Authors: Olavi Uusitalo; Vladimir Bungov
This paper examines the diffusion of manufacturing technologies of simple, nonassembled products in the USSR. We are not looking the transition period of the USSR starting in 1991. Astakhov et al. (1990) and Falstman (1992) have made quantitative studies of diffusion of technologies in the USSR. We apply qualitative method and follow the diffusion of Pilkington’s float glass (introduced in 1959) to the USSR. In the Western World float glass revolutionized the flat glass industry in the 1960s and 1970s and emerged as a dominant design (Uusitalo, 1995). It was licensed to the USSR in 1967 and the production started in 1969- 1970. The aim of this paper is to test with the diffusion of float glass the applicability of technology management literature such as (Anderson and Tushman, 1990, Tushman and Rosenkopf, 1992) in a centrally planned economy. According to them there is little interorganisational influence on the emergence of dominant design for nonassembled products. However, the USSR government’s role in the diffusion of Pilkington’s float glass was important. In fact, the licensing agreement to manufacture cars in the USSR under Fiat’s license ignited the licensing of Pilkington’s float glass.
Journal: n.a. (n.a. – n.a.)
Web Address: n.a.
Publish Year: 2012
Conference: Rome, Italy (2012)