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Article
Publication date: 1 May 2002

Simon Rodan

Innovation, particularly in a dynamic environment, is crucial to a firm’s competitiveness. We test the hypothesis that managers’ performance, particularly their innovativeness, is…

1911

Abstract

Innovation, particularly in a dynamic environment, is crucial to a firm’s competitiveness. We test the hypothesis that managers’ performance, particularly their innovativeness, is related to the diversity of knowledge to which they are exposed in their interactions with colleagues. In a study of 106 managers in a high technology company, we find their performance benefits from increasing diversity of knowledge among their contacts. However, the effect of knowledge heterogeneity depends on the presence of sparse local networks. The joint influence of heterogeneity and sparse network structure is stronger for managerial innovation than for a more general measure of managerial performance. This suggests that the link between knowledge heterogeneity and performance relies on a process of knowledge synthesis involved in the generation of new ideas, with sparse networks affording managers the local autonomy needed for their development and implementation.

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Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 6 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

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Article
Publication date: 14 November 2016

Fu-Sheng Tsai

Building on knowledge-based view and demographic diversity theory, the purpose of this paper is to re-conceptualize knowledge heterogeneity (KH) (i.e. diversity in individual or…

1043

Abstract

Purpose

Building on knowledge-based view and demographic diversity theory, the purpose of this paper is to re-conceptualize knowledge heterogeneity (KH) (i.e. diversity in individual or organizational knowledge) and to explore a broader set of relationships between KH and the multidimensional (i.e. dynamics and ambidexterity) innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

Case studies of organizational KH and innovation ambidexterity were conducted in four representative companies with variated characteristics. Similarities in the heterogeneity-innovation relationships were identified across four very different types of companies, providing a good exploratory base for future large-scale empirical studies.

Findings

Grounding on locus-of-knowing and timing-of-knowing dimensions, this paper utilizes an inductive approach that analyzes qualitative materials to construct the essential meanings of intraorganizational KH, and to explore the influences KH brings onto the ambidextrous innovation. A four-category typology of KH is emerged. Overall, KH is categorized into four distinctive but inter-related forms: individual professional backgrounds, collective profession backgrounds, individual evolving knowledge portfolio, and collective evolving knowledge portfolio.

Research limitations/implications

Building on such typology, this paper discusses propositions for the differentiated influences of different forms of KH on dynamic and ambidextrous innovations.

Originality/value

Whereas individual knowledge benefits independent creativity, complex collective knowledge is more critical for organizational innovation. While research has placed more emphasis on the effects of knowledge accumulation or flow, it neglects the knowledge profile and structure for innovation. The present study explores the effect of heterogeneous knowledge structure on dynamic and ambidextrous innovation.

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Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 29 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

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Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 July 2023

Tuire Hautala-Kankaanpää

Scholars and practitioners increasingly recognize data as an important source of business opportunities, but research on the effect on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is…

1564

Abstract

Purpose

Scholars and practitioners increasingly recognize data as an important source of business opportunities, but research on the effect on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is limited. This paper empirically examines the complementary impact of SMEs' data capability and supply chain capability (SCC) and further tests the mediation effect of SCC between data capability and operational performance. The mediated effect of data capability is also moderated by competition.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper analyzes longitudinal data collected from 122 manufacturing SMEs in Finland. Hypotheses were tested by using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

The results show that to benefit from the data capability, SMEs require a certain level of SCC to extract the value from the SMEs' data capability and support operational performance. Additionally, competition affects how SMEs benefit from data capability, as competitor turbulence moderates the complementary effect of data capability and SCC on operational performance.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies examining the longitudinal effect of SMEs' data and SCC on operational performance in the current competitive environment.

