A Tale of Different Realities

This chapter aims to identify the determinants that affect innovation capacity at regional level in Europe. It proposes modelling the territorial innovation capacity and identifies relevant factors with influence on the innovation capacity at a regional level. The chapter uses the Regional Innovation Scoreboard database and cluster analysis to detect behavioral patterns in terms of innovation performance in European regions. The results show that innovation capacity is related to regional governance, and particularly regional autonomy, regional control of innovation policy, influencing the affectation of structural funds, and the region's location within the European Union. Cohesion policy criteria is also a significant factor, demonstrating the adequacy of the European regional policy's new programming regarding innovation policy. These results point to the importance of the participation of regions in formulation, and implementation bottom-up strategies to develop innovation dynamics and develop partnerships with other public and/or private actors.

Intermediates of Open Innovation in the Aquaculture Industry

Aquaculture appears to be the most adequate and logical way to suit the protein production problem. Basically, because unlike fisheries that are highly unpredictable, aquaculture rearing is based upon production protocols. This chapter developed an argument supporting the above rationale. As it stands, the evidence suggests that with the current use of information technology, it becomes a common practice to exchange aquaculture knowledge between firms, research bodies, or non-governmental organizations. The interaction between the whole set of stakeholders, where a broad range of know-how and intermediate products and services are developed, generates innovation. Sharing know-how creates open innovation. Open innovation, by its turn, seeks efficiency and generates more sustainable production processes. The way knowledge transfer is delivered and its trends are dependent upon dimensions such as economic, social, and cultural factors.

The Customer as a Source of Open Innovation in the Tourism Sector

This chapter analyzes the implementation of open innovation supported by social media, aiming to make it more effective in the tourism sector. Regression analysis is used to verify the relationships between competitive environment, research and development (R&D)/innovation level, external openness, and open innovation implementation using a sample of 135 tourism companies in the south of Spain and Portugal. The potential of social media as an instrument for customer involvement in innovation processes is verified, as is the ongoing adoption of open innovation as a competitiveness strategy in the tourism industry. Regarding the practical implications, open innovation is becoming established and there is strategic support from social media. However, there is a lack of models to give structure to this new paradigm and allow its management. The originality of this chapter lies in combining the models proposed by Narver and Slater and Atuahene-Gima regarding the ways in which companies can approach open innovation.

Innovative Management of Community Territories and Inter-Organizational Communication for Regional Development

The chapter addresses engagement, facilitation processes, governance, decentralized decision-making process, and inter-organizational relationships in rural communities in Portugal involving the community lands in mountainous areas. These lands are multifunctional in that they are used for forestry, grazing of ruminants, honey production, mushroom and dry nut gathering, water and wind rights, as well as plant protection and preservation of ecosystems. The management of these lands is the responsibility of the common land associations. These local institutions and their leaders represent the local users of these community lands. The chapter presents empirical data from an exploratory research study of inter-organizational linkages with these common land institutions and other governmental organizations and civil society entities. The entities include ministry and regional level organizations, municipal governments, and local development associations.

University-Industry Linkage Through Business Incubation

This chapter focuses on the role played by business incubators in developing and facilitating knowledge transfer, networks, and business support to tenant firms through a sustainable ecosystem. The authors conduct an in-depth qualitative case-study of one tech-based business incubator in Portugal—IPN, created in 1991 by the University of Coimbra—to provide insight on how the incubator's direction/management board and a group of incubatees perceive incubation and its impact. Primary data was collected via participant observation/focus group involving the incubators' CEO and six team members. Semi-structured interviews were carried out among the CEOs and top managers from 11 companies supported by IPN whether as (1) incubates, (2) under acceleration, and (3) graduates. Results show a positive impact of incubation on internationalization and growth for incubatees and companies under acceleration. However, there is a need for new post-incubation follow-up mechanisms and a normative context promoting richer interactions with graduates.

