|
on Knowledge Management and Knowledge Economy |
|
Issue of 2007‒09‒09
eight papers chosen by Emanuele Canegrati Catholic University of the Sacred Heart |
| By: | Helmut Dietl (Institute for Strategy and Business Economics, University of Zurich); Martin Grossmann (Institute for Strategy and Business Economics, University of Zurich) |
| Abstract: | We model a value chain, which consists of two stages of value creation. Within this model we show how the relative importance of general and idiosyncratic knowledge interacts with the hold up problem to determine the comparative advantages of markets, hierarchies, and cooperatives. In our model a market form is (weakly) dominated by a cooperative organization. We show that cooperatives (hierarchies) are an efficient response to the hold up problem if idiosyncratic (general) knowledge is important. A trade off arises if both general and idiosyncratic knowledge is important for value creation. This trade off determines the choice between cooperatives (idiosyncratic knowledge is relatively more important) and hierarchies (general knowledge is relatively more important). |
| Keywords: | Cooperatives, Information, Knowledge |
| JEL: | D82 D83 L22 |
| Date: | 2007–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iso:wpaper:0068&r=knm |
| By: | Bosetti, Valentina; Carraro, Carlo; Massetti, Emanuele; Tavoni, Massimo |
| Abstract: | It is widely recognized that technological change has the potential to reduce GHG emissions without compromising economic growth; hence, any better understanding of the process of technological innovation is likely to increase our knowledge of mitigation possibilities and costs. This paper explores how international knowledge flows affect the dynamics of the domestic R&D sector and the main economic and environmental variables. The analysis is performed using WITCH, a dynamic regional model of the world economy, in which energy technical change is endogenous. The focus is on disembodied energy R&D international spillovers. The knowledge pool from which regions draw foreign ideas differs between High Income and Low Income countries. Absorption capacity is also endogenous in the model. The basic questions are as follows. Do knowledge spillovers enhance energy technological innovation in different regions of the world? Does the speed of innovation increase? Or do free-riding incentives prevail and international spillovers crowd out domestic R&D efforts? What is the role of domestic absorption capacity and of policies designed to enhance it? Do greenhouse gas stabilization costs drop in the presence of international technological spillovers? The new specification of the WITCH model presented in this paper enables us to answer these questions. Our analysis shows that international knowledge spillovers tend to increase free-riding incentives and decrease the investments in energy R&D. The strongest cuts in energy R&D investments are recorded among High Income countries, where international knowledge flows crowd out domestic R&D efforts. The overall domestic pool of knowledge, and thus total net GHG stabilization costs, remain largely unaffected. International spillovers, however, are also an important policy channel. We therefore analyze the implication of a policy mix in which climate policy is combined with a technology policy designed to enhance absorption capacity in developing countries. Significant positive impacts on the costs of stabilising GHG concentrations are singled out. Finally, a sensitivity analysis shows that High Income countries are more responsive than Low Income countries to changes in the parameters and thus suggests to focus additional empirical research efforts on the former. |
| Keywords: | Climate policy; Energy R&D; GHG stabilisation; International R&D Spillovers |
| JEL: | H0 H1 H2 |
| Date: | 2007–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:6426&r=knm |
| By: | Bettina Müller (Centre for European Economic Research) |
| Abstract: | Academic spin-offs are one way in which employability of university graduates is reflected. Using the ZEW spinoff-survey, this paper studies empirically the impact of human capital on the success of academic spin-offs founding in knowledge and technology intensive sectors. The focus is thereby on the composition of human capital which is described according to whether or not the founders have studied several subjects and whether or not they all come from the same research establishment. Additionally the impact of having founded as a team is analyzed. Success is measured by employment growth. The findings suggest that it is advantageous to found within a team, but that the human capital composition both for single entrepreneurs and team foundations is rather irrelevant. |
| Keywords: | Higher Education , Human Capital , Entrepreneurship , Spin-off |
| JEL: | C12 L25 M13 |
| Date: | 2006–12–20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:knz:hetero:0614&r=knm |
| By: | Schmiele, Anja; Sofka, Wolfgang |
| Abstract: | Competitors can be valuable sources and partners for innovation activities. Against the background of international expansion of firms and increased international competition, the R&D collaborations with international competitors (international co-opetition) is becoming an increasingly interesting way to gain access to well guarded knowledge from abroad. However, to be able to benefit from these paradox alliances, a certain level of international co-opetition readiness is required. On the one hand, this readiness is important to protect the companies’ intellectual property that should not be leaked to competitors. On the other hand, the firm has to be able to absorb and utilize the knowledge and capabilities of the collaborating competitor. Hence, we envision co-opetition as a balancing act between appropriability practices and absorptive capacities in a cross-border context. We test these dual hypotheses for a broad sample of roughly 1,000 innovative firms in the German manufacturing sector. We find that co-opetition with international competitors requires a shift in appropriability practices from informal methods (secrecy, lead time) towards formal ones (like patents and copyrights). Besides, we discover that the readiness for international co-opetition can be achieved by developing international collaboration experience through collaborations with international customers or suppliers. |
| Keywords: | Co-opetition, R&D collaboration, internationalization, innovation management |
| JEL: | D83 F23 O31 O32 |
