The skill bias effect of technological and organisational change: Evidence and policy implications

Previous studies have suggested that technological change is the main cause of the recent increase in demand for highly skilled workers in developed countries. However, a more recent strand of literature has also introduced the “Skill Biased Organisational Change” hypothesis, according to which the increasing diffusion of new organisational practices within firms plays a role in the increasing demand for skilled workers. We estimate a SUR model for a sample of 400 Italian manufacturing firms, showing that upskilling is more a function of reorganisational strategy than a consequence of technological change alone. Moreover, some evidence of superadditive effects emerges, which is consistent with the notion that technology and organisation jointly affect the demand for labour.     

Knowledge management systems: the hallmark of SMEs

This paper provides an overview of the knowledge management systems (KMSs) adopted by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). KMSs are divided into two categories: knowledge management tools (KM-Tools) and knowledge management practices (KM-Practices). On the basis of the analysis of the literature, two research questions (RQs) were identified and addressed through semi-structured interviews carried out in a sample of 35 SMEs operating in high-tech industries. The first RQ concerns the degree of adoption of KMSs by SMEs. The second RQ regards the relationship between KM-Tools and KM-Practices. As far as the degree of adoption of KMSs, the paper highlights that SMEs are not a homogeneous world but there are a variety of approaches and behaviours. As far as the relationship between the degree of adoption of KM-Tools and KM-Practices, the paper identifies three groups of SMEs that seem to point out the stages of the process of adoption of KMSs: Introduction, SMEs that deal with the process of knowledge management exploiting practices and tools that are already known; Growth, SMEs that adopt specialist practices of knowledge management acquiring new organisational and managerial competence in the field of knowledge management; Maturity, SMEs that invest in new technology and that acquire new technological competence in the field of knowledge management. This categorisation paves the way for further theoretical and practical implications for both managers and policy makers.     

广东制造业技术升级路径选择及政策支持研究

通过总结技术推动制造业升级的3种模式,针对广东现状提出广东制造业技术升级的模式是一种过渡阶段,进一步提出广东未来发展的3种路径,最后提出如何在政策层面促进升级的顺利实施。     

Variability in organisational forms of biotechnology firms

This paper examines the variability of organisational forms in terms of forward and backward networking versus vertical integration in biotechnology SMEs. The study examines forms of organisation in a set of firms across application segments. The forms of organisation vary by application segment in biotechnology, but differences are not clear-cut, and a firm can apply different forms to different application segments in its activities. The reasons for this variability are related to the stringency of the regulatory approval systems, technological risks, and the costs of building full-scale manufacturing facilities which influence funding needs and thus also the choice of organisational form. The paper finally discusses the notion of networking as a separate form of organisation of economic activity and the extent of its applicability to biotechnology.     

数字城乡融合发展的逻辑基础、实践道路与推动策略*

本文围绕数字城乡融合发展这一前沿议题,立足唯物史观的辩证视角分析其逻辑基础,并考察中国特色的实践进程,旨在提出数字赋能城乡发展的新思路。研究认为,数字城乡融合发展表现为统筹新型智慧城市与数字乡村建设的过程,是辩证逻辑、演化逻辑与价值逻辑的统一。当前实践主要聚焦于基础设施协同,产业融合互促,公共服务普惠和治理手段升级等,要加快以人民为中心的城乡数字化转型,通过打造特色模式、转换增长动力、营造服务空间和提升居民福祉等,形成技术进步与人文智慧结合的解决方案,让新型智慧城市和数字乡村能够在数字赋能空间中彼此交融,服务于人的自由而全面发展。     

The organisational-cooperation mode of innovation and its prominence amongst European service firms

Analysing survey data concerning the innovation orientations of 2500 European firms, this paper uses the exploratory statistical technique of multiple correspondence analysis to identify three distinct modes of innovation: a product-research mode; a process-technologies mode; and an organisational-cooperation mode. The first two of these are forms of technological innovation that are well established in the innovation studies literature. The third is a form of organisational innovation, about which much less is known. Aside from identifying statistically these three modes of innovation, we show that firms of different sizes and in different sectors have different propensities to engage in each of them. High-technology firms are, for example, the most likely of all firms to engage in the product-research mode, whilst low-technology manufacturers are the most likely to engage in the process-technologies mode. Meanwhile, the organisational-cooperation mode, which involves supply-chain rather than research-based cooperative practices, is particularly prominent in services, especially in trade and distribution services. This fits with the view that innovation in services is often ‘soft’, rather than primarily technological, involving organisational and relational changes within supply-chains or networks.     