The Cultural and Institutional Barrier of Knowledge Exchanges in the Development of Open Source Software

Open source software (OSS) gives developing countries inexpensive or free alternatives to proprietary software. It gives them the opportunity to develop software and software industry without starting from scratch. This chapter discusses the diffusion and development of OSS in Indonesia especially after the government took “Indonesia, Go Open Source” (IGOS) initiative. This initiative united government organizations, communities, R&D institutions, and universities. While the government's concern was to tackle piracy by replacing illegal software with OSS, the others sought to develop their own OSS. However, the openness of their software is only in terms of that they were developed using OSS development tools, while their mode of development remained closed, which was caused by cultural barrier and institutional incompatibility between government's regime of project administration and the governance of OSS development.

Production and Transfer of Knowledge Between Citizens and Local Governments in Democratic Participatory Processes

Participatory budgeting has been progressively implemented by several Portuguese municipalities, encouraging a broad discussion about the importance of the participation of citizens in political life. This approach implies new forms of relationship between electors and elected little explored in the Portuguese democratic system. New learnings related to the dialogue among stakeholders and the possibility of coexistence of representative and participatory models have emerged. There is a transfer and production of knowledge between local governments and citizens that increases the field of opportunities for working together. After a theoretical reflection that refers to the key concepts coupled with this new form of exercising governance, the authors present data on the participatory budget of Cascais (region of Lisbon, Portugal) and the participatory deliberative experience consolidated in Portugal.

Knowledge Integration Strategy in Islamic Banks

The importance of knowledge and cultural integration has been widely recognized as a vital condition to an organization survival, especially if knowledge and culture are diverse. This diversity needs to be integrated into organizations in order to establish common knowledge and culture to support its businesses. However, limited studies have been carried out in this area in particular within Islamic banks context. This chapter discusses the strategy of knowledge and culture integration in Islamic banks in Indonesia. This study used a case study approach. Data were gathered from direct observation, in-depth interviews with informants from different level of hierarchies, and written material. The results show that the process of knowledge integration was carried out through various mechanisms such as training, seminars, workshops, formal education, regular morning praying, and religious lectures. Some facilities such as internet, intranet, telephone, books, and brochures were also used to facilitate knowledge and culture integration of the bank. Knowledge integration in Islamic banks has resulted in common knowledge creation. However, employees' beliefs, norms, and values toward Islamic banks principle are not fully changed except in practicing Islamic symbolism in works place. A model for knowledge integration within Islamic banks context is proposed.

The Influence of School Education on the Professional Identity of Healthcare Professionals

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the influence of school education on the formation of professional identity of radiology professionals. The research approach selected was based on a bibliographic review regarding the concepts involving professional identity and the transfer of knowledge at the school level, and the methods utilized to translate it into the clinical environment. These two themes were approached in two different researches, one aiming to evaluate whether or not the skills that students perceive as being acquired at the degree level will correspond to professional field demands, and the other aiming to collect perceptions regarding the clinical support provided to students by tutors. There is continuity between school socialization and professional socialization processes, allowing the implementation at the school level of the real needs of the radiology professional, and the contents provided to students prior to the clinical environment were sufficient to assure the development of professional competencies.

Knowledge Transfer Conditioning by the Communication Processes in the IT/IS Area

This chapter addresses the communication between information technology/information systems (IT/IS) professionals and their users in the corporate environment of the city of Curitiba (Brazil). The main goal was to analyze the communication processes and their pitfalls to knowledge transfer in this area. The study is exploratory considering that the desired number of responses was not reached. Results show that professionals have a communication whose terms make difficult users to understand them. Although it is not intentional, respondent professionals do not facilitate their understanding, what creates a knowledge bias between them. Conclusions suggest that professionals be formally prepared for customer service and manage their approach as user-cantered. Professionals need to be clear to users, in order to guarantee them confidence. Respondent users recognize the importance of IT/IS for their lives and companies; thus they expect professionals to share and explain well their actions/choices.