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This paper aims to investigate the pattern of technological capability building in the gas turbine industry as a complex product system (CoPS) in an Iranian gas turbine producer named Oil Turbo Compressor Company (OTC) and to recognize multi-level (firm, industry and national) drivers influencing technological catching up in this company.

This paper used a qualitative approach and case study research strategy. A preliminary theoretical framework is proposed based on research background. Also, the data were collected from various sources, including the interview with 11 experts, studying many documents and participating in some relevant meetings and conventions. To analyze the data, the authors relied on their preliminary theoretical framework and applied the chronological sequence analysis technique.

Our findings show that, first, in contrast with mass-produced industries where capability building pattern often leads to product innovation, technological capabilities in OTC have evolved from assembling to manufacturing, upgrading and finally redesigning of existing models of gas turbines. Second, two firm-level (proper technology acquisition strategies and building organizational and managerial capabilities), two industry-level (networking, integration and collaboration among key actors and existence of local market and demand) and two national-level (government’s policies, supports and initiatives and institutional arrangement and political conditions) drivers have played indispensable roles in facilitating and accelerating technological catching up by OTC.

Inevitably, the current research faces a few limitations. For instance, the difficulty of generalization is considered an inherent problem because it is a case study of only one Iranian latecomer company, as well as only one CoPS industry. Regarding implications, the findings suggest that technological catching up in CoPS industries in developing countries is not a simple and autonomous process and is influenced by multi-level factors, including national-, industry- and firm-level drivers.

In terms of theory, this paper tends to investigate and explain the catching-up process in OTC as an Iranian gas turbine producer by applying a multi-level theoretical framework that consists of firm-, industry- and national-level drivers. In terms of practice, this paper aims at investigating drivers affecting the catching-up process in a CoPS industry in a developing country that was faced with vast international sanctions, while many other studies in this area examined cases from developing countries such as Korea and China that had the opportunity of enjoying international collaborations and overseas knowledge flows.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the intra-organizational factors effective in a successful strategy implementation, measure the interaction intensity, analyze relation patterns among those factors, and lastly, prioritize the factors according to the level of importance and effect in the success of a strategy implementation.

A review of the literature produced 13 key intra-organizational factors involved in successful strategy implementation. The factors were then prioritized and the interaction among them was identified using interpretive structural modelling (ISM). DEMATEL was employed to quantitatively calculate the importance, intensity and effect in the interaction among the factors. Finally, combining both the aforementioned methods an integrated ISM-DEMATEL model was devised through which the factors were prioritized while the importance, intensity and effect of each factor were quantitatively calculated.

Prioritization and establishing relations and interactions among the identified factors by ISM; determining the priority of each factor and their intensity of effect and interaction on a quantitative basis through DEMATEL method and developing the integrated model of ISM-DEMATEL for intra-organizational factors effective in successful strategy implementation.

Due to time limitation, the hybrid model could not be practically applied to any organizations or businesses and in this research, only 12 experts were consulted to construct the model. If the experts involved were increased both quantitatively and qualitatively no doubt the final model would be upheld.

Managers who are involved in strategy implementation or who intend to enter this phase are advised to apply the integrated ISM-DEMATEL model that presented in this paper in order to obtain good perspective about interaction and prioritization among the intra-organizational factors effective in strategy implementation success.

Identification of 13 key intra-organizational factors effective in successful strategy execution, by studying through the literature; prioritization and establishing relations and interactions among the identified factors by ISM; determining the priority of each factor and their intensity of effect and interaction on a quantitative basis through DEMATEL method; developing the integrated model of ISM-DEMATEL for intra-organizational factors effective in successful strategy execution; improving the integrated model through ISM by applying the findings obtained through DEMATEL.

The aim of this paper is to promote the authors' understanding of technology intelligence by responding to two questions: What is technology intelligence? How is it accomplished?

To respond to the two main questions about technology intelligence in this paper, the authors have studied relevant academic, peer-reviewed journals and books using the literature databases of Google Scholar, Sciencedirect, Inderscience, Wiley and Emerald Insight. They have used few selection criteria to choose papers and books for inclusion in their study.

Enhancing the authors' understanding of the technology intelligence concept by responding to the two main questions (What is technology intelligence? How is it accomplished?), classifying the main studies in the field of technology intelligence and several practical and theoretical implications are the findings in this paper.

A number of practical implications related to technology intelligence structure, process, methods, tools and players are suggested to managers of organizations and companies to improve their technology-related planning processes and decision-making.

Despite the considerable level of consensus on the necessity of precise scanning and monitoring technological changes and trends, there is still limited understanding of the technology intelligence concept. This paper intends to enhance the authors' understanding of technology intelligence by responding to two questions: What is technology intelligence? And how is it accomplished?