Technological innovation and technology strategy: a public-private comparison in Indian power distribution

Abstract

With world-wide increasing importance of technological innovation it has become imperative for organisations, both public and private, in emerging market countries to promote innovations within. Also with customers becoming more conscious of their rights, the public sector enterprises are expected to change from agency driven to customer driven quality management. What are the differences in technology decisions between a public and private sector organisation? What is the impact of those decisions on technological innovation? This paper not only gives some empirically grounded facts about technological innovation and technology strategy in a public sector enterprise in an emerging country, India, but with the help of case study research also compares it with a private sector enterprise.