What we do know and what we need to know about knowledge in the growth process

Author(s):  
Rosa Caiazza ◽  
Nicolai Foss ◽  
Tiziana Volpe

Purpose – There is evidence for major positive effects of knowledge transfer and innovation diffusion on economic growth. Much research has addressed schooling, training, and other aspects of human capital accumulation, but less emphasis has been placed on the interaction between firms and other organizations as a key driver of the development of new knowledge and its economic use. There is an extensive body of literature that discusses various aspects of knowledge transfer and innovation diffusion between firms, and this literature may serve as a microfoundation for understanding the role of knowledge in the growth process. However, we need to understand the role of the entrepreneur as a missing link between knowledge and innovation. The purpose of this paper is to outline some foundations of endogenous (externally driven) growth models, and uses the knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship to propose a new model of latent and emergent entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses the method of conceptual analysis to structure the literature and its assumptions. The authors review in broad terms what we know in the space of knowledge and growth, and what we still need to know. The authors curate informed views on the topic of knowledge and the way that entrepreneurs contribute to innovation diffusion. Findings – The paper develops a new perspective on knowledge. Starting from the role of knowledge as a core element in the microfoundations of endogenous growth models, it uses the knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship to propose a new model of latent and emergent entrepreneurship. Practical implications – The paper uses knowledge spillover theory to lay out a more complete and more realistic process through which knowledge gets converted into realized innovations, and as such, it makes the intervention points through which people management can facilitate organizational effectiveness through innovation more transparent. Originality/value – The paper provides guidance for future researchers on knowledge and innovation diffusion. It encourages innovation in our thinking about the role of knowledge, and allows scholars to combine perspectives more flexibly both across levels of analysis (macro and micro), and across disciplines (economy and management).

Author(s):  
Sergej Lugović ◽  
Frane Šesnić ◽  
Miran Sladić

Paper will present aspects of the knowledge transfer offices (KTO) from the EU Knowledge Transfer Study report through the prism of the knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship (KSTE). It will also add the argument, based on the existing literature that in fact, knowledge couldn’t be managed but only the information resources can. This paper contributes to the on-going research Secondary Experience which main aim is to explore avenues for designing an information system that will support better use of the existing scientific papers between universities and their environment, including public, private and civil sector. There is a limited number of the EU wide research on the EU universities Knowledge transfer offices but existing one is sending not very promising results. In the last EU, a report addressing KTO not even one hypothesis addressing KTO related policies is accepted, and one of the hardest parts in conducting research was to find the contacts of the KTO’s. It is aligned with results from the master thesis of one of the authors where sources of information were analysed in terms of the transparency of the projects and their funding related information among 466 universities in the Danube region. That alerted us and opened up a completely new set of questions. In this paper, we use secondary data as content for our research.


2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoltan J. Acs ◽  
Pontus Braunerhjelm ◽  
David B. Audretsch ◽  
Bo Carlsson

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chansoo Park

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess how the transfer of explicit and tacit knowledge is affected by the knowledge disseminative capacity of a foreign parent firm, with an emphasis on the moderating role of psychic distance, by developing and testing a theoretical model of international joint venture (IJV) learning. Design/methodology/approach The author tested the hypotheses with survey data collected from 199 IJVs in South Korea, estimating a structural equation model using AMOS 23.0. Findings The authors found that the capacity of the foreign parent to disseminate knowledge to the IJV has a greater impact on explicit knowledge transfer than tacit knowledge transfer. He also found that the relationship between disseminative capacity and explicit knowledge transfer is significantly moderated by psychic distance, but the relationship between disseminative capacity and tacit knowledge transfer is not. Originality/value The results are critical for IJVs and parent firms seeking to improve knowledge transfer, as they establish the importance of parent firms’ disseminative capacities and the moderating role of psychic distance in the process of both tacit and explicit knowledge transfer. This research addresses the research gap regarding disseminative capacity by providing empirical evidence.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kung Wong Lau ◽  
Pui Yuen Lee ◽  
Yan Yi Chung

