The Unexplored Effect of Skills and Technology on Firms' Performance

The aim of this paper is to add new findings to the knowledge based view of the firm, where the cross-learning ability of individuals and organizations plays a fundamental role in the determination of firms' superior performances. Collective, non formal - informal, formal types of learning (learning drivers) contribute to shape the competitiveness of firms, especially in the present knowledge-based economy, where the necessity to respond effectively to frequent external shock (demand, technology, competitive environment driven) emphasizes the importance of being flexible and quickly adaptive. Nevertheless, focusing on learning capacities, and particularly on human skills, often leads to forget or ignore industry effects, such as innovative intensity, which increase the explanatory power of the learning drivers. This work explores the conjoint effect of learning drivers and innovative intensity on firms' performance by showing some evidence from statistical data analysis on the Danish IDA (Integrated Database for Labour Market Research). A sample of firms belonging to the manufacturing industry is studied using data related to the year 1999. The paper proceeds as follows: firstly, the role and relevance of human resources in the determination of firm's performance is presented. Secondly, a missing ring in the knowledge based view of the firm is detected: the R&D investments intensity. Thirdly, the data analysis process and the methodology adopted are illustrated. Finally, the results are presented and discussed.Human capital; innovtive intensity; knowledge; learning; manufacturing; performance

Does the Concept of “Community of Practice” Show New Trajectories for the Evolution of Industrial Districts?

The aim of this paper is to find a framework that could be useful to evaluate the utility of the concept of “Community of Practice” (CoP) for understanding the dynamics of knowledge creation and sharing in Industrial Districts (IDs). The CoP concept stems from the managerial experience of large corporations, which have found in it a kind of “living repository” of knowledge. The source of the concept of agglomeration of firms in ID is completely different. Anyway, many similarities can be found between the concepts of ID and CoP, as well then some differences. The paper proceeds as follows. First, it explains the three main concepts useful for understanding further argumentations: knowledge, ID, CoP. Next, it offers a framework to put in comparison the two concepts of ID and CoP. In the end, an example of how the applications of tools, coming from the CoP concept, can be useful to formulate some hypotheses on the evolutionary behaviour of IDs is shown.Community of Practice, Industrial District, Knowledge, Learning

Embodied Knowledge Transfer Comparing inter-firm labor mobility in the music industry and manufacturing industries

This paper adds new knowledge to the phenomenon of transferring embodied knowledge through labor mobility by means of a comparative study of the entertainment and manufacturing industries. Explorative in nature, the paper takes advantage of unique data on the Danish labor market (i.e. IDA) to investigate labor mobility patterns for the two selected industries and to detect internal differences within industry segments and regarding creative intensive and invention activities in particular. We use the music industry as a proxy for the entertainment industries.Embodied knowledge transfers, labor market dynamics, inter-firm mobility, creative intensive and invention activities, entertainment industries, manufacturing industries

Mapping the emergence of a new organisational form: An exploration of the intellectual structure of the B Corp research

This paper explores the emergence of B Corp as a new research field through a bibliometric analysis of the B Corp literature, based on a database of 142 documents collected by Scopus and published between 2009 and 2020. This emergent field is an important component of the structural change occurring in our society, which, in recent years, has seen the emergence of new for-profit organisational forms with a strong social consciousness. The bibliometric analysis reveals the foundational works and the historical evolution of the research field, pinpointing the connections between similar concepts in the literature on sustainable enterprises, such as B Corp, hybrid organisation, benefit corporation, and corporate social responsibility. Through a social network analysis, we sustain a relational view of B Corp research, and propose a taxonomy of concepts and terminology, which shows that the concept of B Corp defines an emergent organisational form

