R&D Management in the Knowledge Era

The escalating pace of technologies such as computers and mobile communications systems, along with major advances in neurobiology, increases opportunities for military medical problem solving. This convergence of information technology with medicine was new as a core funded program in military medical research, but foundational research had been conducted by the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) through special congressional interest projects, small business innovative research programs (SBIRs), and other special funding programs in the Department of Defense (DoD) totaling $500 M/year for more than a decade before its inception. Five main thrust areas formed the new funded program supported by the Joint Program Committee 1 (JPC1) to transform military health care to a safer, will-predictive, preventative, evidence-based, and participatory system. These focus areas included medical simulation and training, mobile health (m-Health), open electronic health record and medical systems interoperability, computational biology and predictive models, and knowledge engineering. This modest investment in transformational research stands to produce huge benefits in cost savings in military medicine through improved efficiencies provided with everyday technologies.

During the economical recession of 2008/2009, Portland saw housing and rent prices go down (pretty much like any other major city in the United States), and by that time, nothing was said about housing or affordability problems. After the recession, nonetheless, the city experienced a strong growth—people from all over the country and really from all over the world started moving to the city, attracted by its features, including the weather, abundant nature, social diversity, and strong economy. The fact that the economy was in a good shape again and that thousands of people were moving here, made the real estate and rent market to suffer from a supply shortage, thus leading prices to skyrocket—ultimately creating what is now being called the housing affordability crisis (see [1, 2]). To make matters worse, Portland is expected to grow even more in the next decades, and that brings concerns to the population as well as to policy-makers around infrastructure capabilities, among which housing stands out as one of the biggest challenges. According to [3], the metro-area population could receive up to 725,000 new residents in the next 20 years, and [4] states that the city of Portland alone might experience an increase of 56–74% of its households by the year of 2035. All of the studies and reports that deal with the expected growth in the City of Roses highlight housing as the biggest issue to be tackled. As aforementioned, as of now, Portland already is facing severe housing affordability problems, and once population starts to grow even further, the building of new housing does not seem to keep up with the demand. On [5], the journalist raises the question whether the city is/will be prepared to accommodate all of its new residents in the next few years.

With the growth of alternative forms of energy, and depletion of fossil fuels, energy storage will play an important part in the energy grid of the future. Mechanical forms of energy, although cheap, require specific geological features, and so increasingly electrochemical forms of energy, or batteries, are relied on. The implementation of these batteries relies on certain technological, economical, and regulatory factors. Although costs are lowering, they are still too high to have wide adoption levels at the current price level. There are opportunities to implement battery storage widely at the home level, but there is a lot of restructuring and regulations needed to jump start this process, as the traditional electrical utilities were not set up with the intention of isolated grids. Like both the solar and wind industries, market transformation will be needed to increase adoption.

Information Technology becomes a crucial part of the health-care system and it is getting more attention worldwide. Health IT includes well-known systems that have transformed the health sector such as Electronic Health Records (EHR), Electronic Medical Records (EMR), and Electronic Personal Health Records (ePHR). ePHR aims at enabling patients to take more active role in their care by giving them the ability to access their health records in a secure and safe environment. ePHR allows greater patient-provider engagement. The provider’s adoption rate of the ePHR as a tool to connect with patients and to enable them to have access to their records is increasing at an accelerated rate. However, the patient’s ePHR adoption rate remains low. In the USA, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) reports an increase in the number of office-based physicians’ and hospitals’ adoption of the EHR. The number of office-based physicians adopting EHR increased from 17% in 2008 to 58% as of 2015. Similarly, it shows that the nonfederal acute care hospitals with certified EHR rate increased from 9% in 2008 to 84% as of 2015 [1]. Despite the efforts to encourage the health-care providers’ adoption of certified EHR and ePHR, the adoption rate by patients remains below expectations [2]. This rate is expected to increases due to the wide attention and efforts led by governments and health-care providers to engage patients in their care. The forecasts of future ePHR adoption are expecting 75% of adults to adopt and use ePHR by 2020 [3]. More attention is needed to improve the patient’s adoption of ePHR.

Although the objectives of the strategy can differ based on the situation as explained by the strategy guru [1] who put together five formal definitions of strategy, the essence of the strategy is still based on two fundamental questions: where to go and how to get there. Therefore, the strategic planning approach should attempt to answer these two questions.

The core function of marketing is to discover and stimulate opportunities for firms output ([1], p. 10). In doing so, market research plays an important role in gathering information that is crucial for making business decisions ([2], p. 36). Market research is extremely important, especially for technology-based companies to understand customer direct and latent needs ([3], p. 1003).

