Examining the antecedents of knowledge sharing in facilitating team innovativeness from a multilevel perspective

This paper examines how transformational leadership (TFL) climate influences employees’ team identity and their intentions to share knowledge and how team knowledge sharing intention subsequently influences team innovativeness. Data was collected from 301 employees comprising 52 R&D teams. Hypotheses were tested with both hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) and regression analyses. Results indicated that TFL climate was related to employees’ intention to share knowledge through team identity. At the group level, results supported the relationships between team knowledge sharing intention and team innovativeness. The results also indicated that team knowledge sharing intention mediated the relationship between TFL climate and team innovativeness.     

Role of knowledge conversion and social networks in team performance

This study aims to find out how different processes of knowledge management and patterns of social networking affect team performance. Our data on teams originate from a sample of different organizations from a variety of both public and private industries in Finland (76 teams; 499 employees). One of the main deficiencies in the current literature on knowledge and networks is that they tend to concentrate on specific types of teams in a single organization context. Our aim was to put the team phenomenon into an everyday context by analysing the interplay of knowledge creation and social networks in teams which function on a permanent basis in a variety of industry contexts. Both knowledge creation and social networking contributed to performance, but the results showed that whereas team members see the knowledge conversion processes as central to performance, top management emphasize the importance of social networks in value creation. In our examination, lively interaction between team members, combined with team leaders’ intra-organizational networks, contributed to team performance.     

Sourcing technological knowledge through corporate acquisition: Evidence from an international sample of high technology firms

We investigate the prevalence of the motive to source technological knowledge externally through corporate acquisition. Drawing on make-or-buy and organizational learning theories, we infer the implications of this explanation for the acquirers' pre-acquisition innovative characteristics. Using an international sample of 6106 high technology acquisitions during 1984–2000, we assess the contribution of innovative characteristics to the acquisition likelihood. For firms acquiring small private firms and former subsidiaries—but not public targets—the evidence is consistent with three propositions: (1) A firm's commitment to internal R&D is negatively affected by the decision to acquire; (2) Low R&D productivity increases the likelihood of acquisition; (3) A large knowledge stock predisposes firms to acquire because they perceive they are capable of selecting and absorbing targets. We conclude that acquisitions of small private firms and former subsidiaries are a viable R&D strategy to explore a range of potential future innovation trajectories for large public firms.     

The ex ante assessment of knowledge spillovers: Government R&D policy, economic incentives and private firm behavior

This paper investigates the role of government R&D subsidy programs in stimulating knowledge spillovers. R&D subsidies are an effective public policy instrument when knowledge spillovers exist yet ex ante it is difficult to identify projects that have the greatest potential to increase innovation and economic growth. This paper derives a set of project and firm attributes that the literature finds generate knowledge spillovers and uses data on project proposals to estimate the degree to which a government R&D program conforms. We find that projects that were awarded R&D subsidies were more likely to have attributes such as participation in new research joint ventures and connections to universities and other firms. Following the post-award activities of firm, we find that receipt of a government R&D subsidy increased the funding from other sources when compared to firms that were not awarded funding.     

Impact of knowledge incentive mechanisms on individual knowledge creation behavior—An empirical study for Taiwanese R&D professionals

Knowledge incentive mechanisms are a new development in the management of knowledge. The most prevalent perspective presented in the available literature is that the knowledge incentive mechanisms must have the ability to manage the flow of business knowledge. This study explores the relationship among knowledge incentive mechanisms, knowledge psychological ownership, and individual knowledge creation behavior. This study uses structural equation modeling to test a sample of R&D professionals from high-tech companies in Taiwan. Data analysis suggests that knowledge incentive mechanisms promote the psychological ownership by the knowledge owner so that he or she actively carries out knowledge innovation. This implies that knowledge incentive mechanisms stress private proprietary characteristics employees who possess real ownership when they innovate will deem such innovation as an extension of self, giving rise to a protective or defensive mindset, which then has an impact on individual knowledge creation behaviors because of the psychological ownership of knowledge.     

