nep-knm New Economics Papers
on Knowledge Management and Knowledge Economy
Issue of 2007‒11‒10
nine papers chosen by
Emanuele Canegrati
Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

  1. What Does Economics Assume About People’s Knowledge? Who knows? By António Caleiro
  2. Knowledge Transformation and Economic Development: The Role of Digital Technology- An Analysis By Herani, Gobind M.; Rajar, Allah Wasayo; Zaman, Noor; Alam, Adnan
  3. Strategic Information Transmission through the Media By Jung, Hanjoon Michael
  4. Impact of coherent versus multiple identities on knowledge integration By Willem, A.; Scarbrough, H.; Buelens, M.
  5. Functional Chains of Knowledge Management - Effects on Firms' Innovative Performance By Uwe Cantner; Kristin Joel
  6. On the dynamics of knowledge generation and trust building in regional innovation networks. A multi method approach By Maria Daskalakis; Martina Kauffeld-Monz
  7. On Definability in Multimodal Logic II. Defining Knowledge in Terms of Belief By Joseph Y Halpern; Dov Samet; Ella Segev
  8. More secrecy... more knowledge disclosure? : On disclosure outside of patents By Carlos J. POnce
  9. International Knowledge Flows: Evidence from an Inventor-Firm Matched Data Set By Jinyoung Kim; Sangjoon John Lee; Gerald Marschke