Purpose Organizational learning is traditionally structured with conventional in-house learning models aiming to equip employees with practical skills for operational needs. In contrast, contemporary goals emphasize unstructured organizational learning provided with learning environments to facilitate employees’ formal and informal knowledge creation. Therefore, the conventional organizational learning models are facing tremendous challenges, and it is crucial to change the traditional modes of practice into a new approach of collective learning and knowledge transfer. As well, the emergence of innovative business environments and tacit knowledge-based society urges a new form of organizational learning model to cope with employees’ learning, knowledge transfer and even knowledge management. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the authors’ team applied a typological review for systematically analyzing current organizational learning models aiming to modify and create a new collective model. Findings The new model covers the strengths of existing approaches from which the fundamental 3Ps (i.e. principles, purposes and processes of organizational learning) concept is derived from incorporating a development perspective of organizational trajectories and technological innovations. Originality/value The authors envisage that the new model can facilitate organizations to assess and adapt their organizational learning needs and orientations by applying this organic and dynamic model which emphasizes assessment in relation to the competitive environment, technological trends and organizational growth.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 1310-1331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vito Manfredi Latilla ◽  
Federico Frattini ◽  
Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli ◽  
Martina Berner

Purpose This paper aims to provide a comprehensive academic literature review on the relationship between knowledge management, knowledge transfer and organizational performance in a specific subset of the creative industry, i.e. arts and crafts organizations. Furthermore, this paper analyzes how knowledge management and transfer within arts and crafts organizations help increase performance and enhance the value of the activity of the so-called “knowledge workers” (i.e. craftsmen), who are the real knowledge owners in the process of value creation. Design/methodology/approach The literature review follows the model suggested by Vom Brocke et al. (2009). The review follows a five-phase approach so as to be systematic, transparent and replicable. Academic contributions published over two periods are taken into consideration. The first period covers the years 1990-2000, when the concepts of creative industry and knowledge-based economy were developed. The second period covers the years 2000-2016, when scholars started to investigate how to effectively transfer knowledge (very often in the form of “tacit knowledge”) retained by master craftsmen in arts and crafts organizations and the critical role played by craftsmen in the performance of such organizations. Findings Three main issues have emerged: how arts and crafts organizations manage and transfer knowledge internally; the effects of these activities on organizational performance; and the prominent role of craftsmen. The literature review shows how in arts and crafts organizations there is a considerable link between the concepts of “performance" and "tacit knowledge", even though addressing such link is somehow hard to realize, for several reasons discussed in the paper. The measurement of performance in arts and crafts organizations has become an area of academic investigation only when both the role of knowledge management and transfer and the role of knowledge workers (i.e., craftsmen) have become evident for obtaining a competitive advantage. Research limitations/implications This paper has been an attempt to organize existing studies on knowledge management and transfer and to investigate the relationship existing between knowledge and performance in arts and crafts organizations. Nevertheless, the relationship between knowledge and performance is yet to be explored, as well as the development of techniques for measuring arts and crafts organizations’ performance effectively. The present contribution calls for a systematic reflection on how the transfer of traditional craftsmen’s skills impacts organizational performances in the long run. The definition and implementation of new performance evaluations criteria tailored to enhance the tacit knowledge of craftsmen as a real source of differentiation and competitive advantage for the arts and crafts organizations is somehow still missing. Practical implications By pursuing its objectives, the present contribution aims to represent a step toward enabling arts and crafts organizations to play a vital role in the modern society in a more structured way. This would help to build awareness of the potential of arts and crafts organizations for promoting economic growth, proposing a value proposition different from the one dictated by the globalization and by the triumph of product standardization and mass production. Originality/value Analyzing the knowledge management and transfer within arts and crafts organizations with a historical perspective, it appears that the recognition in academic literature of the centrality of knowledge management and transfer within arts and crafts organizations is only recent (i.e. from 2011 onward). Indeed, for approximately 20 years (i.e. 1990-2010), knowledge has been constantly related to technological paradigms and standardized results, with very little research and debate on craftsmanship and the role of craftsmen. Nevertheless, the research shows that over the years, the focus on knowledge in arts and crafts organizations and knowledge transfer has become progressively more detailed and precise: some authors have studied the role of craftsmen in the knowledge economy according to a historical perspective, while some others have analyzed different types of knowledge more thoroughly. For example, Sveiby (1997, 1996), analyzing the concept of "knowing talent" and "tradition", outlines a more prominent role of craftsmen in the knowledge economy and explain how, in sectors with a strong traditional background, the transfer of tacit knowledge is a meaningful challenge for many organizations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Cardoni ◽  
John Dumay ◽  
Matteo Palmaccio ◽  
Domenico Celenza