Competing explanations for knowledge exchange: Technology sharing within the globally dispersed R&D of the multinational enterprise

This paper explores five competing theories for technological knowledge sharing within the globally dispersed R&D function of the multidivisional, multinational firm. These five broad explanations for why a knowledge transaction occurs are: (1) economic, (2) technological, (3) organizational, (4) geographic, and (5) sociological. In addition to occurrence, likelihood of knowledge exchange success prompted by various explanations is considered. Ultimately the determination of which argument—or combination of arguments—offers the greatest explanatory power for the sharing of intermediate technological knowledge may be answered empirically.     

New forms of organisation and R&D internationalisation among the world's 100 largest food and beverages multinationals

This paper explores the strategic internationalisation of Research and Development (R&D) activities of the world's 100 largest food and beverages (F&B) multinationals (MNEs) in 1996 and 2000 with a sample of nearly 8000 affiliates for each period. We develop a global innovation strategy (GIS) structure where we analyse the R&D internationalisation process of F&B MNEs. We argue that in a fully developed GIS model the sourcing of creative inputs does not come exclusively from a ‘central’ R&D laboratory, but other overseas R&D laboratories or technological affiliates can also undertake genuine knowledge creation activity from capitalising on the scientific heterogeneity fostered in individual host countries as well as distinctive demand conditions. Our results indicate the increasing importance of overseas technological affiliates in the application of a GIS in the leading F&B MNEs, which determine the degree of their technological internationalisation. Two variants of technological affiliates reflect two broad knowledge-related activities, i.e. adaptation and genuine forms of knowledge creation.     

Three steps in knowledge communication: the emergence of knowledge transformers

The purpose of this paper is to reexamine the role of gatekeeper in R&D organizations through the data collected from a midium-sized machine tool firm. Although the related literature points out (1) information gathering and (2) information transmitting functions as main roles of gatekeeper, this paper further suggests (3) knowledge transforming function that has to be executed within R&D organizations. We will argue that since the latter function often requires distinctive skills that impede information gathering activities, there emerges a three-step flow of communication instead of a two-step flow of communication. We define persons fulfilling this new role as a knowledge transformer, and related testable hypotheses are derived. The latter part of this paper proposes new measuring methods that identify knowledge transformers and test these hypotheses.     

R&D intensity, value appropriation and integration patterns within organizational boundaries

Complementary insights from Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) and the Resource-Based View (RBV) of the firm are combined to predict the relationship between firm specific technological knowledge and patterns of integration within organizational boundaries. The findings show that the level of Research and Development (R&D) intensity (representing the creation of firm specific technological knowledge) has an inverted U-shaped relationship with the propensity of firms to integrate activities within organizational boundaries. At low levels of R&D intensity, firms’ propensity to integrate their activities is low, but increases with escalating levels of R&D intensity in order to avoid the misappropriation of value generated by technological knowledge. However, beyond a certain R&D intensity level, the propensity to integrate activities declines, since the level of technological knowledge is high enough to prevent imitation by third parties. As expected we further find that firms which follow this integration pattern outperform those which do not. As the level of R&D intensity increases, the integration of production and marketing activities enables firms to improve performance until a certain R&D intensity threshold, after which such integration negatively affects performance.     

Innovation in the multinational firm with globally dispersed r&d: Technological knowledge utilization and accumulation

This paper employs evolutionary, resource-based, and knowledge-based perspectives to provide a framework for understanding technological knowledge sharing within the globally dispersed R&D function of the multinational firm. Elements from the three perspectives are inspected and drawn together. The constructs—knowledge, knowledge transaction, and performance—are articulated. Finally, two fundamental relationships are proposed: (1) kind of technological knowledge shared will impact the type of knowledge transaction undertaken and 2) type of knowledge transaction will impact R&D task performance.     

