Enhancing technological capability in small manufacturing suppliers: customer influence and supplier action

This thesis investigates how small manufacturing firms gain awareness of future technological requirements, through a process described as "technology look-ahead". This process is an important step towards developing technological capabilities which are appropriate to future market needs The research presented here is exploratory in nature, and follows a route of building and revising conceptual models or frameworks for understanding. A scoping study is used to identify two main themes for in-depth research. [Continues.]