Dai Senoo, Remy MagnierâWatanabe and MarĂa P. Salmador
The purpose of this paper is to propose propose a practical framework for the design and measure of active ba and assess whether workplace reformation initiatives activelyâŠ
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose propose a practical framework for the design and measure of active ba and assess whether workplace reformation initiatives actively contribute to promoting knowledge creation by activating ba.
Design/methodology/approach
The workplace reformation is first segmented into virtual and physical environments. Then, using the SECI knowledgeâcreation process, the effects of each environment as well as their mutual interactions on active ba are analyzed. Next, the case studies of two workplace reformations are introduced, the first using a qualitative analysis and the second the results of a questionnaire survey carried out at three different stages of the implementation.
Findings
The effective implementation of workplace reformation in two separate entities enabled the creation of active ba. The influence of the physical and virtual environments on the creation of active ba were significantly different, thus justifying the assumption of the division of such environmental factors. The main factor of active ba generated by a complete workplace reformation was shown to be direct communication.
Research limitations/implications
The two firms studied here belong to the same group of companies, and both departments' workplace reformations were conducted by the same person, whose widely known track record may be seen as a selfâfulfilling prophecy.
Practical implications
Because these two types of workplace reformation reversely impact the emergence of direct communication, and therefore the type of active ba, practitioners could avoid the coâexistence of groups organized under different configurations by simultaneously implementing a workplace reformation across both virtual and physical environments.
Originality/value
This research shows how workplace reformation â achieved with the same people, all things being equal, relatively immediately and inexpensively â can raise knowledge productivity.
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MarĂa P. Salmador SĂĄnchez and M. Ăngeles Palacios
The purpose of this paper is to study how managers in manufacturing firms approach the challenge of knowledge management in their organizations.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study how managers in manufacturing firms approach the challenge of knowledge management in their organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
The research methodology is an inâdepth case study. The empirical data were collected from an international oil and gas manufacturing company operating in more than 30 countries and leader in Spain and Argentina. The purest form of a longitudinal field study, daily participant observation, was feasible as one of the authors is an executive at the firm studied.
Findings
Based on the field investigation, the paper presents the process followed to build a knowledge vision in the company, the first stages of the initiative, the development of new projects, and the lessons learned resulting in the creation of a knowledge management unit, a working model, a strategy, and a set of different projects that were on the basis of the competitive advantage of the organization.
Research limitations/implications
The perspective proposed in this research should be viewed with some caution, because of the methodological limitations of the present study as the paper drew on detailed descriptions of one organization. The extent to which the local explanation presented develops into a more general framework depends on how well it, or its descendants, explains the âphenomenaâ in future work.
Practical implications
Analyzing knowledge management initiatives in manufacturing companies becomes of major interest as it is relevant to further explore how this initiative can help optimize production processes and integrate operational requirements with enterpriseâlevel decisionâmaking processes as well as it adding value to customers in the industry at various stages of the value chain such as exploration, inâbound logistics, technological operations and outâbound logistics.
Originality/value
The paper is practical in nature and reports on the managerial applications and experiential implications of the matter of study. The research shows the main findings and discusses the main implications as well as future lines of research.
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Eduardo Bueno, MarĂa P. Salmador, Ăscar RodrĂguez and Gregorio MartĂn De Castro
The aim of the present paper is to shed new light on the interactions among capitals in a model of measurement and management of intellectual capital using the theoretical lens ofâŠ
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the present paper is to shed new light on the interactions among capitals in a model of measurement and management of intellectual capital using the theoretical lens of complexity theory. In particular, attempts to contribute to the exploration of the power of biological metaphors in the study of intellectual capital.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology adopted in the present paper is case study research. Cases are especially suitable to answering âhowâ and âwhyâ questions and are wellâsuited to generating and building theory in an area where little data or theory exists. Presents the case study of Caja Madrid, a Spanish savings bank in Spain.
Findings
A new framework of analysis is proposed that may help organizations to better picture and understand dynamics of interaction between capitals and elements by defining relationships which explain the creation of wealth through intangibles.