Unmasking the interplay between technology evolution and R&D collaboration: Evidence from the global semiconductor manufacturing industry, 1990–2010

Technological progress in an industry is enabled by the collective R&D efforts of suppliers, users and research organizations. In this study, we explore how the pattern of R&D collaboration within the industry community evolves over the technology life cycle. We propose that as the technology evolves from an initial emergence stage to subsequent stages of growth and maturity, there is a corresponding change in the opportunities and challenges confronting industry participants. This results in a shift not only in the relative propensities for internal and collaborative R&D, but also in the distribution of the different types of collaborative interactions involving research organizations, suppliers and users. The context for the study is the global semiconductor manufacturing industry from 1990 to 2010. During this period, the industry experienced exponential technological progress that was fueled by the deep ultraviolet (DUV) manufacturing technology. We draw upon a comprehensive archival dataset of more than 12,000 articles presented in industry technical conferences to analyze the pattern of collaborative R&D during the emergence, growth and maturity stages of the DUV technology. The observed trends in the semiconductor manufacturing industry point to intriguing shifts in the efforts and interactions among suppliers, users and research organizations as they collectively push the technology envelope forward.     

基于密切值法的国内外医药制造企业技术创新能力对比研究

医药制造企业的发展前景与战略方向,与其技术创新能力密切相关。本文以专利为切入点,建立技术创新立项、质量、效率三大维度共11项细化指标,采用密切值法对国内外医药行业创新实力进行对比与排序。实证研究得出,近年我国医药行业专利数量稳步增长,但增速后劲有限,高质量技术创新较少,团队合作力度尚待提升。     

区域城市先进制造业现状分析与发展策略研究

粤港澳大湾区先进制造业基地建设对于中国制造业转型升级战略调整具有重要示范意义。通过构建先进制造能力评价体系,并对粤港澳大湾区9市进行对比分析。研究发现9市整体上具有良好产业基础,但仍存在科技创新能力、产业结构优化等问题,且具有产业发展动力不足、核心技术和人才匮乏、发展氛围欠佳和行业标准缺失等瓶颈。故此,基于生命周期理论度量9市先进制造业所处阶段,按照不同发展阶段提出产业协同、技术创新、产业融合和基础发展模式,从政府、企业和高校三方面提出应重视科研创新、产业结构优化、高新技术等问题解决的发展建议。     

Knowledge management view of environmental sustainability in manufacturing SMEs in the Philippines

This study highlights the role of knowledge management (KM) in enabling small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in a manufacturing industry in a developing country to engage in environmentally sustainable business. Drawing on the knowledge-based view of the firm, it argues that resource-constrained SMEs rely on their relational capital to augment their capability to innovate in order to find better and environmentally sound ways of doing business. However, SMEs need to harness their KM orientation in order to leverage the knowledge-based resources emanating from their relational capital towards building their innovation capability. This capability is essential in integrating effective environmental management practices in business. The findings from our analysis of data from a survey of 241 manufacturing SMEs in the Philippines support these hypotheses and underscore the importance of developing an organisational capability to engage in KM in order to adopt sustainable business practices. The implications of the findings are also discussed.     

Predicting e-readiness at firm-level: An analysis of technological,organizational and environmental (TOE) effects on e-maintenance readiness in manufacturing firms

This study predicts the impact of technological, organizational and environmental (TOE) determinants on e-maintenance technology readiness in manufacturing firms. Survey responses of 308 managers from a wide spectrum of manufacturing firms have been validated and analyzed by means of structural equation modelling. The findings indicate that dimensions of e-maintenance technology readiness in manufacturing firms are mainly influenced by technological and organizational determinants involving technological infrastructure and competence, expected benefits and challenges of e-maintenance, and firm size and ownership. Surprisingly, there is no significant effect of competitive pressures on e-maintenance readiness. This study offers managers and vendors a frame of reference to analyze firm's situation before initiating new innovations. In case of e-maintenance technology, adoption strategies should be built around fostering level of employees’ technological knowledge and skills, technology infrastructure as well as sustaining potential benefits and encountering potential challenges associated with e-maintenance technology. This paper is one of the early studies that predict dimensions of technology readiness index (TRI) through the determinants of technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework. Also, it is among the first attempts to link prominent technology adoption models to e-maintenance technology as a novel form of enterprise innovations.     

