Fundamentals of Management 6th Edition by Ricky Griffin

Exercise 17

Exercise Overview
Decision-making skills refer to the ability to recognize and define problems and opportunities correctly, and then to select an appropriate course of action for solving problems or capitalizing on opportunities. This exercise gives you some practice in making decisions about organizational innovation.
Exercise Background
You're a manager at a venture capital firm that seeks out companies with promising new ideas for technological improvements and then provides financing, advice, and expertise in exchange for part ownership. Your firm makes money when an idea is successfully brought to market and the value of your ownership shares increases. Your personal compensation-not to mention your continued employment-are therefore based on your ability to choose the right ideas and to provide entrepreneurs with the right support.
Exercise Task
Use the Internet to locate information about at least five promising new technologies. (Hint: The websites of publications that report technology news, such as TechWeb, are good sources, as are the corporate websites of innovative companies like 3M. Or search the term technology venture capital to locate firms that invest in new technologies, and then find out what you can about their clients.) Then choose the new technology that interests you the most.