Commercializing university research in transition economies: Technology transfer offices or direct industrial funding?

There is a paucity of knowledge on research commercialization by university scientists worldwide. The objective of this paper is to identify the role that Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) and direct Industrial Funding play in university research commercialization in transition economies of Azerbaijan, Belarus and Kazakhstan during 2015–2017. We do this by developing a novel database and a multi-level model which explains how individual attributes, organizational and ecosystem characteristics explain the extent of knowledge commercialization.We apply the generalized Heckman approach to account for two selection biases, reducing the sample from 2602 to 272 scientists, and further use a mixed-method approach to analyse 27 face-to-face interviews with researchers and TTO managers. The results demonstrate that research commercialization is not associated with the existence and awareness of TTO or the establishment of commercialization contracts via TTO, but the direct industrial funding of university research. Taken together the findings have clear implications for scholars, scientific entrepreneurs, TTOs and investors who aim to exploit university knowledge in transition economies.     

When ‘national innovation system’ meet ‘varieties of capitalism’ arguments on labour qualifications: On the skill types and scientific knowledge needed for radical and incremental product innovations

The literatures on ‘varieties of capitalism’ (VoC) and ‘national innovation systems’ (NIS) propose very similar arguments about how firms require different types of labour qualifications to pursue strategies of radical product innovation (RPI), incremental product innovation (IPI), and product imitation (PI) respectively. Despite their similar lines of reasoning, however, the VoC scholars are concerned with the skill profiles of a firm's entire workforce, whereas the NIS proponents focus on the knowledge base of scientists. Given that both literatures have developed without explicitly taking the arguments of the neighbouring discipline into account, it is thus unclear whether they explain the same, or different, phenomena. Furthermore, both literatures propose firm level arguments but test them on the basis of macro- rather than micro-level indicators. This paper therefore asks: first, does micro-level evidence support the VoC and NIS arguments that particular types of employee skills and knowledge backgrounds of scientists are needed for different competitive strategies? And, if so, do RPI, IPI, and PI firms need to employ scientists in combination with a workforce having the respective qualifications, or is it sufficient if scientists or employees alone are adequately qualified. Quantitative analyses indicate that a particular mix of scientific knowledge combined with employee skills facilitate RPI, IPI, and PI strategies. The article thus concludes that - despite their similar reasoning - the VoC and the NIS literatures indeed describe different phenomena, without being aware of the synergies created whenever adequate employee and scientific qualifications are hired together.     

信任能降低公众对人工智能技术的风险感知吗

论文基于一项全国性抽样问卷调查,从主效应和交互效应两个层面,探究信任是否以及如何塑造公众对人工智能技术的风险感知。结果显示：对政府官员和科学家的信任,均显著降低了对人工智能技术的风险感知;信任政府官员的影响力,不仅高于信任科学家,也高于人工智能知识;对科学家能力信任的影响力高于对科学家的道德信任。除了主效应,信任与知识之间还存在相互强化的交互效应,即信任对技术风险感知的影响力随着人工智能知识水平的上升而增强,随着知识水平的下降而减弱。论文进一步讨论了上述研究结果对风险管理与风险传播的政策意义与未来研究方向。     

On the road again: Researcher mobility inside the R&D network

This paper examines the roles of international assignments and other forms of researcher mobility inside the integrated R&D networks of six of the largest European pharmaceutical companies. From in-depth interviews with R&D managers and scientists it is found that, while the use of international assignments is both limited and often not aimed specifically at the transfer of knowledge, other forms of short-term mobility are widely employed. But what is transferred through such short-term visits is narrow in focus and often related to specific projects whereas international assignments enable the transfer of broader and more complex knowledge. The potential impact of these changes in the inter-unit mobility patterns of researchers may be to limit both the exploitation of potential synergies across disciplines and the creation of enduring and strong personal ties among researchers working in distant locations.     