科技成果转化为技术标准发展现状与典型路径

通过研究国内外科技成果转化为技术标准发展现状,以及我国科技成果转化为技术标准的典型经验和做法,以科技成果转化为技术标准的主体为视角,分析各主体在科技成果转化为技术标准方面的优势与不足,归纳提出大型企业、产业联盟、标准化专业机构和高新技术区域开展科技成果转化为技术标准的典型路径。此外,针对高校和中小型企业尚未形成科技成果转化为技术标准典型路径这一问题,找出影响因素,提出相应的意见建议。最后,结合我国实际情况,提出我国今后开展科技成果转化为技术标准工作的构想。     

Effect of technological intensity on the relationships among Six Sigma design,electronic-business,and competitive advantage: A dynamic capabilities model study

The implementation of Six Sigma programs must take into consideration the level of technological intensity of the organization to determine the relative impact of program design factors and the applications for electronic business on sustainable competitive advantage (SCA). From a Dynamic Capabilities Model perspective, this research studies the moderating effect of technological intensity on the relationships among Six Sigma program design factors, e-business applications, and SCA for sixty-six manufacturing and service organizations. Technological intensity of a firm is defined as the level of research and development (R&D) expenditures as a percentage of corporate sales revenues. Corporations with greater technological intensity invest more heavily in Research and Development to become more competitive. Factor analysis for ten Six Sigma program design items resulted in five program design factors. High technological intensive firms are perceived as attaching a greater importance to certain design factors that are related to electronic-business practices, as compared to other design factors for low technological intensive companies. Similarly, different program design factors are associated with SCA for high-tech than for low-tech companies. Finally only high-tech companies have applications of Six Sigma to electronic-business practices that are correlated with SCA. The recent evolution of Six Sigma programs from manufacturing companies to service organizations suggests competitive opportunities exist for firms to enhance their success, especially in terms of process improvement design factors and applications to electronic-business.     

智能制造企业技术创新效率及其影响因素研究

以2013—2017年我国智能制造上市企业相关数据为研究样本,首先运用数据包络分析(DEA)交叉效率模型对样本企业的技术创新效率进行测度分析,其次通过Tobit回归模型分析影响企业技术创新效率的因素及程度。实证研究结果表明:我国智能制造上市企业之间技术创新效率差距较大且整体效率偏低,年平均效率集中在0.35～0.4之间,但随着时间推移,整体呈上升趋势;甄别影响因素发现,企业偿还能力、企业盈利能力、企业营运能力、企业规模和智能制造领域核心产业的市场规模对企业技术创新效率均有正向影响,其中企业运营能力影响显著,而企业规模影响较小。最后就提高我国智能制造企业技术创新效率提出3点建议。     

制造业服务化、知识资本与技术创新

基于技术创新理论与知识资本理论,首先从理论上深入探讨了制造业服务化对技术创新的直接影响机制,以及基于知识资本的中介作用机制,其中将知识资本界定为研发资本、人力资本和创新设施资本三个维度,之后利用2000—2014年中国制造业行业面板数据进行了实证检验。研究结果表明：从直接影响机制看,制造业服务化对技术创新具有显著的正向影响,但该影响效应存在着行业异质性;从制造业行业异质性视角看,制造业服务化对劳动密集型制造业技术创新的影响并不显著,对资本密集型和技术密集型制造业技术创新的影响却是显著的,但影响效应不存在着差异性;从服务要素投入行业异质性视角看,低端服务要素投入对技术创新的服务化效应具有显著的负向影响,而高端服务要素投入则具有显著的正向影响。从中介作用机制看,研发资本、人力资本和创新设施资本是制造业服务化影响技术创新的中介作用渠道,其中创新设施资本的中介作用效应最大,研发资本的中介作用效应最小。     

