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on Knowledge Management and Knowledge Economy |
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Issue of 2011‒04‒09
seven papers chosen by Laura Stefanescu European Research Centre of Managerial Studies in Business Administration |
| By: | Done, Adrian (IESE Business School) |
| Abstract: | The supply chain literature still largely focuses on asset, alphanumeric data and information (in the form of documents and files) elements of exchange between supply chain partners, despite the fact that increased integration and collaboration clearly require development of more complex elements of expertise and knowledge. In this respect, this paper recognizes the knowledge management (KM) literature as a potential source of new insights to add conceptual depth and understanding to managing 21st century supply chains. Specific KM theories and constructs are identified as potentially contributing to theory and practice in supply chain contexts. An overall framework for supply chain knowledge management is developed, along with literature-based definitions of supply chain knowledge transfer, competence and maturity constructs. The "knowledge lens" theory building approach is applied to import these perspectives into supply chain domains, with efforts to maintain conceptual consistency across the two literature streams. |
| Keywords: | Knowledge Management; Supply Chains; Conceptual Framework; |
| Date: | 2011–01–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ebg:iesewp:d-0900&r=knm |
| By: | Done, Adrian (IESE Business School) |
| Abstract: | This paper aims to go some way to answering the question: "Where are we now in the evolution of supply chains and what has to occur to advance along the continuum?" (Bowersox et al., 2000) by undertaking a conceptual synthesis of relevant literatures relating to the increasing importance of managing knowledge in supply chains. These issues are developed through a synthesis of the supply chain literature, and analysed through adopting perspectives from knowledge management research streams. A consensus is emerging from the supply chain literature that to advance along the evolutionary continuum supply chains must become more integrated, and with increased levels of collaboration between upstream and downstream partners. Yet, the majority of existing supply chain literature still focuses on asset, data and information elements of exchange between supply chain partners. This is despite the fact that increased integration and collaboration clearly require the exchange of more complex elements at the expertise and knowledge levels. Within supply chain contexts the exchange and management of knowledge dimensions is not so well understood despite their increasing importance as more complex business dynamics shift towards competing supply chains. This paper proposes that several knowledge management concepts and frameworks are relevant and useful to supply chain academics and practitioners. It contributes to a gap in the literature relating to the exchange and development of knowledge in supply chains, which has been identified as an important area relating to the continued evolution of supply chain theory and practice. |
| Keywords: | Knowledge Management; Supply Chains; Integration; Collaboration; |
| Date: | 2011–01–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ebg:iesewp:d-0899&r=knm |
| By: | Cui, Victor; Ding, Waverly W.; Yanadori, Yoshio |
| Abstract: | Given the importance of exploration in a firm’s overall innovation program, scholars have sought to understand organizational factors that give rise to exploration-oriented innovations. We propose theory and empirical evidence that relates firms’ use of financial incentives to their exploratory innovation performance. We expect that a larger proportion of long-term incentives in R&D employee compensation should be positively associated with the creation of exploratory innovation in a firm. In addition, we propose that a higher level of horizontal pay dispersion is negatively associated with the creation of exploratory innovation. We examine innovations reflected in the patents of a unique six-year, unbalanced panel dataset of 94 high-technology firms in the U.S. Empirical results confirm that firms with high level of horizontal pay dispersion have less exploratory patent innovations. However, surprisingly, firms that pay their R&D employees a higher proportion of long-term financial incentives in total compensation have lower level of exploratory innovation. This implies the possibility that popular longterm incentive plans in high-technology sectors (e.g., stock option plans) have failed to achieve their intended goals in practice. We discuss factors that might moderate the negative impact of long-term incentives on exploratory innovation. |
| Keywords: | Organizational Behavior and Theory |
| Date: | 2011–03–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:indrel:1913225&r=knm |
