Refine
Document Type
- Working Paper (6)
- Doctoral Thesis (2)
Has Fulltext
- yes (8)
Is part of the Bibliography
- no (8)
Keywords
- Wissensmanagement (8) (show_all)
Institute
- Chair of Technology and Innovation Management (3)
- Chair in Entrepreneurship and New Business Development (1)
- Chair of Corporate Strategy and Governance (1)
- Chair of Leadership and Human Resource Management (1)
- Chair of Organization Theory (1)
- Lehrstuhl für Wirtschaftsinformatik und Informationsmanagement (1)
Companies may not only apply their knowiedge assets intemally, i.e. in own products and/or Services, they may also exploit the knowiedge assets extemally, i.e. commercialize them in disembodied form. While the extemal acquisition of knowiedge in general and the concept of absorptive capacity in particular have received great attention by researchers, the extemal exploitation of knowiedge has long been neglected despite its increasing importance in practice. To bridge the resulting gaps in prior research, the concept of desorptive capacity as a complement to absorptive capacity is proposed by taking a capability-based approach to the extemal knowiedge exploitation. Building on this theoretical concept, measures are developed, and data from a questionnaire-based study in 136 European Companies across industries is used to examine various hypotheses relating potential sources of desorptive capacity to the success of firms in extemally commercializing disembodied knowiedge. Thus, this work also constitutes the first large-scale study that intends to empirically identify success factors of extemally leveraging knowiedge assets. The findings of the study provide strong Support for the desorptive capacity concept, which helps to explain the discrepancies between the very positive view on the extemal knowiedge commercialization in most works in the literature and the considerable difficulties with managing these activities that are often perceived in practice.
Companies may realise all major knowledge management tasks, i.e. knowledge acquisition, accumulation and exploitation, not only internally but also externally. Therefore, we propose the integrate-or-relate decision in knowledge accumulation as a complement to the well-known make-or-buy and keep-or-sell decisions in knowledge acquisition and exploitation. A key factor for taking adequate decisions, for building up appropriate organisational capabilities and for realising a firm’s knowledge potentials are unbiased attitudes to the knowledge management tasks. While past research has focused on the NIH syndrome as a negative attitude to external knowledge acquisition, a more holistic view is adopted in this article by extending prior research on two dimensions. Firstly, we consider all major knowledge management tasks and do not limit our analysis to knowledge acquisition; secondly, we take into account that apart from too negative attitudes also overly positive attitudes to the external realisation of knowledge management tasks may exist. Building on prior research, we identify the following six syndromes: ‘not-invented-here’ vs. ‘buy-in’ in knowledge acquisition, ‘all-stored-here’ vs. ‘relate-out’ in knowledge accumulation and ‘only-use-here’ vs. ‘sell-out’ in knowledge exploitation. After briefly reviewing research into NIH and developing a knowledge management framework, the syndromes are defined, and possible antecedents, consequences and managerial actions are described.
Companies increasingly make use of the external knowledge exploitation, i.e. the commercialization of disembodied knowledge, although they often perceive considerable difficulties in managing the external commercialization tasks. These difficulties are partly due to the imperfections of the markets for knowledge, which, however, may be mastered by an adequate management as the examples of various well-known companies show. In combination, these facts point to the need of research into the external exploitation of knowledge. A thorough analysis of past research confirms this need and shows that the existing literature is highly fragmented. By integrating the main findings of the different research streams, we establish a detailed overview on the literature on external knowledge exploitation. The key characteristics and the main forms of externally commercializing knowledge are presented. Then, major imperfections in the markets for knowledge are examined, and the increasing importance of the topic in practice as well as primary reasons for this trend are described. Afterwards, major strategic and monetary objectives and the risks of commercializing disembodied knowledge are identified before turning to the management of the external knowledge exploitation, particularly regarding strategies, processes and structures. Apart from reviewing the literature, a research agenda, which describes promising paths for future research, is set up based on past research results and findings from other fields, particularly the internal knowledge exploitation and the external knowledge acquisition.
