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Innovation and industrial strength in the U.K., West Germany, United States and Japan
Long Range Planning Vol. 23
110
June 1990
impression of the diversity of applications and the creativity of some organizations’ training departments! One can also discern the critical success factors for the introduction of CBT by examining the problems reported. These CSFs seem to be: 0
a clear understanding
Q adequate
of the need;
speed of the processor;
*
clarity
*
integration
of displays; with more
conventional
training;
A access/convenience; *
volume
*
design
of trainees
(to offset development
for ease of updating;
A inevitably,
senior
costs);
and
management
The final part of the book deals with the trends in training and technology perceived by the authors. The convergence of these trends gives rise to the exciting possibility of training through computers delivered through some kind of expert system and becoming totally embedded in the job. This would blur the distinction between on and offjob training. This, the authors conclude, is a major challenge to CBT designers. Unfortunately, since the book was published in 1988, little progress has been made in artificial intelligence technology which would allow the development of genuine intelligent tutoring systems. In summary, this book sets out to cover a very broad canvas and makes a reasonably good job of it. For me, the main problems stem from the tendency to describe the technology rather than the training-one gets little feel for the ways in which the less technically literate training manager might become excited by this media. Nor does the book give much information about the advantages of using off-the-shelf products or of how organizations have linked computer based training with more conventional techniques. However, I recognize this is a counsel of perfection. The acid test is, would I recommend this book to an audience wider than trainers? Yes I would. Applied
methods profits by
The initial thesis that firms in the U.K. and the U.S. squeeze research and capital spending to maintain dividends is hardly borne out by the results of their statistical inquiries. The ratios of expenditure on R & D and innovation to sales tell no clear story. In three out of five industries (mechanical engineering, electronics and motors) the U.S. and U.K. had higher ratios than Japan-although not in most cases in Germany. Indeed in the case of electronics the U.K. has much the highest ratio of all, 21 per cent against 8.4 per cent for Japan, and this rather surprising result is said not to be due to disproportionately high expenditure in the defence field.
support.
Part four deals with the issues involved in introducing CBT, but does not pull together the SUCCESS factors just mentioned. However, the book does cover the claimed advantages and disadvantages of CBT and describes a four-stage process of adoption. The processes of development, testing and implementation are also briefly outlined. This part finishes with a chapter on cost/benefit evaluation. Perhaps predictably, there appears to be no really satisfactory measures, although such evidence as there is seems to indicate that CBT can result in faster learning and better retention and transfer of skills back to the workplace than is the case with more traditional techniques.
GARY SAUNDERS,
in new plant and machinery. Present accounting accentuate the short-term pressures to maximize keeping down such expenditure.
The reader is thus left frustrated by a mass of figures (there arc 90 pages of tables against 50 pages of text) which seem to bear little relation to the general argument and where one suspects detailed investigation of definitions and coverage is needed to arrive at any intelligible conclusions. It provides useful material for further research rather than a vindication of the authors’ initial thesis. JOHN GRIEVE SMITH,
Review
Robinson
College
Briefs
The following notes on books received reviews. They arc mainly brief descriptions enlighten the reader on its general intention
are not detailed of each book to and approach.
The expectation is that more books can be described to readers than has proved possible by publishing only critical reviews. The descriptive information should enable interest in the books to be raised beyond that induced by just listing the titles. However, it is recognized that a critical review can be far more informative about a book than is attempted with Review Briefs and, accordingly, offers to review any books are solicited. Having been described in Review Briefs, a review should critically examine the contents ofa publication as an assessment of whether its stated intentions have been met and whether the way it achieves these intentions is attractive to the reader. It is expected that each review will require 100~1500 words and will be fully attributed. The reviewer keeps the book but Long Range Planning makes no payment. As an alternative, it may be apparent that either a single ‘milestone’ class publication or several books on a single topic could constitute a wider perspective Essay Review.
Learning
West Germany, (1989), L29.95.
This would be expected to comprise an article of some 300&4000 words and would have a written introduction by the Review Editor. The Journal would make its usual article contribution payments to the author of an Essay Review.
