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This is an exploratory study in a field which previously was virtually unexplored. The aim is to identify, for the benefit of innovators, the influence of industrial design on the commercial success of new science-based products used for professional and industrial purposes. The study is a contribution to the theory of success and failure in industrial innovation. The study begins by defining the terminology. To place the investigation in context, there is then a review of past attempts by official policy-making bodies to improve the competitiveness of British products of manufacture through good design. To elucidate the meaning of good design, attempts to establish a coherent philosophy of style in British products of manufacture during the same period are also reviewed. Following these reviews, empirical evidence is presented to identify what actually takes place in successful firms when industrial design is allocated a role in the process of technological innovation. The evidence comprises seven case studies of new science-based products used for professional or industrial purposes which have received Design Council Awards. To facilitate an objective appraisal, evidence was obtained by conducting separate semi-structured interviews, the detail of which is described, with senior personnel in innovating firms, with industrial design consultants, and with professional users. The study suggests that the likelihood of commercial success in technological innovation is greater when the form, configuration, and the overall appearance of a new product, together with the detail which delineates them, are consciously and expertly controlled. Moreover, uncertainty in innovation is likely to be reduced if the appearance of a new product is consciously designed to facilitate recognition and comprehension. Industrial design is an especially significant factor when a firm innovates against a background of international competition and comparable levels of technological competence in rival firms. The likelihood of success in innovation is enhanced if design is allocated a role closely identified with the total needs of the user and discrete from the engineering function in company organisation. Recent government measures, initiated since this study began, are corroborative of the findings.

Enzyme technology is widely regarded as an exciting new technology possessing great opportunities for commercial interests and is one of a small group of key technologies singled out by the Science Research Councils during the 1960's as worthy of special support. In this thesis I outline the basic characteristics of this technology analysing the nature of the Government's policy towards it. The approach I have chosen requires an in depth analysis of the innovation process for enzymes which forms the basis for a model. This model is then used to focus on aspects of the UK science policy towards innovation in enzyme technology, assessing its impacts, and appraising the usefulness of this approach for future policy initiatives.

There has been negligible adoption of combined heat and power (CHP) for district heating (DH) in Britain, despite continued advocacy. This thesis constructs an account of the treatment of the option, and devises a framework for explanation. Analysis of technological development and adoption, it is argued, should be similar to that of other social processes, and be subject to the same requirements and criticisms. They will, however, show features peculiar to the institutions developing and selecting technologies, their relation to different social groups, and the forms of knowledge in and about technology. Conventional approaches - organisation and interorganisation theories, and analyses of policy-making - give useful insights but have common limitations. Elements of an analytical framework situating detailed issues and outcomes in a structured historical context are derived from convergent radical critiques. Thus activity on CHP/DH is essentially shaped by the development and relations of energy sector institutions: central and local government, nationalised industries and particularly the electricity industry. Analysis of them is related to the specific character of the British state. A few CHP and DH installations were tried before 1940. During postwar reconstruction, extensive plans for several cities were abandoned or curtailed. In the 1960s and 70s, many small non-CHP DH schemes were installed on housing estates. From the mid-70s, the national potential of CHP/DH has been reappraised, with widespread support and favourable evaluations, but little practical progress. Significant CHP/DH adoption is shown to have been systematically excluded ultimately by the structure of energy provision; centralised production interests dominate and co-ordination is weak. Marginal economics and political commitment have allowed limited development in exceptional circumstances. Periods of upheaval provided greater opportunity and incentive for CHP/DH but restructuring eventually obstructed it. Explanation of these outcomes is shown to require analysis at several levels, from broad context to detailed action.

Prior to the development of a production standard control system for ML Aviation's plan-symmetric remotely piloted helicopter system, SPRITE, optimum solutions to technical requirements had yet to be found for some aspects of the work. This thesis describes an industrial project where solutions to real problems have been provided within strict timescale constraints. Use has been made of published material wherever appropriate, new solutions have been contributed where none existed previously. A lack of clearly defined user requirements from potential Remotely Piloted Air Vehicle (RPAV) system users is identified, A simulation package is defined to enable the RPAV designer to progress with air vehicle and control system design, development and evaluation studies and to assist the user to investigate his applications. The theoretical basis of this simulation package is developed including Co-axial Contra-rotating Twin Rotor (CCTR), six degrees of freedom motion, fuselage aerodynamics and sensor and control system models. A compatible system of equations is derived for modelling a miniature plan-symmetric helicopter. Rigorous searches revealed a lack of CCTR models, based on closed form expressions to obviate integration along the rotor blade, for stabilisation and navigation studies through simulation. An economic CCTR simulation model is developed and validated by comparison with published work and practical tests. Confusion in published work between attitude and Euler angles is clarified. The implementation of package is discussed. dynamic adjustment of assessment. the theory into a high integrity software Use is made of a novel technique basing the integration time step size on error Simulation output for control system stability verification, cross coupling of motion between control channels and air vehicle response to demands and horizontal wind gusts studies are presented. Contra-Rotating Twin Rotor Flight Control System Remotely Piloted Plan-Symmetric Helicopter Simulation Six Degrees of Freedom Motion

