A correlation of R & D laboratory performance with critical functions analysis

Abstract

Abstract Five similar government R & D laboratories have been studied using ‘Critical Functions Analysis’ to determine the relative fractions of their staffs performing one or more of seven critical functions; a profile was developed for each laboratory. In order to test the hypothesis that variations in these critical functions profiles would be recognized by laboratory users, fifteen different customers of these laboratories—weapons system project managers and headquarters staff technology managere—were asked questions—designed to determine their perceptions of the relative performance of the five laboratories. Significant variations were found in role profiles among the several laboratories: important variations were also identified in customers' perceptions about laboratory performance. In general, the three laboratories that had higher percentages of their professional staff performing the critical functions also were rated higher in performance by their customers. This difference was particularly striking when an aggregate performance parameter, which summed the numerical values of several performance‐sensitive customer questionnaire responses, was used. Customers were found to be especially sensitive to the strength of the laboratories' manufacturing/marketing gatekeeper functions.

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