Regional development was the main goal when Norway applied for the Winter Olympics in the 1980'ies. The intention was to use the Games as a strong impulse to a stagnating region…
Abstract
Regional development was the main goal when Norway applied for the Winter Olympics in the 1980'ies. The intention was to use the Games as a strong impulse to a stagnating region, starting a dynamic development process and creating an international tourism destination in the southeast parts of the country. When the International Olympic Committee chose Lillehammer to be the host of the 1994 Games, expectations became high and several scientists predicted strong growth of tourist not only in the host town, but on regional and national level, too. Later on Parliament decided to strengthen this regional development process even further by locate the new national airport in the interior part of Eastern Norway.
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Anders Richtnér and Jon Rognes
This paper aims to highlight that there are different levels of analysis and that there are different types of influence on the choice of R&D location and organization…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to highlight that there are different levels of analysis and that there are different types of influence on the choice of R&D location and organization. Specifically, the purpose of the paper is to identify geographically dispersing and contracting forces on R&D activities, which helps bring together these two theoretical fields.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study approach is chosen, as data are obtained from multiple levels and perspectives. Through theoretical sampling, 47 cases were identified, and 14 selected to be included in the study. The main source of information was semi‐structured interviews.
Findings
Four dispersing and contracting forces were identified as being the most influential on the choice of a company's R&D location. The four forces each have different implications at different levels of analysis (strategic, organizational and project levels) and lead to different geographical results concerning a company's R&D location.
Research limitations/implications
The paper is based on a limited sample.
Practical implications
R&D organization and localization are an area with different consequences, depending on which organizational level is involved and the perspective taken.
Originality/value
The paper brings together two schools of thought (globalization literature and communication theory) and, by doing so, improves the understanding of a complex phenomenon and reduces the risk of drawing faulty conclusions.
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Globalisation is generally defined as the “denationalisation of clusters of political, economic, and social activities” that destabilize the ability of the sovereign State to…
Abstract
Globalisation is generally defined as the “denationalisation of clusters of political, economic, and social activities” that destabilize the ability of the sovereign State to control activities on its territory, due to the rising need to find solutions for universal problems, like the pollution of the environment, on an international level. Globalisation is a complex, forceful legal and social process that take place within an integrated whole with out regard to geographical boundaries. Globalisation thus differs from international activities, which arise between and among States, and it differs from multinational activities that occur in more than one nation‐State. This does not mean that countries are not involved in the sociolegal dynamics that those transboundary process trigger. In a sense, the movements triggered by global processes promote greater economic interdependence among countries. Globalisation can be traced back to the depression preceding World War II and globalisation at that time included spreading of the capitalist economic system as a means of getting access to extended markets. The first step was to create sufficient export surplus to maintain full employment in the capitalist world and secondly establishing a globalized economy where the planet would be united in peace and wealth. The idea of interdependence among quite separate and distinct countries is a very important part of talks on globalisation and a significant side of today’s global political economy.
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Suchul Lee, Yong Seog Kim and Euiho Suh
This paper aims to provide organizational knowledge management teams with a new metric, the bottleneck impact score (BIS), a valuable tool for evaluating the structural health of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide organizational knowledge management teams with a new metric, the bottleneck impact score (BIS), a valuable tool for evaluating the structural health of communities of practice (CoPs), by detecting the seriousness and pervasiveness of the bottlenecks occurring in knowledge-sharing activities among CoP members.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses the social network analysis method to analyze the activities of organizational members in CoPs and classify organizational members into four types based on their degree of involvement in knowledge creation and consumption. CoPs are also categorized into four types based on the proportion of member types they contain to identify the characteristics of CoP member types and of CoP types.
Findings
Data analysis of the knowledge-sharing activities of 4,414 members from 59 CoPs within one of the largest steel manufacturing companies finds that few CoPs are active in both knowledge creating and consuming and that most CoPs suffer from the insufficient participation of their most experienced employees and experts and hence are vulnerable to master–apprentice and knowledge drain risks.
Originality/value
The proposed BIS metric successfully quantifies the seriousness and pervasiveness of such structural risks and thus can help management teams take preventive action to reduce the identified structural risks.
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The purpose of this paper is to propose that a form of communities of practice (CoP), a community of innovation (CoInv), is the best support for sustainable innovation. It aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose that a form of communities of practice (CoP), a community of innovation (CoInv), is the best support for sustainable innovation. It aims to outline a method for identifying champions of innovation in organisation.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on extant research to argue that innovation is facilitated and supported by innovation champions, who have most influence outside traditional organisational structures when they are members of a close‐knit community – a CoInv. A potential method for identification of champions of innovation is highlighted.
Findings
Innovation champions are special people, with particular personality types and psychological profiles. In order to succeed in championing innovations in organisations they need both procedural and resource support, and social and cognitive support. The influence of innovation champions comes through social contacts, multiplied through the communities in which they participate, through the genuine esteem in which they are held. Developing CoInv around such champions makes practical sense for organisations.
Originality/value
Identifying champions of innovation will permit a CoInv to form that links social networks and transcends organisational internal boundaries and forming such a community will potentially trigger more successfully supported innovations.