研发联盟企业间知识共享影响因素的实证研究

由于研发联盟企业间的知识共享跨越了组织的边界，因此具有更为复杂的机制。本文通过分析研发联盟企业间知识共享的微观机制，从合作伙伴的技术资源强度、企业的组织学习能力、技术知识的壁垒属性、伙伴间的相容性水平等四个方面探讨了研发联盟企业间知识共享的影响因素，并采用结构方程模型（SEM）结合151家企业的调查数据，实证研究了上述四个因素对研发联盟知识共享绩效的影响作用。最后提出了研发联盟改善知 知识共享绩效的措施以及本文进一步研究的方向。     

A design of knowledge management tool for supporting product development

New Product Development (NPD) is one of the most important activities for companies. The NPD activities get to depend on knowledge more and more. Therefore, Knowledge Management (KM) has become a key issue and a hot topic in the fields of NPD researches. This paper proposes a new design of an effective NPD-support KM tool for facilitating the knowledge sharing and acquisition among collaborative NPD team members. The KM tool mainly contains two channels for knowledge acquisition: knowledge query and knowledge recommendation. The former one is the basic function for all types of KM tools, and also acts as the basis for the latter one. This paper proposes two types of knowledge recommendation ways: one is a vector-based way; the other is a phrase-based way. Key techniques for implementing the KM tool are elaborated. A demo example is also illustrated to show the functions of the proposed KM tool.     

R&D synergy between local and foreign-owned enterprises in post-communist economies

This study examines how internal research and development (R&D), external knowledge acquisition, and R&D contracted with other companies interact in local and foreign-owned enterprises in post-communist economies. A large sample of firm-level data from the Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS) across 26 post-communist countries (including European Union (EU) members and non-EU states of Eastern Europe, Caucasian countries, and Central Asian countries) and country-level data from the Global Innovation Index and the International Property Rights Index were used. The findings show that enterprises with majority foreign ownership are relatively more likely to acquire external R&D. We demonstrate that the R&D behavior of enterprises with majority foreign ownership and local firms are interrelated, that is, we find a synergy effect. According to the results, decisions on internal R&D and the purchase of external knowledge for enterprises with majority foreign ownership are similar to those of local firms. However, enterprises with foreign ownership contract R&D with other companies more often if local firms conduct internal R&D. These results indicate the presence of knowledge spillover and cross-learning effects in both types of enterprises in post-communist countries. Finally, we find that the national innovation environment is not significant for the R&D intensity of enterprises with majority foreign ownership, which suggests their high dependence on the parent structures of multinational enterprises.     

善事先利器:团队知识共享与新产品开发绩效

既有研究对于团队层面知识共享与新产品开发绩效的研究忽视了成员主动性人格的作用。为丰富研究思路和认知,本文基于特质激活理论和资源保存理论,以国企研发团队为研究对象,创造性地引入主动性人格作为知识共享和新产品开发绩效之间的中间变量,以知识异质性为调节变量。通过对上海汽车集团、上海电气集团和宝武集团三家大型国企的研发团队的问卷数据进行实证研究,结果发现：（1）知识共享显著正向影响新产品开发绩效,并且对主动性人格具有正向促进作用;（2）主动性人格对新产品开发绩效有正向影响,并且在知识共享和新产品开发绩效的路径上起中介作用;（3）知识异质性在主动性人格与新产品开发绩效的关系中具有正向调节效应。     

Resource allocations, knowledge network characteristics and entrepreneurial orientation of multinational corporations

This paper analyses entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in multinational corporations (MNCs) and develops a new typology of MNC EO based on combining R&D and asset growth investment intensities as orthogonal resource allocations. A cluster analysis of US MNCs on these two dimensions reveals three types of entrepreneurial stance: conservative, aggressive-asset growth and balanced. Internal knowledge network characteristics are shown to vary by stance, with more aggressive stances linked to knowledge governance supportive of the entrepreneurship process. In linking entrepreneurial orientation to the knowledge network of the MNC, this paper identifies factors important to the strategic management and on-going renewal of MNCs. In addition, the vector of R&D investment vs. asset growth investment is an indicator of entrepreneurial aggression and presents a new method of understanding the international strategies of MNCs.     

