Preventing Problems in Technology Transfer: A Case Study

Abstract

There is a dearth of guidelines for preventing the impacts associated with technology transfer process (TTP). The paper proposes a set of preventive guidelines to minimize this problem between industrial companies in Latin America. The literature on TTP between companies and the variables that affect them is reviewed. Moreover, an exploratory action research case study involving technology transfer (TT) from a Brazilian company to a subsidiary in Mexico is shown. This same case is then used to simulate the use of the proposed guidelines in order to determine their potential. The paper presents 11 guidelines that seek to minimize the 14 variables identified as having an impact on a TTP. Once these guidelines were applied, it was found that the company tended to better meet local customers’ requirements. The most important impacts can vary depending on the context and might not necessarily be the same as those in the present study.