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of the entrepreneur in the knowledge transfer (KT) process of a start-up enterprise and the ways that role should change during the development phase to ensure mid-term business survival and growth. Design/methodology/approach An in-depth, qualitative case study of Birra Flea, an Italian Craft Brewery, is presented and analysed using Liyanage et al.’s (2009) framework to identify the key components of the KT process, including relevant knowledge, key actors, transfer steps and the criteria for assessing its effectiveness and success. Findings The entrepreneur played a fundamental and crucial role in the start-up process, acting as a selective and passionate broker for the KT process. As Birra Flea matures and moves into the development phase, the role of the entrepreneur as KT’s champion needs to be integrated and distributed throughout the organisation, with the entrepreneur serving as a performance controller. Research limitations/implications This study enriches the knowledge management literature by applying a framework designed to provide a general description of KT, with some modifications, to a single case study to demonstrate its effectiveness in differentiating types of knowledge and outlining how KT can be configured to support essential business functions in an SME. Practical implications The analysis systematises the KT mechanisms that govern the start-up phase of an award-winning SME, with suggestions for how to manage KT during the development phase. Seldom are practitioners given insight into the mechanics of a successful SME start-up; this analysis serves as a practical guide for those wishing to implement effective KT strategies to emulate Birra Flea’s success. Originality/value The world’s economy thrives on SMEs, yet many fail as start-ups before they even have a chance to reach the development phase, presenting a motivation to study the early stages of SMEs. This study addresses that gap with an in-depth theoretical analysis of successful, effective KT processes in an SME, along with practical implications to enhance the knowledge, experience and skills of the actors that sustain these vital economic enterprises.


2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 698-733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengguang Li ◽  
Rodrigo Isidor ◽  
Luis Alfonso Dau ◽  
Rudy Kabst

We examine the relationship between immigrant share and entrepreneurial activities in a country. Building on knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship (KSTE), we hypothesize that immigrant share positively relates to the creation, growth, and export activities of new firms through knowledge spillover between immigrant and native communities. We further suggest that favorable attitudes of natives toward immigrants positively moderate this relationship. Using data for 32 countries from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, we find support for the hypothesized direct relationships and for the moderating influence of a nation's attitude toward immigrants. Our study has implications for KSTE and research on entrepreneurship and immigration.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvatore Ferri ◽  
Raffaele Fiorentino ◽  
Adele Parmentola ◽  
Alessandro Sapio

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of patenting on the performance of academic spin-off firms (ASOs) in the post-creation stage. Specifically, our study analyses how the combination of knowledge transfer mechanisms by ASOs and patents can foster ASOs’ early growth performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors explored the relations between patenting processes and spin-off performance through econometric methods applied to a broad sample of Italian ASOs. The research adopts a deductive approach, and the hypotheses are tested using panel data models by considering the sales growth rate as the dependent variable regressed over measures of patenting activity and quality and assuming that firm-specific unobservable drivers of growth are captured by random effects.FindingsThe empirical analysis shows that the incorporation of knowledge transferred by the parent university and academic founders through patents affects the performance of ASOs. Specifically, the authors find that the number of patents is a positive driver of ASOs’ performance, whilst patent age does not have a significant impact on growth. Moreover, spin-offs with a larger endowment of patents obtained before foundation, surprisingly, grow less on average.Practical implicationsThe findings have implications for ASO founders by suggesting that patenting processes reap benefits. However, in the trade-off of external knowledge access vs internal knowledge protection, it may be better to begin patenting after the foundation of ASOs.Originality/valueThe authors enrich the on-going debate about the connections between knowledge transfer and organizational performance. This paper combines the concepts of patents and ASOs by providing evidence on the role of patenting processes as a transfer mechanism of explicit knowledge in ASOs. Furthermore, the authors contribute to the literature on costs and benefits of patents by hinting at unexpected findings.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document