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.     

An empirical study on the relationships between knowledge management,knowledge-oriented human resource practices and innovation

The main purpose of this paper is to empirically analyse relationships between human resource (HR) and knowledge management (KM) practices and their effect on the firm’s innovation performance. From the knowledge-based view of the firm, hypotheses based on the specific interactions between an integrated set of KM and knowledge-oriented HR practices were established and statistically tested in a sample of 111 Spanish companies from technological industries. Survey methodology was used with the aim to gather data about KM practices and other related organizational aspects. Overall, this paper provides empirical evidence of a moderating effect of a set of knowledge-oriented HR practices in the relationship between KM exploitation practices and innovation performance. In line with previous research, we suggest that although KM practices are important in themselves for innovation purposes, when specific organizational conditions are properly established by managers the innovation capacity of the firm will significantly be improved and more successfully utilized.     

The French defence industry in the knowledge management era: A historical overview and evidence from empirical data

In the defence industry the recent development of a ‘market for technology’, the creation of new European high-technology companies as well as transformations in government agencies have driven firms to reposition their technological and organizational skills. Our objective is to show that the transformations that have occurred in the past 10 years have not only redefined skills and the organization of production, but also have given a more strategic place to knowledge management (KM) practices. We provide a contextual and historical overview based on qualitative interviews, in order to better understand the relation between KM and innovative behaviour in this industry. We build an original industrial and technological database comprising various samples that provides quantitative information concerning KM and innovative practices. The results of the statistical analysis reveal the specificity of firms in this industry. Taking account of the size of these firms and their technological intensity, we show that the behaviour of defence industry firms in terms of KM practices, differs from that of other firms. This is evident from their technological performance, and innovation and patenting intensity. This structural tendency is explained as an innovative behaviour in the French national innovation system rather than merely a ‘trend’.     

Reflections on knowledge management from a critical systems perspective

This paper considers some significant aspects of knowledge management (KM) from a critical systems thinking (CST) point of view. CST prides itself on theoretical awareness and methodological sophistication, and these are the traits brought to bear in analysing the organisational models and well-known concepts used in KM. The results call into question the idea that the Japanese version of KM is best seen as resting upon an organic model and the notion that the Eastern tradition of thought has a monopoly on recognising the significance of tacit knowledge. The need for a prolonged dialectical debate between KM and CST is established.     

Knowledge management and intellectual capital: an empirical examination of current practice in Australia

This paper reports the findings from a survey conducted in Australia to explore current practices relating to knowledge management (KM) and intellectual capital (IC). A systematic approach in the form of the intellectual capital web guided the research. Findings revealed that KM was perceived to be more about developing knowledge culture than about managing organisational processes and structure. IC was perceived to be more about human capital than about customer capital and organisational capital. It can therefore be concluded that human capital holds the greatest importance for KM and IC. However, when facilitators for knowledge creation and knowledge sharing were rated, organisation structure was perceived to be more important than organisational culture and information technology. For KM practices, participants indicated that more attention was paid to training and developing employees and less to measurement and reward and incentive issues. The importance of aligning the management of IC and KM was perceived to be more important than the difficulty of doing so.     

Understanding of knowledge management roles and responsibilities: a study in the Australian context

Most of the studies in knowledge management (KM) argue for leadership as a vital success factor for any initiative. Top management leadership enables the effective promotion of knowledge sharing by creating an appropriate organisational culture, and making arrangements for corresponding policies and procedures across the organisation to facilitate management of knowledge resources and practices. There is little empirical research reported that has focussed on capturing the awareness and understanding of KM teams’ constitutions and their responsibilities. This study reports on the survey of top managers with respect to KM strategy development and implementation. It is based on a survey data collected from leading Australian companies, and builds on other empirical case studies, which looked at mechanisms of KM strategy development and implementation. The results provide a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities for successful KM strategy development and implementation, and can assist with designing KM teams in organisations.     

Knowledge management in SMEs: the case of Icelandic firms

This paper presents findings from a survey on knowledge management (KM) in small- and medium-sized firms (SMEs) in Iceland. It analyses the extent, strategy and effects of KM. The results indicate that more managers in SMEs need to consider the strengths and weaknesses of KM, and implement a formal KM strategy. Only 24% of Icelandic firms have a KM programme in place, and most of them have invested in simple information and communication technology technologies. The most common way of sharing tacit knowledge in Icelandic firms is encouraging face-to-face communication. The survey indicates that the benefits of KM programmes are quite positive even in SMEs. Accordingly, the research findings indicate that KM could improve organisational and managerial as well as financial aspects of SMEs. This research was carried out in only one country, and is based on a questionnaire. Its results should therefore be interpreted with care.     

