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The paper develops a model for enhancing R&D productivity for Indian public funded laboratories. The paper utilizes the productivity data of five Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) laboratories for analysis and to form the constructs of the model.

The weighted average method was employed for analyzing the rankings of survey respondents pertaining to the significant measures enhancing R&D involvement of researchers and significant non-R&D jobs. The authors have proposed a model of productivity. Various individual, organizational and environmental constructs related to the researchers working in the CSIR laboratories have been outlined that can enhance R&D productivity of researchers in Indian R&D laboratories. Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to find the predictability of the productivity model.

The organizational factors have a crucial role in enhancing the R&D outputs of CSIR laboratories. The R&D productivity of researchers can be improved through implementing the constructs of the proposed model of productivity.

The R&D productivity model can be adapted by the R&D laboratories to enhance researchers’ R&D involvement, increased R&D outputs and achieving self-sustenance in long run.

The R&D laboratories can initiate exercises to explore the most relevant factors and measures to enhance R&D productivity of their researchers. The constructs of the model can function as a guideline to introduce the most preferable research policies in the laboratory for overall mutual growth of laboratory and the researchers.

Hardly any studies have been found that have focused on finding the measures of enhancing R&D involvement of researchers and the influence of significant time-intensive jobs on researchers’ productivity.

This paper aims to examine the effect of R&D laboratories on the perceived performance of MNE subsidiaries during recession.

Employing resource-based view and knowledge-based theory, the authors investigate a unique sample of 171 technologically heterogenous foreign MNE subsidiaries located in Greece over the period of recession 2009–2016. The sample subsidiaries operate different types of R&D laboratories.

The authors find that MNE subsidiaries with advanced R&D laboratories such as locally integrated laboratories (LILs) and internationally interdependent laboratories (IILs) perform better in recession than subsidiaries with support laboratories (SLs) or subsidiaries without R&D laboratories. Overall, the authors find an asymmetric performance contribution of R&D laboratories at subsidiary level.

The study provides useful insights into the environmentally derived “knowledge-based - performance” context, so filling an important research gap, since little is known about the performance impact of the input-side of technological activity at MNE subsidiary level, especially as regards R&D facilities/infrastructure. Based on the findings the authors identify important managerial implications.

The authors investigate the relationship between the structure and the functioning of scientific and technical (S&T) personnel and the quality research and development (R&D) performance output of laboratories functioning under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India. The purpose of this paper is to examine how rapid economic and social changes and the demand for better accountability are addressed by public R&D institutions in a specific developing economy.

The authors use the functions performed by the S&T personnel as indicators of their tacit knowledge. The authors use data from 27 different CSIR laboratories to analyze the specific functions carried out by knowledge workers (S&T personnel) in order to gauge the internal strengths and weaknesses of individual laboratories in different functional areas. The authors use the following measures to tap the quality R&D performance of these laboratories – number of Indian patents filed and granted, number of foreign patents filed and granted, and the number of published papers figuring among the top 50 CSIR publications in specific research areas over an extended period of 11 years (2003-2004 to 2013-2014).

The findings show that there is no readymade formula for identifying improvements in quality performance by a research laboratory, given a particular set of S&T worker profile in terms of the six functions defined in the study. The top-performing laboratories have excellent patent as well as publication record reinforcing the point that innovation encompasses both basic and applied research with success depending upon strategically emphasizing the different components of the innovation process.

The scope of the present research work is limited by the choice of the quality R&D performance measures adopted in the study that could be further expanded to better tap the social accountability of these public-funded institutions. In addition, inclusion of all CSIR laboratories in the study framework would add value to the study findings. The research highlights the importance of tacit knowledge management and organizational learning as central features of strategic organization development for technology practices incorporating R&D work, the support of pilot plants, experimental field stations, and engineering and design units.

The paper has particular implications for the leadership and management of public R&D organizations and public policy formulation for innovation in an emerging developing economy context.

This study extends the extant literature by drawing upon the role of tacit knowledge and organizational learning to inform the empirical research on managing public R&D and the innovations that result from it, in a particular emerging economy context, that is, India.

This paper intends to explore the measure for aligning the goals of researchers toward achieving organizational R&D targets. The paper also explores the significance and ordering of R&D outputs and the factors that influence generation of R&D outputs, from the perspective of researchers working in the Indian public sector organizations.

Data were collected in five Indian R&D laboratories, and weighted average method Spearman correlation coefficient and rank regression were utilized for the analysis.

The findings indicated that various groups of researchers prefer to target different R&D outputs and not all the factors are considered as equally significant in influencing the generation of R&D outputs. Further, the R&D organization should include preferred real factors while policy making for achieving collaborative efforts toward fulfilling organizational objectives. The set of selected R&D outputs and influencing factors were also ordered according to the average rankings given by the researchers.

The findings can help R&D managers to identify the expectations of the researchers and include their preferences in R&D Planning. The study could be extended to a larger dataset of researchers working in other government as well as private R&D organizations.

Hardly any studies were found that explored the preferences of researchers with respect to R&D outputs and influencing factors with respect to the Indian public sector R&D laboratories.

Quality in research and development (R&D) work has become increasingly important as companies commit themselves to quality improvement programmes in all areas of their activity. Quality improvement forms an important part of their competitive strategy. Quality management systems have been successfuly designed and implemented for manufacturing and service functions; but so far the quality principles and systems have been difficult to translate to the R&D function. Looks at the challenge of effective implementation of quality management and total quality principles in R&D. Discusses quality concepts, terms, systems and critical factors for successful implementation. Uses brief case histories to highlight particular approaches to implementation. Finally, introduces a new, versatile method for evaluating the capabilities of an R&D organization in terms of total quality management. It is presented in the form of a case study showing its use in a large R&D laboratory of a major multinational corporation.

