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on Knowledge Management and Knowledge Economy |
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Issue of 2008‒10‒21
nine papers chosen by Laura Stefanescu European Research Centre of Managerial Studies in Business Administration |
| By: | Alexander Peine |
| Abstract: | This paper reviews three strands of the innovation literature that have presented innovation as a distributed process that combines knowledge of users, designers and manufacturers: user innovations, Science and Technology Studies (STS), and the study of consumption. These literatures have explored different aspects of the micro-processes through which use and design are locally aligned. This paper pulls together insights from these literatures, and identifies an important gap: the connections between the local alignment of use and design and the macro dynamics of industrial and technological change. The paper then calls for an analysis of the social processes that link the dynamics of the use environment, where forms and meanings of use are actively created, with the technical knowledge bases of industries. It concludes with a number of propositions towards an integrated framework of use, consumption and industrial dynamics. |
| Keywords: | use knowledge |
| Date: | 2008–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:uis:wpaper:0818&r=knm |
| By: | Karlsson, Charlie (CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies, Royal Institute of Technology); Johansson, Börje (CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies, Royal Institute of Technology) |
| Abstract: | The understanding of economic development in regions in developed countries has gone through a fundamental change during recent decades. Nowadays, regions are increasingly looked upon as independent, dynamic market places that are connected via flows of interregional and international trade. Regional development is driven by changes in the economic specialisation, which can be explained by two different, but complementary theoretical frameworks for analysing location and trade, one old and one new.The old theoretical framework assumes that changes in the economic specialisation of regions depend upon changes in the supply of durable and semi-durable regional characteristics. The new theoretical framework, known as the new economic geogra¬phy, assumes that changes in the economic specialisation of regions are driven by the dynamic interaction between regional market potentials and rational firms experienc¬ing increasing returns. In their pure form, these theoretical frameworks can explain changes in regional economic specialisation and consequently regional develop¬ment without any reference to knowledge creation and other changes in knowledge assets. This is certainly a bit odd for a period of history often referred to as the era of the knowledge economy. So, does knowledge have no role to play as a force driving re¬gional spe¬cialisation and regional development? Or, is it so that the traditional “knowledge free” explanations of changes in regional specialisation and regional de¬velopment are missing important points? In this paper, we claim that knowledge infrastructure, human capital, talent, creativ¬ity, knowledge generation, knowledge protection, knowl¬edge accumulation, knowl¬edge appropriation, knowl¬edge flows, etc. as well as the creative use of knowledge are basic drivers of the spe¬cialisation of regions and hence of regional development. The purpose is to discuss the role of knowledge and talent in regional de¬velopment seen in both a regional and a global context. |
| Keywords: | creativity; knowledge; innovation; regional development |
| JEL: | O10 R10 R11 |
| Date: | 2008–10–13 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:cesisp:0148&r=knm |
| By: | Gustavsson Tingvall, Patrik (China Economic Research Center (CERC)); Karpaty, Patrik (Department of Economics) |
| Abstract: | The central prediction of the Aghion et al. (2005) model is an inverted U-shaped relation between innovation and competition. The model is built on the assumption of a product market and has not yet been empirically tested on service-sector firms. Using detailed firm-level data, we find the inverse U-shaped relation to hold for both small and large service-sector firms. However, non-exporting service firms deviate from the overall pattern. A more detailed breakdown of innovation expenditures shows that the inverse U-shaped pattern holds for both intramural R&D and training, but not for extramural R&D. Finally, as competition increases, small firms tend to seek more strategic alliances with competitors while large firms tend to decrease their collaboration with competitors. To some extent, the behavior of large firms can be due to their greater capacity to handle innovation projects internally and as competition increases, so does the payoff of an edge to competitors. |
| Keywords: | R&D; innovation; competition; service sector |
| JEL: | D40 L10 L60 O30 |
| Date: | 2008–10–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:hastef:0702&r=knm |
| By: | Lööf, Hans (CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies, Royal Institute of Technology); Andersson, Martin (CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies, Royal Institute of Technology) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates whether domestic firms’ productivity is an increasing function of imports from the most knowledge intensive economies in the world, i.e. the G7 countries. Using Swedish firm-level data, we confirm an instantaneous causality going from imports to productivity. We also show that productivity is increasing in the G7-fraction of total imports. Our results highlight the importance of import flows from R&D and knowledge intensive economies for productivity and are consistent with imports being a vehicle for technology diffusion. Tests of the sensitivity of the results suggest that G7 imports are particularly important for firms in high-technology sectors and for firms belonging to multinationals and domestic corporations. |
| Keywords: | Technology diffusion; productivity; imports; panel data; GMM |
| JEL: | C81 F14 L10 L60 O33 |
| Date: | 2008–10–13 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:cesisp:0146&r=knm |
| By: | Kieron Meagher; Andrew Wait |
| Abstract: | We model the determinants of who makes decisions, the principal or an agent, when there are multiple decisions. Decision making takes effort and time; and, once implemented, the expected loss from a particular decision (or project) increases with the length of time since the last decision was made. The model shows delegation is more likely as: (i) controllable uncertainty increases; (ii) uncontrollable uncertainty decreases; (iii) the number of plants in the firm decreases; (iv) the complexity of the decision increases; and (v) the importance of the decision increases. The theoretical predictions are consistent with our novel empirical results on the delegation of major organizational change decisions using workplace data. Our unique data allows us to identify who made a decision to implement a significant change, as well as key internal and external factors highlighted as potentially important in our theory. Empirically, delegation is more likely in organizations that: face a competitive product market; export; have predictable product demand; have a larger workplace; and that have fewer other workplaces in the same organization producing a similar output. We find business strategy is not related to the allocation of decision making authority; delegation, however, is associated with the use of human resource techniques such as the provision of bonuses to employees. |
