WORKING AS A RESEARCHER IN INDUSTRY 

DR. ROBERT BORDLEY 
GENERAL MOTORS

THE RESEARCHER IN INDUSTRY 

  • Bell Labs Model
  • Internal Consultant Model
  • Technician Model
  • Line Function
  • 3rd Generation Model
    •

    PH.D. ALTERNATIVES 

  • University
  • Government/Corporate Labs
  • Consulting
  • Industry
    •

    BELL LABS MODEL

  • Self-selected Projects
  • Access to Internal Data
  • Complete Autonomy
  • Researcher Left to Sell Results
  • Low Implementation 
    •

    INTERNAL CONSULTANT

  • Researcher Sells Project Ideas
  • Full Access to Internal Data
  • Partial Autonomy
  • Medium Implementation
    •

    TECHNICIAN MODEL

  • Projects Pre-specified
  • Full Access to Internal Data
  • Limited Autonomy
  • Low-Medium Implementation
    •

    LINE FUNCTION

  • Limited Time for Research
  • High Implementation Rate 
    •

    3RD GENERATION MODEL

  • Hi-level Strategies Specified
  • Projects Proposed by Researcher
  • Projects Evaluated in Light of Strategies
  • Potential Project Deliverables Screened for Implement ability
  • High Implementation Rate
    •

    AN EQUAL DIALOGUE AMONG

  • Project Leader
  • Customer
  • Technology Strategy
    •

    THINK ABOUT

  • Is it Technically Challenging?
  • What Happens Given Success?
  • Is it Better than what's Available?
  • Can Company Implement It?
    •