Details

Industrial Management & Data Systems, vol. 123 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-5577

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Book part
Publication date: 2 October 2023

Roger J. Sandilands

This paper introduces a hitherto unpublished 1970 paper written by Lauchlin Currie (1902–1993) on Paul Rosenstein Rodan’s famous 1943 paper on the “Big Push” which led to the…

Abstract

This paper introduces a hitherto unpublished 1970 paper written by Lauchlin Currie (1902–1993) on Paul Rosenstein Rodan’s famous 1943 paper on the “Big Push” which led to the balanced-unbalanced growth debate to which Albert Hirschman (1915–2012) was an important contributor. Both Currie and Hirschman had been key economic advisers to the Colombian government, and their respective views on development planning are contrasted. In particular, it is shown how Currie’s 1970 paper illuminates the theory behind the 1971–1974 national plan for Colombia that he prepared and helped deliver; and how the related institutional innovations have had an enduring impact on Colombia’s recent economic history.

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Research in the History of Economic Thought and Methodology: Including a Selection of Papers Presented at the First History of Economics Diversity Caucus Conference
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80455-982-6

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Book part
Publication date: 30 October 2020

Andrew Farrant

This chapter explores a number of relatively unknown aspects of the controversy over Milton Friedman’s March 1975 visit to Chile through the analytical framework provided by James…

Abstract

This chapter explores a number of relatively unknown aspects of the controversy over Milton Friedman’s March 1975 visit to Chile through the analytical framework provided by James M. Buchanan’s late 1950s assessment of the economist-physician analogy. The chapter draws upon a range of archival and neglected primary sources to show that the topics which generally rear their head in any contemporary discussion of Friedman’s visit to Chile – for example, whether it is appropriate to provide policy advice to a dictator – were aired in a largely private mid-1970s exchange between Friedman and a number of professional associates. In particular, the controversy over Friedman and Chile began several months before Friedman arrived in Santiago.

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Research in the History of Economic Thought and Methodology: Including a Symposium on Sir James Steuart: The Political Economy of Money and Trade
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83867-707-7

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Book part
Publication date: 7 May 2019

Mauro Boianovsky

This article provides a detailed investigation of how Lewis revisited classical and Marxian concepts such as productive/unproductive labor, economic surplus, subsistence wages…

Abstract

This article provides a detailed investigation of how Lewis revisited classical and Marxian concepts such as productive/unproductive labor, economic surplus, subsistence wages, reserve army, and capital accumulation in his investigation of economic development. The Lewis 1954 development model is compared to other models advanced at the time by Harrod, Domar, Swan, Kaldor, Solow, von Neumann, Nurkse, Rosenstein-Rodan, Myint, and others. Lewis applied the notion of economic duality to open and closed economies.

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Including A Symposium on 50 Years of the Union for Radical Political Economics
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78769-849-9

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Article
Publication date: 1 March 1985

Tomas Riha

Nobody concerned with political economy can neglect the history of economic doctrines. Structural changes in the economy and society influence economic thinking and, conversely…

2713

Abstract

Nobody concerned with political economy can neglect the history of economic doctrines. Structural changes in the economy and society influence economic thinking and, conversely, innovative thought structures and attitudes have almost always forced economic institutions and modes of behaviour to adjust. We learn from the history of economic doctrines how a particular theory emerged and whether, and in which environment, it could take root. We can see how a school evolves out of a common methodological perception and similar techniques of analysis, and how it has to establish itself. The interaction between unresolved problems on the one hand, and the search for better solutions or explanations on the other, leads to a change in paradigma and to the formation of new lines of reasoning. As long as the real world is subject to progress and change scientific search for explanation must out of necessity continue.

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International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 12 no. 3/4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

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Book part
Publication date: 18 November 2020

Danielle Watson, Ariel Yap, Nathan W. Pino and Jarrett Blaustein

Despite a global consensus that rule of law is desirable, there are important debates about what this entails and how it can be achieved or supported in developing and…

Abstract

Despite a global consensus that rule of law is desirable, there are important debates about what this entails and how it can be achieved or supported in developing and transitional countries of the Global South. Accordingly, this chapter considers the importance and contextual suitability of rule of law as a building block for ‘peaceful and inclusive societies’ in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). We begin by examining key definitional debates and consider the challenges inherent to monitoring progress towards SDG target 16.3 which seeks to ‘promote the rule of law at the national and international levels, and ensure equal access to justice for all’. We proceed to illustrate some of these definitional and methodological limitations by considering how favourable rankings of model Western democracies mask rule of law deficits that relate to access to justice and the protection of human rights for marginalised populations. This critique highlights an important point that is repeatedly emphasised throughout the rule of law literature: rule of law is not an end state but rather an ideal that all countries must continuously work to realise and sustain. The remainder of the chapter considers the challenges of promoting a Western rule of law agenda in a failed and titular democracy (the Solomon Islands) and a peaceful and prosperous country (Singapore) which adheres to a ‘thin’ definition of the rule of law that does not conform with liberal ideals.

