MEM Technology & Innovation Management 5

Question 1

A technology roadmap serves which primary function in engineering management?

Accepted Answer

Aligning technology development timelines with market needs and business strategy over a multi-year horizon

Answer

Technology roadmaps visualize the links between market drivers, product requirements, and enabling technologies across time, supporting strategic alignment and resource planning.

Question 2

The 'exploration vs. exploitation' dilemma in organizational learning refers to the tension between:

Accepted Answer

Searching for new knowledge and capabilities versus leveraging existing ones for efficiency

Answer

March (1991) identified this trade-off: too much exploitation leads to competency traps, while too much exploration results in failure to capture returns from innovations.

Question 3

Which of the following best describes 'user innovation' as studied by Eric von Hippel?

Accepted Answer

Innovation carried out by product users themselves, often shared freely with others

Answer

Von Hippel found that many major innovations originate with lead users who modify products for their own needs and often share those innovations freely.

Question 4

A 'skunkworks' project in innovation management is characterized by:

Accepted Answer

A small, autonomous team operating outside normal organizational constraints to accelerate innovation

Answer

Skunkworks teams (e.g., Lockheed's Advanced Development Projects) operate with unusual autonomy, speed, and informal processes to develop breakthrough products.

Question 5

In the context of innovation ecosystems, 'complementary assets' (Teece) are important because:

Accepted Answer

A firm needs access to assets like manufacturing, distribution, and service capabilities to successfully commercialize an innovation

Answer

Teece's framework shows that without control over complementary assets, innovators can lose returns to firms with superior manufacturing, marketing, or distribution capabilities.

MEM - Master of Engineering Management Practice Test

MEM - Master of Engineering Management Practice Test

MEM Technology & Innovation Management 5