服务创新的驱动力和模式

服务创新是企业增强自身竞争力的重要手段,是推动服务业发展的强大动力,服务企业在内外部驱动力的作用下开展创新活动,同时遵循不同的创新模式．阐述了服务创新的驱动力及不同的创新模式,通过本文可以了解影响服务企业进行创新的内外部要素,并对不同要素作用下企业采取的创新模式形成整体上的把握．对企业管理者也有较强的指导和启发意义。     

Self-citations as strategic response to the use of metrics for career decisions

There is limited knowledge on the extent to which scientists may strategically respond to metrics by adopting questionable practices, namely practices that challenge the scientific ethos, and the individual and contextual factors that affect their likelihood. This article aims to fill these gaps by studying the opportunistic use of self-citations, i.e. citations of one’s own work to boost metric scores. Based on sociological and economic literature exploring the factors driving scientists’ behaviour, we develop hypotheses on the predictors of strategic increase in self-citations. We test the hypotheses in the Italian Higher Education system, where promotion to professorial positions is regulated by a national habilitation procedure that considers the number of publications and citations received. The sample includes 886 scientists from four of science’s main disciplinary sectors, employs different metrics approaches, and covers an observation period beginning in 2002 and ending in 2014. We find that the introduction of a regulation that links the possibility of career advancement to the number of citations received is related to a strong and significant increase in self-citations among scientists who can benefit the most from increasing citations, namely assistant professors, associate professors and relatively less cited scientists, and in particular among social scientists. Our findings suggest that while metrics are introduced to spur virtuous behaviours, when not properly designed they favour the usage of questionable practices.     

The <Emphasis Type="Italic">MinK</Emphasis> framework: towards measuring individual knowledge

Knowledge is the currency of the current economy and a vital resource for sustaining organisational performance in today’s knowledge-based intensively competitive business environment. To avoid the detrimental consequences of knowledge loss, managers are urged to identify where knowledge stocks exist and how knowledge flows within their organisations by identifying knowledge holders among their employees. Although some studies have attempted to use different methods to measure knowledge at the organisational level, very few have addressed the individual knowledge holder. Moving from a critical literature review of the existing knowledge measurement approaches, this paper proposes a novel framework that enables organisations to measure individual knowledge in the business context using a set of metrics, which are subsequently validated via a series of in-depth interviews with senior managers. A summary of the managers’ views on individual knowledge measurement is presented, and reflections on the industry application of the proposed framework and recommendations for its improvement are also discussed.     

组织内知识市场有效性的结构与测量

知识是竞争优势的主导性来源,运用市场机制管理知识能够有效地提升组织内知识的效能,这种知识市场的有效性直接决定了组织能否获取知识优势。本文首先采用开放式问卷对107名管理者与员工进行了调查,归纳性分析表明组织内知识市场有效性包括六类影响因素;其次,选取315个样本对组织内知识市场有效性的影响因素进行了实证检验,结果表明组织内知识市场有效性是一个五因素的结构,同时本文设计的量表具有较好的信度和效度。这一理论结构的发现以及相应量表的研制具有重要的理论价值和应用价值。     

制造企业知识地图及其本体实现

为满足制造企业不同层次员工对知识内容的不同需求.提出了制造企业知识地图的知识模型,可以为不同层次员工展现不同层次的知识内容,包括适于企业高管层使用的能力型知识地图、适于业务负责人使用的流程型知识地图和适于基层员工使用的概念型知识地图.以某航天制造企业为例对模型进行了分析和说明,并提出了基于本体技术以及Web本体描述语言的一种模型实现方法,供企业构建知识管理系统时参考.     

