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Cms 202 Technology And Innovation Management Question Paper
Cms 202 Technology And Innovation Management
Course:Bachelor Of Commerce
Institution: Kca University question papers
Exam Year:2011
UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS: 2011/2012
YEAR II EXAMINATION FOR THE BACHELOR OF COMMERCE
CMS 202 TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION MANAGEMENT
(SUNDAY)
DATE: APRIL 2012 TIME: 2 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer Question One and Any other Two Questions
Instructions: Read the case below and answer question one and any other two questions
SONY - Taking its Eye off the Market?
Sony are well known for high quality consumer electronics - hi-fis, the Walkman, Discmans, personal
digital assistants (PDAs), televisions, DVDs, laptops and of course the PlayStation. Sony has been at
the leading edge of these technologies for many years, winning plaudits and awards for its innovative
technology. Imagine the horror of the financial world when the company announced a loss of nearly
£600 million in the first three months of 2003! It has now re-assessed its markets and strategy and is
looking to restructure, cutting up to 13% (20,000) of its workforce worldwide.
There have been a number of problems Sony have faced - in some cases highlighting how easy it is to
misread market signals:
• Firstly, PlayStation 2 (PS2). PS2 is far and away the biggest selling games console - with unit
sales in excess of 51 million, it is way ahead of its rivals Game Cube and X-Box, who each
have sold around 9 million units. But the market is reaching saturation point and sales are
slowing down. It has introduced the new 'EyeToy' - a web cam that sits on top of the television
and enables gamesters to become physically involved in the games they play through the use of
motion sensing technology. The EyeToy shipped over one million units in the first three
months of its launch in Europe and has now been launched in the United States and Japan.
2
• Secondly, flat screen televisions. In 2002, 1.4 million flat screen televisions were sold. Sony
did not see the need to get into the market and continued to focus on traditional cathode ray
tube (CRT) televisions. Sony's rivals, especially Samsung and Matsushita, both had a different
approach and invested in this new technology. The market for flat screen TVs is estimated to
grow to over 19 million in the next three years. Sony got left behind and attributed much of its
problems to this 'oversight'! In addition, Matsushita has stolen the market for DVD technology
making large profits when Sony has been looking forward to only moderate yearly profits!
Source: www.bized.co.uk
QUESTION ONE
a) i) Sony has had to deal with a fair share of technological and market changes; evaluate
Sony’s change management strategy as depicted in the case above. (10 Marks)
ii) Define the concept ‘Diffusion’ as used in technology management (2 Marks)
b) i) Trace the possible diffusion path taken by a typical Sony product once introduced into
the market. (8 Marks)
ii) Explain how you could assess the success of Sony’s technology. (10 Marks)
QUESTION TWO
Discuss the reasons why businesses still find it difficult to apply intellectual property protection laws
in Kenya. (20 Marks)
QUESTION THREE
a) Explain the functions of a technology manager in an organisation. (10 Marks)
b) Evaluate the impact that change can have on an organisation. (10 Marks)
QUESTION FOUR
a) Explain the key considerations in technology assessment. (10 Marks)
b) Explain the role of a business incubator in technology transfer. (10 Marks)
QUESTION FIVE
a) Evaluate the role of technology in a business. (10 Marks)
b) Discuss the role of a government in enhancing technology usage in a country (10 Marks)
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