Technology management as a profession and the challenges ahead

Outline

• Abstract
• Keywords
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Technology Management As a Profession
• 2.1. Technology Management
• 2.2. Professions in Technology Management
• 3. Challenges Ahead
• 3.1. Innovation
• 3.1.1. Innovation Types
• 3.1.2. Innovation Process
• 3.2. Operational Process
• 3.2.1. Sustainability
• 3.3. Integration of Services with Products
• 3.4. Strategy
• 3.4.1. New Business Models
• 4. Concluding Remarks
• 4.1. for Future Studies
• Appendix A.
• References

4. Concluding remarks

The evidence on the need for TM education is compelling due to the three major challenges outlined above, namely (1) the intensification of innovation, (2) changing operational processes through the integration of services & manufacturing and increased concerns around sustainability and (3) the expansion of strategy to integrate new business models and importance of ambidextrous organizational structures. Since changes go beyond organizational boundaries, technology managers need to be equipped with new expertise and new skills in organizing, collaborating and communicating with a wide variety of stakeholders. This trend will increase with open innovation practices, which will influence organizational forms in favor of collaborations.

TM’s overarching concern is to help management and staff to understand, develop, and implement technology for the benefit of the enterprise, customers and society. Given that need, technology managers and students with career plans in TM should find ways of preparing themselves for the future. Educators also have to find ways to respond to the new challenges.

On top of that base, technology professionals and students need to be equipped with a broad set of skills, ranging from generic to specific. While generic skills such as are taught in courses on strategy, marketing, organizational behavior, finance, project management and operations management, specific skills range from creative problem solving, business plan development and cross-disciplinary communication and they need to be integrated into new curriculum at higher education institutions.

The challenges analyzed in this paper along the lines of innovation, operations and strategy call for educational institutions to enrich their programs to integrate new managerial concepts, competencies and skills for the effective management of technology. This is not an easy task. Technology-based corporations increasingly need to build a capacity for rapid innovation in strategies, products, processes and services, as distinct from traditional high volume mass production or service companies of past decades. Thus, technology managers should acquire the knowledge and skills that will enable them to compete effectively in world markets. As discussed in this paper through propositions, TM education should accommodate:

interdisciplinary skills
team-learning
creativity and talent management
new marketing and product development techniques
managing sustainability across the supply chain
cross-disciplinary communication
multidisciplinary team management
service management
data analytics
new business model development
entrepreneurial skills
design-thinking
cross-cultural perspective.