The top managements of 75 Indian corporate and other organizations were surveyed for their policy orientation. A composite orientation, labelled pioneering innovative (PI), was identified through a hierarchical factor analysis. PI measured policy commitment to pioneering novel, relatively sophisticated products (or services) and technologies, and to innovation and experimentation, risk-taking, flexibility, and creativity. PI seemed to have adequate validity and reliability. Over time, however, there seemed to be a stronger tendency for change from low PI scores to high PI scores rather than vice versa. An analysis of PI scores by ownership (private versus governmental), activity (manufacturing versus service), industry, technology (custom, batch/mass, and process), and size indicated that PI was largely independent of these factors, and seemed, therefore, to be a relatively open strategic choice for managements in developing countries. The significant correlation between PI, the growth rate and some other performance indicators suggests that high values of PI may have instrumental value for poor societies attempting to achieve rapid growth and modernization.
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