Knowledge management process effectiveness: measurement of preliminary knowledge management implementation

While knowledge management (KM) has been widely discussed by many academics and practitioners, measurement is undoubtedly the least developed aspect of KM due to the intangibility of knowledge assets. It is of paramount importance to establish performance measures at different stages of KM implementation even from the beginning so that its effectiveness can be identified. This paper thus serves to explore KM performance measurement from the angle of KM process effectiveness. Through the data collected from 289 managers in the Malaysian telecommunication industry, where KM implementation is just beginning to take place, significant interactions were found between four of the five proposed KM preliminary success factors (i.e. business strategy, K audit, K map, KM team) and all four KM elements of strategies (i.e. technology, culture, leadership, measurement) with KM process effectiveness. The findings of this study serve as a guide for organizations in driving their KM journey and reaching their destinations even at the beginning stage of their KM implementation.     

Exploring the role of proximity in SME knowledge-acquisition

Knowledge-acquisition activities of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are assumed to benefit from geographic proximity to similar firms and centres of research excellence. This paper will explore the knowledge-acquisition processes and critical interfaces of innovative SMEs and outline factors that contributed to an observed lack of geographic proximity-based knowledge search activity. A growth path based upon innovation driven, rapid internationalisation and subsequent customisation strategies fostered organisational proximity-based knowledge-acquisition from international sources. It is argued that local contextual factors will determine if organisational or geographic proximity (or both) are the key to knowledge-acquisition. The recognition of a diversity of potential growth trajectories is recommended for SME policies.     

Modularity and innovation in knowledge-intensive business services: IT outsourcing in Germany and the UK

Drawing on an empirical study of IT outsourcing in the UK and Germany, this paper explores the lessons for modularity that can be drawn from the outsourcing of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). Because of the inseparability of information and production technologies, IT outsourcing is frequently accompanied by wider transformations in clients’ production technologies. This results in the need for knowledge and organisational coordination in the form of the transfer of staff from the client and the retained IT organisation. Modularity is often presented as a design strategy that stimulates innovation. Our research findings challenge the generalisability of this claim when examining KIBS outsourcing. We show that intangibility of services exacerbates the conflicts between clients and suppliers, which may present obstacles to innovation.     

知识管理: 知识经济时代高等学校管理改革的新范式

知识经济催生了知识管理,高等学校作为特殊的知识密集型组织,同样迫切需要知识管理战略的有效支撑。在剖析高等学校实施知识管理战略必然性基础上,阐述了高等学校知识管理的内涵和特征,并结合我国高等教育管理的现状,提出了营造文化氛围、创新组织结构、改进激励机制、建立知识库、构建数字化校园等基于知识管理的高校改革的几点设想。     

Is knowledge management losing ground? Developments among Icelandic SMEs

This paper presents findings from a survey on knowledge management (KM) in small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) in Iceland conducted in 2007 and was a follow-up of a similar survey from 2004. The paper analyses whether the extent, strategy and effects of KM in SMEs in Iceland has changed in the period. The main conclusion is that KM is not losing ground among SMEs in Iceland. Identical numbers of firms used KM in 2004 and 2007, and slightly more firms were examining the need in 2007 than 3 years earlier. It is, however, of great concern that many more firms have no KM strategy in 2007 than 2004. More managers in SMEs need to consider the strengths and weakness of KM, and to implement a formal KM strategy. Only 24% of Icelandic firms have a KM programme in place, and most of them have invested in simple information and communication technologies. The most common way of sharing tacit knowledge in Icelandic firms is encouraging face-to-face communication. The surveys indicate that benefits of KM programmes are quite positive even in SMEs. Accordingly, the research findings indicate that KM could improve organisational and managerial as well as financial aspects of SMEs. This research was carried out in only one country, and is based on a questionnaire. Its results should therefore be interpreted with care.     

Innovation investments, market engagement and financial performance: A study among Australian manufacturing SMEs

Innovation-related activities within firms have traditionally been viewed as primary drivers of product and service differentiation and hopefully firm performance. Such views assume the effective transfer of newly developed products or services to a market willing to transact for the innovative products at a price that sustains the research, development and commercialisation processes behind the initial investments. In this paper, we ‘unpack’ this model linking primary R&D and related activities, the steps taken within the firm's market and transform its operational presence, and measures of firm performance. Using a sample of 449 Australian manufacturing companies from the Business Longitudinal Survey from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the paper develops a mediated model by which we examine the impact of innovation on firm performance mediated through a firm's market engagement and transformation strategies. This paper finds that organisational performance is driven by innovation only when mediated through these transformation outcomes. The results contribute to the innovation literature in finding that innovation-related activities can only drive a firm's competitive advantage when they occur concomitantly with actual changes in the market position and offerings of firms.     

