From Followers to Leaders: Managing Technology and Innovation

The last years have seen a profusion of books and articles on managing technology, focused almost exclusively on leading edge firms in leading edge countries. This book argues that succeeding as a follower-firm requires learning from many experiences and avoiding simplistic 'how-to' approaches that prescribe one best practice. Individual chapters cover:

* the role of innovation on the shop-floor
* the importance of mixing process and product innovation
* the challenges involved in building an innovation culture
* the special role of R&D and design.

These topics instruct a deeper understanding of strategy in follower-firms, simultaneously providing insight for public policy in building local technological capacity. Forbes and Wield argue that there are many 'leading edges' which appear in the most unlikely places. Their book contains major case studies from many different firms in twelve countries over five continents, in industry segments as diverse as pharmaceuticals, software, garments, beer and steel.

This informative book for students, researchers and professionals in the fields of business, management and information technology shows that successful experiences can arise anywhere in the world.

Naushad Forbes is Director of Forbes Marshall, India's leading Energy Conservation and Control Instrumentation firm, and Consulting Professor at Stanford University in the Program in Science, Technology and Society. David Wield is Professor of Innovation and Development at The Open University, and Co-Director of its International Development Centre. He recently directed its Centre for Technology Strategy and chaired its Development Policy and Practice unit.