Briefly reviews previous literature by the author before presenting an original 12 step system integration protocol designed to ensure the success of companies or countries in their efforts to develop and market new products. Looks at the issues from different strategic levels such as corporate, international, military and economic. Presents 31 case studies, including the success of Japan in microchips to the failure of Xerox to sell its invention of the Alto personal computer 3 years before Apple: from the success in DNA and Superconductor research to the success of Sunbeam in inventing and marketing food processors: and from the daring invention and production of atomic energy for survival to the successes of sewing machine inventor Howe in co‐operating on patents to compete in markets. Includes 306 questions and answers in order to qualify concepts introduced.

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)–National Metallurgical Laboratory (CSIR–NML) has launched a number of initiatives in different perspectives of e-Government. The “Mandays-Involvement” website was implemented by the laboratory in Government-to-Employee (G2E) perspective i.e. facilitating its research and development (R&D) manpower by providing data with respect to their own performance parameters through a single window. The development and implementation of the website had two major objectives : (1) to provide a system to the researchers for tracking and improving their own performance with respect to mandays and external cash flow generation and (2) to equip the management with a tool to enhance the organizational performance and enable optimum employee utilization.

Software Development Life Cycle approach was followed for the web-based system development and iterative model was used. Open source web development tools i.e. Php, My-Sql and CSS were used for the system development.

The new system helped in detailed profiling of current and future assignment of the researchers so as to have a check over preference-based allocation of work and providing equal opportunities of work to all.

The percentage average mandays utilization was stabilized after the implementation of the website. The percentage under and over engagements of researchers in R&D projects was controlled and reduced.

The system outputs are utilized for R&D Team formation, Project approvals and Annual Performance Evaluations.

This new information system acts as a decision support system that helps the management to align its organizational policies toward the Future Research Projects and R&D manpower.

The organization of R&D in geographic space has been identified as an important but neglected determinant of innovative performance. This study uses data on 21 U.S.-based pharmaceutical companies to investigate the potential impact of geographic organization on innovative output. Three dimensions of geographic organization are assessed: (1) centralization versus decentralization of laboratories in the United States; (2) localized spillovers among competing labs in the U.S.; and (3) globalization of laboratory networks. The findings point to the importance of international spillovers that pharmaceutical companies have harnessed through ownership of foreign laboratories. Thus, foreign labs appear beneficial for innovation, but no evidence is found of more localized spillovers among commercial labs. The analysis shows some benefits of centralization within the U.S., suggesting that an organization with one or two domestic laboratories may be optimal.

The purpose of this research is to find out the influence of the roles of Research and Development (R&D) laboratories of Multinational Corporations (MNCs); and of employee‐related characteristics on future career preferences of knowledge professionals in these laboratories. Career preferences include managerial, technical, project‐based and entrepreneurial paths.

This study draws on a large scale study of 921 professionals employed in 70 R&D units of MNC subsidiaries operating in Greece. Four ordered probit regression models were run with employee career preferences forming the dependent variables.

Two R&D laboratory roles (Support Laboratory and Locally Independent Laboratory); and age and education of the employee stand out as predictors of career preferences of examined professionals.

Notwithstanding that this is a study that took place in a country with an advancing economy, it is seemingly the first that incorporates the roles of R&D laboratories as potential predictors of career paths. Moreover, the idiosyncrasies of the Greek national context are provided as possible explanations that justify why some hypotheses based on prior literature were not supported.

MNC knowledge professionals employed in R&D units are a special group of employees whose career paths may be different from those of other groups. Thus, MNC management should tailor‐make career preferences for them.

This research is one of the few empirical studies providing evidence on career paths of employees in MNC R&D units; and suggests possible predictors that have not been put forward hitherto.

Deriving a measure of efficiency of public-funded organizations (primarily not-for-profit organizations) and ranking these efficiency measures have been major subjects of debate and discussion. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the relative performances of public-funded research and development (R&D) organizations functioning across multiple countries working on similar research streams. The authors use multiple measures of inputs and outputs for this purpose.

The authors use the data envelopment analysis (DEA) as the primary methodology of analysis The keywords highlighting the major research areas in the field of non-metrology, conducted by National Physical Laboratory (NPL), India, were utilized to select the global comparators working on similar research streams. These global comparators were three R&D organizations located in the USA and one each located in Germany and Japan. The relative efficiencies of the organizations were assessed with the following output variables – external cash flow, and the numbers of technologies transferred, publications and patents; and the following input variables – amount of grants received from the parent body, and the number of scientific personnel working in these public R&D organizations. The authors follow the output-oriented measure of efficiency at constant return to scale and variable return to scale, along with scale efficiencies.

The performance of NPL, India under multiple dimensions has been evaluated relative to its global comparators – the National Institute for Materials Science, Japan; the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA; Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, Germany; the National Centre for Atmospheric Research, USA; and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA. The study indicates suggested measures and a set of targets to achieve the best possible performance for NPL and other R&D organizations. In most cases of efficient local but not so efficient global efficiency scores indicate that, on an average, the actual scale of production has diverged from the most productive scale size.

The approach highlights the utilization of the DEA methodology for relative R&D performance assessment of global comparators. The discriminatory analysis has brought into sharp focus the dichotomy between local efficiency and global efficiency scores of these units and issues of scale size and regional disparities. The outcome of this approach is dependent upon correct selection of input and output variables and data availability.

The study results have profound implications for the management of public R&D institutions across nations working on similar-focused research streams, but functioning within different societal, economic, and political contexts.

The present work, being perhaps one of the few multinational studies of relative performance assessment of pubic-funded R&D organizations working on similar research streams, signifies the relevance of such an approach in the field of R&D/innovation management. This has opened up new avenues for further research in this area.