Linking Technology Strategy to Corporate Strategy in Multi-business Diversified Groups: The Case of Iran Khodro

Linking technology strategy to overall strategy is one of the main issues in technology management area. In large, multi-business and diversified groups, this linkage is more crucial as they need a comprehensive and overall plan for managing their different technological resources. Through a massive literature review and using a deductive approach, the concept of corporate technology strategy has been clarified and a framework has been developed and published by the same authors in the 2(3) issue of the Journal of Science & Technology Policy (JSTP). The aim of this paper is to investigate the applicability of developed theoretical framework in practice through a case study in Iran Khodro Company (IKCO) – the largest car manufacturer in the Middle East and a multi-business diversified group in Iran. Based on the proposed framewok and through reviewing the related documents and interviewing IKCO senior and middle managers; and using thematic analysis method, we describe and explain how technology strategy is linked to corporate strategy at IKCO. This investigation and illustration resulted in some modifications and improvements in the proposed framework which can be the base of further researches.