| By: | TSUKADA Naotoshi; NAGAOKA Sadao |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes how standards as a knowledge source are important for R&D, how significantly the (backward) citations by a patent of standard-related documents measure such knowledge flow, and how significantly they affect the performance of downstream R&D. Using both the RIETI inventor survey in Japan and the bibliographic information of triadic patents families, we show that standard information-that embodied in the standards and related documents-has become very important as a knowledge source for the conception of R&D projects in the information and telecommunication area (ICT), and that the frequency of the patents citing standard documents has been increasing. The citation information in US patent documents can be effectively used to measure the knowledge flows from standards to inventions, although it covers only a limited portion of the knowledge flow. The R&D projects intensively using standard information tend to generate valuable patents and also a large number of patents, controlling for research labor input, the use of scientific literature, as well as that of patent literature. A patent that uses private international forum standards as a knowledge source is significantly more cited than a patent that uses national or international public standards as a knowledge source. |
| Date: | 2011–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eti:dpaper:11018&r=knm |
| By: | Tai-Yoo Kim; Jihyoun Park; Eungdo Kim; Junseok Hwang (Technology Management, Economics, and Policy Program (TEMEP), Seoul National University) |
| Abstract: | The digital economy is one of the most important features of the knowledge-based society of the future. Based on information and communications technology (ICT), it grows faster than and eventually overtakes the traditional industrial economy. The fundamental driving forces of the digital economy’s faster economic growth are as follows. First, ICT converges with and improves the efficiency of traditional industries. Second, the production function of the ICT industry shows increasing returns to scale. Third, the development of ICT stimulates not only demand and supply but the entire expansive reproduction system, resulting in faster-accelerating economic growth. This paper investigates the essentials, causes, and patterns of the faster economic growth of the digital economy, and forecasts its future on the basis of real-life examples from the US, Finland, and Ireland. Furthermore, the core of the IT paradox is revisited, so that the potential of the digital economy can be reaffirmed. |
| Keywords: | Knowledge-based society, digital economy, new economy, economic growth, faster acceleration, technological change, IT paradox. |
| JEL: | L16 O11 O47 |
| Date: | 2011–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:snv:dp2009:201173&r=knm |
| By: | Grimes, Arthur (Motu: Economic & Public Policy Research); Le Vaillant, Jason (Ministry of Economic Development, New Zealand); McCann, Philip (Waikato Management School, University of Waikato) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines one key theme of modern spatial economics relating to city development: Do the major cities within and across countries increasingly attract a disproportionate share of knowledge intensive economic activities? We describe trends in shares of knowledge intensive economic activities within five major New Zealand and five major Australian cities, and interpret these trends in light of modern economic geography theories. The paper is mainly descriptive, filling an information gap in relation to trends in knowledge intensity across New Zealand and Australian cities. We also compare developments in Auckland’s industry knowledge intensity with those in eight European comparator cities. Since 1991, Auckland’s share of employment within knowledge intensive sectors has increased at a faster pace than all four comparator New Zealand cities and all five Australian comparator cities. These trends indicate that intra-country agglomeration forces have more than offset the inter-country agglomeration forces for Auckland. However the other four New Zealand cities have experienced lower growth in their knowledge intensive sector shares than the five Australian cities, a result that is consistent with the existence of agglomeration forces acting across Australasia. |
| Keywords: | Agglomeration; knowledge intensity; Auckland |
| JEL: | R11 R12 |
| Date: | 2011–03–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:nzmedo:2011_002&r=knm |
| By: | Nwaobi, Godwin C |
| Abstract: | Since the mid 1900’s, economist have come to recognize the role of innovative activity in firms productivity growth, particularly in the competitive market economies. However, the most conducive market environment for innovative activity has also become a subject of interest. Thus, a major constraint on industrial dynamism in African countries is said to be the dearth of indigenous entrepreneurs. This paper therefore argued for the provision of comprehensive innovation policy, in which the government supports the innovators by providing appropriate financial measures; removing regulatory, institutional (competitive) obstacles to innovation; and strengthening the knowledge base through investment in education, research and industrial sites in Africa. |
| Keywords: | innovation policy; Africa; Nigeria; investment; productivity; science parks; business clusters; economic zones; inventions; free trade zones; cognitive revolution; industrial revolution; infrastructures; technology; research and development; venture capital |
| JEL: | Q50 R10 L90 D20 Q3 O32 L60 Q2 O30 Q40 L26 M13 O31 Q10 L70 |
| Date: | 2011–03–21 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:29728&r=knm |