This paper explores Haier group's Tao of innovation mainly by the practice and experience of Haier Group. Based on it, the authors put forward the theoretical frame-work of the emerging new paradigm of total innovation management (TIM). Case in this leading Chinese enterprise has shown some exciting evidences that implementing TIM can have positive relations to the value creation/added of enterprise as well as the accumulation of its core competency. Beginning with the introduction of Haier's development and achievements, this paper explores the Haier's Tao of innovation in detail, which includes the evolution of all the innovation agents such as strategy, management, culture, organization, technology and so on, and analyzes the relations and interactions of them. Based on it, the authors indicate that it's the effective and systemic synergy and management of all the innovation agents that contribute to the rapid development of Haier Group. Grasping the marrow of TIM and putting it into practice is one of the crucial approaches at present for Chinese enterprises to reduce the gap with international advanced enterprises as soon as possible.

The Haier's Tao of innovation: a case study of the emerging total innovation management (TIM)

Patents represent a reservoir richly endowed with exploitable technical information, where a structured exploration of inventions can unveil essential knowledge for solving industrial problems. Several authors exploit patents using the evolution laws of the TRIZ theory to anticipate technological leaps, categorize patents in a TRIZ perspective, forecast technology, etc. TRIZ laws can be completed with Polovinkin’s rules, design rules, better known as “design heuristics,” and the rules of the art of engineering (engineering best practices). In this chapter, we propose evolution trends composed of all these elements and presented in the form of cards to assist users. After selecting pertinent patents, they can be classified into discovery matrices and analyzed in a timeline classification structured according to their technological branches. The evolution trends enable us to decipher the evolution in inventions being followed or to be followed by each technological branch. An in-depth analysis of several technological branches linked to the technical problem in question allows us to inspire users with original ideas, identify opportunities for innovation, and propose hybrid solutions. To illustrate our approach, we look for possible evolutions of current, deep offshore biphasic separation systems.

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TRIZ – The Theory of Inventive Problem Solving

The purpose of this study has been to identify Core Competency in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Tanzania with reference to China. The study also involves an observation of the existing association among SMEs in Tanzania and China in terms of their activities and commitments in keeping the core competencies as a strategy for SMEs to remain competitive. This practical investigation involved an inquiry research approach for evaluating core competencies to SMEs through management, technical and capability perspectives as variables. The study therefore, employed survey questionnaires to individuals and proprietors in local and urban SMEs operating in Tanzania enacted in the observed SMEs from China. The results generally revealed that SMEs in China have developed a relatively high core competencies in their operation compared to its referred part, Tanzanian SMEs. The technological environment has greatly supported the development of core competence in China SMEs and weak technological infrastructure, low level of managerial skills and lack of effective marketing are amongst the factors which were identified to result to low level of core competencies in Tanzania SMEs. Most of the capability skills found in Chinese SMEs (5.42%) then in Tanzania SMEs that seem to be (2.82%). This signifies the importance technology incorporation in the course of the SMEs' operation, customer service, the level of business training and effectiveness in marketing. This also helps to explore how the business managers can integrate managerial, technical and competency skills effectively, taking advantage of their available resources and through understanding of core competence.

http://www.issr-journals.org/links/papers.php?journal=ijias&application=pdf&article=IJIAS-15-104-08

Understanding Core Competency of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: A comparative Study in Tanzania and China

Innovation is viewed as the most important resource that a firm might employ to attain competitive advantage. The implement of technological innovation is a complex process that is influences by many aspects such as the R&D level, the investment, the managerial ability, especially the development of organizational innovation. How to organize and integrate innovative activities to enhance competitive capability is intractable for both the firm managers and the scholars. Aiming at the problem above a theoretical model between the culture-oriented organizational innovation (COOI) and technological innovation (TI) is proposed. By using survey questionnaire and in-depth interviews in 347 high-tech manufacturing enterprises, empirical study is carried on applying structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the influencing ways and degrees of the two kinds of innovative activities and the results show that COOI and TI have significant, direct, and positive impacts on each other. Some beneficial tactics is proposed about adopting the impact efficiency to promote the successful implementation of innovation for the high-tech manufacturing firms.

The Impact of Structure-oriented Organizational Innovation on Technological Innovation

Thriving in an age of mass innovation change is more and more difficult. It requires perpetual and pervasive innovation at all the levels of the organization. Therefore, managing innovation is increasingly challenging, especially for Chinese companies after joining in WTO. A theoretical framework of competence-based total innovation management is put forward in this paper. This framework mainly draws on three distinct areas of recent research: the innovation theory of the firm, the resource-based view (RBV) and competence theory of the firm, and the complexity theory. Total innovation management is the set of reinvention and management of innovation value network that dynamically integrates conception, strategy, technology, structure, process, culture and people at all the levels of organization in order to enhance innovation competence of company, create value for stakeholders and sustain competitive advantage. It is journey heightening competence of company, not a destination of company. It is concluded that it is only through total innovation management that Chinese companies can hope to create sustainable business through successive rainstorm of creative destruction in a turbulent and changing world.

Total innovation management: reinventing and revitalizing the corporation for the 21/sup st/ century

In this paper, the locus of China' s technological innovation is introduced. Based on this, that necessary for a paradigm shift in technological innovation is presented. Core competence, innovation portfolio, and the interaction between them are discussed. Some cases of core competence-based innovation are provided as well as some patterns of firm's competence building and enhancing. Finally, the role of government in technological innovation is discussed.

Development of technological innovation in China: core competence-based innovation portfolio

During past decades, Chinese industry has made great progress in technological innovation. It is a complex result of the changing political and technological environments. The critical factors of successful innovation are that Chinese industry paid more attention to the acquisition and absorption of foreign advanced technology until the 1980s. Since the late 1980s, many Chinese firms began to innovate with a portfolio view. This new pattern of innovation greatly enforced the competitiveness of their products. Up until the late 1990s, a loot of Chinese firms had been building strong technological competence and innovative capabilities, so they began to deepen their innovation management by managing internal and external technological and organizational knowledge, and by building their innovative network.

Qingrui Xu

Papers

Development of technological innovation in China: core competence-based innovation portfolio

Total innovation management: reinventing and revitalizing the corporation for the 21/sup st/ century

The key factors of successful innovation in China