中国农业科技成果转化的特点、存在的问题与发展对策

中国农业科技成果转化的特点明显,包括地域性特征明显、基础性与公益服务性突出、转化周期长、影响因素复杂、不确定性和风险大、转化受体类型多样、与发达国家相比具有存在现象的独特性等。中国农业科技成果转化也存在明显的问题,包括:成果的源头产出与供给不足;转化率不高与市场交易不活跃;成果产出主体从事转化的动力与能力不足;成果转化队伍整体素质不高;缺乏适应市场机制的专业化服务性中介队伍;转化受体对农业科技成果的依赖性和重视程度不够;政策法规制度的设计不健全等。文章提出了促进中国农业科技成果转化的发展对策,包括:增强农业科技成果的源头产出与供给能力;鼓励和发挥多种主体推进农业科技成果转化的积极性;提高农民和新型生产经营主体承接成果转化的积极主动性;完善政策法规体系建设和制度设计;加强服务性中介队伍建设,拓展并完善投融资渠道,构建信息服务平台;重点推进若干农业科技成果转化的技术体系建设与领域方向发展;以辩证、系统、开放的观点与态度推进农业科技成果转化。     

Not all scientists pay to be scientists: PhDs’ preferences for publishing in industrial employment

It is often assumed that academically trained scientists have a strong taste for science and are willing to “pay” for the ability to openly disclose their research results. However, little is known regarding how scientists considering jobs in industrial R&D make trade-offs between positions that allow publishing on the one hand and positions that do not allow publishing but offer higher pay on the other. Using data on over 1900 science and engineering PhD candidates about to enter the job market, we find that while some are unwilling to give up publishing at virtually any price, over one third of those most likely to seek positions in industrial research are willing to forego publishing for free. We develop a simple model of the “price” scientists assign to publishing in firms and explore potential sources of heterogeneity empirically. We find that the price of publishing increases with individuals’ preferences for various benefits from publishing such as peer recognition and contributing to society, but it decreases with their preference for money. Scientists who believe themselves to be of high ability and who train at top tier institutions have a higher price of publishing. Yet, they are more expensive to hire (not less) even if publishing is allowed. We discuss implications for research on the economics of science and on compensating differentials, for managers seeking to attract and retain academically trained personnel, and for firms considering their participation in open science.     

Creating knowledge within a team: a socio-technical interaction perspective

Creating knowledge within a team for developing new products and services is considered a primary means for improving organizational performance. Drawing upon the socio-technical perspective, we investigate the blended effects of social (learning culture, teamwork quality, and knowledge complexity) and technical (IT support) factors on team-level knowledge creation and team performance. We propose a model that features synergetic interactions between social and technical factors in this knowledge creation process. The model was tested by utilizing data from a field survey of industry managers. The results show significant interactions between social and technical factors, which influence team-level knowledge creation and, in turn, team performance. Our findings can be used to develop socio-technical initiatives to enhance the process of creating team-level knowledge within firms.     

The role of corporate scientists in innovation

We conducted empirical analysis of the role of corporate scientists in Japanese pharmaceutical companies using data on published papers and patent applications. We found that scientists with the highest publication performance scores did not apply for a considerably greater number of patents than other researchers in their companies. Instead, we found that these “core scientists” had a positive effect on the number of patent applications filed by their co-authors. Our findings suggest that core scientists play an important role as central conduits for the in-flow of knowledge from outside their companies, thereby stimulating innovation.     

Values, objectivity and credibility of scientists in a contentious natural resource debate

In contentious natural resource debates, the credibility of scientists is at risk. In this case study, citizens in contending communities and scientists in a forest management controversy constructed the scientists' credibility differently. Shared values and views of the nature of science and objectivity were primary factors for constructing scientists' credibility. Citizens who expected value-free, objective scientists to authenticate their knowledge were concerned about how the values of scientists on the opposite side affected research framing. Citizens who emphasized limited objectivity were less skeptical of scientists. Scientists acknowledged their values but defended their credibility in terms of professional standards, balance and resource constraints. In short, scientists' credibility is relative because each individual has unique values and views of the nature of science and objectivity. Through a collaborative policymaking process, citizens and scientists should develop shared values and visions to reconstruct a temporary, intersubjective sense of credibility.     

