Appropriation of value in Biomedical research outcome at Public Research Organisations

Transactions on biomedical research outcomes bring into play strategies that are determined by leveraging resources into quasi-markets and on options based on expectations. To govern such transactions, the choice of appropriate governance structures and the governance of interaction are all too often in remittance of risk and uncertainty. Organisation and communities are prompted by issues concerning intellectual property (IP) to underwrite information, which is inherently fraught with difficulties of discerning ownership and quantifying qualitative business variables. Against that backdrop, we enquire on the mechanisms underpinning value dissipation and value appropriation of biomedical research outcomes to make proposition on the organisational antecedence to innovation. It is a preamble study with the view to developing a meso-level framework to describe mechanisms of value appropriation of upstream biomedical (non-invasive) research at Public Research Organisation. Its underpinning is largely based on the availability appropriability regimes and viability of organizational governance decisions and how the choice of organizational governance form affects both the creation and appropriation of economic value

Organizing for innovation: R&D projects, activities and partners

We explore how R&D project characteristics condition the governance of an R&D project and its individual activities. Prior literature has tried to understand the factors - both at the industry and at the firm level - that influence the way in which firms partner for innovation. In this paper, through the analysis of detailed data from a subsidiary of STMicroelectronics, we identify the main drivers of partner selection for innovation. Partnering or contracting with universities for innovation is common practice for developing new -original- knowledge, as opposed to applying existing knowledge to a problem. But firms are more reluctant to partner, especially with other firms, when that knowledge directly enhances their competitiveness. However, conditional on cooperation, partners are more likely to act individually when the project is strategically important. Contracting for innovation to universities or research centers, as opposed to partnering, happens for more experimental projects, where highly original knowledge is developed, and typically early on in the project.Innovation strategy; Technological innovation; R&D projects' organization; Partner selection;

Business model innovation in SMEs engaging in innovation ecosystems. A decoupling perspective

Digital technologies have been increasingly affecting our day-to-day activities, drastically reshaping markets and society. The diffusion of new digital technologies\u2014such as social media, cloud computing, mobile computing, 3D printing, and big-data analytics \u2013 is posing firms to challenges, creating opportunities to develop radically new business models. However, despite the growing interest towards this issue, the contribute of digitalisation from the perspective of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is still such an under-investigated topic. SMEs are considered a driving force in most national economies, contributing heavily to employment, innovation and economic growth, but at the same time they often suffer from lack of both financial and human resources. These weaknesses may be compensated by the inflow and outflow of knowledge and capital boosted by technological innovation and participation within innovation ecosystems. The aim of this paper is to understand, through the lens of the institutional theory, how both the relationships established within the ecosystem and the internal organizational capabilities of SMEs impact on business model innovation thanks to the adoption of digital technologies such as Internet of things, big data, and open data. To do so the authors carried out an embedded case study on an Italian Industry 4.0 project which involved several actors (e.g. food SMEs, universities, technology consulting companies, and Piedmont Region). First findings on this ongoing research show that innovation ecosystems could represent a strong driver for developing an innovative business model oriented to value co-creation provided that SMEs already own distinctive dynamic capabilities. Without these capabilities it would be difficult to fully exploit the digital opportunities arising from the relationships among the heterogeneous actors which are part of the project

An exploratory study on knowledge management (KM) in the Maltese pharmaceutical sector

The pharmaceutical sector can be considered as a key player in the world’s economy. This is also the case for Malta’s economy where the pharmaceutical sector is considered an important business sector. Till October 2021, the Maltese Pharmaceutical Sector exported €353 million worth of pharmaceutical products making up approximately 13% of total exports for Malta (National Statistics Office, 2021). Nowadays we hear a lot about ‘a knowledge‑based economy’. Globalisation has brought an organisation’s knowledge assets into focus ‑ knowledge is being more and more recognised as a valued asset in competitive environments and “is increasingly at the heart of modern enterprises” (Ho et al., 2014, p. 734). Therefore, in these uncertain and challenging times we are living in, organisations, in particular, knowledge intensive organisations such as those operating in the pharmaceutical sector must make the best possible use of their knowledge‑based activities in order to maintain a competitive advantage (Valaei et al., 2017). Knowledge Management (KM) has been recognised as providing the key to organisations to attain organisational effectiveness (or related aspects such as organisational performance) by making the best use of their knowledge resources (Zack et al., 2009).peer-reviewe

Guarding Against the Erosion of Competitive Advantage: A Knowledge Leakage Mitigation Model

A critical objective of knowledge-intensive organizations is to prevent erosion of their competitive knowledge base through leakage. Our review of the literature highlights the need for a more refined conceptualization of perceived leakage risk. We propose a Knowledge Leakage Mitigation (KLM) model to explain the incongruity between perceived high-risk of leakage and lack of protective actions. We argue that an organization’s perceived risk of leakage increases if competitors can benefit from leakage incidents. Further, perceived leakage risk decreases if the organization is shielded from impact due to their diversity of knowledge assets and their ability to reconfigure knowledge resources to refresh their competitive knowledge base. We describe our approach to the design of a large-scale survey instrument that has been tested and refined in two stakeholder communities: 1) knowledge managers responsible for organizational strategy, and 2) Information security management consultants

Exploring Knowledge Leakage Risk in Knowledge-Intensive Organisations: behavioural aspects and key controls

