Understanding knowledge management software-organisation misalignments from an institutional perspective: A case study of a global IT-management consultancy firm

Inspired by the proposition that “Enterprise IS configurations chosen by the organisations will encode institutionalised principles into these systems” (Gosain, 2004, p. 169), this study seeks to draw attention to potential sources of misalignment between knowledge management (KM) software and the implementing organisation from an institutional theory perspective. Using a case of a global consultancy firm, the study elucidates such misalignments as the consequence of different institutional contexts where technology developers and adopters operate. This study demonstrates how institutional forces affect the implementation project and provides some lessons learned for organisations that are rich in high-value text-based knowledge for making decisions.     

高绩效工作实践系统、知识扩散与突破性创新

突破性创新已成为企业盈利和增长的关键性力量。针对既有文献对突破性创新驱动因素的研究不足,考察了高绩效工作实践系统和知识扩散对跨国公司在华突破性产品创新的影响关系。基于165家在华跨国公司高层管理人员填写的调查问卷,采用因子分析和结构方程模型对研究假设进行检验。实证结果揭示了高绩效工作系统的三种实践:工作轮换、员工培训和跨部门沟通对突破性产品创新的前置效应以及知识扩散对突破性产品创新与企业绩效的传导机制,同时,本文还发现突破性创新导向的技术战略可以显著提高在华跨国公司的运营绩效。最后,论述了本文的理论贡献、实践价值、不足和进一步研究的方向。     

The emergence of entrepreneurship as an academic field: A personal essay on institutional entrepreneurship

The academic field of entrepreneurship research has grown from groups of isolated scholars doing research on small businesses to an international community of departments, institutes, and foundations promoting research on new and high-growth firms. Growth has produced increasingly systematic and interconnected knowledge and growing numbers of knowledge producers and knowledge users share core concepts, principles, and research methods, and a handful of highly cited scholars have emerged as thought leaders within research subfields. The field is increasingly formalized and anchored in a small set of intellectual bases, although there are also some signs of differentiation and fragmentation. Using an institutional theory perspective and drawing upon my experience in the field, I explore six forces creating the institutional infrastructure. First, social networking mechanisms have created a social structure facilitating connections between researchers. Second, publication opportunities have increased dramatically. Third, training and mentoring has moved to a collective rather than individual apprenticeship model. Fourth, major foundations and many other smaller funding sources have changed the scale and scope of entrepreneurship research. Fifth, new mechanisms have emerged that recognize and reward individual scholarship, reinforcing the identity of entrepreneurship research as a field and attracting new scholars into it. Sixth, globalizing forces have affected all of these trends. I conclude with some thoughts about the consequences of these developments with regard to the giving of practical and timely advice to entrepreneurs, the effects of American hegemony on choices of research topics and methods, and the possible loss of theoretical eclecticism.     

企业作为一种知识产权保护系统

由于法律对于知识产权的保护相当有限,因而知识在市场交易中常常易于被侵占或盗用,在此情况下企业这种制度安排便应运而生了。当知识交易在企业内进行时,企业能够通过一套自身特有的机制来保护其知识和知识产权免受侵占。为了阐明这个观点,本文着力从知识产权保护的角度对企业的产生、企业的所有权结构和企业内部的契约安排等问题进行了重新探讨.以揭示它们与保护企业的知识和知识产权的关系。此外,本文还分析了企业保护其知识产权的成本,并论证了企业能够在保护的收益,与成本之间作出权衡,以确定保护的强弱、实现利润的最大化。所以,本文的结论是,企业乃是一种知识产权的保护系统。     

全球知识搜索与企业创新：东道国选择之困

本文将2008-2011年中国科技部企业创新数据库、世界银行全球治理数据库和Hofstede关于文化的研究数据合并，基于东道国视角，研究东道国正式制度和文化制度对全球知识搜索与创新绩效关系的调节作用。实证结果表明外部知识搜索促进了企业创新绩效，前人提出的倒U型关系曲线的“拐点”尚未出现。进一步结合东道国制度因素对其探讨，发现东道国正式制度中的法律规则与监管质量负向调节搜索行为与创新绩效的关系；而文化制度中的长期导向正向调节二者之间的关系，权力距离的负向调节作用未出现。此外，我们还发现在上述东道国制度调节下全球知识搜索所实现的中国企业创新，仍以渐进式创新为主，颠覆式创新则略显乏力。     

创业导向对新企业资源获取的影响研究

 构建了创业导向、资源获取与制度环境之间关系的理论模型。利用344家新企业的调研数据进行实证分析。结果表明：创业导向对新企业资源获取具有重要影响;政策环境对创业导向与知识资源获取之间关系具有调节影响;认知环境对创业导向与知识资源获取和运营性资源获取之间关系具有调节影响;但政策环境对创业导向与运营性资源获取之间关系的调节作用不显著。     

