INNOVATING THROUGH EFFECTIVE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS
Problem
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Find out the best ways to advance scientific breakthroughs
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Discover how scientists and engineers from an industrial research lab and world-class universities build effective partnerships together
Action
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Used interviews, documents, social-network surveys, observations, and systems-dynamics modeling techniques to understand the partnership life cycle
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Created, tested, and patented a model of relationship effectiveness
(No. 7,280,977, 10/9/07)
Solution
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Developed a set of current best practices for developing and maintaining strong and productive relationships between the partners
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Published an edited volume on partnering
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ENHANCING
USER-ORIENTED DESIGN
Problem
Determine the most appropriate workspace for industrial researchers
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Discover whether this workspace is suitable both cross-culturally and for younger research professionals
Action
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Combined qualitative and quantitative methods to build a model of researcher workspace that maximized productivity
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Learned that private offices improved concentration for "heads-down" work and enabled small-group and virtual collaborations without disturbing others
Solution
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Recommended an exception for industrial researchers to the corporate trend for cubicles
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Advised that researchers be assigned private offices to improve their productivity and partnering effectiveness; single offices were subsequently built in domestic and international locations