The evolution of R&D management

Abstract

R&D has been studied for a long time within different contexts, economies, and environmental demands throughout the years. The transition from early days’ booming markets and economic growth in the 1950s to today’s highly competitive and global market place is reflected in the way R&D has been managed. Early success stories such as the industrial research laboratories Bell Labs, Xerox Park and Lockheed Martin Skunkworks have been replaced by companies like the more market‐focused 3M, the rapid introductions of new product ranges from Japanese manufacturers like Toyota and Sony, and R&D collaborations like Ericsson’s network of companies around the “Bluetooth” technology and standard. The perspective on R&D processes has been different throughout the years, since the structure and prerequisites of the economy have changed and so has the presumption of best practice. One attempt at describing the last 50 years of evolution within the R&D field is introduced below according to many researchers.

Citation

Wang, J. and Kleiner, B.H. (2005), "The evolution of R&D management", Management Research News, Vol. 28 No. 11/12, pp. 88-95. https://doi.org/10.1108/01409170510785273