Desorptive capacity
(2004)
As competition is becoming increasingly knowledge-based, companies do not only have to develop the competence of managing knowledge internally but also need the competence of managing the acquisition and emission of knowledge in order to appropriately leverage its value. Regarding the external acquisition of knowledge, a consistent theoretical framework has been developed with the concept of absorptive capacity probably being the most important construct. In research into absorptive capacity, it is assumed either explicitly or by implication that the knowledge is applied internally. However, companies may also directly commercialize disembodied knowledge which is a growing phenomenon in practice. This trend is especially remarkable against the background of the imperfections of the markets for knowledge, which make such external commercialization of knowledge a difficult task. Accordingly, a company should build up an organizational capability to adequately manage the external knowledge commercialization process. Therefore, we develop the construct of desorptive capacity as a complementary concept to absorptive capacity in the area of external knowledge exploitation. The construct is defined, and it is shown that desorptive capacity is path-dependent. Moreover, it is highlighted how a firm may actively manage its desorptive capacity. Finally, the issue of operationalizing desorptive capacity is addressed, and implications of the theoretical analysis for research and practice are presented.
The purpose of this paper is to determine whether and how e-leaming technologies and e-leaming programs should be used in order to support knowledge management in multinational companies. These questions are important for two reasons. Firstly, so far only a few papers discuss the relationship between knowledge management and e-learning. Secondly, e-leaming initiatives in multinational companies are of limited success. The paper relates requirements of different types of knowledge with the characteristics of e-leaming technologies and e-leaming programs. Based on this, the paper shows how multinational companies should use e-leaming technologies and e-leaming programs. Different roles of corporate headquarters are discussed in this context.
Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich damit, wie die Wissensnutzung in verteilten Teams gefördert werden kann. Wissen ist heutzutage eine der wichtigsten Ressourcen, über die Unternehmen verfügen und die ihnen entscheidende Wettbewerbsvorteile liefern kann. Viele Unternehmen sind heute multinationale Organisationen mit Standorten auf verschiedenen Kontinenten. Um das Wissen der Mitarbeiter1dieser verschiedenen Standorte zu nutzen, arbeiten Teams standortübergreifend in sogenannten virtuellen oder verteilten Teams zusammen.
Aufgrund der Verteiltheit der Teams ergeben sich Herausforderungen für die Zusammenarbeit der Mitglieder. Klassische Führungsansätze erweisen sich aufgrund der räumlichen und zeitlichen Distanz als wenig geeignet in einem solchen Kontext. Das Konzept der geteilten Führung, also die Übernahme von Führungsverantwortung durch die Teammitglieder selbst, hilft, das in einem Team vorhandene Wissen effektiv zum Einsatz zu bringen.
Verteilte Teams greifen zur Kommunikation auf verschiedene Medien zurück, die einen unterschiedlichen Grad an Reichhaltigkeit bereitstellen. Dabei besteht einerseits ein Zusammenhang zwischen der Wahl der Kommunikationsmedien und dem Grad an geteilter Führung in einem Team, andererseits kann die Verwendung reichhaltiger Kommunikationsmedien die Wissensnutzung in einem Team fördern. Die Wahl der Kommunikationsmedien kann durch das Definieren von Kommunikationsnormen beeinflusst werden. Auch auf die Effektivität der Wissensnutzung hat das Aufstellen von Regeln zur Kommunikation und Information innerhalb eines Teams positive Auswirkungen.
Häufig spielen kulturelle Unterschiede bei der Betrachtung von verteilten Teams eine Rolle, da die Teams aufgrund der standortübergreifenden Zusammenarbeit auch Länder- und Kulturgrenzen überschreiten. Dabei spielen die kulturellen Orientierungen der Teammitglieder eine Rolle, die kulturelle Heterogenität und die kulturellen Unterschiede zwischen den Mitgliedern. Alle Faktoren können einen Einfluss auf das Auftreten von geteilter Führung in einem verteilten Team haben.
Für die Studie, die dieser Arbeit zugrunde liegt, wurden die Mitglieder und Leiter von 96 Innovationsteams aus 36 Unternehmen – vornehmlich aus der Softwarebranche – befragt. Insgesamt beantworteten 426 Teammitglieder und –leiter die Fragebögen zu den Themen Führung und Zusammenarbeit in ihren Teams.
Diese Arbeit zeigt, welche Einflüsse die unterschiedlichen Konzeptualisierungen von Kultur sowie verschiedene kulturelle Orientierungen auf das Auftreten von geteilter Führung in einem Team haben. Darüber hinaus wird der Zusammenhang zwischen der Reichhaltigkeit der Kommunikation in einem Team und dem Prozess der geteilten Führung, der Definition von Kommunikationsnormen und der Nutzung des vorhandenen Wissens untersucht. Die Wichtigkeit von geteilter Führung und Kommunikationsnormen für einen funktionierenden Informationsaustausch und die Entwicklung von Metawissen wird durch die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit unterstrichen.