Managing Research, Development and Innovation: Managing the Unmanageable 3rd Edition

This book makes an excellent course textbook, but it is also a useful read for practicing scientists in government and industrial research organizations. Scientists and engineers often are promoted into significant management responsibilities with little or no formal management training, and the results can be chaotic, both for the managers and the scientists and technicians being managed. Managing the Unmanageable is directed at providing a formal analysis of, and training to, this neglected class of managers that are a critical element of our economy and government. I found the chapters on leadership and managing conflict particularly useful. The self scoring tests are a useful tools for understanding the fundamental of your own management style and provide insight into how others are influencing your research environment.

Excellent well documented. Author provides both an overvierw or survey of teh typical R&D effort plus insights on world class examples. Well done

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This well-organized and comprehensive book can serve as a valuable reference for those working in the field or a textbook for students. Information is easy to access, with each chapter providing a concise overview of the stated topic.After starting with the basics--including a section, "What is Research and Development?"--the book quickly moves on to provide insight on creating and running effective R&D organizations, examine issues in technology transfer, identify models for innovation, provide perspective on the role of strategy in R&D organizations, and explore how research activities relate to social and economic goals and potential implications for science policy.Through its extensive review of global trends and recent literature, the book emphasizes providing examples of approaches organizations use to achieve their goals rather than recommending a specific approach. For example, in a chapter on innovation, the book specifically states that "the question is not which model is best, but which model or models best fit an organization's strategic objectives for innovation." This book's readers will be well armed to face the challenges of "managing the unmanageable."

Recently, I read with great interest the book entitled “Managing Research, Development and Innovation: Managing the Unmanageable”. Of the two dozen books describing managing innovation, I truly think this book is probably the most comprehensive and inspiring. I was pleasantly surprised to find many fresh ideas and concepts scattered throughout the 400 odd pages of the book. I recommend this book to anyone involved in leading and managing innovative research.

Today, innovation, research and development more and more orient to "problem-solving" toward the global social and environmental challenges. They are playing a more and more significant role in all fields of global modern civilization and economy. All of us are facing a big challenge of how to well organize a multi-disciplinary team with proper management in order to catch up the fast increasing needs in doing innovation, research and development. This book provides us with decent knowledge in managing the "unmanageable".Well written by authorities in this field, it provides a comprehensive guide to R&D organization based on their theoretical exploration as well as their management practices. This book can be considered to serve as an instructive tool for research and development organizations, and faculty members, department heads, and research administrators at academic institutions.Written as a comprehensive guide, this book covers nearly every important aspect in managing R&D organization, from the micro-level management perspective to the macro-level understanding of science policy, from the birth of innovation to technical transfer, from the theory of individual behavior to potential challenges aroused by multicultural cooperation, etc. With the topics clearly developed with a vivid combination of theoretical analysis, models and case analyses, this book is desirable text book for individuals seeking for knowledge about R&D organization management courses.Based on my over 20 years' experience in graduates teaching and supervision, I would say this book is good for graduates education and training. It is really great to know that this thoughtful and excellent works have been published both in English and Chinese. I am going to recommend my colleagues to use this book as their elective course for graduate's education both in USA and China.

This book is a comprehensive overview of all the academic research on issues that face R&D managers. They hit all the major topics that arise in a day-to-day environment, and provide research that makes you stop and think, "Hmm, never thought about that".This is an excellent resource for someone wanting to know all the challenges of R&D. A thorough read will leave you much better informed than when you began. Of course, one can always ask for more depth on certain topics (such as interpersonal conflict, my own area of expertise), yet their coverage reflects much of the current thinking. One other topic, tech transfer, could be enhanced by data on exactly how well it is currently working (which is abysmal); along with antidotes to the failure scenarios. To their credit, they do isolate some crucial variables of tech transfer.The book is ideal for a course on R&D and as a resource in one's library to consult.William W. Wilmot, Ph.D.