The theory of the knowledge-creating firm: subjectivity, objectivity and synthesis

The theory of the knowledge-creating firm explains the differences among firms not as a result of market failure, but as a result of the firm's visions of the future and strategy. This paper proposes a framework to capture the dynamic process of knowledge creation in which knowledge is created through the dynamic interaction between subjectivity and objectivity. Knowledge is created through the synthesis of thinking and actions of individuals, who interact with each other within and beyond the organizational boundaries

Integrating Japanese knowledge creation theory into knowledge management initiatives

The first step to knowledge initiatives in companies is that of finding what people in the company know and taking steps to make knowledge accessible throughout the organization.Such process relates to the capturing and disseminating of explicit knowledge through information and communication technology whereby knowledge is codified, stored and disseminated and updated through computer networks.However, the organization that focuses completely on collecting explicit knowledge and makes little or no effort at linking people with people tends to end up with having merely a repository of static documents.This article gives an analysis and synthesis of the Japanese perspectives as oppose to Western perspectives on knowledge management, followed by an elaborated account on the theory of knowledge creation advocated by Fujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi.This is to stress that it is equally important to link people and by doing so, the flow of tacit knowledge could be enhanced through better human interaction.Such dimensions seem to be the main focus in Japanese knowledge initiatives.However, an organization that focuses entirely on connecting people with little or no effort at linking people with information can also be very inefficient.This article attempts to highlight the point that knowledge management initiatives should be combining the benefit of both Western and Japanese approach to knowledge management.A model was constructed to ensure that the knowledge management programmes to be designed give emphasis on a variety of aspects that will make the programme efficient and effective.From the details given on Japanese knowledge management perspective, thus it can be synthesized that for a knowledge management programme to succeed, the culture of the organization must support online learning and knowledge sharing

International R&D and technological competence of the firm.

This study looked at the effect of the internationalization of R&D on a firm' s technological competence. Using a conceptual framework based on the resource-based view of the firm, this study found systematic evidence that international R&D does have a positive effect on a firm's technological competence. By researching US firms which conduct R&D in Japan, this study has showed that international R&D strategy does affect the accumulation of a firm's technological resources and enhances its technological competence measured along in two dimensions; technological effectiveness, which is operationalized by the number of patents, and technological efficiency, which is operationalized by the number of patents divided by R&D spending. This study also found that the effect of conducting international R&D depends on the industry. The effect on a firm's technological effectiveness depends on the host country's global competitiveness in the industry which the firm is in, as shown in the case of electronics industry. However, as shown in the case of the chemical industry in Japan, conducting R&D abroad can positively affect a firm's technological efficiency even if the focal industry itself does not have global competitiveness. Other factors, such as physical proximity to leading customers in globally competitive industries played a role in enhancing technological efficiency in the chemical industry. This study also found that the effect of conducting international R&D depends on how long the firm has been operating in the host country. Contrary to the expectation that more experience leads to more competence, depending on the dimension of technological competence studied and industry, the firms which started conducting R&D abroad more recently did better than the firms which started earlier.Ph.D.ManagementSocial SciencesUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/130853/2/9811208.pd

Organizational R&D Concept Creating Activities Using Six-Lenses Model

This paper show a process model for interpersonal activities concerning the reconstruction of R&D conceptual knowledge and have assessed its validity based on a case study. We applied the six-lenses model (Hayashi, 1999: 2001: 2004) to the knowledge reconstruction process in order to focusing on interaction personal perspective through inter-personal communications. The six-lenses model consists six perspectives: subject, object, future, past, analog, and digital. Its process is based on interactions among the six perspectives and has three stages: (1) discussing the right position, by using questions such as “for what?” and “for who?,” (2) positively envisioning from a future perspective (2-F) while identifying related known concepts and constructing concepts from a past perspective (2-P), and (3) reconstructing the knowledge through practice from the future perspective based on the past consciousness (3-F), while reconstructing the vision through practice from the past perspective based on future consciousness (3-P). In addition, interactions between the subject and object perspectives and between the analog and digital perspectives occur in all stages. A case study of a particular on-going research team was tested our hypothetical model. Our observations and interview data indicate that the concepts of the research team’s members had developed through their knowledge reconstruction process. Based on this finding, we determined that our hypothetical model was partially valid. We also indicate four prior conditions that have to be met for the knowledge reconstruction process to work well: (1) members need to resolve personal issues based on a wealth of field experience and mature research competency, (2) members need to be in trusting relationships, (3) members need effective support of senior managers and advisers, and (4) members need high expectations from related teams.The original publication is available at JAIST Press http://www.jaist.ac.jp/library/jaist-press/index.htmlIFSR 2005 : Proceedings of the First World Congress of the International Federation for Systems Research : The New Roles of Systems Sciences For a Knowledge-based Society : Nov. 14-17, 2069, Kobe, JapanSymposium 1, Session 5 : Technology Creation Based on Knowledge Science Knowledge/Technology Management(2