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The Emerald Handbook of Crime, Justice and Sustainable Development
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78769-355-5

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Book part
Publication date: 1 March 2021

Mauro Boianovsky

Paul Samuelson was attracted to the irregular economic development pattern of some South American countries because of the links between economic performance and political

Abstract

Paul Samuelson was attracted to the irregular economic development pattern of some South American countries because of the links between economic performance and political factors. He discussed the influence of “populist democracy” on Argentina’s relative economic stagnation, which, he argued in the 1970s and early 1980s, served as a dangerous paradigm for the American economy under stagflation. Stagflation phenomena marked the end of Samuelson’s “neoclassical synthesis.” Moreover, he applied his concept of “capitalist fascism” to deal with military dictatorships in Brazil and (especially) in Chile. The Brazilian translation of his Economics in 1973 brought about a correspondence with Brazilian economists about the “fascist” features of the regime. The main variable behind the South American economic and politically unstable processes discussed by Samuelson was economic inequality, which became also a conspicuous feature of the American economy since the adoption of market-based policies in the 1980s and after.

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Research in the History of Economic Thought and Methodology: Including a Selection of Papers Presented at the 2019 ALAHPE Conference
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80071-140-2

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Book part
Publication date: 20 October 2015

Michael Preece

This research explores perceptions of knowledge management processes held by managers and employees in a service industry. To date, empirical research on knowledge management in…

Abstract

This research explores perceptions of knowledge management processes held by managers and employees in a service industry. To date, empirical research on knowledge management in the service industry is sparse. This research seeks to examine absorptive capacity and its four capabilities of acquisition, assimilation, transformation and exploitation and their impact on effective knowledge management. All of these capabilities are strategies that enable external knowledge to be recognized, imported and integrated into, and further developed within the organization effectively. The research tests the relationships between absorptive capacity and effective knowledge management through analysis of quantitative data (n = 549) drawn from managers and employees in 35 residential aged care organizations in Western Australia. Responses were analysed using Partial Least Square-based Structural Equation Modelling. Additional analysis was conducted to assess if the job role (of manager or employee) and three industry context variables of profit motive, size of business and length of time the organization has been in business, impacted on the hypothesized relationships.

Structural model analysis examines the relationships between variables as hypothesized in the research framework. Analysis found that absorptive capacity and the four capabilities correlated significantly with effective knowledge management, with absorptive capacity explaining 56% of the total variability for effective knowledge management. Findings from this research also show that absorptive capacity and the four capabilities provide a useful framework for examining knowledge management in the service industry. Additionally, there were no significant differences in the perceptions held between managers and employees, nor between respondents in for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Furthermore, the size of the organization and length of time the organization has been in business did not impact on absorptive capacity, the four capabilities and effective knowledge management.

The research considers implications for business in light of these findings. The role of managers in providing leadership across the knowledge management process was confirmed, as well as the importance of guiding routines and knowledge sharing throughout the organization. Further, the results indicate that within the participating organizations there are discernible differences in the way that some organizations manage their knowledge, compared to others. To achieve effective knowledge management, managers need to provide a supportive workplace culture, facilitate strong employee relationships, encourage employees to seek out new knowledge, continually engage in two-way communication with employees and provide up-to-date policies and procedures that guide employees in doing their work. The implementation of knowledge management strategies has also been shown in this research to enhance the delivery and quality of residential aged care.

Details

Sustaining Competitive Advantage Via Business Intelligence, Knowledge Management, and System Dynamics
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78560-707-3

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