
url https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/5446
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/6445/viewcontent/TechnologicalLifecycleApproachOrgFp_1984_wp.pdf
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