Industrial use of public sector research in advanced technologies: a comparison of biotechnology and ceramics

Industrial use of public sector research (PSR) is characterised by considerable diversity: both the nature and extent of linkage varies according to, amongst other factors, firm size, industrial sector and research field. The study reported here aims to understand better some of this diversity by comparing two fields—biotechnology and advanced ceramics. It employs a methodology which focuses on the precise character of scientific and technological inputs (STI) which companies seek and obtain during new product development. The results reveal significant similarities between the technologies: the importance to innovation of a synthesis between formal knowledge and tacit firm-specific skills; and the reliance on PSR for both new knowledge and new research techniques and instruments. Variance in STI flows appears to be related to the particular character of new product development in the relevant industrial sectors; differences in the development and dynamism of the technologies; and in the availability of requisite expertise and knowledge in PSR.     

Knowledge spillovers: cooperation between universities and KIBS

Knowledge is increasingly perceived as a fulcral factor to company competitiveness. As the transfer of knowledge is one of the key functions of knowledge intensive business services (KIBS), this research seeks to analyse how the transfer of knowledge takes place between the higher education sector and KIBS type firms. The empirical results show that cooperation between KIBS and universities occurs irrespective of the typology (whether professional or technological in focus). We also empirically establish how geographic proximity is the factor bearing greatest influence over cooperation while such cooperation proves to have a positive impact on the company capacity to innovate. We furthermore find that this innovation capacity also drives a positive company financial performance.     

Pro-poor agricultural biotechnology: Can the international research system deliver the goods?

While global investment in agricultural research by the private sector is increasing with growth in developing country markets and the emergence of new technologies, complementary public sector investment is stagnating or declining in many developing countries. This review argues that the changing roles of the public and private sectors in generating new scientific knowledge may adversely affect the diffusion of explicitly pro-poor technologies—technologies that are simultaneously yield-enhancing and poverty-reducing. Comparing historical evidence from the Green Revolution with recent evidence from the emerging era of agricultural biotechnology, this review argues that a more pluralistic international system for agricultural research will be more responsive to poverty only if the strategic leadership role of the public sector is strengthened, certain research functions are reallocated to the private sector, and new policy and organizational mechanisms are used to stimulate pro-poor research in and for developing-country agriculture.     

Co-creating integrated solutions within business networks: The KAM team as knowledge integrator

This study derives from a need that is both practical and theoretical: the need to increase knowledge of how KAM teams might ensure more successful value co-creation with their business customers in the service sector. The KAM teams in this study are formed of members originating from several supplier companies that integrate and apply resources with their customers in a business network. In the co-creation of integrated solutions within such business networks, KAM teams – drawing on organizational learning theory and knowledge management – are considered as knowledge integrators. The purpose of this study is to analyze the KAM teams' absorptive capacity — that is, how knowledge is acquired, assimilated, and applied in the co-creation of integrated solutions. The study employs a qualitative case study approach, based on 30 in-depth interviews in nine supplier companies operating in advertising, marketing and consulting, and in three key customer companies. The study contributes to the KAM literature by providing new conceptual understanding and empirical insight in respect of networked co-creation of integrated solutions and the influence of the KIBS context on the solutions process.     

The role of multiple ties in knowledge networks: Complementarity in the Montefalco wine cluster

After decades of studies about pervasive, wide, and inclusive knowledge externalities and the advantages of being there, recent literature on management, industrial marketing, economic geography, regional studies, and related fields has stressed that knowledge spreads imperfectly, unevenly, and selectively within regional and cluster contexts. In this respect, little is known about the role played by heterogeneous knowledge ties among the same set of actors and to what extent they follow overlapping or different routes of exchanging knowledge. Thus, an investigation of multiple knowledge networks in clusters is a fundamental approach to interpret the reasons for innovation and economic performance.With an original dataset comprised of data collected by surveys directly administered in local wineries in the Montefalco wine region of Italy, this paper aims to analyse the roles played by different local knowledge ties within a sector that is critically driven by the exchange of knowledge among economic actors. Social network analysis and exponential random graph modelling were applied to investigate the driving forces of the knowledge flows. The empirical results showed that economic and social ties positively affect the spread of knowledge, but the former has a higher magnitude impact than the latter. Moreover, they follow complementary routes of exchange rather than overlapping ones. We suggest that such a structure has implications for understanding the diffusion of knowledge and structures of innovation in cluster contexts.     

ICT technologies in Europe: A study of technological diffusion and economic growth under network theory

The sector of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is one of the key instruments for the development of an economy. The literature emphasizes its capacity for both increasing productivity and generating new sources of income and wealth (5 and 20 among others). Traditionally studies on the ICT sector have focused on the analysis of its economic impact, but not on its capacity as a “bridge” for information and knowledge flows across the economic network. Following Burt's approach (1992) on structural holes, the organization of the economic network defines where and for whom new opportunities lie. The structural hole methodology allows to analyze the capacity of the ICT sector as an enabler of technological diffusion and innovation. The results show that the European ICT sector not only is important for its intermediary role in the flow of information across the economic network, but also for its low level of dependency on other sectors.     

