Coordination of technology intelligence processes: A study in technology intensive multinationals

The importance of technology intelligence is widely, accepted in theory and practice. However, existing research is contradictory on how this process should be coordinated. Therefore it was the objective of this contribution to derive insight into the coordination of the technology intelligence process. The results of an exploratory case study research in 26 leading European and North American companies in the pharmaceutical, telecommunications equipment and automobile/machinery industry are presented. The results show,first, that the coordination of technology, intelligence processes cannot be limited to structural coordination. Hybrid and informal forms of coordination are used simultaneously. Second, it is shown that the three forms of coordination of technology intelligence processes are being integrated differently based on the style of decision making and the culture of the company. Third, it is shown that the distribution and size of technology intelligence activities between corporate and divisional level as well as between different regions depend on the location of decision making on innovative activities and on the preconditions for performing technology intelligence.