New techniques in manufacturing, popularly referred to as mechanization and automation, have been a preoccupation of social and economic theorists since the industrial revolution. A selection of relevant literature is reviewed, including the neoclassical economic treatment of technical change. This incorporates alterations to the mathematical production function and an associated increase in the efficiency with which the factors of production are converted into output. Other work emphasises the role of research and development and the process of diffusion, whereby new production techniques are propagated throughout industry. Some sociological writings attach importance to the type of production technology and its effect on the organisational structure and social relations within the factory. Nine detailed case studies are undertaken of examples of industrial innovation in the rubber, automobile, vehicle components, confectionery and clothing industries. The old and new techniques are compared for a range of variables, including capital equipment, labour employed, raw materials used, space requirements and energy consumption, which in most cases exhibit significant change with the innovation. The rate of output, labour productivity, product quality, maintenance requirements and other aspects are also examined. The process by which the change in production method was achieved is documented, including the development of new equipment and the strategy of its introduction into the factory, where appropriate. The firm, its environment, and the attitude of different sectors of the workforce are all seen to play a part in determining the motives for and consequences which flow from the innovations. The traditional association of technical progress with its labour-saving aspect, though an accurate enough description of the cases investigated, is clearly seen to afford an inadequate perspective for the proper understanding of this complex phenomenon, which also induces change in a wide range of other social, economic and technical variables.

Le résumé en français n'a pas été communiqué par l'auteur. / Le résumé en anglais n'a pas été communiqué par l'auteur.

Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) has been implementing training courses in the use of technologies in the teaching and learning process. However, despite the efforts made by the university, the use of these technologies by lecturers at UEM is limited, particularly in faculties outside the main campus. In response to the above-mentioned problem, a new multifaceted, constructivist approach was implemented at UEM, referred to here as the EdTech sub-program. This thesis is the result of the investigation of the effect of the new approach to integrating educational technology at UEM. In 2019, a series of four workshops were piloted through the EdTech sub-program with the purpose of promoting the use of educational technology by lecturers in teaching and learning. This qualitative study was carried out in four faculties. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 participants: 15 lecturers, who took part in the workshops of the EdTech sub-program, distributed across four faculties (Education, Veterinary, Engineering and Sciences) and two members from the EdTech sub-program. Three theories have been explored in this study. The workshops were based on social constructivist learning theory where participants (lecturers) were encouraged to create learning activities in a real-world setting to design learning activities in an authentic context.. Despite this theory-informed workshop design, lecturers did not all change their practice. This can largely be explained by the fact that the participants are adult and had varied skills with educational technology; they felt their courses were too complicated to be delivered only online; assessment structures were not clear; and some lecturers were resistant to change. The second theory is adult learning theory. This theory focuses on the “characteristics” of adult learners and what they bring to the learning process in the form of their experiences, which helps to explain the diverse response to the workshop. Community of practice theory was used as the third theory to explain how some faculties were willing to embrace educational technology and had history with previous projects. In these examples participants shared understandings concerning what educational technology is and how they have motivated other colleagues to use it. Barriers can be overcome through collaboration between the most active users and the most resistant ones to motivate them to use and promote a community of practice of educational technology users. Key findings also indicate that there is a certain resistance among lecturers to the use of educational technologies, justified by the complexity of courses in some disciplines; however, there are also lecturers who rely on technologies in their teaching practices and report that the results are satisfactory and encouraging.

Convergence, the resulting new business and emerging leadership, regulated environment and strategy, telecoms costs as barrier to entry, enablement of global market places. / The market environment of telecommunications in South Africa is such that currently there is only one provider of fixed-line services. This has contributed to much claims of prices of incumbent being too high. The government has licensed operators and service providers to compete with Telkom in an attempt to lower the costs of telecommunications in South Africa. The purpose of this research is to understand the relevance and nature of pricing policies, critically evaluate the management of pricing policies, research literature, theory and also the impact that these pricing policies have had on the business of Telkom. The research was conducted by analysing Telkom pricing related documents, financial statements and conducting interviews. The research found that the price-cap regulation has restricted flexibility in the pricing policies and that Telkom has adopted a short-term based approach to management of the pricing policies.

Convergence, the resulting new business and emerging leadership, regulated environment and strategy, telecoms costs as barrier to entry, enablement of global market places. / The market environment of telecommunications in South Africa is such that currently there is only one provider of fixed-line services. This has contributed to much claims of prices of incumbent being too high. The government has licensed operators and service providers to compete with Telkom in an attempt to lower the costs of telecommunications in South Africa. The purpose of this research is to understand the relevance and nature of pricing policies, critically evaluate the management of pricing policies, research literature, theory and also the impact that these pricing policies have had on the business of Telkom. The research was conducted by analysing Telkom pricing related documents, financial statements and conducting interviews. The research found that the price-cap regulation has restricted flexibility in the pricing policies and that Telkom has adopted a short-term based approach to management of the pricing policies.