风险投资、国际化战略与企业创新绩效——基于中国创业板上市公司的研究

    运用2010—2016年在我国深市创业板上市企业的面板数据,通过将国际化战略进行深度与广度的二维细分,实证考察了风险投资对企业国际化战略的影响效果,并进一步探讨了企业实施国际化战略能否提升企业创新绩效以及风险投资如何影响国际化战略对企业创新绩效的作用效应。研究发现：（1）风险投资介入对企业国际化深度与广度战略的制定和实施均具有积极作用。（2）企业实施国际化深度发展战略能够对企业的创新绩效产生显著的提升效应,而国际化广度发展战略却未能对企业的创新绩效产生积极影响,风险投资介入增强了国际化发展战略的创新增值作用,提高了国际化深度与广度战略对企业创新绩效的积极影响。（3）风险投资对国际化战略与企业创新绩效关系的调节作用会由于企业上市后风险投资机构是否继续持有股份以及风险投资机构背景特征和投资契约特征的不同而有所差异。     

Organisational knowledge creation strategies: A conceptual framework

The main purposes of this article are to identify the dimensions of organisational knowledge creation strategies (EICE model: exploration, institutional entrepreneurship, combination, exploitation) and to clarify the relationship between the organisational knowledge creation strategies and its knowledge asset. For these purposes, guided by knowledge-based view and knowledge creation theory, we propose an EICE model and explore its effect on the knowledge asset. We further suggest the managerial implications and theoretical implications. The main managerial implication is that the knowledge creation strategies model may help manager to make effective strategies for knowledge creation within the organisation. The main contributions to organisation theory are extending Nonaka's knowledge creation theory to form a new strategic model for knowledge creation.     

产品开发经验在企业国际扩张中的作用机制

拥有丰富的产品开发经验(PDE)是否能帮助国际化的企业提升创新绩效呢？一方面,动态能力理论认为企业积累产品开发经验可以在对外直接投资过程中发挥作用进而提高创新绩效。另一方面,路径依赖理论表明企业的PDE是针对国内市场的,经验的积累可能会限制它们利用国际化机会从事创新的能力。基于这样的“母国能力悖论”本研究提出竞争性假设,通过对2002-2012年间80家企业400个样本观测值的实证分析,证实了在中国情境下产品开发经验的深度负向调节国际扩张与创新绩效关系,我们的发现支持了路径依赖效应的假说。     

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.     

A bridge over troubled waters: Bridging organisations and entrepreneurial opportunities in emerging sectors

Bridging institutions or organisations are regarded as having positive effects in the Sectoral Systems of Innovation (SSI) literature, particularly in compensating for weaknesses in these systems. Yet, we know little about the organisational practices that make their role effective, or the types of innovation paths that they may facilitate within a system. This paper shows how bridging organisations may promote neglected areas of creativity and potential disruptive innovation. These blocked opportunities tend to emerge at the boundaries of SSI: where old sectors overlap and new trajectories form. We draw on the social networks, entrepreneurship and disruptive innovation literature and analyse an intervention in the UK electronic games industry: the evaluation of business propositions exploiting new gaming platforms such as mobile telephones, DVD and film. Using an innovative co-productive research design, the study shows how the effectiveness of bridging organisation activity depends on key design choices and brokerage capabilities.     

制造企业服务创新战略与竞争优势获取:机制与权变情境

服务创新已经成为制造企业获取竞争优势的一种有效战略,但现有文献对动态竞争环境下制造企业服务创新战略对竞争优势的影响机理还缺乏深入探讨。鉴于此,本文基于动态能力理论视角,选取247家中国制造企业为样本,对动态环境下制造企业渐进式和突破式服务创新战略对竞争优势的影响关系进行实证研究。研究结果表明:两类服务创新战略对竞争优势的市场绩效和财务绩效这两个维度均具有直接正向影响;市场动态性越高,相比突破式服务创新战略而言,制造企业渐进式服务创新战略更有助于竞争优势(企业相对市场绩效和财务绩效)提升。竞争强度越大,相比渐进式服务创新战略而言,制造企业突破式服务创新战略越有助于竞争优势(企业相对市场绩效和财务绩效)提升。本研究结论对于现存文献有着重要的理论贡献,对于动态环境中的中国制造企业服务化有着直接和引申的管理启示。     

Collaborating across institutional and jurisdictional boundaries: enabling the emergence of a national innovation system through public knowledge management

Public institutions involved in research that aims to strengthen the productivity, profitability and adaptiveness of industries face a multiplicity of challenges when managing for the emergence of cost effective solutions to problems. We reflect upon the learnings of a Government sponsored Visiting Fellow’s programme that we describe as a knowledge management (KM) intervention within Australia’s primary industries Research, Development and Extension (R, D and E) system. Our central concern is to draw upon the learnings of an internet-based initiative in the United States called eXtension to show how ‘traditional’ D and E activities can be transformed. We argue that organisations and networks involved in such D and E activities need to perceive themselves as belonging to systems that are socio-technical in nature. That is, the development and deployment of cross-jurisdictional and cross-institutional innovations are shaped by both the social interactions between people and the systematic use of technology to support distributed learning. We explain how the elements of an integrated model to support public KM can be developed to create the conditions for enhanced innovation. Our findings have relevance to a wide range of other industry sectors considering contemporary service models involving public and private partnerships.