跨国公司母子公司知识冲突与知识转移绩效关系研究

从跨国公司母子公司知识冲突对知识转移绩效的影响机理出发,运用实验研究方法对知识冲突与知识转移绩效的关系进行了假设检验。研究结果表明,结构型知识冲突和存量型知识冲突对知识转移的个体绩效、团队绩效、组织绩效具有正向影响作用;关系型知识冲突对知识转移的个体绩效、团队绩效、组织绩效具有负向影响作用;跨国公司母子公司知识转移的个体绩效、团队绩效、组织绩效呈现出层层递进的演进机制。结构型知识冲突和存量型知识冲突属于良性知识冲突,适度的良性冲突对提升跨国公司母子公司知识转移绩效水平具有积极的促进作用。关系型知识冲突属于恶性知识冲突,对跨国公司母子公司知识转移绩效水平具有消极的负面效应。     

Knowledge base combinations and firm growth

The link between knowledge and firm growth has been a core topic in economics of innovation for a long time. However, despite strong theoretical arguments, empirical evidence remains inconclusive. One important reason for this conundrum may be the failure of standard indicators to capture firm innovation activities comprehensively. We contribute to overcoming this limitation by looking in the knowledge processes that drive variegated forms of innovation and aim thereby to establish a solid relationship with firm growth in more detail. Our arguments draw on the differentiated knowledge base approach, distinguishing between analytical, synthetic, and symbolic knowledge. We measure the three types of knowledge bases with detailed longitudinal linked-employer-employee micro-data from Sweden. Econometric findings based on a very large sample of small and medium-sized firms indicate significantly positive effects of the three knowledge types, and in particular combinations thereof, on firm growth. In addition, we show that not only high-growth but also slow-growth firms benefit immensely from the use of combinatory knowledge bases. We find evidence on a curvilinear relation between knowledge bases and growth of firms. Beyond certain thresholds increasing the knowledge bases further results in decreasing firm growth. Our results remain robust in a wide range of specifications and econometric models.     

企业的核心知识能力与企业异质性研究

现实的企业之间普遍存在着市场扮额及利润的差距，对这种差距的解释，新古典经济学认为企业是同质的，外在市场结构因素造成了这种差距。本文认为，现实的企业是并质的，造成这种异质性的根源在于企业的核心知识和能力，同时本文还创造性地将分工、内生交易费用纳入分析框架，并相应提出了政策建议。     

B跨国公司知识转移：产权控制与合作的比较/B

以跨国公司为主导的全球学习和知识转移过程中,知识发送方和接收方存在着两种治理关系,即偏向于内部化的产权控制关系与偏向于市场的非股权合作关系。本研究显示,紧密地内部化控制关系与相对松散的合作关系在知识转移效果方面差别明显,在知识转移双方的高级知识转移工具和非正式转移方式的利用频率等方面也有显著差别;而转移知识的类型和使用初级知识转移手段的频率上没有显著差别。就知识转移效果的均值比较而言,产权控制更有利于知识转移,这从一个侧面验证了跨国公司内部化理论的有效性。     

Bridging the divide: intercultural competences to reconcile the knowledge transfer dilemma in multinational contexts

The ability to access and exploit knowledge resources is one of the key challenges for today’s multinational corporations (MNCs). However, there is still a lack of consensus about the exact nature of the role played by culture in affecting knowledge transfer in multinational contexts. The purpose of this paper is to explore how the dynamics of national culture influence an organization operating in a cross-cultural business environment and how the company can benefit from cultural differences. We focused on a holistic single case study, the Generali Group, by performing content analysis of the evidence collected with qualitative coding techniques. We propose a framework, based on the integration of intercultural competences and the use of specific knowledge facilitation mechanisms, which allows knowledge to spread in a more easy and fluid way in multinational environments and supports MNCs in reconciling the knowledge transfer dilemma.     

文化差异对总部知识转移的调节效应研究:基于德资跨国公司的调查

文化差异是跨国公司跨国界知识转移的重要壁垒.以德资跨国公司为例,借鉴 Hofstede 的民族文化模型,分析个体主义-集体主义、权力距离、不确定性规避、长期导向-短期导向四个维度上的文化差异对总部知识转移动力、转移渠道的丰富性与知识转移效果之间关系的调节作用,并据此提出相应的提高跨文化知识转移效果的措施.     