The origins of external knowledge inflows and the impact of university technologies

This paper analyses how universities leverage knowledge coming from different technological, institutional, and geographical domains to develop technologies exerting a relevant impact for firms’ technological advancements. The analysis is based on a panel of 219 worldwide universities that filed, at least, a patent belonging to the alternative energy production sector in the period 2002–2010. Results show that using external knowledge originating in different technological and institutional domains exerts an inverted U‐shaped effect on the firms’ subsequent technological progress, while the geographical origin seems to do not exert any influence.     

An econometric approach for evaluating the linkages between broadband and knowledge intensive firms

In addition to highlighting improvements in the availability and speed of broadband as a national priority, the National Broadband Plan also includes several recommendations for improving access and use of broadband by small businesses. The plan also recommends economic development officials include broadband in their local development strategies. While these are certainly import goals, more research is needed to evaluate how broadband impacts the regional business environment, and regional capacity to retain and attract businesses in particular industries. In order to further our understanding about the linkages between broadband and businesses, and the ability of places to retain and attract businesses in particular industries, this study will develop and estimate econometric models to better understand the linkages between broadband and firms in the knowledge intensive sector. Specifically, 54 metropolitan area specific models will be developed to examine regional variations in the linkages between broadband and firms in the knowledge intensive sector in 2004. Model results highlight the importance of broadband to knowledge firms in all but five metropolitan areas across the U.S. They also reveal variations in the impact of broadband on knowledge firm presence related to metropolitan area size and industrial legacy.     

Indirect networks: an intangible resource for biotechnology innovation

In the context of the emergence of new modular organizational forms, especially in high-tech sectors such as the biotechnology sector, this article proposes that while a firm observes benefits from direct alliances, it also benefits from indirect linkages. First, a theoretical framework revolving around indirect ties is built on the basis of social network and innovation management literature. It ends with the proposition of two research hypotheses linking the indirect network position of a firm to its innovation capacities. To test those hypotheses, data on strategic partnerships and collaborations were collected through 40 interviews with biotech firms from the nutrition sector in the biotech clusters of Quebec (Canada). Using network analysis, centrality measures and hierarchical regressions, results of this study indicate that by occupying a central position in a network of indirect ties, a firm is more likely to access useful knowledge from its direct partners and increase innovation. We suggest, as a conclusion, that indirect network position could be considered as an intangible strategic resource for biotech firms.     

Clerical workers, clerical skills: case studies from credit management

This article examines job knowledge and skill in clerical work drawing on five case studies from the area of credit management. The cognitive, social and 'tacit' skills necessary for clerical effectiveness in this sector are identified and examined. Feminist approaches to skills analysis are used to examine how and why this type of work is under-valued.     

External knowledge search,innovative performance and productivity in the Korean ICT sector

In recent years, Korea’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry has grown rapidly. The prosperity of the ICT industry has brought growing recognition that rising productivity and innovative performance have made major contributions to ensuring competitive advantage in international markets. In this context, recent studies stress the importance of external knowledge for improving both innovative performance and productivity. This paper empirically investigates the effects of firms’ external knowledge search behavior on their productivity as well as their innovative performance in the Korean ICT manufacturing sector. Based on firm-level data from the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI), this study indicates that incremental innovation and productivity are both related to external knowledge search.     

The use of scientific knowledge by Spanish agrifood firms

This paper analyses the factors that influence the use of scientific knowledge in patented technology by agrifood firms in Spain. Our particular objective is to identify whether collaboration with universities and technological characteristics of firms are the determining factors in this process. The methodology is supported by non-patent citations (NPCs) as an indicator of the extent to which scientific knowledge is used to support the development of patented technologies in the agrifood sector. The data suggest that scientific citations in patent documents are geographically more concentrated than patents, and that scientific citations are more common for agrifood products and chemical products than for agrifood machinery. Our econometric results show that internal factors related to the characteristics of technologies and firms, along with collaboration with a public research institution, are relevant factors that contribute to explaining the use of scientific knowledge by agrifood firms.     

Towards unions 2.0: rethinking the audience of social media engagement

This paper aims to examine how trade union members perceive opportunities for online engagement and what the differences are between traditional and online audiences. The empirical work is based on a survey of members of a Greek union in the banking sector. The findings outline the characteristics of an audience that is likely to support information sharing and networking activities on the web. For this audience, traditional levels of loyalty and union participation were not strongly related with perceptions about the union's online presence. Instead, Internet skills and experiences had a dominant effect. The implications of this study suggest that trade unions have to actively seek knowledge about the characteristics of their new audience and adapt communications strategies accordingly.     

Technological knowledge assets in industrial firms

This research focuses on identifying and measuring the technological knowledge assets that constitute the basis of the knowledge management process and on the study of contextual factors that determine their use. To that end, a longitudinal study of 1,444 Spanish industrial firms between 1998 and 2000 was conducted using information gathered by the Survey of Business Strategies. The results enable us to identify technological knowledge assets with different levels of codification and to have a general view of how age, size and sector affect the use of those assets by Spanish industrial firms.     

