nep-knm New Economics Papers
on Knowledge Management and Knowledge Economy
Issue of 2011‒07‒21
five papers chosen by
Laura Stefanescu
European Research Centre of Managerial Studies in Business Administration

  1. THE QUESTION OF LEADERSHIP IN COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE (COPS): EVIDENCE FROM THE LITERATURE By Nima Fallah
  2. Innovation, demand and structural change in Europe. By Matteo Lucchese
  3. Job creation in business services:Innovation, Demand, Polarisation. By Francesco Bogliacino; Matteo Lucchese; Mario Pianta
  4. Knowledge in economics and economic reform : An analysis of French survey data By Vranceanu, Radu; Barthélémy, Jérôme
  5. Firm collaboration and modes of innovation in Norway By Rune Dahl Fitjar; Andrés Rodríguez-Pose

  1. By: Nima Fallah (University of Strasbourg, France)
    Abstract: The objective of this article is to examine the conceptual, theoretical and empirical literature, drawing from an extended literature review on the subject of leadership in communities of practice, in order to identify the gap, the key arguments, my stand point and areas for further investigations. The paper highlights the main elements which affect the practice of leadership in communities of practice, and proposes a potential path for future exploration, including a new model of leadership: “distributed leadership”. It is summarised that overlooked descriptive and conceptual perceptions of the topic should be supplemented by more field observation studies – a shift from pure conceptual to more evidence-based quantitative/qualitative research - to support the theoretical literature
    Keywords: Communities of Practice, Distributed Leadership, Knowledge Management, Organizational Learning
    JEL: M00
    Date: 2011–06
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cms:1icm11:2011-047_104&r=knm
  2. By: Matteo Lucchese (Università di Urbino "Carlo Bo")
    Abstract: The model and the empirical test developed in this paper address the determinants of structural change for six major European economies from 1995 to 2007. The performances of sectors are explained by the unfolding of uneven technological opportunities and different conditions of demand. Building on the literature on structural change and on previous studies on the link between sectoral patterns of innovation and economic performance of sectors, a set of tests is developed on a panel of 21 manufacturing sectors and 17 services, merging three different sources of data. The results show the importance of breaking up the innovative efforts of sectors and the role of demand in shaping their trajectories of development.
    Keywords: Structural change, Demand, Innovation, Industry-level analysis.
    JEL: O10 O33 O41
    Date: 2011
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:urb:wpaper:11_09&r=knm
  3. By: Francesco Bogliacino (European Commission); Matteo Lucchese (Università di Urbino "Carlo Bo"); Mario Pianta (Department of Economics, Society & Politics, Università di Urbino "Carlo Bo")
    Abstract: The patterns and mechanisms of job creation in business services are investigated in this article by considering the role of innovation, demand, wages and the composition of employment by professional groups. A model is developed and an empirical test is carried out with parallel analyses on a group of selected business services, on other services and on manufacturing sectors,considering six major European countries over the period 1996-2007. Within technological activities a distinction is made between those supporting either technological competitiveness, or cost competitiveness. Demand variables allow identifying the special role of intermediate demand. Job creation in business services appears to be driven by efforts to expand technological competitiveness and by the fast growing intermediate demand coming from other industries; conversely, process innovation leads to job losses and wage growth has a negative effect that is lower that in other industries. Business services show an increasingly polarised employment structure.
    Keywords: Business Services, Innovation, Employment.
    JEL: J20 J23 O30 O33
    Date: 2011
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:urb:wpaper:11_07&r=knm
  4. By: Vranceanu, Radu (ESSEC Business School); Barthélémy, Jérôme (ESSEC Business School)
    Abstract: The coexistence of a predominantly poor opinion of free markets and lack of education in economics are two documented features of France. In this paper, we use data collected through an Internet-based survey conducted in December 2009 in order to test whether this situation is more than a mere coincidence. A first regression model allows us to study how personal characteristics, general and economics education, occupation and personal interest in economics affect knowledge in economics. We then apply factor analysis in order to build an aggregate indicator of opinion on promarket reforms. This opinion indicator becomes the dependent variable in a second multiple regression model; it turns out that knowledge in economics contributes by 3.5% to explain the favorable opinion on pro-market reforms.
    Keywords: Economic knowledge; Policy reform; Survey methods; France
    JEL: A11 A14 A20
    Date: 2011–07–11
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ebg:essewp:dr-11003&r=knm
  5. By: Rune Dahl Fitjar (IRIS - International Research Institute of Stavanger); Andrés Rodríguez-Pose (IMDEA Social Sciences)
    Abstract: This paper examines the sources of firm product and process innovation in Norway. It uses a purpose-built survey of 1604 firms in the five largest Norwegian city-regions to test, by means of a logit regression analysis, Jensen et al.'s (2007) contention that firm innovation is both the result of 'science, technology and innovation' (STI) and 'doing, using and interacting' (DUI) modes of firm learning. The paper classifies different types of firm interaction into STI-mode interaction (with consultants, universities, and research centres) and DUI-mode interaction, distinguishing between DUI interaction within the supply-chain (i.e. with suppliers and customers) or not (with competitors). It further controls for the geographical locations of partners. The analysis demonstrates that engagement with external agents is an important source of firm innovation and that both STI and DUI-modes of interaction matter. However, it also shows that DUI modes of interaction outside the supply chain tend to be irrelevant for innovation, with frequent exchanges with competitors having a detrimental effect on a firm's propensity to innovate. Collaboration with extra-regional agents is much more conducive to innovation than collaboration with local partners, especially within the DUI mode.This paper examines the sources of firm product and process innovation in Norway. It uses a purpose-built survey of 1604 firms in the five largest Norwegian city-regions to test, by means of a logit regression analysis, Jensen et al.'s (2007) contention that firm innovation is both the result of 'science, technology and innovation' (STI) and 'doing, using and interacting' (DUI) modes of firm learning. The paper classifies different types of firm interaction into STI-mode interaction (with consultants, universities, and research centres) and DUI-mode interaction, distinguishing between DUI interaction within the supply-chain (i.e. with suppliers and customers) or not (with competitors). It further controls for the geographical locations of partners. The analysis demonstrates that engagement with external agents is an important source of firm innovation and that both STI and DUI-modes of interaction matter. However, it also shows that DUI modes of interaction outside the supply chain tend to be irrelevant for innovation, with frequent exchanges with competitors having a detrimental effect on a firm's propensity to innovate. Collaboration with extra-regional agents is much more conducive to innovation than collaboration with local partners, especially within the DUI mode.
    Keywords: Innovation; firms; suppliers; customers; competitors; universities; STI; DUI; R&D; geography; Norway
    Date: 2011–07–06
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imd:wpaper:wp2011-12&r=knm

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