A dynamic view of technology acquisition

Stuart Macdonald, Andrew James

International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 2001, vol. 3, issue 1/2, 120-141

Abstract: Until very recently, GKN had but two core businesses, each with its own core technology. In both cases, the business had been built around technologies obtained externally - one through joint venture, the other by acquisition. In neither case, though, did the most senior management in GKN attach any particular importance to the technology the company was acquiring, many years passing before its significance began to seep through. These core businesses now provide most of GKN's profit. The case study shows the limitations of the static perspective normally adopted in the study of acquisition. Such a perspective focuses on the stock of resources and on how these may complement those of the acquirer. It pays less attention to what might develop in time, to the flow of resources. It seems to assume two separate tasks the mixing of two technologies followed by the development of the joint technology, the first to be accomplished to establish a new stock of resources before the second, the management of their flow, can be undertaken. This traditional approach may not be entirely appropriate to the study of acquisition in which technology is a major resource. A more dynamic approach in keeping with attitudes towards the management of technology is required both from managers and from those who study their behaviour.

Keywords: acquisition; technology; GKN; constant velocity joint. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2001
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=1399 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ids:ijmtma:v:3:y:2001:i:1/2:p:120-141

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management from Inderscience Enterprises Ltd
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sarah Parker ().