Knowledge sharing in project-based organizations: Overcoming the informational limbo

Project-based organizations (PBO) are nowadays widespread in almost all the activity sectors. This type of organizations poses complex problems for information and knowledge management due to the fragmentation and lack of uniformity of organizational structures, processes, practices, and technologies. The ineffectiveness of knowledge sharing over time, between project teams, is perhaps the most prominent issue that PBO must deal with. This strongly affects organizational learning, which seems to under-deliver value to PBO. Therefore, relevant knowledge is trapped in an “informational limbo” out of reach, not being capitalized for the organization. This is particularly true in research and development (R&D) institutions, where knowledge sharing can be hindered by conceptual misunderstandings resulting from different disciplines, cultures and ways of working of project participants. This paper addresses such issues by analyzing, in a comprehensive way, how information and knowledge management can better suit project team's needs and at the same time improve organizational learning. An ethnographic study, based on immersed participant observation, is performed at a Portuguese R&D Institute, in order to understand the link between the way information is managed in a project and how people interact and learn by sharing knowledge between projects. Results provide a set of enterprise information management (EIM) recommendations. Findings also suggest that a PBO-wide EIM strategy, balancing knowledge codification and personalization mechanisms, is a feasible solution to overcome the problems of knowledge sharing in PBO.     

科研团队创造力的团队认知机制研究

基于知识管理的视角，探讨交互记忆系统、团队心智模型对团队创造力的影响以及探索式学习与知识共享的中介作用。以33个科研团队为样本的问卷调查表明：（1）交互记忆系统、团队心智模型均分别对团队创造力产生正U型曲线影响；（2）探索式学习、知识共享在交互记忆系统与团队创造力的关系中均起到完全中介作用，在团队心智模型与团队创造力的关系中均起到部分中介作用；（3）知识共享能力在探索式学习与团队创造力的关系中起到部分中介作用。     

Articulation and codification of collective know-how in the steel industry: evidence from blast furnace control in France

In this article, we use the implementation of an expert system to improve blast furnace control in the French steel industry to illustrate the problem of knowledge articulation/codification. Blast furnace related knowledge still largely takes the form of empirical know-how in general and expert know-how tied to specific individuals in particular. Therefore, the articulation/codification of knowledge in this field is a difficult task requiring the identification and selection of ‘best practices’ for the purpose of codification. This process, in turn, affects daily routines and creates new forms of generic knowledge that make use of local knowledge. These new forms of generic information reinforce the tendency to appropriate private knowledge currently prevailing in Usinor, a large French steel company, and create new routes and new insights for R&D policy.     

Measuring the returns of R&D—An empirical study of the German manufacturing sector over 45 years

Motivated by recent statistics that show significant growth in labor productivity, this paper seeks to analyze the long-term relationship between domestic R&D, knowledge stock and productivity dynamics. Time series data of the German manufacturing industry is used to estimate a variable cost function with the stock of knowledge being dependent upon current and past R&D spending. The estimates indicate that 50% of the effects of R&D on the knowledge stock appear within 4 years. However, the rate of return on R&D are shown to be drastically declining; recent rates of return on R&D are estimated to have reached an all-time low spanning the last 45 years. Current yields of R&D are only one third compared to the sixties. In conclusion, though the productivity slowdown of the seventies seems to have been overcome, this is not attributed to R&D investments.     

R&D manpower and technological performance: The impact of demographic and task-related diversity

We assess the impact of R&D manpower diversity on firms’ technological performance. Relying on insights from two theoretical perspectives on team diversity (i.e. social categorization perspective and information decision-making perspective), we hypothesize that both demographic and task-related sources of diversity within firms’ R&D workforce influence technological performance. In addition, we expect that these two dimensions of diversity interact with each other. To test our hypotheses, we rely on survey data from 938 Singaporean firms, providing in-depth information on three sources of demographic diversity (i.e. gender, age, and nationality of R&D employees) and two sources of task-related diversity (i.e. educational and knowledge area background of R&D employees). Our findings point to significant interactions between different sources of R&D manpower diversity. In particular, we identify substitutive relationships between (a) educational and gender diversity, and (b) nationality and knowledge area diversity.