高端装备制造业知识创新与技术创新耦合研究 ——基于2009-2013年中国省际面板数据的实证分析

知识创新与技术创新是目前学术领域的研究热点,而关于二者耦合机制的研究仍处于起步阶段.高端装备制造业复杂耦合机制的研究能够有效地促进我国战略性新兴产业的发展.以我国高端装备制造业为研究对象,构建高端装备制造业知识创新与技术创新耦合系统,确定高端装备制造业知识创新与技术创新耦合度测度指标体系.在此基础上,建立耦合度测度模型,最后从实证的角度验证了知识创新与技术创新耦合度测度模型的有效性与可行性.     

Exploring the ethical,organisational and technological challenges of crime mapping: a critical approach to urban safety technologies

Technology is pervasive in current police practices, and has been for a long time. From CCTV to crime mapping, databases, biometrics, predictive analytics, open source intelligence, applications and a myriad of other technological solutions take centre stage in urban safety management. But before efficient use of these applications can be made, it is necessary to confront a series of challenges relating to the organizational structures that will be used to manage them, to their technical capacities and expectations, and to weigh up the positive and negative external factors at play at the intersection between technology, society and urban management. The paper contributes to this discussion by looking into the dynamics that drive technological uptake in the field of urban safety, the different theories underpinning the relationship between crime and space, and the history and technological characteristics of Geographic Information Systems to later present specific case studies and practical examples of crime mapping systems. Finally, addressing matters related to organisational constraints, technological possibilities and societal impact from a critical point of view, the paper lays out guidelines to ensure that using technology to manage urban safety does not result in increased victimisation, inequalities or inefficiency. Taking one of the longest established technology used in police practice, crime mapping, and using a multidisciplinary, critical approach to escape technological solutionism and bridge the gap between the academic literature (STS, urban sociology, environmental criminology) and policy needs and recommendations, this paper sends a cautionary tale to those hoping that technology alone can solve complex urban and social problems.     

The role of technological management as a source of innovation: Evidence from Spanish manufacturing firms

The objective of this study is to amplify the scarce empirical evidence about the effect of technological management on innovation. At the same time, the investigation is intended to examine whether the scale of production by itself stimulates technological activity and/or it acts as a proxy of other determinants of innovation. The estimation of an innovation production function with a panel of Spanish manufacturing firms shows that the planning and monitoring of the innovation process and the hiring of personnel with special skills for technological activities are significant sources of innovation, although with important differences regarding the type of innovation (process versus product). In addition, the evidence suggests that large firms’ advantages for the generation of product innovations are related to a different use and effectiveness of technological management mechanisms.     

Organisational learning antecedents and open innovation: Differences in internationalisation level

The aim of this study is to inspect differences in internationalisation level of firms from a transitional economy based on their innovation outcomes, open innovation and organisational learning practices. Results indicate that firms with lower internationalisation level owe their innovation success to coupled and outbound open innovation practices that originate from market research, competitor tracking and public information. Mediating effect of outbound innovation is present in the relationship between market research and innovation success. Firms with higher internationalisation level do not exhibit significant effect of open innovation on innovation success, but their organisational learning antecedents such as market research and research and development negatively affect innovation success, while public information and forecasting have a significant positive effect on innovation success. The major contribution of this study is the understanding of how organisational learning antecedents and open innovation practices interact in firms with different internationalisation levels, whereby firms with higher internationalisation level already have competitive advantage that lower internationalisation firms need to achieve.     

新中国70年智能制造研究热点与前沿探讨——基于知识图谱的分析

借助可视化技术系统，定量讨论新中国70年来以“智能制造”为主题的研究热点。基于中国知网（CNKI）数据库数据，运用文献计量分析法及CiteSpace、VOSviewer等可视化技术研究发现，智能制造内涵、国内外智能制造案例、智能制造影响效应、智能制造技术、智能制造相关制造模式是国内智能制造研究的五大热点方向，并在此基础上探讨未来智能制造领域在智能制造理论模型构建研究、智能制造转型升级研究、智能制造对技术进步的影响研究、智能制造对人机关系的影响研究、智能制造相关制造模式的拓展研究五大方面的研究趋势，以期为新时代中国智能制造领域的研究提供借鉴。