Originality/value
Suggests that complexity theory has the potential to shed new light on the study of intellectual capital in organizations.
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MarĂa P. Salmador and Eduardo Bueno
We blend knowledge creation and complexity perspectives in a model of strategy-making that explains how top managers in organizations that are reinventing their industries inâŠ
Abstract
We blend knowledge creation and complexity perspectives in a model of strategy-making that explains how top managers in organizations that are reinventing their industries in high-velocity environments conceptualize the strategy-formation process. The model is grounded in four in-depth case studies of Internet banks that are part of different established financial groups in Spain. The main findings suggest that strategy-making seems to emerge out of the interplay of the following interrelated constructs: action, reflection-on-action, imagination, and simple guiding principles. The study of such constructs from the perspectives of knowledge creation and complexity theory suggests interesting implications. Action and reflection-on-action seem to form a first SECI (SocializationâExternalizationâCombinationâInternalization) spiral of knowledge creation. Out of the interaction of action and reflection-on-action, imagination may emerge when the system has reached a âcritical stateâ. Imagination forms a second SECI spiral of knowledge creation. The interaction between imagination and action on a higher level results from the emergence and application of simple guiding principles, which provide the organization with coherence between what is imagined and what is done, and guide the actions taken throughout the organization with flexible planning. We conclude by proposing that strategy-making may be understood as a complex, double-loop process of knowledge creation.
Ying Liao, Kun Liao and Robert Hutchinson
The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework for prototyping outsourcing.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework for prototyping outsourcing.
Design/methodology/approach
This study provides an upâtoâdate literature review and an inâdepth case study.
Findings
This study identifies three factors (i.e. the degree of the prototyping to core competence, prototyping complexity, and supplier's capability of providing knowledge and speed for prototyping) and three types of risks (i.e. losing control over suppliers, dependency on suppliers, and supplier's lack of capabilities) for prototyping outsourcing decisions.
Practical implications
This paper provides guidelines for new product development managers in order to mitigate the risks associated with outsourcing and achieve effective prototyping.
Originality/value
This study provides a strategic outsourcing framework for prototyping.
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Mu Tian, Ping Deng, Yingying Zhang and Maria Paz Salmador
The purpose of this paper is to conduct a systematic literature review of the studies that have analyzed the impact of culture on innovation.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to conduct a systematic literature review of the studies that have analyzed the impact of culture on innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors carried out a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed articles in the past 37 years (January 1980-January 2017). Based on a total of 61 identified primary studies, the authors developed two clusters of culture definition studied in relation to innovation, including organizational culture and national culture.
Findings
After reporting the findings of the systematic literature review, the authors discuss how a variety of culturally related factors combine to facilitate or restrict innovation performance in their corresponding cluster. The findings highlight the complex and idiosyncratic relationship between culture and innovation. Future research lines are recommended.
Research limitations/implications
The authors adopt a systematic literature review method to probe into existing literature, inevitably missing some empirical studies. Implications for future research are suggested.
Practical implications
The paper offers interesting implications for managers and academia. For business practitioners, this study can provide a useful reference regarding the role of cultures in the corporate internal management or international operations; for scholars, the study can provide a current research landscape and development process in this field.
Originality/value
The findings are derived from a systematic literature review that has studied the influence of culture on innovation. In addition, implications and insights as to where future research might be usefully inquired in this field are provided.
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MarĂa Paz Salmador and Eduardo Bueno
This paper seeks to discuss the main implications for strategic knowledge management of uncovering the different knowledge flows and interactions in the strategy formation processâŠ
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to discuss the main implications for strategic knowledge management of uncovering the different knowledge flows and interactions in the strategy formation process in emerging and highâvelocity environments.
Design/methodology/approach
The study builds on the findings of a caseâstudy approach of four innovative firms in the internet banking sector in Spain.
Findings
The research highlights the relevance of understanding and considering the different dimensions of knowledge involved in such a process in order to promote its emergence and interaction in the organization, and trigger the creation process.
Originality/value
In sum, the paper addresses the main theoretical and practical implications of understanding strategy making as a doubleâloop knowledge creating process.