Technology Management Competences Supporting the Business Strategy

The execution of the business strategy requires the integration of market conditions, organizational capabilities and direction. Under this principle, Top Management needs to align theirs and the firm's human resources competences with the business strategy and the characteristics of the business environment. Competences represent a dynamic combination of knowledge, expertise, attitudes and responsibilities acquired through professional studies that are used to solve administrative problems, among them those involving technology decisions. This paper identifies the Management of Technology competences required by junior executives to incorporate technology to their operative tasks under the global business environment characterized by the extensive use of information and communication technology, and an industry base with a low innovation rate but an intensive use of mature technologies to perform standardized process. Junior executives enrolled in MBA programs with an international focus were surveyed, the analysis of the information provided by these managers studying in Peru, Germany, Ecuador and Mexico allow concluding typical managerial competences are the most valued while competences related to Management of Technology and technology acquisition do not figure as critical; this calls for a reinforcement about the relevance of technology management education at the MBA level.