Leadership and Technology Transfer: A Tesla Motors Case Study Report

This report provides an in-depth analysis of Tesla Motors' approach to innovation and technology transfer. It begins with a company profile, highlighting Tesla's innovative practices and market position. The report then explores the literature review, discussing methodologies such as the analytical hierarchy process and their effectiveness in innovation management. It delves into the methodology tools used by Tesla, including analytical approaches and technology transfer strategies. The analysis covers data analysis techniques and their application within Tesla. The report concludes with recommendations and a summary of findings, emphasizing the importance of leadership in fostering innovation and successful technology transfer within the automotive industry. The report also discusses the technological leadership innovation system, its structure, and the actors involved.

Managing Innovation and Technology Transfer
Leadership themes
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Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................3
2. TASKS.....................................................................................................................................3
2.1. Company profile...............................................................................................................3
2.2. Literature review...............................................................................................................4
2.3. Methodology tools............................................................................................................7
2.4. Data Analysis..................................................................................................................11
3. CONCLUSIONS...................................................................................................................16
4. RECOMMENDATIONS.......................................................................................................17
5. References..............................................................................................................................18
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1. INTRODUCTION
Leadership Innovation can be simply defined as the creation or the generation of new
idea or the alteration in the existing product by examining the taking the guide lines of the
Leaders (Inauen and Schenker-Wicki, 2011).
The innovation is the outcome of a long term study and the process of experiments. The
management process of such innovation is termed as innovation management. The technology
is the base of these innovations. Hence, transfer of the various techniques aids in the formation
of the new product (Chiaroni and Frattini, 2011). The main goal of these research projects is to
reflect the light of the modern technologies that laid the path of the new revolutions.
The AIRTO (Association for Innovation, Research and Technology Organisations) plays a
leading role in encouraging the Economic and Social Science Research Council to achieve
their aims and objectives (Idris and Seng Tey, 2011). It insists them to expand the knowledge
of current and effective tools of the modern based technologies.
The report is explaining the different methodology and the analytical approach that are taken
to manage the innovations and the transferring of 21st century or the current technology
through it.
2. TASKS
2.1. Company profile
Tesla Motors is US based company dealing in the auto mobile sector. The
corporation makes its own cars and named as a world most innovative company of
year 2015 having the gross value of $5.5bn in the current year which is increased by
54pc from the 2014 as per the author. The shares of Tesla have soared 15-fold since it
flooded in 2010.
The innovation score achieved by it is 84.82 (About Tesla, 2017). The company makes
all luxurious electronic vehicles. The corporation is being run by the Elon Musk, the
tech billionaire. Company perform some of the marketing activities such as sales,
promotion, advertisements so that their overall brand awareness can be increased can
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be increased in the marker (About Tesla, 2017). Through this, automotive industry will
be able to gain the attention of the people so that profitability level can be achieved
(Camelo-Ordaz and et. al., 2011).
2.2. Literature review
According to (Ollila and Elmquist, 2011) the analytical hierarchy process is
used to compare the different solutions of the problem domain on the basis of partition
and the result is being drawn by deciding the priorities of that solutions. It is quite
effective as it gives a clear vision of the solutions that is which one is best and where to
implement it to the innovators. On the contrary, the according to the view point of
(Petroni and et.al., 2012)this methodology is not a successful one as the time is
consumed in the partitions of the problems then making their solutions in a tree based
manner or in the hierarchical form.
Additionally, each part of the solution is dependable on one another so the final
result is created by examining the all (Hurmelinna-Laukkanen, 2011). If anyone is
neglected, then the whole system become unbalanced. So this is the negative point of
this (Gassmann and Enkel, 2011).
According to (Priem and et,al., 2012) the literary view methodologies are very
effective in making the quality based innovation. As this gives different ideas or clues
to support the production of the new changes. In order to create new alteration in the
existed one, it is very important to examine the past data or the information’s (Wymbs,
2016). It has been analysed that after using the innovative leadership the overall
growth of an enterprise can be enhanced in more effective manner (Lybbert and
Sumner, 2012).
