A thesis study submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Business Administration, School of Management

Thesis (M. B. A.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1994

Nowadays technology is recognized as the key for development in any country. A company has to develop its own technology instead of buying from other countries which means technological innovation must be promoted. Hence, to achieve this goal, a company has to be well prepared for the management of the technological process. This study attempts to identify factors affecting the innovation process in Thai dairy industries by testing a management framework for innovation process developed by European researcher. The study will compare the differences and similarities of management techniques among a Thai dairy company, a Thai-Japanese joint venture dairy company, Thai-European dairy companies and a European dairy company. The study attempts to modify the framework to suit the Thai culture and environment. The results indicate that the corporate culture, leadership style and business environment are the most important drivers for most of the companies. However, the Thai company and Thai-Japanese joint venture company perceived goal and strategy system as an important driver as well. The Thai-European joint venture, and European company perceived attitudes and behavior of personnel as another important driver. This illustrates the strong influence of different cultures on the management style. Finally, the study developed an innovation management framework appropriate for the Thai environment and culture.