Discovering the right questions about the management of technology using challenge mapping

Abstract

<p>One purpose of this study was to illustrate the application of a deliberate process of creative thinking which is designed not so much for creating good answers and solutions but rather more for discovering good questions and challenges in addressing an issue. This process is called Challenge Mapping1• Another purpose was to increase understanding of the term "management of technology" (MOT). Twenty senior managers from thirteen large North American corporations used the Basadur "Why-What's Stopping?" Analysis2 to uncover specific MOT challenges that they face and create a Simplex3 Challenge Map4. The Challenge Mapping process relates the challenges to one another and increases understanding of the situation both from a big picture and a specific standpoint. Virtually all of the challenges which were selected as most important had much more to do with changing how people in organizations think than with new technology itself. Conclusions and recommendations are provided for addressing the challenges and for future research.</p>