Technological dependency in the electronic power generation industry | |
| Author | Thumanoon Paukatong |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.SM-06-06 |
| Subject(s) | Technology transfer Technology assessment |
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Many of the transferees in developing countries get into technology transfer agreements without realizing that these agreements may lead to long-term technological dependencies on technology transferors. The big challenge of a technology transfer exercise is to satisfy the need for foreign technology while taking measures to minimize technological dependency. The primary purpose of this research is to develop a model to outline and link various components and elements of technological dependency within the context of the electric power generation industry and to apply the model to assess technological dependency at five thermal electric power plants in Thailand. This dissertation presents a technological dependency assessment (TDA) model for the technological process in electric power plant operation. Four manifest components with two types of technological dependency are identified. The first type is called `resource' dependency and consists of `technology' and. 'knowledge' components. The second type is called `capability' dependency and consists of the `utilization' and `acquisition' components. Moreover, attitudes that exist in each manifest component of technological dependency is assessed to determine attitudinal dependency, which involves the beliefs, perceptions, feelings and values that can encourage the tendency to stick to current resources and capabilities, and therefore to resist change. A case study methodology is used as it was found to be an ideal approach for an in-depth investigation of technological dependency in the electric power generation industry. Five EGAT power plants were selected as case studies because the local expertise in electric power generation is essentially based there. From the results of the case studies, attitudinal dependencies emerge as causes of manifest technological dependency. Attitudinal dependencies on utilization, knowledge, and acquisition had negative impact on the electric power generation process. The attitude of putting too much emphasis on cost effectiveness prevented human resource development and technology development. The only means of technology acquisition was technology transfer from a developed country as against in-house technology development. This dependency on foreign providers of technology became the dominant corporate culture in technology acquisition. The three-level strategies suggested here to reduce technological dependency would enhance the financial, technical, strategic, and partnering benefits from an effective technology transfer. While the short-term strategy is expected to resolve technological dependency in technology utilization, the medium-term strategy is for alleviating dependency on technology acquisition. The long-term strategy is designed to eventually eliminate knowledge dependency from occurring in the firm. However the results of the study are applicable to only thermal power plants in the electric power generation industry in Thailand. Some indicators in this study cannot be applied to other industries. The dependency range may also vary from industry to industry and country to country. Therefore, these limitations could restrict the ability to extrapolate generalizations from this study to some extent. However, the general approach could be beneficial if applied to other industries. Technological dependency in other industries could be further investigated by using this framework for future research |
| Year | 2006 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Management |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Master of Business Administration (MBA) (Publication code=SM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Paul, Himangshu; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Igel, Barbara;Sununta Siengthai;Weerakorn Ongsakul;Gupta, Jatinder N.D.; |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2006 |