Innovation

Analog Devices is a case study in how management innovation is a key to competitiveness.

The fact that Japanese manufacturers made tremendous inroads on the global automobile market during the 1970s will surprise nobody. What may surprise many is that Toyota's productivity rates exceeded U.S. manufacturers' as long ago as the 1960s. Business historian Michael A. Cusumano details the spectacular developments in Japanese productivity, quality, and process flexibility that have occurred over the past thirty years.

The strategic management of internal corporate venturing (ICV) presents a major challenge for many large established firms. The author's conceptualization of ICV suggests that vicious circles and managerial dilemmas typically emerge in the development of new ventures. These problems are exacerbated by the indeterminateness of the strategic context for ICV in the corporation, and by perverse selective pressures exerted by its structural context. This article presents four major recommendations for improving the effectiveness of a firm's ICV strategy.