Commercialisation: A meta-approach for agricultural development among smallholder farmers in Africa?

This paper presents a critique of commercialising smallholder farming for agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa. First it questions the validity of an overarching ‘metanarrative’ approach to development. Then it discusses the different types of knowledge, values and method and draws attention to the increasingly heterogeneous development policy context and also the heterogeneity among the smallholder ‘targets’ of agrifood policies.Second, a case study exemplifies this critique in the context of an existing multistakeholder strategy of commercialising the Zambian cassava sector. Although limited in scope, the primary research illustrates how a commercial supply response should not be assumed from within a rural sector more concerned with food security.The study casts doubt on the validity of a commercialising metanarrative. Rather, it endorses the need for a multidisciplinary understanding of the particular and local context which influences knowledge generation and development design, accounting for different value systems and perceptions of reality and smallholder farmer decision making within heterogeneous contexts.     

After the reforms: how have public science research organisations changed?

Throughout the Western world, the provision of public good science research has undergone dramatic reforms over the past two decades. In the aftermath of these reforms, this paper asks whether the organisations engaged in science research and knowledge production have actually changed, and if so, how? Archetype analysis is used to explore the deep structures of four comparable case study organisations drawn from the New Zealand science sector. The study concludes that no new, stable organisational archetype has emerged following the reforms, but that in fact, a dynamic style of organisation that is in a state of endless transition is the most appropriate response to contemporary demands for knowledge production. The role of organisational leaders in this context is not only to make sense of the organisation's ever‐changing situation, but also to translate this sense into the actions of organisational members and other stakeholders.     

On the role of telecommunications in development

Numerous studies document the relationship between telecommunications and economic development. The main types and relative merits of these are summarized. The paper argues that more of the same will do little to help promote accelerated telecommunications investment in developing countries as needed. Rather, the efforts should now mainly concentrate on conveying existing sector knowledge to governments and international agencies. The paper focuses on examples of simple, proven tools which can be used to supplement telecommunications project analysis for this purpose.     

Between a rock and a hard place: Recession and telecoms taxation

Excessive taxation in the telecoms services sector is rarely found in developed economies as it hinders high technology investments, confines innovation and eventually impedes economic growth. Recession eventually complicates this process. In this paper the repercussions of multi-layer service taxation on the Greek mobile sector during the last five years are studied. It is found that public revenues, companies and subscribers would significantly benefit from a direct decrease of the special levy imposed on the use of mobile services today. An econometric model that links the consumption propensity of mobile voice service usage with the disposable income of the users and the price of the product is applied. The results of this research indicate that the adoption of high sector specific service taxes with the objective of increasing government revenues creates an economic distortion that lowers service usage, shrinks sector revenues, and, ultimately, jeopardizes the competitiveness of the mobile telecommunications sector.     

The big bug: The legitimation of the edible insect sector in the Netherlands

This study analyzes the legitimation process of an emerging novel food sector in the European Union (EU). Current EU policies are cautious with regard to new food sources and new food technology, and we aim to determine how the sector is addressing both this caution as well as a general public that may be skeptical of its products. By utilizing a legitimacy strategy framework and conducting 19 semi-structured interviews with actors and experts in the Dutch edible insect sector, we assess the sector’s progress and limitations with regard to its legitimacy journey. The findings show that sector focus has thus far been on organization, intraindustry, and interindustry legitimacy strategies, and that additional emphasis on institutional strategies will be imperative to securing more accommodating legislation. In addition, the lack of a common vision, a strategic communication plan, and interfirm linkages may also be hindering sector legitimation. The framework and conclusions presented here may prove useful to other sectors introducing novel foods.     

Looking for a Needle in a Haystack: How to Search for Bottom‐Up Social Innovations that Solve Complex Humanitarian Problems

The worldwide increase in societal challenges is putting pressure on humanitarian organizations to develop sophisticated approaches to leverage social innovations in the humanitarian sector. Since humanitarian problems are complex problems, with the relevant knowledge being hidden, organizational search theory advocates the application of bottom‐up and theory‐guided search processes to identify the social innovations that solve these. Unfortunately, there has been no theoretical attention to understanding which approaches apply in this context. Further, established theory‐guided bottom‐up search processes, such as the lead user method, are unsuitable to the humanitarian sector, and we lack practice examples of adequate search processes. To start addressing this gap in theory and practice, procedural action research was done with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to develop a theory‐guided bottom‐up innovation search process for the real‐life humanitarian problem of recurring floods in Indonesia. It revealed that an innovation search process for this context must differ significantly concerning its objectives and the steps to be taken from the lead user method, which was used as a starting point. Further, a comparison of the technical quality and the social impacts of the identified social innovations with social innovations identified through a non‐theory‐guided bottom‐up search process (i.e., an innovation contest) suggests the superiority of this theory‐guided search process. With this conclusion and the insights derived throughout the development of the search process, this study makes important contributions to theory development in the social and open innovation literatures and delivers important recommendations for social innovation practice in the humanitarian sector.