The design of innovative products is an important topic in both the design and management fields. Firms are faced with the challenge of designing innovative products that have high quality and short product life cycle in the same time, while also addressing the needs of end users and create value for them in the context of functionality, economics, ergonomics, aesthetics, among other factors. Researchers developed many creative approaches to design innovative products with these requirements. Such methods start with demand and well-organized problem definition [1–4].

The paradigm shift towards digital manufacturing [1] is seen in additive manufacturing (AM) corporate annual industry growth at 17.4% increase in 2016 to $6.063 billion, with 11% attributed to the biomedical sector [2]. The adoption of AM in healthcare has boomed since 2010 by a 3200% increase in hospitals with AM facilities [2]. Forecasts predict that AM will become common, with a disruptive effect on supply chains [2]. For high-value custom surgical instruments and implants, the metal AM design-to-fabrication lifecycle is performed via costly empirical approaches, hindering widespread technology acceptance [3]; thus, metal AM technologies have not yet reached their full potential in the healthcare industry. With the rapid growth of AM in the field of medical [4], several technologies are becoming popular in producing medical implants. Such technologies need to be distinguished precisely with respect to their capabilities to produce a specific implant. Customization of implants’ complex manufacturing approaches, and is nowadays possible by AM. Therefore, the rising demand for the use of AM technologies for the medical implant production shows its importance for different stakeholders in the healthcare industry and is expected to be continued in the future.

Due to the growing role of business intelligence (BI) as one of the fundamental components of information system resources as well as the essential requirements for an organization’s success, to assess the intelligence level of enterprise systems among the primary practices of major importance prior to the system implementation. Therefore, this study provides a novel assessment framework of BI for enterprise systems, using an interval-valued intuitive fuzzy ARAS technique. The ARAS is a new method for multiple attribute decision making (MADM) problems. In the proposed model, a number of 34 criteria from the most important BI indexes are identified and, accordingly, five enterprise systems are evaluated through expert discussions. The results reveal that the most important assessment criteria defined by expert panels include visual graph display, dashboard design, capable of data storage, meeting stakeholder needs, and the possibility for detailed realistic analysis. Then, one alternative is defined as the final selection which provides an outstanding performance on the criteria of groupware programs, group decision-making tools, training techniques, data transfer capability, knowledge inference, supporting fuzzy concepts under ambiguity and uncertainty, real-time analytical processing, managing email channels, and achieving stakeholder satisfaction.

The use of different types of renewable energy and replacing the polluting non-renewable and perishable sources show the increasing importance of decision making. In this line, the current study proposes a selection method for the best-established means of electricity generation from renewable energies. A multi-attribute decision making (MADM) model, by applying the methods of CCSD and COPRAS is used. As an applied quantitative research, the significance of this paper is the application of a new hybrid method based on MADM techniques. A number of twenty attributes, being divided into four categories of technological, economic, environmental and social aspects, as well as four sources of renewable energy are analyzed. The alternatives used here include wind power, solar power, biomass, and hydroelectricity. The results reveal that solar power and wind energy are the most appropriate alternatives for electricity generation.

Energy Demand Side Management (EDSM) is defined as the modification of consumer demand for energy. EDSM can be used for different purposes such as reducing peak demand, filling low demand time, strategic demand savings, strategic growth of demand, load-shifting, and flexible load shaping. EDSM can be managed by either Direct Load Control, in which local and central controllers directly affect the consumption, or Indirect Load Control which uses incentives, tariffs, and additional payments that affect consumer behavior. In recent years, with the advances in information and communication technologies, remote monitoring and control of electric devices have become possible. This technology has also enabled gamification approach, which aims to shape human behavior through the intrinsically motivating qualities used in well-designed digital games, to be used for EDSM domain. However, the current literature shows that gamification of EDSM can involve various gamification elements such as avatars, challenges, feedback, leaderboard, rewards, and rankings. Thus, development of an efficient gamification approach requires selection of appropriate gamification elements that will be used in the system. In this chapter, the design of gamification approach is formulated as a multi-criteria decision-making problem, and Hesitant Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method which integrates decision makers’ hesitancy into the decision problem is used for the solution. To this end, an extended literature review is conducted to present current gamification studies in the literature, then gamification alternatives and decision model are proposed. Finally, a real-world numerical example is conducted.

