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Cms 202 Technology And Innovation Management (Day+Evening) Question Paper
Cms 202 Technology And Innovation Management (Day+Evening)
Course:Bachelor Of Commerce
Institution: Kca University question papers
Exam Year:2011
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UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS: 2010/2011
SECOND YEAR EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF
COMMERCE
CMS 202 TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION MANAGEMENT
(DAY+EVENING)
DATE: DECEMBER2011 TIME: 2 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer Question One and Any Other Two Questions
THE NECESSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
There are 6.7 billion people living on the planet and this number is expected to exceed 9 billion by
2050. The need for food for people, feed for animals and fuel for energy, such as for domestic
heating, motor transport and industry is increasing.
- Global demand for cereals is likely to increase by a further 40% and global demand for
meat by 60% in the next 40 years.
- Food production from existing agricultural land will need to double by 2050 to meet this
demand.
- It is necessary to balance the demands of people and wild spaces by growing more on the
same amount of agricultural land.
- Society needs to consider how to preserve biodiversity for the long-term good of the world
whilst feeding its people.
Today the world’s reserves of food, especially wheat and grain, are at their lowest point for 40-50
years in relation to the global population. The increased demand and shortage of supply has led to
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rising food prices. Research and technology is essential to develop new crops and to increase crop
yields. Technology is the application of science to create new products. Agrifarm ltd’s focus is on
delivering sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology.
Agrifarm ltd’s response to the increasing demand for food, feed and fuel has been to research and
develop:
• agricultural products to improve crop yields for farmers. This affects crops for food, feed
and fuel
• new seeds to grow better, pest-resistant, high yielding crops
Agrifarm ltd is a science and technology leader in:
Biodiversity: Agrifarm ltd works in partnership with governments and environmental
organisations to create products that protect biodiversity and conserve soil and water. Products that
remove weeds without farmers ploughing the fields help to reduce soil erosion.
Biofuels : Agrifarm ltd has responded to technical advances in other areas. For example, in order
to reduce CO2 emissions, car manufacturers are developing new engine technology in order to use
alternative fuels. Agrifarm ltd’s development of biofuels works in harmony with this. The
company is currently working to increase the efficiency of ethanol technology to provide enough
biofuels.
New technologies : Agrifarm ltd is developing Amylase technology in corn. Amylase increases
the efficiency of ethanol production from corn and also have benefits including energy cost
savings and reduced water usage without an equivalent increase in corn acreage.
Source: www.thetimes100.com
Question One
a) Explain how a change management strategy, can be applied at Agrifarm ltd. (10Marks)
b) Explain five qualities of Agrifarm ltd as a learning organization. (10Marks)
c) Explain how you could assess the success of Agrifarm ltd.’s technology. (10Marks)
Question Two
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a) To progress from an idea to a product or service in the market involves a number of
activities that are linked together to form a process. Distinguish the seven steps in the
innovation process and describe each step briefly. (10 Marks)
b) Assess the role played by intellectual property rights in technology and innovation
management in Kenya (10 Marks)
Question Three
a) Innovation is an important topic in strategic management. It can include products,
services, processes and organizational aspects and has the potential to change an
entire industry. One aspect of innovation could be understood as changes in the
sources of product differentiation. Discuss briefly explain three sources of product
differentiation
b) Innovation can lead to major shifts in technical performance. Foster (1986) explain such
discontinuities with an S-curve.
c) Explain the S-curve in a few sentences using a graph.
d) What implications does the S-curve phenomenon have for a company’s technology
strategy)
Question Four
a) Corporate culture refers to the shared values and beliefs , both implicit and explicit that
sapes the behaviours and experiences of individuals within an
organization(Hargadon,2003). In general, organizations with a strong record of innovation
will have a corporate culture that values and promotes certain items. Discuss five of this
items. (10Marks)
b) Explain the role of a business incubator in technology transfer. (10 Marks)
Question Five
You are member of a consultant team that has been hired to help a large
multinational information technology company to increase profitability. The company
has a wide range of products reaching from hardware to IT services. It focuses on both
market-driven as well as technology-driven innovation. The company operates in a fiercely
competitive environment. In recent years, the company has tried to fight decreasing revenues with
increased R&D expenditures. However, the results are not kicking in. Hence, the executive board
of the company would like to initiate a Total Innovation Management strategy for the firm.
Discuss how this could be done (8Marks)
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