Technological capability assessment as a strategic tool: cases in Chinese manufacturing firms

Summary form only given. This paper attempts to develop a systematic methodology to assess technological capability. Through technological capability assessment, it helps the firm to appraise its strength and weakness of technology-based core capability, and to understand the breakthrough of technological capability enhancement. In order to set up the systematical technological capability assessment indicators, the paper first addresses the concept of technological capability and regards technological capability as the potential capacities, firm-specific knowledge and skills embedded in the hardware, software, and organization and individuals. Firm's technological capability consists of four determinants, namely humanware, technoware, inforware and organware. Secondly, depending upon the definition of technological capability, this paper presents the assessment indicators and measurement multiplicative model to evaluate technological capability. Thirdly, depending on the technological capability assessment and measure methodology, the paper uses some cases of Chinese manufacturing industry to address the application of this methodology.