About this issue

After the solid dose of quantitative and economic papers in the November 1974 joint issue (with the European journal R & D Management), we hope that the current issue´s emphasis on people and various aspects of their behavior in RD&E will be welcome. Of course, even in discussing project selection and resource allocation in Research, Development and Engineering (RD&E), one must always keep in mind the attitudes, skills, experience, perceptions, wisdom, characteristics, and behavior of the people involved in the process. Formulas and procedures for economic decision-making are only relevant and useful if they are compatible with the human and organizational realities of the situation in which they are used (or where their use is attempted). We hope that the November issue will stimulate a “flood” of papers from managers and analysts who have attempted to use formal models and rigorous procedures for decision-making in RD&E. We´d all appreciate their insights and experiences. The papers in the current issue cover a wide gamut of topics, including: personnel appraisal (Hatlan and Cuthbertson); strategy for growth (Ibuka); product champions and innovation managers (Jervis); use of technical information (Johnston and Gibbons); conflict in project management (Thamhain and Wilemon); and R&D evaluation (Augood).