Entrepreneurship studies have been attracting more attention in the last few years. Several articles provide a background and discuss the importance of entrepreneurship under a variety of circumstances, such as Ács et al. [1], van Stel et al. [2], and Intrama et al. [3]. University students of today are, undoubtedly, the leaders of tomorrow. Therefore, it is vital to understand their ideas, preferences, opinions, and perceptions in general, as to get a sense of what to expect from these future leaders and also to identify weaknesses and potential for improvements. Given the role both entrepreneurship and students play in our society, it is important to put those in context and to study them. Dabic et al. [4] have touched upon the convergence between students and entrepreneurship and this research is another building block to be added to the body of knowledge on the field—hoping to advance the understanding of our future leaders and how they perceive such a critical pillar of modern civilization. This study research question is:

The perceptions toward the barriers for universities becoming entrepreneurial are important to address. Investigating the relationships between the factors that lead to these perceptions helps understand and plan well for universities to become entrepreneurial. Studying the previous faculty work experience helps us examine the perception of inadequate link with industry as a barrier. This study uses data from a study conducted to examine the university environment and culture toward entrepreneurial university in a certain Croatian university. We aim to explore the relationship between the faculty’s previous work experience and the perception of inadequate link with industry as a barrier for universities becoming entrepreneurial. This research provides a useful contribution to the literature, as it attempts to identify that relationship considering the impact of various factors. We found that there is less perception of inadequate link with industry as a barrier for faculty members who have experience in the private sector. The participation in a technology project, the perception of offering entrepreneurship courses for staff is a requirement for universities to become entrepreneurial, and the faculty’s suitability to create their income factors are not explaining the relationship.

In today’s digital age, fueled by consumers’ expectations for robust and personalized digital experiences, the adoption and use of electronic services (e-services) by customers and constituents is critical. In higher education there is an immense need for institutions to build service and digital experiences that match what students experience in their broader lives. In parallel, public universities are under tremendous budgetary and performance pressure from the general public and state legislators to increase graduation rates while living up to their goals for improving access to higher education. Central to their efforts is a focus on assisting first-generation college students graduate, as they are less likely to persist after their first year and less likely to graduate, compared to their non-first-generation peers [1–3]. One tool in these efforts is technology that students can use to support their own continued enrollment, and technology for faculty and staff to use to support student success—commonly referred to as student success technology (or student-success-technology). In the context of recent critiques of higher education, including demands to lower costs, deliver a more educational value, and provide an educated workforce to meet economic demands, this work is critically important [4].

Information technology (IT) becomes crucial part of the healthcare system and it is getting more attention worldwide. Health IT includes well-known systems that have transformed the health sector, such as electronic health records (EHRs), electronic medical records (EMRs), and electronic personal health records (ePHRs). ePHR aims at enabling patients to take more active role in their care by providing them with a tool to access their health records in a secure and safe environment. The ePHR allows greater patient-provider engagement. The provider’s adoption rate of the ePHR as a tool to connect with patients and to enable them to have access to their records is increasing at an accelerated rate. However, the patient’s ePHR adoption rate remains low. In the United States, the number of office-based physicians adopting EHR increased from 17% in 2008 to 58% as of 2015. Similarly, the non-federal acute care hospitals with certified EHR rate increased from 9% in 2008 to 84% as of 2015 [1]. Despite the efforts to encourage the health care provider’s adoption of certified EHR and ePHR, the adoption rate by patients remains below expectations [2]. The goal of this report is to investigate the key factors influencing the adoption and use of the ePHR in order to understand the patients’ intentions of the adoption and use of such a technology. More attention is needed to improve the patient’s adoption of ePHR. The factors influencing the adoption and use of the ePHR for health management are grouped into six themes. These themes include performance factors, effort factors, social factors, facilitating conditions, perceived credibility, health factors, and computer factors. The themes involve essential factors that influence the adoption and use, such as perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, portal features, subjective norms, computer and internet availability, computer literacy, computer anxiety, privacy and security, health literacy, satisfaction with medical care, and provider’s support.

Intense competition has become the norm in most markets in recent years, due to globalization and technology advancements among other reasons [1–3]. Therefore, it is an essential necessity for firms that want to stay relevant and competitive, to seek innovation and creativity in new product development (NPD) process, while trying to maintaining high quality, low prices and short time-to-market periods to survive in such changing marketplace [4–6].

With global economic dynamics and customers demanding better products and services, organizations regard innovation as a critical component of their businesses, regardless of the sector they compete on. Innovation, in turn, can be translated into more and better processes and products that minimize costs and that fulfill the ever-increasing and ever-more complex requirements and expectations of consumers. Having this scenario in mind, research and development (R&D) activities become more and more crucial since the innovation that organizations need spans largely from these activities. R&D, once seen as a purely creative and non-manageable process, has started to attract the attention of managers who see an opportunity to enhance innovation and the whole performance of an organization by means of managing research and development efforts. In that context, many managerial processes have been created and advanced, among which one can mention project management, program and portfolio management, new product development, and road mapping, among others.