| Date: | 2007 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:5871&r=knm |
| By: | Jung, Hanjoon Michael |
| Abstract: | We model media manipulation in which a sender or senders manipulate information through the media to influence the decisions of receivers. We show that if there is only one sender and the receivers face a coordination problem without information about their opponents' types, the sender successfully influences the receivers to play the sender's favorite outcome by manipulating the information through the media, which makes the report common knowledge. This is true even when the sender and the receivers have contradictory preferences. This result extends to the cases in which the sender has imperfect information or in which the sender most values its credibility in reporting accurate information. In the case of multiple senders, however, if a sender receives a sufficient reward for reporting truthfully when others do not, all senders have incentives to report truthfully. Consequently, the receivers could play their favored outcome against the senders' preferences. |
| Keywords: | Arms Race; Common Knowledge; Information Transmission; Media Bias; Media Competition; Media Manipulation. |
| JEL: | D82 C72 D83 |
| Date: | 2007–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:4637&r=knm |
| By: | E. COOLS; H. VAN DEN BROECK |
| Abstract: | The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which people from two different sectors are ‘armed’ to deal effectively with change. Change is apparently the only constant factor in current work surroundings. A crucial issue to manage change professionally is coping with the involved uncertainty. The individual manager plays an important role in this regard, as successfully coping with change is strongly influenced by the psychological predispositions of the individual experiencing the change. We compared Flemish entrepreneurs and healthcare managers on four traits (locus of control, self-efficacy, tolerance for ambiguity, proactive personality) and on cognitive styles (i.e., individual preferences for organising and processing information). Entrepreneurs (n = 177) scored significantly higher on all traits than healthcare managers (n = 60). Healthcare managers scored significantly higher on the knowing and planning style than entrepreneurs, but no significant differences were found for the creating style. With this study, we hope to enhance the knowledge about the influence of particular characteristics in organisational change processes |
| Keywords: | change management, leadership, cognitive styles, micro-perspective |
| Date: | 2007–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rug:rugwps:07/477&r=knm |
| By: | Sean Archer (University of Cape Town) |
| Abstract: | Abstract: This paper aims to introduce selected issues from the international literature on skills training into the South African policy forum. Reform of national strategies in skills production has characterised a number of industrial as well as certain developing economies in recent decades. Their experience is potentially valuable locally. The main lessons are that skills training resembles education in being partly a public good. The acquisition of skills parallels the acquisition of knowledge. Training opportunities do have to be rationed by some mechanism, either through the market or by rules internal to an organisation engaged in training, but the content of the competency learned is a form of knowledge. More competency with economic value that is acquired by one person does not mean less of it is available for acquisition by another. Nor, secondly, can non-payers be wholly excluded from the benefits of training financed by others. For example, there are separate gains for fellow workers, for employers poaching trained workers, and for investors in new technology. So certain economic decision-takers can free-ride on such investments in human capital. As classic examples of market failure they make clear that simple allocation through a market is not at all adequate for a national system of skills training. The second lesson is that problems of information, incentives and market power preclude the emergence of a training equilibrium in which individual workers and employers pursue their interests successfully and therefore efficiently. In practice most training takes place on the job, where it is difficult for an outside agency like the state to influence investment decisions directly. Sensible roles for the state are to supply needed information, to put in place positive and negative incentives where needed, to provide accreditation that is credible in the market, to set up a framework of regulation that fosters informational transparency and constrains skills poaching, and to invest in high quality prior education for trainees flowing into occupational markets. An additional state function is to provide workable policy devices like ‘temporary migration programmes’ that enable active skilled labour recruitment from source countries. International precedents exist that show the way in a number of these expedients. |
| Keywords: | skills training, on the job training, South African policy |
| JEL: | A1 |
| Date: | 2007–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ctw:wpaper:96100&r=knm |
| By: | Metzger, Georg |
| Abstract: | Entrepreneurs are often faced with problems regarding start-up financing. But compared to novice entrepreneurs, experienced entrepreneurs should have both more knowledge and better contacts, which should potentially reduce the occurrence of problems and affect finance composition. However, experience of business failure might result in additional effects. This analysis therefore investigates the effects of experience on several aspects of start-up financing. It is based on data from the KfW Start-up Monitor, a representative annual survey of the German population. The results show that experience affects several financing issues. Yet the impacts depend on the kind of experience. With regard to previously failed entrepreneurs, who are of particular interest, the findings indicate that they cut back their financing demand and are more likely faced with problems satisfying this demand. However, previously failed entrepreneurs do not significantly differ in the sources they use to finance their businesses. |
| Keywords: | Entrepreneurial experience, restart, start-up financing |
| JEL: | G32 L26 M13 |
| Date: | 2007 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:5873&r=knm |