The Role of Chief Technology Officer in Japanese Corporations
This paper presents results from a literature review of papers that discussed task-related issues of CTOs as well as their relations with other groups and their functions within a firm. We discuss a number of questions, which have not been addressed by researchers so far and present the results of an actual CTO survey conducted in 20 large Japanese corporations in the mechanical and electrical industries. All interviewees from the Japanese corporations spent their entire working lives with the same corporation,having a cumulated working experience which varied between 23 and 39 years (34.25 years on average). The most frequently mentioned task performed was the supervision of new technology and new product development. All the CTOs were involved with not only technology strategy but also corporate strategy. The CTOs also had full responsibility for IP strategy and management. In order to perform tasks, and to give consideration to their responsibilities, the CTOs have technical knowledge and a background in business areas. However, specific skills such as project management skills and problem solving/analyzing skills were less expected.All of the CTOs mentioned that specific long term experience in the R&D area was required. The next most often required qualification was experience as a senior R&D project manager. In contrast, very few interviewees mentioned that experience in negotiating with suppliers & third parties, an excellent record as a researcher, or international experience were required qualifications.Our findings are that those companies surveyed filled the CTO position with deeply ingrained technical people, the same as the heads of R&D divisions.
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) equivalent position role authority skill qualification
Akio NagAhira Cao Yong Isao SuGiYai Takashi MasAki
Management of Science & Technology Department, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan, 9808579 School of Management, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China, 430074 User Science Institute, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan, 8128581
国际会议
第六届管理学国际会议(Proceedings of ICM2007 the 6th International on Management)
武汉
英文
1549-1556
2007-08-03（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）