The birth and the rise of the cluster concept: an evolutionary approach

The cluster concept has become an increasingly popular topic for researchers and policy makers. Although this concept is not new, its importance increased during the last decades. Following some authors, the persistence of the cluster concept, as well as its diffusion across different contexts and scientific fields, is a result of its fuzziness. The absence of a unique definition of cluster, as well as a unique methodology for “measuring†clusters favor its loose application to a wide variety of contexts (from economics to management, to economic geography, innovation studies and so forth). The paper aims at identifying the evolutionary pattern of the cluster concept, from the emergence, to the growth and the potential future development. The theoretical discussion is empirically supported by a bibliographic analysis based on statistical and social network analysis tools. The point of departure is an original database, consisting of 5332 academic articles about industrial clusters or industrial districts that have been published from 1989 to 2010 in international scientific journals (ISI Web of Science). We first identified the masterpieces of the cluster concept, selecting the most cited articles, second we performed a backward and forward citation analysis, in order to get information on the roots and the future development of the concept. The results shed light on the milestones in cluster literature as well as on its possible developments. The backward analysis emphasizes the multidisciplinary ground of the concept, which emerges in the realm of the agglomeration economy and local competitive advantage studies and spans over innovation and internationalization studies. The forward analysis highlights the new dimensions of the cluster concept, which give particular emphasis on the emergent literature on culture and creativity studies, as well as on the open innovation paradigm.

Exaptive innovation in constraint-based environments: lessons from COVID-19 crisis

Purpose – This paper explores how exaptive innovation process might be considered a useful innovation model in constraint-based environments. Through an in-depth case study, it illustrates clearly the antecedents of exaptation processes, which are particularly relevant in rapidly changing environments requiring new solutions under time and resource constraints. Design/methodology/approach – The authors adopt a single case study approach that is particularly suitable in case of an inductive research design, which is required because of the novelty of the topic. The research is inspired by the use of the snorkeling mask EASYBREATH, commercialized by the giant Decathlon, as a medical device, a respirator to treat patients affected by coronavirus in Italy. The authors organized the evidence according to a novel taxonomy grounded in the literature. Findings – The case study stimulates reflections on the existence of some antecedents to the exaptive innovation process in constraint-based environments: (1) the availability of specific actors in the innovation process; (2) the creation of platforms of interaction between people with different competences, nurtured by collective bottom-up financing systems; (3) the role of the community of makers, in particular, and of the 4th industrial revolution, in general, for creating enabling technologies; (4) multidisciplinary individual background of key actors in the innovation process is crucial to ensure the exaptive path to be in place. Research limitations/implications – This work has some limitations, due to the choice of limiting the analysis to a single case, nevertheless, it offers a first glance on a new technological trajectory available in constraint-based environments. Originality/value – The case study results underline the importance of new digital collaboration platforms as knowledge multipliers, and illuminate on the potential of the fourth manufacturing revolution, which, through new technologies, creates opportunities for distributed forms of innovation that cross long distances

Relazioni Università-Imprese-Territorio (UI): quali criticità?

In this paper we explore the main critical issues of the university firms’ collaborations through in-depth interviews with 12 “excellent” firms founded by former students of the University of Padua. From the results it emerges that the university can give an overview, to develop critical thinking, but in the case of joint projects there is a misalignment between timing and object of analysis between UIs collaboration, which leads either to the failure to form the partnership, in the case where this misalignment emerges from the definition phase, or the development of unsuccessful partnerships, in the case where this occurs in later stages. Businesses need to be more involved in the university fabric, and internships and placements cannot be considered the only link between UIs. Personal contacts should be more structured, and in this case a crucial role can be played by the association Alumni and Unismart - the University of Padua Foundation established to promote Technology Transfer and Post-graduate Educatio

Comparing inter-firm labor mobility in the music industry and manufacturing industries

This paper adds new knowledge to the phenomenon of transferring embodied knowledge through labor mobility by means of a comparative study of the entertainment and manufacturing industries. Explorative in nature, the paper takes advantage of unique data on the Danish labor market (i.e. IDA) to investigate labor mobility patterns for the two selected industries and to detect internal differences within industry segments and regarding creative intensive and invention activities in particular. We use the music industry as a proxy for the entertainment industries