The Role of Informal Networks in Knowledge Sharing

The application of a knowledge management strategy does not take place in a vacuum. Successfully meeting objectives of a knowledge management strategy may depend not only on the efficacy of the strategy itself or of the team that is responsible for its implementation, but also on the environment into which it is being introduced. Research carried out with an application service provider (ASP) indicates that existing informal communication networks will continue to operate independently of any formal strategy introduced. The significance of informal knowledge sharing activity may be in its incompatibility, or possible conflict, with any formal structures that are introduced. The success of any formally instigated knowledge management strategy might therefore depend on an understanding of the existence and nature of already active informal knowledge sharing structures. It is important for management to recognise the existence of such informal networks and to understand how they might affect the success of any formally introduced knowledge management strategy. In this paper the existence and reasons for informal networks, and their subsequent effects on formal knowledge sharing policy is examined

Fostering Innovation in the National Systems: An Application to Spain

Background: The sharing of practices that enable the flow and the distribution of tacit knowledge and other ways of proprietary knowledge are essential requisites for promoting an innovation system. Objectives: In this paper a diagnosis of the Spanish Science and Technology System is offered by using the normalized protocol for responsible partnering proposed by EIRMA. Methods/Approach: The triple helix model has been used to identify the agents that take part in the system. The grounded theory has also been applied to analyse interactions and interviews with seven key agents in the system. Results: The lack of common objectives among the main partners in the system is the most important weakness; the New Acts developed in the last three years is a strength that allows the different agents of the system to share objectives. The economic crisis is a threat for the performance of research within the university context and becomes at the same time an opportunity to establish closer relationships. Conclusions: Universities, firms and governments must synchronise their work to accomplish a common objective: produce high levels of innovation that aim to enhance the competitiveness of the system

Análisis de la eficiencia técnica de los ferrocarriles europeos

En este documento nos proponemos realizar una aproximación al análisis de la eficiencia técnica de los ferrocarriles españoles y del resto de los países comunitarios. En este análisis es posible distinguir cinco apartados distintos. En el primero de ellos se intenta justificar por qué la elección del ferrocarril para llevar a cabo el referido estudio. En el segundo epígrafe se ofrece una síntesis descriptiva de algunos de los métodos más utilizados para analizar tanto la eficiencia técnica, como asignativa o económica de determinadas actuaciones del Sector Público. En el tercer apartado se lleva a cabo un cálculo de diferentes ratios de productividad a objeto de tener una primera aproximación a la eficiencia técnica de los ferrocarriles europeos. En el cuarto apartado se realiza una explotación de los datos estadísticos disponibles con el fin de explorar cuales pueden ser los determinantes del output en los ferrocarriles españoles y el resto de los países comunitarios. Y, finalmente, se ofrece una modesta aproximación econométrica a la evaluación de la eficiencia técnica del transporte ferroviario en Europa

A review and a conceptual framework of the key value drivers of mass customisation

The aim of this paper is to conceptualise the key value drivers of mass customisation in order to provide a structured approach to explain the added value that customers attribute to mass customised products. We assume that the added value of mass customisation is ultimately reflected in an increased willingness to pay. Previous studies show diverse results concerning customers' willingness to pay for mass customised products. We contribute to the existing body of research by suggesting and discussing the influence of general product characteristics and factors of the mass customisation approach on the key value drivers of mass customisation. Furthermore, the development of a conceptual framework offers explanations for the dissimilarity in customers' willingness to pay and advances the knowledge about the value increment of mass customised products as perceived by customers

Infraestructuras del transporte terrestre y competitividad

Trabajo de investigación que analiza las mejoras realizadas en las infraestructuras del transporte en España en la década de los 80 a través del gasto público e inversiones y comparándola con Europa para ver nuestro nivel de competitividad

Meloda, a metric to assess open date reuse

Current policies demanding an increase in transparency, open government, and the implementation of smart cities necessitate publishing open data. However, there are limited mechanisms for assessing the use and value of this information. The goal of this paper is to present a new metric, Meloda , that qualifies the information and helps to assess its reusability. Meloda ’s four dimensions are described: technical standards, access, legal considerations, and data model. Finally, Meloda ’s assessment process is explained

Meloda 5: A metric to assess open data reusability

An updated metric developed to assess the degree of open data reusability, called MEtric for the evaLuation of Open DAta: Meloda 5 is presented. Previous version of the metric, Meloda 4, had six dimensions: the legal licensing of data, the mechanisms to access the data, the technical standards of the datasets, the data model, the geographic content of the data and the updating frequency. With all these dimensions, the metric provides a quantitative evaluation about how reusable the datasets released are. During the last five years, this metric has been cited and used by some other authors but the extensive use of the metric has brought to light some of its limitations. In order to get deeper insights into the topic, a panel of international experts has been surveyed about two aspects of the metric. First aspect was what other factors should be considered in order to qualify the reusability of a released dataset. And the second aspect was the internal structure, the levels for every dimension of the metric; if they should be increased, merged, removed or divided. Considering the results of the survey, first, we identify the factors / dimensions that should be kept: legal licensing, access to information, technical standard, standardization, geolocation content and updating frequency of data. Second, we consider the inclusion of two new dimensions: dissemination and reputation. Then, we present the new internal structure, the levels for each dimension, and the measures to evaluate the degree of reuse of each dataset. Finally, a standardization of the metric for other steps of the data impact process, data reuse analytics and data-driven services generation are presented together with future research lines

Criteria for the identification of ineffective open data portals: pretender open data portals

Open data are considered an essential resource for governments, businesses, and citizens. In that context, open data portals have potential for creating enormous economic growth. Open data portals should allow the reuse of open data, ensure the efficiency of data transmission, and enable professional initiatives based on data reuse. However, there are portals that are inefficient because they do not allow reuse of their data. The objective of this work is to define and identify open data portals that do not offer the possibility for professional reuse of their data. We refer to them as “pretender open data portals”. The following research questions are considered herein: What minimum criteria must an open data portal satisfy to enable professional reuse of open data? How can portals that do not meet these criteria be identified? And, what problems might these portals present, and how they might be solved? The results of an analysis of two samples of open data portals in Spain reveal that 63.8% and 56.1% of the portals analyzed in 2019 and 2021, respectively, can be considered pretender open data portals. The existence of pretender open data portals can have negative economic and social impacts, such as wasting public resources and projecting a negative image of the government’s open data policies. To find coordination mechanisms to develop open data portals that, through the professional re-use of their data can create economic and social value, is one important challenge. The analysis of best practices of open data portals can be also a way to go in deep in the understanding of open data reuse impact not only from a professional standpoint.

Uso del correo electrónico : un análisis empírico en la Universidad Complutense de Madrid

El correo electrónico es uno de los medios de comunicación que se perfila como fundamental en las comunicaciones en los próximos años. El ámbito universitario no puede ser ajeno a esta realidad, por sus características propias, tanto en la faceta docente como investigadora. Con el fin de comprobar la implantación real del correo electrónico en la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, hemos diseñado y realizado una encuesta, que trata de recoger la opinión de los docentes en torno al uso y conocimiento del correo electrónico y otros medios informáticos, así como su actitud hacia los mismos. Igualmente, nos hemos interesado por algunas cuestiones relevantes en torno al correo, como son su grado de satisfacción y las expectativas que genera. Se ha contrastado empíricamente la existencia de diversas relaciones, destacando la influencia de las actitudes previas en los niveles de conocimiento de las herramientas, y la de dicho conocimiento en la posterior utilización de los mismos. Del mismo modo, hemos podido constatar la existencia de notables diferencias entre las diversas áreas de conocimiento y categorías profesionales