Knowledge leakage poses a critical risk to the competitive advantage of knowledge-intensive organisations. Although knowledge leakage is a human-centric security issue, little is known about leakage resulting from individual behaviour and the protective strategies and controls that could be effective in mitigating leakage risk. Therefore, this research explores the perspectives of security practitioners on the key factors that influence knowledge leakage risk in the context of knowledge-intensive organisations. We conduct two focus groups to explore these perspectives. The research highlights three types of behavioural controls that mitigate the risk of knowledge leakage: human resource management practices, knowledge security training and awareness practices, and compartmentalisation practices

Sources of Productivity Spillovers: Panel Data Evidence from China

This paper assesses sources of productivity spillovers in China\u27s electric and electronic manufacturing industry using a rich panel data-set of 25,360 firms observed over the period 2004-2007. This industry is characterized by its important reliance on technology. In particular, the paper focuses on the role of other firms\u27 productivity as well as productivity shifters in affecting own firm-level total factor productivity. In addition, this paper examines the possible difference between spillovers from foreign-owned units and from units which participate at global markets through exporting in comparison to domestically-owned and non-exporting units. We find evidence of stronger spillovers from exporting firms than from non-exporting firms. This is true for foreign-owned as well as domestic exporters. The strength of the spillover effects differ across subsectors

Does knowledge management mediate the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance?

[EN] Purpose ¿ This study investigates the impact of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and knowledge management (KM) on firm performance (PERF), as well as the mediating role of KM in the EO¿PERF (EOPERF relationship). In particular, this study aims to explain the impact of KM on the relationship between the EO dimensions and PERF; dimensions are risk-taking (RT), innovativeness (IN) and proactiveness (PR). Design/methodology/approach ¿ This study uses structural equation modelling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) methodologies to explore target relationships. The sample consists of 150 small furniture manufacturers operating in Poland (out of 1,480 in the population). Findings ¿ The study findings show that KM partially mediates the IN¿PERF relationship. Furthermore, fsQCA reveals that KM accompanied by IN is a core condition that leads to PERF. Moreover, the absence of KM (accompanied by the absence of RT and IN) leads to the absence of PERF. In addition, the results show that all the variables examined (RT, IN, PR and KM) positively impact PERF. Originality/value ¿ This study explores the role of KM in the context of EO and its impact on PERF in the low-tech industry. The study uses simultaneously two methodologies that represent different approaches in the search for the expected relationships. The findings reveal that KM mediates the EO-PERF relationship.This work has been supported by the AGH University of Krakow (funds for the maintenance and development of the research capacity of the Faculty of Management of the AGH University of Krakow and grant received by Rafa Kusa under Excellence initiative research university for the AGH University of Krakow).Kusa, R.; Suder, M.; Duda, J.; Czakon, W.; Juárez Varón, D. (2023). Does knowledge management mediate the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance?. Journal of Knowledge Management. 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-07-2023-060812

Somatic and cultural knowledge: drivers of a habitus-driven model of tacit knowledge acquisition

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and explain the role of individual learning and development in acquiring tacit knowledge in the context of the inexorable and intense continuous change (technological and otherwise) that characterizes our society today, and also to investigate the software (SW) sector, which is at the core of contemporary continuous change and is a paradigm of effective and intrinsic knowledge sharing (KS). This makes the SW sector unique and different from others where KS is so hard to implement. Design/methodology/approach – The study employed an inductive qualitative approach based on a multi-case study approach, composed of three successful SW companies in China. These companies are representative of the fabric of the sector, namely a small- and medium-sized enterprise, a large private company and a large state-owned enterprise. The fieldwork included 44 participants who were interviewed using a semi-structured script. The interview data were coded and interpreted following the Straussian grounded theory pattern of open coding, axial coding and selective coding. The process of interviewing was stopped when theoretical saturation was achieved after a careful process of theoretical sampling. Findings – The findings of this research suggest that individual learning and development are deemed to be the fundamental feature for professional success and survival in the continuously changing environment of the SW industry today. However, individual learning was described by the participants as much more than a mere individual process. It involves a collective and participatory effort within the organization and the sector as a whole, and a KS process that transcends organizational, cultural and national borders. Individuals in particular are mostly motivated by the pressing need to face and adapt to the dynamic and changeable environments of today’s digital society that is led by the sector. Software practitioners are continuously in need of learning, refreshing and accumulating tacit knowledge, partly because it is required by their companies, but also due to a sound awareness of continuous technical and technological changes that seem only to increase with the advances of information technology. This led to a clear theoretical understanding that the continuous change that faces the sector has led to individual acquisition of culture and somatic knowledge that in turn lay the foundation for not only the awareness of the need for continuous individual professional development but also for the creation of habitus related to KS and continuous learning. Originality/value – The study reported in this paper shows that there is a theoretical link between the existence of conducive organizational and sector-wide somatic and cultural knowledge, and the success of KS practices that lead to individual learning and development. Therefore, the theory proposed suggests that somatic and cultural knowledge are crucial drivers for the creation of habitus of individual tacit knowledge acquisition. The paper further proposes a habitus-driven individual development (HDID) Theoretical Model that can be of use to both academics and practitioners interested in fostering and developing processes of KS and individual development in knowledge-intensive organization