  1. By: António Caleiro (Department of Economics, University of Évora)
    Abstract: The purpose of the paper is to explore, from an assessment viewpoint, the ideas below. Economics, as a social science, has always considered sets of individuals with assumed characteristics, namely the level of knowledge, although in an implicit way in most of the cases. In this sense, an influential approach in Economics assumed that society, as a global set of individuals, was characterised by a certain level of knowledge that, indeed, could be associated with the one of its representative agent. In fact, an attentive recall of the evolution of these matters in Economics will immediately recognise that, since the very first economic models of the government, it was assumed that the level of knowledge of society, represented by a set of voters, was not the same as the one of the agent being elected, i.e. the government. The irrelevance of the difference in the level of knowledge of economic agents was soon abandoned after some seminal works of Hayek and Friedman. More recently, the viewpoint of Economics has changed by focusing on the characteristics (e.g. knowledge) of individuals, who may interact in sub-sets of society. From this point of view is clearly relevant, given the close connection with the assumed level of knowledge, to distinguish the adaptive behaviour from the rational one, as well as the full rational from the bounded rationality behaviour by people. Quite recent developments in the Economics of Knowledge, i.e. the so-called learning models, have been considered as more realistic approaches to model the process by which individuals acquire knowledge, for instance from other individuals that are, themselves, acquiring knowledge.
    Keywords: Bounded Rationality, Economics of Knowledge, Knowledge, Learning, Rationality
    JEL: A12 B41 C91 D83
    Date: 2007
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:evo:wpecon:04_2007&r=knm
  2. By: Herani, Gobind M.; Rajar, Allah Wasayo; Zaman, Noor; Alam, Adnan
    Abstract: This paper assesses the role of evolutionary process in knowledge transformation and economic development, especially due to emerging diversified digital technology. Everywhere, in the world, ever-advancing digital technology is performing a revolutionary role in converting the world into a global village. The knowledge, scientific and non-scientific, is being transformed with an enormous speed through digital media. Getting education through technology is providing audio-visual way of enhancing knowledge. But digital technology has its positive and negative affects. It needs some positive steps to ensure the qualitative knowledge transformation. In this article copyrights of accessing computerized data is also discussed, which prevents legal transformation of knowledge for globalisation of the world, research based education, and economic development. There different views of different. Learned authors have presented different views for reflection and deeper understanding. This study, with brief history of knowledge transformation, is worthy of fruitful suggestions.
    Keywords: Technology; Knowledge; Transformation; Scientific-Data; Research; Fair- Extract; Revolution and Low-Cost economic development.
    JEL: O33 M12 L86
    Date: 2007
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:5575&r=knm
  3. By: Jung, Hanjoon Michael
    Abstract: We model media manipulation in which a sender or senders manipulate information through the media to influence receivers. We show that if there is only one sender who has a conditional preference for maintaining its credibility in reporting accurate information and if the receivers face a coordination situation without information about their opponents' types, the sender could influence the receivers to make decisions according to the sender's primary preference 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 primary preferences. This result extends to the cases in which the sender has imperfect information or in which the sender's primary preference is to maintain its credibility. In the case of multiple senders, however, when there is enough competition among the senders or when simultaneous reporting takes place, the receivers could play their favored outcome against senders' preferences, which sheds light on a solution to the media manipulation problem.
    Keywords: Arms Race; Common Knowledge; Information Transmission; Media Bias; Media Competition; Media Manipulation.
    JEL: D83 D82 C72
    Date: 2007–08
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:5556&r=knm
  4. By: Willem, A.; Scarbrough, H.; Buelens, M. (Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School)
    Abstract: This paper addresses the influence of two competing views of social identity on knowledge integration within organizations. One view sees social identity primarily as a coherent characteristic of organisations, which can leverage knowledge integration by developing loyalty, trust, shared values and implicit norms (Kogut and Zander, 1996). The opposing view considers social identification as multiple and fragmented (Albert, Ashforth and Dutton, 2000; Alvesson, 2000). This fragmented view emphasises the problematic nature of social identity for knowledge integration. The aim of this paper is to examine these competing accounts and to develop insight under what conditions coherent respectively multiple social identities are advantageous for knowledge integration by the comparative analysis of two polar case studies. Our case studies reveal the different effects of a coherent versus multiple identity on knowledge integration and the need for a coherent company-wide social identity to leverage knowledge integration between organizational units.
    Keywords: case studies, knowledge integration, multiple identities, organization theory, organization-wide identity, social identity
    Date: 2007–11–08
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:vlg:vlgwps:2007-28&r=knm
  5. By: Uwe Cantner (Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, School of Economics and Business Administration, Chair of Microeconomics); Kristin Joel (Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, School of Economics and Business Administration, Chair of Microeconomics)
    Abstract: The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of Knowledge Management (KM) for the innovation success of firms. It is assumed that the functional chains of KM lead directly and indirectly to more innovative success via enhancing the recombination of internal and external knowledge assets. To analyse the embedding of KM in a firm's internal system of innovation we establish a structural equation model. We capture KM as latent concept and trace different functional chains by which KM impacts. Using data on KM and innovation success of 351 German firms of the manufacturing sector and knowledge-intensive services located in Thuringia and Hesse, our findings confirm the (dynamic) capability function of KM, which leads via improving exploitation of internal and external innovation assets to more innovation success.
    Keywords: Knowledge management, innovation, absorptive capacity, resource-based view, structural equation modelling
    JEL: O32 D21 C3
    Date: 2007–11–05
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:jrp:jrpwrp:2007-080&r=knm
  6. By: Maria Daskalakis (Department of Economics, University of Kassel); Martina Kauffeld-Monz (Department of Economics, University of Kassel)
    Abstract: Researchers in the field of innovation networks have acknowledged the important role knowledge and interaction play for the emergence of innovation. However, not much research has been done to investigate the behavioural dynamics necessary for the success of innovation networks. Our article deals with this issue in a threefold manner: we combine a theoretical analysis with an empirical validation and set up a multi-agent system based on both, simulating the behavioural dynamic of collaborative R&D. With regard to the theoretical foundation, the cognitive foundations of knowledge generation under bounded rationality are conceptualized. This is linked to a discussion about the role trust plays in the course of economic interaction. Trust itself proves to be a relevant mode of economic (inter)action which enables agents to overcome social dilemmas that might arise in the process of collaborative R&D. For empirical validation, a unique data set is used (23 German innovation networks, containing about 600 agents). Results of the analyses highlight the dynamics and interdependence of knowledge generation and trust as well as the sources of trust building in terms of three different components (generalised trust, specific trust, and institutional trust). The multi-agent system comprises the theoretical and empirical findings, e.g. in incorporating heterogeneity with regard to adaptive capacity, reciprocity and the tolerance of non-reciprocal behaviour. The results give evidence of the (changing) relevance of trust in the course of collaborative R&D. The success of collaborative R&D is determined through a co-evolution of individual and interactive processes of knowledge transformation und trust building.
    Keywords: Regional Innovation System, Innovation Networks, Behavioral Economics, Trust, Knowledge Transfer.
    Date: 2007–05
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kas:poabec:2007-4&r=knm
  7. By: Joseph Y Halpern; Dov Samet; Ella Segev
    Date: 2007–10–31
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cla:levrem:122247000000001648&r=knm
  8. By: Carlos J. POnce
    Abstract: It is an important concern that innovators by waiving their patent rights might obstruct the disclosure of knowledge and therefore retard progress. This paper explores this concern by using a simple model of two innovators who must decide sequentially whether to protect an innovation with limited patent rights. Two features are crucial to the disclosure decision. First: the second inventor may use his valid patent right to exclude the first inventor from using a secret invention. Second: when waiving her patent right, the first inventor may disclose her knowledge outside of a patent. Disclosure informs the Patent Office and courts that related inventions from later inventors may lack novelty and hence should not be protected by valid patent rights. This paper shows that when the first inventor chooses not to patent the innovation, the amount of disclosure is related to the intellectual property choices in a paradoxical way: the amount of disclosure will be ‘large’ (‘small’) when the second inventor chooses secrecy (patenting) to protect the innovation too.
    Date: 2007–10
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cte:werepe:we077241&r=knm
  9. By: Jinyoung Kim (Department of Economics, Korea University); Sangjoon John Lee (Alfred University); Gerald Marschke (University at Albany and IZA)
    Abstract: We describe the construction of a panel data set from the U.S. patent data that contains measures of inventors?life-cycle R&D productivity--patents and patent citations. We match the data set to information on the U.S. pharmaceutical and semiconductor firms for whom they work. In this paper we use these data to examine the role of research personnel as a pathway for the diffusion of ideas from foreign countries to U.S. innovators. In particular, we find in recent years an increase in the extent that U.S. innovating firms collaborate with or employ researchers with foreign experience. This increase appears to work primarily through an increase in U.S. firms?employment of foreign-residing researchers; the fraction of research-active U.S. residents with foreign research experience appears to be falling, suggesting that U.S. pharmaceutical and semiconductor firms are increasingly locating operations in foreign countries to employ such researchers, as opposed to such researchers immigrating to the U.S. to work. In addition, we investigate which U.S. firms conducting R&D build upon innovations originating abroad. We find that employing or collaborating with researchers who have research experience abroad seems to facilitate the use of output of non-U.S. R&D. We also find that in the semiconductor industry smaller and older firms, and in the pharmaceutical industry, younger firms are more likely to access foreign R&D output.
    Keywords: Innovation; Technology spillovers
    JEL: J62 O31 O33
    Date: 2007
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iek:wpaper:0706&r=knm

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