Innovation Hot Spots: the Case of the Computer Services Sector in the Region of Attica, Greece

Elaborating on the notion innovation hot spots, we examine the case of the computer services sector in the Region of Attica, Greece. Fast-growing, geographically and industrially clustered firms are becoming an increasingly important factor for innovation and regional development. As a result, innovation hot spots enjoy rapid growth, leading to job creation, knowledge expansion and, in the best cases, sustainable development. The most recent European Trend Chart Reports (2004 and 2005) present Greece as innovation leader in the computer services sector. Computer services are characterized by a high knowledge creation and knowledge diffusion intensity meaning that the hot spots exploiting such services position high on an innovation intensity scale. Consulting, implementation, operations management and support services enjoy similar growth since they are complementary industries forming the Attica IT innovation hot spot. The purpose of our research within this field is twofold. First, we present the conditions under which this innovation leadership has emerged and come to flourish. We argue that growth in the Region of Attica has been boosted by the Information Society Program, the Olympic Games and the necessity for modernizing Greek firms, which leads them to favor investments in new technologies. Moreover, the region presents a favorable macroeconomic environment, characterized by high rates of development, increase of consumption and investments. Second, we analyze and propose a framework for maintaining the dynamics in the region -and in innovation hot spots in general- as there is a significant risk of rise-and-fall patterns occurring, leading to former hot spots transforming into “blind spotsâ€, and core competencies developed turning into core rigidities and cultural lock-in.

Leadership through the ClassicsLearning Management and Leadership from Ancient East and West Philosophy /

XXVII, 569 p. 37 illus.online resource

An Integrated Methodology for Putting the Balanced Scorecard into Action

We develop a compact and integrated methodological framework for Balanced Scorecard (BSC) synthesis and implementation. The proposed methodology capitalizes on existing knowledge, while incorporating critical issues, grounded in our research and experience, which have not been systematically considered or documented in previous work. By identifying shortcomings and critical success factors from literature and experience, the methodology aims at overcoming certain serious predicaments faced by many implementations. The methodology embodies activities related to Project Management, Change Management, Risk Management, Quality Assurance and Information Technology, areas that contribute considerably to BSC implementation success.Balanced scorecard Performance management Strategy implementation Balanced Scorecard methodology

Industrial needs for open innovation education

The first step in the OI-Net project was to collect information on the industrial needs for open innovation education. For this purpose, the first European Survey on Identification of Industrial Needs for Open Innovation Education was developed and launched. The OI-Net project partners collected over 500 responses from European companies (large, SMEs, and micro firms). This study responds to the challenge of creating a European-wide open innovation policy (Chesbrough, Vanhaverbeke, Lopez-Vega & Bakici, 2011) that attracts qualified and experienced researchers to boost R&D, entrepreneurship and links between industry and society in Europe. This chapter provides a summary of the key findings derived from the survey, including such indicators as the variety and intensity of open innovation practices adopted by companies, their experience and future ambitions in open innovation adoption, and the key organizational competences defining the open innovation capability of a firm. In addition to analyzing organizational capabilities and open innovation adoption practices on the company level, employees’ individual skills associated with open innovation implementation were studied. This resulted in one of the core findings of the project - the Open Innovation Specialist Competences Profile consisting of the most important skills and abilities that specialists in open innovation should possess. These findings bring new knowledge to companies’ HR and innovation management; to their hiring policy, to employees’ training and education practices, and at the same time, provide Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with a competence framework, based on which open innovation education can be planned. Thus, the impact of this chapter includes: 1) enhancing academic research, 2) providing new instruments for academic teaching, and 3) guiding companies in the relevant skills for open and collaborative innovation

Knowledge effectiveness, social context and innovation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to conduct an investigation into knowledge-sharing mechanisms by empirically testing the role that context plays in the transfer of actionable knowledge, and, in turn, for innovation. Design/methodology/approach – A multiple-respondents survey was performed in 72 business units of companies belonging to the ICT, pharmaceutical and food industries in Greece. In total, 295 useful questionnaires were collected using a multiple respondent strategy. All constructs were measured with multi-item scales and validated using exploratory factor analyses. A total of seven hypotheses were generated following a literature review on the key determinants of context for effective knowledge sharing. The hypotheses were tested using ordinary least squares regression. Findings – The research shows that when units pursue knowledge transfer between their different actors, contextual factors such as trust, motivation to transfer knowledge, management support and learning orientation are crucial for fostering knowledge transfer and innovation. This contribution is important since the need for developing an organizational context where knowledge transfer and innovation flourish is constantly put forth in the business press, while the empirical and research based evidence for its importance has been scarce. Research limitations/implications – There is a research need in knowledge sharing theory to define and identify an integrated model concerning the contextual factors that enable the knowledge sharing process. Having established a firm relationship between organizational context and innovation, the research also sets a foundation for further exploring the organization-environment link in terms of leveraging organizational knowledge dynamics. Originality/value – The research is a first attempt to show that the construct “perceived usefulness of knowledge” is a critical proxy of knowledge transfer effectiveness, as well as to find support for its positive relation to innovation

Industrial needs for open innovation education

The first step in the OI-Net project was to collect information on the industrial needs for open innovation education. For this purpose, the first European Survey on Identification of Industrial Needs for Open Innovation Education was developed and launched. The OI-Net project partners collected over 500 responses from European companies (large, SMEs, and micro firms). This study responds to the challenge of creating a European-wide open innovation policy (Chesbrough, Vanhaverbeke, Lopez-Vega & Bakici, 2011) that attracts qualified and experienced researchers to boost R&D, entrepreneurship and links between industry and society in Europe. This chapter provides a summary of the key findings derived from the survey, including such indicators as the variety and intensity of open innovation practices adopted by companies, their experience and future ambitions in open innovation adoption, and the key organizational competences defining the open innovation capability of a firm. In addition to analyzing organizational capabilities and open innovation adoption practices on the company level, employees’ individual skills associated with open innovation implementation were studied. This resulted in one of the core findings of the project - the Open Innovation Specialist Competences Profile consisting of the most important skills and abilities that specialists in open innovation should possess. These findings bring new knowledge to companies’ HR and innovation management; to their hiring policy, to employees’ training and education practices, and at the same time, provide Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with a competence framework, based on which open innovation education can be planned. Thus, the impact of this chapter includes: 1) enhancing academic research, 2) providing new instruments for academic teaching, and 3) guiding companies in the relevant skills for open and collaborative innovation

Strategic outsourcing through specifications

SIGLEAvailable from INIST (FR), Document Supply Service, under shelf-number : DO 7085 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc