For business executives, it is seldom clear whether a new and potentially disruptive technology represents an opportunity, a threat, or is simply a non-starter. Complexity and uncertainty often characterizes the competitive landscape and strategic choices surrounding technology and innovation. Finally, an exciting new book from Thomson South-Western presents a comprehensive outline of methods for stripping away much of this ambiguity. 

In Hunter or Hunted: Technology, Innovation, and Competitive Strategy, technology educator, author and executive Dave Rochlin offers practical and insightful explanations about why some firms and technologies thrive while others fail — equipping readers with the knowledge and tools to make better decisions when staring in the face of the latest technology. The result is a thorough and cohesive source that distills the competitive dynamics surrounding technology and innovation.

Offering a holistic view of innovation, technology, and competitive strategy, this dynamic book blends contemporary and classical research theory, a historical perspective, and the current best practices from industry as it brings a broad, thorough, and extremely practical perspective to high-tech issues. Rochlin combines recent research in network-based competitive advantage, dominant design, diffusion, and disruption with the more classical works of economics and management theory. He also highlights historical patterns in investment bubbles, diffusion and disruptive technology, explaining how they indicate strong behavioral, sociological, and political underpinnings that need to be considered as part of the overall explanation of technology and firm selection. Most important for readers, the book is packed with invaluable insight from the practitioner’s perspective — Rochlin’s experience as well as first-person viewpoints from other prominent technology experts, such as Stanford’s Randy Komisar and MIT’s Michael Schrage.    

“In developing my technology strategy course materials” says Rochlin, “I’ve found that while there is a tremendous amount of research and material in the field, it exists primarily in cross section, and is often written without the practitioner or student in mind.  When I initially floated the idea of developing a book that pulls this material together in an accessible narrative format, virtually everyone I spoke with agreed that this was an incredibly underserved need.”

Divided into three sections, the book first covers technology from a systemic and contextual perspective, illustrating the importance of assessing technology’s impact on value configurations, understanding the interaction with other components of value delivery, and evaluating how new technology changes market spaces and delivery systems. Its extensive review of lifecycle theory and lifecycle-based competitive strategy helps readers develop behavioral/predictive models and methods for determining where technologies are in their lifecycle before developing appropriate strategy. In addition, Hunter or Hunted offers thorough coverage of the idiosyncrasies of competitive advantage and the role of technology, explaining that managing unique barriers can mean the difference between success and failure.

This is an excellent book on managing innovation and technology in today’s dynamic, changing market environment,” said Chung-Shing Lee of Pacific Lutheran University.  “The author explains theoretical concepts and business practices in an easy understandable manner.  For instructors, this book would assist you in explaining advanced theories and the latest business practices of innovation and technology management.  It’s an excellent book that every manager, not just in high-tech industries, should read.”

Rochlin brings understanding to the extremely complex and fiercely competitive environment surrounding technology, equipping readers with the knowledge and skill set to make promising strategic choices. Comprehensive and cohesive, Hunter or Hunted? delivers a powerful resource packed with practical models to help readers fully comprehend strategic choice and behavior relating to technology.