Knowledge Reconstruction in R&D through Interactions among Six Lenses

A process model is described for reconstructing an individual's knowledge during the research and development of new technology by using six-lens interaction activities and management actions promoting it. It has a nested, or transformational, structure and three stages: awareness of issues, development of solutions, and “dialogical practice” of solutions. The second stage transcends and includes the first stage, and the third stage transcends and includes the first and second stages. Three interactions are evident in the third stage: between the subject lens and object lens, between the past lens and future lens, and between the analog lens and digital lens. The model was tested through a case study of a research team working for a Japanese electronics manufacturer. A modified grounded theory approach revealed five knowledge reconstruction factors, four lens functions for activating dialogical practice, and six management actions for promoting knowledge reconstruction. Two knowledge reconstruction factors are evident in the first stage: producing conflict and/or contradiction and resetting subject boundary. In addition, managers tend to create chaos in order to produce conflict and/or contradiction. Managers also tend to encourage heterogeneous information sharing, road-mapping, organizing and networking with other research and business teams, and assessing the potential of the technology in order to reset the subject boundary. Three additional knowledge reconstruction factors are evident in the second stage: expansion of viewing field, creation of new connection among technological concepts, and transformation of individual beliefs. Managers tend to present research goals abstractly to promote expansion of the viewing field. They also tend to encourage heterogeneous information sharing to promote the creation of new connection among technological concepts. All the knowledge reconstruction factors are evident in the third stage. In addition, an activation object lens comprising the team members and a past lens within future consciousness were evident. In contrast, the subject lens and digital lens had broken down. Managers tend to share heterogeneous information and expand the viewing field in order to activate the object lens comprising the research team colleagues.The original publication is available at JAIST Press http://www.jaist.ac.jp/library/jaist-press/index.htmlProceedings of KSS'2007 : The Eighth International Symposium on Knowledge and Systems Sciences : November 5-7, 2007, [Ishikawa High-Tech Conference Center, Nomi, Ishikawa, JAPAN]Organized by: Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technolog

Strategic management as distributed practical wisdom (phronesis)

This article claims that effective strategic management requires distributed wisdom (which the philosopher Aristotle called “phronesis”). Strategy is created out of one's existential belief or commitment to a vision of the future, the ability to interpret one's environment and resources subjectively, and the interaction between subjectivity and objectivity. These abilities need to be distributed among organizational members. Strategy as distributed phronesis thus emerges from practice to pursue “common goodness” in each particular situation since a firm is an entity that pursues a universal ideal and a particular reality at the same time. Such idealistic pragmatism means that in a specific and dynamic context knowledge can be created and refined to become wisdom. Copyright 2007 , Oxford University Press.

テニスラケットにおけるストリングス張力およびボール衝突位置が反発係数に与える影響

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of string tension and impact location on the rebound coefficient between the ball and racket. Tennis balls were fired from a ball-throwing machine to a racket clamped in a vice. The racket and ball were filmed before and after impact with two synchronized high-speed video cameras at 250 Hz. Ball velocity before and after impact and impact location were obtained with a three-dimensional video analysis. No significant difference was found among the rebound coefficients of three rackets strung at 65 lbs, 55 lbs, and 45 lbs. As for the transverse direction the rebound coefficient was smaller as the distance from symmetrical center line of the racket face became greater. Rebound coefficients were larger in the area closer to the racket handle than the geometric center of the racket face. Remarkable decreases in rebound coefficients were recorded in the area close to the racket tip