This is done by conducting the surveys by the experts. So, this is very aidful for
the purpose of taking advice of the successful entrepreneurs. Whereas (Teece,
2012)said that this sometimes not give positive impacts regarding the development of
new innovations.
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The data analysis and research methodology is coined as the best one by
(Spithoven and et. al., 2011) as it aids in making the calculation work so simpler by
giving the valuable data regarding various methods or process that are involved in the
innovation. But it is not considered much better by (Carayannis and Campbell, 2012)
as the data drawn may be not appropriate.
According to (Reed and et. al., 2012) the discussion of finding approach is very
effective in giving the best advice or guidelines to generate the new output. Because
some actors are new in this position and they need proper training or guidance to
develop the new product. Whereas this method is not so accurate according to the view
point of (Priem and et,al., 2012) because the advice may be wrong as well as time
consuming. If the output is created by following the wrong advice, then the created
product become the exception for the enterprise (What is Innovation?, 2017).
In addition to implement the new appropriate product the time limit exceeds
and the extra expenditure charges will have included (Bianchi and et. al., 2011). Every
coins that two faces. One side reflects the good while the other one shows the
limitations of that. Therefore, the above based methodologies impact the new
innovations in both the ways positively as well as negatively (Popp, 2011).Through the
literature review, they overall gap between the current and past research can be
identified.
As per the view point of (Camelo-Ordaz and et. al., 2011) the methodology
tools treated as best remedies to innovate or develop the task of innovation. The data
analysis is one of its method that is quite beneficial in this regard. The data analysis
collects the previous as well as present information and use successfully in the
processes of innovation (Wagner, 2016). There is no need to build new data charts
from the starting.
On the other hand (Goffin and Koners, 2011) said that the past data analysis is not
appropriate in doing the new innovations because it might be wrong or do not suit on
the current demand of the consumers. If the innovator make their products by
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focussing on the past data then the product might not support the latest technologies
applications (Busse and Marcus Wallenburg, 2011). So, the company tries to make the
new manufacturing plans doing following task:
 Conducting surveys: The innovators before manufacturing the new products conduct
surveys and determine the new taste of the population. They examine the lifestyle of
the richest section as well as the middle group of the society (Volberda and et. al.,
2013).
 Making plans: After conducting the surveys and examining the need of the society,
create new plans which suits the taste of the current population (Saunila and Saunila,
2017). The innovators develop new product as per the budget of the civilians as well as
the enterprise (Davenport, 2013).
 Implementing the plans: Then under the leadership of the successful innovators, the
new workers implement the plans or scheme and manufacture the latest product
(Huizingh, 2011).
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(Figure: Technology transfer process, 2016)
2.3. Methodology tools
The Tesla motors uses different methodologies and techniques to solve the
existed problem domain by identifying the demand of the consumers (About Tesla,
2017). Analytical approach can be simply defined as the process of examining the
problem domain and do the partitions of such domain in order to solve them one by
one (Gallouj and et. al., 2013).
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(Figure: Tools and methods for technology transfer, 2016)
This is proved to be very helpful in underlines the difficulties by concentrating
on each problem. This improves the reliability and make the environment user friendly
(Jacobsson and Bergek, 2011).
Technology transfer (TT) is the latest as well as popular topic in the field of
research and Leadership innovations covering the sector of businesses, private and
public firms, various industries, etc. around the whole world from the last few years
(Boutellier, Gassmann and Von Zedtwitz, 2013). It is viewed or recognized as most
useful approach that aids in gaining the competition based dominance against the other
organisations.
There are different ways of expanding the technological sources in order to
enhance the profit of the corporation and the growth in the various sectors (Poblete and
Spulber, 2017). In the process of the development fir the nation like United Kingdom
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or USA, the technology transfer has proved to be one of the best solution for the
economic as well as industrial development (Sadikoglu and Zehir, 2010).
On the basis of above analysis, Tesla motors can use questionnaire in order to
gather the different views of the different people who are working at the workplace.
Through this, different opinions of sample staff members can be identified (Felker and
et. al., 2013).