制度环境、继任模式与企业价值的关系研究

运用制度理论,从社会网络视角讨论了连锁董事网络、制度发展与企业价值之间的关系,阐述了不同制度环境下高管继任模式对企业价值创造的影响机理。采用普通线性回归方法对中国上市公司进行了实证分析。研究发现连锁董事网络提高了企业的价值创造,但受到制度发展程度的负向调节。同时,相对保守的继任模式在制度发展程度不完善时提高了企业价值;学习导向模式在制度较为完善时更能提高企业价值。结论对新兴市场企业创新与组织学习具有理论与实践意义。     

The bright and dark sides of institutional intermediaries: Industry associations and small-firm innovation

Institutional intermediaries are often seen by governments as avenues for increasing firm level innovativeness. This is because they can provide both information and legitimacy, which enable access to government support. Yet, close engagement with intermediaries may also encourage political intervention, especially in the context of emerging markets. Using a unique dataset which consists of the Chinese Micro- and Small- Enterprise Survey (CMES) and the National Economic Research Institute (NERI), we explore the roles of government support and political intervention in the relationship between institutional linkages and firm innovativeness. We find that government support, in the form of tax benefits, and political intervention mediate the relationship between institutional linkages and firm innovativeness. We also find that this relationship is contingent upon the degree of institutional development within which firms operate. Our findings therefore contribute to the burgeoning literature that examines the effects of institutional intermediaries on innovation by exploring both their bright and dark sides. We discuss the implications of these findings for institutional intermediary research, institutional theory and innovation literature and offer advice to policymakers and managers looking at improving innovativeness.     

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.     

制度同构下的国际合资对企业创新绩效的影响

以2003—2015年对外直接投资（OFDI）的制造业上市公司为样本,在界定制度同构理论的相关概念与内涵的基础上,把东道国制度同构焦点划分为零同构、单方同构与双元同构三类,利用嵌套回归与中介效应等模型,检验三类同构焦点下的国际合资选择对企业创新绩效的影响。研究表明：（1）国有控股、较低的有形资产专用性、较多的国际化经验增加了企业以东道国制度零同构下的国际合资进入当地市场的可能性;（2）经济运行风险、投资法制风险增加了企业以东道国制度单方同构下的国际合资进入当地市场的可能性;（3）东道国制度单方同构下的国际合资对企业创新绩效产生了显著的负向影响,这种现象在企业核心业务能力较弱以及东道国经济发展水平较低的情况下尤为显著。本文的研究结论对新兴经济体后发企业OFDI战略选择的优化及其发挥创新协同作用有重要的启发。     

基于知识嵌入性的跨国公司知识转移管理——理论模型与实证分析

 为揭示知识嵌入特性对跨国公司知识转移结果的影响及其对知识转移活动的选择适应性,所构建的知识转移管理路径模型包含了知识嵌入性、转移活动和转移结果。使用跨国公司在华子公司的样本数据,通过结构方程模型进行假设验证。实证研究显示,知识的人员、惯例嵌入特性和初级、高级知识转移活动可显著推动知识跨国转移;高级转移活动是人员、惯例和复合嵌入类知识转移的有效中介,而初级转移活动只对人员嵌入有中介作用。同时发现初级转移活动适应人员嵌入而排斥惯例嵌入知识,高级转移活动对人员、惯例与复合嵌入知识都表现出了良好的选择适应性。     

中国跨国公司逆向知识转移组织机制的实证研究

 本文运用知识管理相关理论,以中国跨国公司为研究对象,通过问卷调查和企业访谈,探析了组织机制对中国跨国公司逆向知识转移的影响。研究发现合作式运作结构、沟通机制、控制机制(层级命令、子公司自主权)对逆向知识转移有显著的促进作用,而知识管理机制对逆向知识转移的作用与预期相反且不显著。本文突破了以往跨国公司知识转移研究中只关注知识特性的局限,侧重于知识转移的组织设计和组织机制,丰富了跨国公司知识转移领域的研究视角。     

美日企业知识管理模式的比较制度分析

运用比较制度分析的方法,考察了美、日国家企业知识管理模式的差异性,试图给出企业知识管理模式变迁的理论解释,论述了变迁过程中的路径依赖导致了企业知识管理模式的差异。     

Knowledge sources, patent protection, and commercialization of pharmaceutical innovations

This paper investigates different types of innovations (from radical to incremental) in the pharmaceutical industry by studying bibliometric data of drugs approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), looking at time-to-market aspects, knowledge sources of these innovations, and protection strategies. Scientific knowledge stemming from the public sector is found to be important for all innovations. Nevertheless, radical innovations build on a higher degree on basic research, and they build on a significantly higher share of own prior scientific research than do incremental innovations. Furthermore, each drug is shown to be accompanied by, on average, about 19 journal publications and 23 additional patents. Additional patent filings peak when the commercialization of the drug is in reach. Firms do not differ among the various types of innovations regarding the amount of additional patent filings, but rather with the speed of filing these patents. Finally, this work contributes to the improvement of future econometric analyses that aim to link bibliometric indicators such as patent or publication counts to firm success.