Autonomy in the Industrial R&D(Research and Development) Lab

摘要

This paper distinguishes between 'strategic autonomy' (the freedom to set one's own research agenda) and 'operational autonomy' (the freedom, once a problem has been set, to attack it by means determined by oneself, within given resource constraints). The paper argues, and presents preliminary corroborating data, that the optimal position for the start of careers in the R&D lab is to be low on strategic but high on operational autonomy. Most labs, however, seem to espouse a philosophy of strategic autonomy. This confusion between strategic and operational autonomy creates dilemmas and contradictions in the technical career areas.