This report published by the Policy Studies Institute sets out the results of a statistical study into innovation in five industries (mechanical engineering, electronics, motor vehicles, chemicals, textiles) in the U.K., West Germany, the U.S. and Japan: the authors’ main thesis is that research and development and innovation should be regarded in the same light as investment
Readers interested to review any book in Review Briefs should by prepared to offer a copy deadline some 3 months ahead which can be relied on in planning the Journal. As a matter of readership policy, reviewer preference will be given to practising managers, or planners. Your interest should be expressed as a specific request to review a book from Review
Innovation and Industrial Strength in the U.K., United States andjapan, Policy Studies Institute
110
June 1990
impression of the diversity of applications and the creativity of some organizations’ training departments! One can also discern the critical success factors for the introduction of CBT by examining the problems reported. These CSFs seem to be: 0
a clear understanding
Q adequate
of the need;
speed of the processor;
*
clarity
*
integration
of displays; with more
conventional
training;
A access/convenience; *
volume
*
design
of trainees
(to offset development
for ease of updating;
A inevitably,
senior
costs);
and
management
The final part of the book deals with the trends in training and technology perceived by the authors. The convergence of these trends gives rise to the exciting possibility of training through computers delivered through some kind of expert system and becoming totally embedded in the job. This would blur the distinction between on and offjob training. This, the authors conclude, is a major challenge to CBT designers. Unfortunately, since the book was published in 1988, little progress has been made in artificial intelligence technology which would allow the development of genuine intelligent tutoring systems. In summary, this book sets out to cover a very broad canvas and makes a reasonably good job of it. For me, the main problems stem from the tendency to describe the technology rather than the training-one gets little feel for the ways in which the less technically literate training manager might become excited by this media. Nor does the book give much information about the advantages of using off-the-shelf products or of how organizations have linked computer based training with more conventional techniques. However, I recognize this is a counsel of perfection. The acid test is, would I recommend this book to an audience wider than trainers? Yes I would. Applied
methods profits by
The initial thesis that firms in the U.K. and the U.S. squeeze research and capital spending to maintain dividends is hardly borne out by the results of their statistical inquiries. The ratios of expenditure on R & D and innovation to sales tell no clear story. In three out of five industries (mechanical engineering, electronics and motors) the U.S. and U.K. had higher ratios than Japan-although not in most cases in Germany. Indeed in the case of electronics the U.K. has much the highest ratio of all, 21 per cent against 8.4 per cent for Japan, and this rather surprising result is said not to be due to disproportionately high expenditure in the defence field.
support.
Part four deals with the issues involved in introducing CBT, but does not pull together the SUCCESS factors just mentioned. However, the book does cover the claimed advantages and disadvantages of CBT and describes a four-stage process of adoption. The processes of development, testing and implementation are also briefly outlined. This part finishes with a chapter on cost/benefit evaluation. Perhaps predictably, there appears to be no really satisfactory measures, although such evidence as there is seems to indicate that CBT can result in faster learning and better retention and transfer of skills back to the workplace than is the case with more traditional techniques.
GARY SAUNDERS,
in new plant and machinery. Present accounting accentuate the short-term pressures to maximize keeping down such expenditure.
The reader is thus left frustrated by a mass of figures (there arc 90 pages of tables against 50 pages of text) which seem to bear little relation to the general argument and where one suspects detailed investigation of definitions and coverage is needed to arrive at any intelligible conclusions. It provides useful material for further research rather than a vindication of the authors’ initial thesis. JOHN GRIEVE SMITH,
Review
Robinson
College
Briefs
The following notes on books received reviews. They arc mainly brief descriptions enlighten the reader on its general intention
are not detailed of each book to and approach.
The expectation is that more books can be described to readers than has proved possible by publishing only critical reviews. The descriptive information should enable interest in the books to be raised beyond that induced by just listing the titles. However, it is recognized that a critical review can be far more informative about a book than is attempted with Review Briefs and, accordingly, offers to review any books are solicited. Having been described in Review Briefs, a review should critically examine the contents ofa publication as an assessment of whether its stated intentions have been met and whether the way it achieves these intentions is attractive to the reader. It is expected that each review will require 100~1500 words and will be fully attributed. The reviewer keeps the book but Long Range Planning makes no payment. As an alternative, it may be apparent that either a single ‘milestone’ class publication or several books on a single topic could constitute a wider perspective Essay Review.
Learning
West Germany, (1989), L29.95.
This would be expected to comprise an article of some 300&4000 words and would have a written introduction by the Review Editor. The Journal would make its usual article contribution payments to the author of an Essay Review.
This report published by the Policy Studies Institute sets out the results of a statistical study into innovation in five industries (mechanical engineering, electronics, motor vehicles, chemicals, textiles) in the U.K., West Germany, the U.S. and Japan: the authors’ main thesis is that research and development and innovation should be regarded in the same light as investment
Readers interested to review any book in Review Briefs should by prepared to offer a copy deadline some 3 months ahead which can be relied on in planning the Journal. As a matter of readership policy, reviewer preference will be given to practising managers, or planners. Your interest should be expressed as a specific request to review a book from Review
Innovation and Industrial Strength in the U.K., United States andjapan, Policy Studies Institute