On the contrary the story of success of TT fully depends on the choice of
accurate technology and the guidelines of the best leadership (Holsapple, 2013). The
examining of the performance of the technology as well as them polices is measured
by concentrating on their inputs and the outputs, as it became a standard for measuring
the capital's value of the nations (Busse and Marcus Wallenburg, 2011).
The inputs involved the various data like expenditures on research and innovations
while the output is shown as the patents and the copy rights (Alexander and Martin,
2013). The technological leadership innovation system is a modern concept. It can be
defined as the network of actors who interacts with each other in the specific area of
the industry under the guidance of relevant institute dealing with the creation,
alteration and the utilization of the technology (Jacobsson and Bergek, 2011).
The technological leadership innovation system is a modern concept that is developed
under the scientific areas dealing with the study of innovation of different leaders
(Daim, 2017). It is used to explain the behaviour and the rate of the changes in the
technological sector (Lichtenthaler, 2011). The structure of the technological
innovation system is discussed below:
 Actors: The actors are someone who perform the innovation by making the correct
choices and actions regarding generations, diffusions and the utilization of the
technologies (Felker and et. al., 2013). Actors are normally the leaders providing the
good leadership to their members.
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 Institutions: They are the pillars of the leadership innovation system. They play the
roles of creating the norms or rules in a society or country (Ru and et. al., 2012). It can
be formal as well as informal. The formal is one that creates the rules under the order
of government body or the authority (Busse and Marcus Wallenburg, 2011).
 Technological factors: It consists of the several artefacts and the basic structures used
to build the innovations (Idris and Seng Tey, 2011). They include the working of the
technology which creates the base of economic value of such artefacts involving the
costing and safety (Priem and et,al., 2012). The different methodologies dealing to
evaluate these critical factors are following:
 AHP (Analytical hierarchy process) methodology: This is one of the good
methodologies that is developed by the Saaty in the year of 1997. This is increasingly
used for the purpose of creating alternative solutions by doing the comparison
(Davenport, 2013). The comparison is done by making pairs and the result are drawn
on the basis of priorities comparison.
Illustration 1: AHP methodology, 2017
(Source: AHP methodology, 2017)
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 Literary review: This methodology solves the vast problem domain by exploring the
present as well as the historical based information. As the historical data will exclude
or express the past experiences is proved to be quite helpful in making correct decision
(Freitas and et. al., 2013). This gives the experts or innovators an idea to search or
make search in the specific sector. They don't get confused as they are new in this field
(Zeng, Xie and Tam, 2010). The literary review consists of the views of the great and
successful innovators or inventors.
 Research framework and methodology: The research framework deals with the
various sectors of the evolution of the critical factors (Rafols and et. al., 2012). Here,
the critical factors of the technology transfer are focused that is done on the basis of
Analytical hierarchy process (Lichtenthaler, 2011).
2.4. Data Analysis
The Tesla Motors uses the following method of data analysis to discover the
previous information related to the development or manufacturing of their Products
(About Tesla, 2017). The data analysis and the results are listed below:
 Data analysis and results: This methodology is used to draw the proper
knowledge of the innovative leadership and the technology. This is created by
gathering the inputs of the innovators (Autio and et. al., 2014). The input
consists of several calculations such as the different matrices of the
expenditures and the priorities comparison done by the aid of AHP (Carayannis
and Campbell, 2012). The thematic analysis technique is used for generating
specific analysis regarding the use of secondary research.
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Theme 1: Employees are satisfied with the guidance of their leaders.
Findings: From the above graphical representations it can be concluded that
there are very few people who are satisfied with the guidance of their leaders. So, it is
necessary for an the organisation to more focused on their leadership innovation so that
overall performance of the staff members can be improved.
Analysis: Leaders play an important role in every organisation. Tesla Motors
requires an efficient leader that can support great productivity and provide sufficient
guidance to their employees (Hurmelinna-Laukkanen, 2011). The company Tesla
Motors is running with strategic position in global markets due to proper guidance of
leaders.
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