| Keywords: | decision making authority, decentralization, delegation, competition, exports, uncertainty, principal and agent |
| JEL: | D23 L23 L29 |
| Date: | 2008–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:auu:dpaper:587&r=knm |
| By: | Daron Acemoglu; Kostas Bimpikis; Asuman Ozdaglar |
| Abstract: | This paper studies a simple model of experimentation and innovation. Our analysis suggests that patents may improve the allocation of resources by encouraging rapid experimentation and efficient ex post transfer of knowledge across firms. Each firm receives a private signal on the success probability of one of many potential research projects and decides when and which project to implement. A successful innovation can be copied by other firms. Symmetric equilibria (where actions do not depend on the identity of the firm) always involve delayed and staggered experimentation, whereas the optimal allocation never involves delays and may involve simultaneous rather than staggered experimentation. The social cost of insufficient experimentation can be arbitrarily large. Appropriately-designed patents can implement the socially optimal allocation (in all equilibria). In contrast to patents, subsidies to experimentation, research, or innovation cannot typically achieve this objective. We also show that when signal quality differs across firms, the equilibrium may involve a nonmonotonicity, whereby players with stronger signals may experiment after those with weaker signals. We show that in this more general environment patents again encourage experimentation and reduce delays. |
| JEL: | D83 D92 O31 |
| Date: | 2008–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:14408&r=knm |
| By: | Michiels, An; Koo, Bonwoo |
| Abstract: | "Plant transformation research has achieved outstanding progress in the development of transgenic crops over the past decades, and the research results have been spread through journal publications and patents. With the recent emergence of stronger intellectual property rights, investments in crop research and the landscape of plant transformation research have changed, along with the patterns of knowledge dissemination. In this paper, we discuss the recent trends in plant transformation research by examining patent and journal publication data during the last decade. The data analysis shows that there have been significant shifts toward applied research by developing countries and toward patenting as a means of knowledge dissemination during the past few decades, reflecting the increasing role of the private sector in developing countries in crop improvement research." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Biotechnology research, patents, Crop improvement, Science and technology, Genetic resources, Biodiversity, Journal publication, Developing countries, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:795&r=knm |
| By: | Grimpe, Christoph; Patuelli, Roberto |
| Abstract: | Nanomaterials are seen as a key technology for the 21st Century, and much is expected of them in terms of innovation and economic growth. They could open the way to many radically new applications, which would form the basis of innovative products. In this context, it seems all the more important for regions to put their own innovation systems in place, and to ensure that they offer a suitable location for such activities in order to benefit from the expected growth. Many regions have already done so by establishing ‘science parks’ and ‘nanoclusters’. As nanomaterials are still in their infancy, both public research institutes and private businesses could play a vital role in the process. This paper investigates what conditions and configurations allow a regional innovation system to be competitive in a cutting-edge technology like nanomaterials. We analyse European Patent Office data at the German district level (NUTS-3) on applications for nanomaterial patents, in order to chart the effects of localised research and development (R&D) in the public and private sector. We estimate two negative binomial models in a knowledge production function framework and include a spatial filtering approach to adjust for spatial effects. Our results indicate that there is a significant positive effect of both public and private R&D on the production of nanomaterial patents. Moreover, we find a positive interaction between them which hints at the importance of their co-location for realising the full potential of an emerging technology like nanomaterials. |
| Keywords: | nanotechnology, innovation, patents, Germany, spatial autocorrelation, spatial filtering |
| JEL: | L60 O32 |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:7387&r=knm |
| By: | Mazilescu, Vasile |
| Abstract: | Abstract. Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) are important tools by which organizations can better use information and, more importantly, manage knowledge. Unlike other strategies, knowledge management (KM) is difficult to define because it encompasses a range of concepts, management tasks, technologies, and organizational practices, all of which come under the umbrella of the information management. Semantic approaches allow easier and more efficient training, maintenance, and support knowledge. Current ICT markets are dominated by relational databases and document-centric information technologies, procedural algorithmic programming paradigms, and stack architecture. A key driver of global economic expansion in the coming decade is the build-out of broadband telecommunications and the deployment of intelligent services bundling. This paper introduces the main characteristics of an Intelligent Knowledge Management System as a multiagent system used in a Learning Control Problem (IKMSLCP), from a semantic perspective. We describe an intelligent KM framework, allowing the observer (a human agent) to learn from experience. This framework makes the system dynamic (flexible and adaptable) so it evolves, guaranteeing high levels of stability when performing his domain problem P. To capture by the agent who learn the control knowledge for solving a task-allocation problem, the control expert system uses at any time, an internal fuzzy knowledge model of the (business) process based on the last knowledge model. |
| Keywords: | knowledge management; fuzzy control; semantic technologies; computational intelligence |
| JEL: | D81 |
| Date: | 2008–10–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:11097&r=knm |