社会化问答用户知识交互行为影响因素研究

【目的/意义】解析社会化问答社区用户知识交互过程,识别用户交互过程中的关键影响因素,为管理者优 化用户体验,提高社区知识服务水平提供参考。【方法/过程】本文基于社会化问答社区信息生态链模型,利用问卷 调查法和访谈法,从交互主体、交互内容、交互平台以及交互环境四个维度构建了用户知识交互行为影响因素体 系,并运用DEMATEL方法对关键影响因素进行识别。【结果/结论】根据各因素的关联作用分析,表明了体验感知、 社区氛围、自我效能、价值认知、知识质量是社会化问答社区用户知识交互行为的关键影响因素,并据此为社区发 展提出了相关建议。【创新/局限】本文利用 DEMATEL 方法系统全面地分析了社会化问答社区知识交互行为影响 因素间的相互作用,揭示了影响用户知识交互行为的关键影响因素,为社区发展提出了相关建议。但研究数据存 在主观性,且缺乏实例验证。     

Sustainable development of science and scientists: Academic training in life science labs

Academic training, where senior scientists transfer their knowledge and skills to junior scientists through apprenticeship, plays a crucial role in the development of scientists. This study focuses on two aspects of academic training, autonomy and exploration, to investigate how different modes of training are incentivized and how they affect junior scientists’ performance and career prospects. Drawing on a sample of 162 supervising professors and their 791 PhD students in life science labs in Japanese universities, this study suggests two fundamental conflicts in academic training. First, autonomy granted to PhD students under apprenticeship improves their long-term performance but decreases short-term performance. Because the latter effect costs supervisors, while the former does not benefit them in general, this inter-temporal tradeoff creates an incentive conflict between supervisors and students, inducing non-autonomous training. The short-term cost for supervisors can be compensated in the form of labor input or reputation gain from previous students in the long term, but this typically happens when students are trained with limited scope of exploration, which hinders the originality of students’ knowledge production. This reduces the diversity of knowledge production, presenting another incentive conflict between individual scientists and the collective scientific community.     

Knowledge management and performance in UAE business organizations

Knowledge management is gaining prominence in academia and the world of business practice. The need for organizations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to empower themselves through knowledge management cannot be ignored. Yet, not much empirical evidence on the subject can be found in the literature. This study investigates the relationship between knowledge management and organizational performance in the UAE. The knowledge management dimensions considered in this paper are organizational culture, organizational infrastructure, technical infrastructure, management support, reward and vision clarity. Organizational performance is measured in terms of efficiency, customer satisfaction, decision-making, quality of work and financial benefits. A questionnaire was used to collect data from general managers, functional managers, IT managers and chief knowledge officers from a variety of business sectors. Results of one sample t-test show that the dimensions used in this study enhance performance improvement. Results also show that except for reward and vision clarity, all investigated knowledge management dimensions are significantly correlated with performance improvement.     

个体感知差异和职场排斥对知识共享行为的影响机制

本研究基于自我归类理论和社会需要理论，探索个体感知差异对职场排斥和知识共享行为的影响，以及成就需要和归属需要在这个过程中的调节效应。利用来自356位企业员工的样本数据，采用分层回归的方法进行假设验证。结论显示个体感知差异负向影响知识共享行为，职场排斥中介了二者之间的负向关系，个体成就需要和归属需要反向调节个体感知差异与知识共享行为、个体感知差异与职场排斥之间的关系。研究结果为知识共享领域的研究提供了新的视角和框架，同时对企业管理实践有一定的现实意义。     

TECHNOLOGY IN TURMOIL

The paper evaluates and extrapolates the theory of techno-economic pulses to suggest that the world is unlikely to see major technological innovations on a broad front until the end of this century. The technological understanding by managers and the supply of highly qualified scientists and engineers will be critical. Australia is not well positioned to become a high technology manufacturing nation.     

组织间知识转移的主要影响因素

组织间知识转移的影响因素主要包括知识源组织特性、知识接受组织特性、被转移知识特性、转移背景特性等层面因素与知识转移过程、合作持续时间、合作网络结构、合作透明度等权变因素,管理者可以针对阻碍知识转移的具体原因,根据权变因素对层面因素的作用机理,采取恰当的措施,促进组织间知识转移。