This chapter presents a methodological approach to measure an organization’s technology transfer capabilities. The integrated approach is a combination of action research in the first phase and a hierarchical decision modeling (HDM) in the second phase, and rather than focusing on assessing a single technology or project/program, focuses on assessing the organization as a whole, i.e., the model brings insights on how ready the organization is in order to successfully transfer technologies from the research stage into an operational stage. The following sections bring a detailed explanation on action research as a research approach and on HDM as a decision-making method, as well as the presentation of the assessment framework with the necessary steps to build the model and to apply it.

This chapter presents the application of an action research and hierarchical decision modeling-based methodology to assess an organization’s technology transfer capabilities. The model was applied in the Northwest region in the United States. More specifically, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) was the organization assessed in this study. The action research, aiming at enhancing the agency’s technology transfer process, lasted for approximately 2 years before the model was built.

This study aims to develop institutional strategies improving licensing practice of academic research institutions based on understanding licensing performance and influencing institutional characteristics. The study resulted in a new approach that integrated the steps of identification of time lags in licensing, efficiency change analysis, and exploration of the influence of organizational characteristics on the efficiency change. A super-efficiency variable returns-to-scale DEA model was applied to the time-lag neutralized licensing data. This model measured the efficiency of US research institutions’ licensing performance over time. The study also included an innovative approach to resolve issues with the super efficiency DEA model, including mathematical infeasibility and zero data considerations. The results that are grounded on the comprehensive observations over multiple time durations provide an insight into the licensing practices of US research institutions. The recommendations for the research institutions are built on the relationships identified among academic prestige, research intensity, organizational characteristics of the technology licensing office, and licensing performance.

The managers and owners of the organization do exist in an agent-principal relationship, whereby the former is expected by the latter to maximize their return. However, for managers to avoid conflict with their principals, they have been tasked with making critical decisions to ensure that the project is executed in accordance with the established plan. Decision-making is critical to the success of any project, and it is among the most important roles that a manager commits to. The manager has to lead and motivate the project management team and must be the source for the right equipment and materials. Also, the manager must create an environment conducive to the full realization of a project’s primary goals. Since a project is a temporary undertaking that is meant to achieve a specific agendum, it has to be executed in a manner that is fully cognizant of resource limitations. Therefore, the decisions that are made have to involve the effective allocation of resources to the various units of the project.

Leadership is a key concept that has been used in the past decades. We can select the best definition of leadership and leadership styles by comparing the previous studies. Due to the variety of people, personalities, and types of industries, too many styles of leadership were introduced. Also, each style has its own definition and specifications. However, with high volume of different leadership styles, the overlaps between them could be figured out. This study is aimed to examine the overlaps and the factors that affect the role of leadership in project environment. In our research, we created three essential tables that categorize and describe the leadership styles, as well as identify the factors of the leadership styles. Analyzing the three tables led us to provide the most effective factor that impacts the role of leadership in project environment.

An excellent quality management system is vital for a manufacturing organization to enhance its competitiveness. Over the years, TQM (Total Quality Management) has become a crucial tool for the sustained growth and support of manufacturing organizations. In an increasingly competitive business environment however, developing the appropriate foundation for TQM implementation continues to challenge many organizations. A comprehensive framework for TQM implementation engages several essential pillars and associative factors. This research examines and evaluates the true pillars of quality management: creation of quality management environment, teamwork, quality control tools and techniques, supplier relationships, and customer focus. Findings suggest that factors associated with these pillars are significantly evidenced in the studied organizations.

Some people welcome change, while others fear it. People who welcome change concentrate on the great opportunities brought by it, while people who fear change focus on the risks. Currently in society, the change management has been implemented in almost every aspect of all business sectors because the world is a constantly dynamic community, where the opportunities and risks rotate regularly. The key factor in obtaining great opportunities in this constantly changing environment is within proper change management. Many researchers in the literature field have realized this point. Therefore, there exist many theories about change management. This research paper makes a precise comparison among several leading change management models. Through comparison, great similarities and differences are found among these change management models. For example, the Kotter’s change model, the ADKAR, and the Lewin’s change management model share likenesses on many stages, but there are many. Thus, one cannot conclude model is most effective. Not only do these change management models emphasize different things, but their application circumstances differ as well. From this research, it is found that Kotter’s model pays close attention to the implementation of the organizational change from the perspective of the senior leaders. It is much more effective to adopt Kotter’s change model when the organizational change starts with the senior management. Moreover, the ADKAR model focuses on the large organization, and Lewin’s change management model concentrates on the reduction of the resisting force. Change management can perfectly fit into the IE field.