Tucker Marion

Profile

Education

Ph.D. Industrial Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA
Master of Science in the Management of Technology, University of Pennsylvania and The Wharton School, Philadelphia, PA
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA

Research & Teaching Interests

Tucker’s research is centered on the new product development (NPD) process, for both startups and corporate ventures. Specifically, he researches critical attributes that can influence improvements in efficiency and efficacy from a process and organizational standpoint. These include lean processes used for innovation, Information Technology (IT) and design tools used in NPD, and sourcing and cost engineering. These three segments represent a comprehensive depiction of the total innovation process, with implications for business theory and practice.

His work has appeared in many publications, including the Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of Product Innovation Management, R&D Management, Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Research-Technology Management, Design Studies, International Journal of Production Research, Journal of Concurrent Engineering, and others.

Industry & Academic Experience

Professor Marion has over twenty years of experience product design, development and commercialization. Prior to entering academia, Tucker held product development and manufacturing positions in the automotive industry including Visteon Corporation and Ford Motor Company. His expertise centered on bringing electronic systems from business case through manufacturing and production ramp. He has also started or co-founded several start-ups where he lead the design, engineering and development of over 100 projects / products ranging from consumer products to industrial systems. Products where he led the design and development effort have appeared in Popular Science, the New York Times, and others. Tucker has significant expertise in the development of electronic modules, sensors, and systems. He regularly consults with technology firms on improving their innovation processes.

Professor Marion joined Northeastern in 2007, where he developed core graduate courses for the new School of Technological Entrepreneurship. In 2013, he led the development and launch of the new Masters of Science in Innovation program and currently serves in the following roles: Entrepreneurship & Innovation Group Coordinator for Academic Programs, Director of the Innovation Masters programs, Co-Director of the Institute for Global Innovation Management. His custom executive education classes include design thinking, rapid design and development, corporate entrepreneurship, innovation strategy, and revitalizing organizational growth starting with empowered, entrepreneurial teams.

More information can be found on Professor Marion''s personal website: www.tuckerjmarion.com.

Services to the Profession

Product design consulting.

Design strategy and product portfolio planning.

Manufacturing sourcing and strategy.

Awards & Recognition

Tier 1 Grant funding awarded by Northeastern University Provost Office for the 2012-2013 academic year. Research Frontiers in Healthcare Mass Customization for Personalization of Diagnosis, Care and Cure.

CBA Strategic Research Initiative Award, 2011, $20,000.

Received National Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) grant for "Accelerating Student E-Team New Venture Creation through the Application of Industrial Design and Structured Seed Funding," $9,000.00 planning grant, 9/21/10. PI.

Institute for Global Innovation Management (IGIM), “Collaborative Innovation Networks,” $71.445.00, 2012, 1-year research initiative. Co-PIs with Gloria Barczak, Cuneyt Eroglu, Rosanna Garcia, Felicia Lassk and Yang Lee. Co-PI with Gloria Barczak on one research product (out of four, totaling $17,250).

Northeastern University Tier 1 Interdisciplinary Research Proof of Concept Grant, “Research Frontiers in Healthcare Mass Customization for Personalization of Diagnosis, Care and Cure,” $50,000.00, 2012, 1-year development grant. Co-PIs with Abe Zeid and Sagar Kamarthi, College of Engineering. Northeastern University 2011

CBA Strategic Research Award Recipient, 2011. National Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) grant for “Accelerating Student ETeam New Venture Creation through the Application of Industrial Design and Structured Seed Funding,” $9,000.00 1-year planning grant, 2010. PI.

National Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) grant for “Development of a MultiDisciplinary New Product Development Course Curricula for the School of Technological Entrepreneurship,” $29,000.00, 2008, 3-year program grant. PI. Co-PIs with John H. Friar, College of Business Administration, Sagar Karmarthi, College of Engineering.

Received North America Case Research Association (NACRA) grant for “Cases for a MultiDisciplinary New Product Development Course,” $10,000.00, 2008, 1-year case development program. PI, Co-PIs with John Friar, College of Business Administration, Sagar Kamarthi, College of Engineering.

Dell ReGeneration Design Educator Award, 2008.

Publications

Selected Publications

Fixson, S.K., Marion, T.J. 2016. “A Case of Crowdsourcing Gone Wrong.” Harvard Business Review online, December 15, 2016, https://hbr.org/2016/12/a-case-study-of-crowdsourcing-gone-wrong.

Marion, T.J., and Fixson, S.K. 2016. “The 4 Main Ways to Innovate in the Digital Economy.” Harvard Business Review online, June 2, 2016, https://hbr.org/2016/06/the-4-main-ways-to-innovate-in-a-digital-economy.

Marion, T.J., Roberts, D., Candi, M., and Barczak, G. 2016. “Customizing Your Social Strategy to the Platform.” MIT Sloan Management Review. Spring issue. http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/customizing-your-social-strategy-to-the-platform/

Reid, M., Hultink, E.J., Marion, T.J., Barczak, G. 2015. “The Impact of IT Tool Usage on the Predevelopment Phase of the NPD Process.” Information & Management, 53(4): 422-434.

Marion, T.J., Eddleston, K.A., Friar, J.H. and Deeds, D. 2015. "The evolution of interorganizational relationships in emerging ventures: An ethnographic study within the new product development process." Journal of Business Venturing, 30(1): 167-184.

Marion, T.J., Meyer, M.A. and Barczak, G. 2015. "The Influence of Digital Design and IT on Modular Product Architecture." Journal of Product Innovation Management, 32(1): 98-110.

Presentations

Selected Presentations

“Marketing and Sales for Technology-Driven Companies.” Invited speaker, SBANE, 2016.

“Rapid Concept Development.” Invited speaker, Innovation Leader Teach-in, 2016.

“New Venture Development.” Invited speaker, TU Delft, March 2015.

“Lean Innovation.” Invited speaker. PDMA Netherlands Masterclass, March 2014.

“Interorganizational Relationships and New Ventures.” Invited speaker. RMIT University, Melbourne, AU, February, 2014.

Selected Media Appearances

December 21, 2017

The innovation process: A step-by-step guide

Tucker Marion outlines an innovation process guide for Northeastern Graduate Programs.

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December 01, 2017

How ideation techniques can help solve your most challenging business problem

Tucker Marion comments on the importance of ideation in a company''s design thinking process, for the Graduate Programs Blog.

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October 13, 2017

Lean innovation: What it is and how it can impact your business

Tucker Marion discusses lean innovation for Northeastern''s graduate programs blog.

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More Media Appearances