1. Explain how globalization of markets affects the importance of innovation?
2. What are some of the things that influence organizational creativity?
3. Are inventors born or made?
4. How do you know if you should be a first-mover or late-entrant into the market?
5. How do complimentary technologies support/develop an innovation? Give some examples.
6. A venture capitalist is most likely going to provide funding for your innovation if...?
7. Analysis of a company that is highly innovative.
8. What is the danger of not having strategic intent with respect to innovation?
9. At a retreat by the Salisbury City Council, community leaders held a discussion on attracting and developing new businesses and increasing employment rates in the city. One leader suggested that the city consider sponsoring a business incubator. Explain what an incubator is and how this might help the city meet its goals.
10. Lately computer users have been using USB Jump Drives to copy and store files. These are also called "thumb drives," "pen drives," and other names. These are small drives you can attach to a key chain and plug into any USB port and have the utility of a hard drive. The size of their memory varies from 16 kilobytes to several gigabytes. Assume you are the CEO of the Ajax Thumb Drive Company. How might you use the s-curve model to predict when to switch to a new technology? What would be the limitations of this approach?
11. Explain why it is that if a company's technology is adopted by users ahead of other technologies, it might be at a tremendous advantage and competitors will have trouble catching up.
12. Why is the installed base of users of a technology that requires complementary goods so important to a company's future success?
13. Prahalad and Hamel offer 3 tests to identify a firm's core competencies: List the tests, explain them, and provide examples.
14. Gallon, Stillman & Coates suggest a six-step approach for identifying and cultivating a firm's core competencies. Describe this approach and provide examples.