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After identifying two kinds of internal knowledge transfer strategies, the purpose of this paper is to examine their effectiveness and whether they induce knowledge spillovers among firms.

This study collected data in China and 219 questionnaires were achieved. Then, structure equation model by LISREL was used for hypotheses testing.

The empirical results suggest that both codification and rich‐media strategies have positive effects on internal knowledge transfer. Moreover, codification strategy has a negative effect on knowledge spillovers while rich‐media strategy does not influence knowledge spillovers significantly. Thus, codification and rich‐media strategies are not double‐edged swords.

This study provides firms with two strategies, codification and rich‐media, to promote internal knowledge transfer. Moreover, these strategies do not accelerate knowledge spillovers, and codification strategy even reduces knowledge spillovers. Firms can use these strategies to construct and sustain competitive advantages.

While many knowledge creation, storage and protection strategies are studied, little is known about internal knowledge transfer strategies. This study suggests two internal knowledge transfer strategies and confirms their effectiveness. Moreover, because the relationship between internal knowledge transfer strategies and knowledge spillovers has been puzzling for a long time, this study clarifies the relationship and finds that these strategies do not accelerate knowledge spillovers and some even restrain knowledge spillovers.

This study aims to discover the influence of researcher competence on University-Industry collaboration via researcher’s domain knowledge.

Quantitative data were collected via survey questionnaire by using purposive sampling technique from a total of 121 academicians from all five research universities in Malaysia. PLS-SEM is used to examine multiple structural relationships between the researcher competence, domain knowledge transfers and spillovers and university-industry collaboration.

Researcher’s competence serves as a success booster to initiate the collaborative endeavour, and the University-Industry collaboration is found to be substantially influenced by the domain knowledge transfers and spillovers.

The size of the sample in this study was however constrained by the characteristics and background of the targeted pool of respondents to be generalised to the population of all universities in Malaysia.

Researcher competence is found to be significant drive to the University-Industry collaboration formation through the development and deployment of domain knowledge transfers and spillovers. Thus, it requires the desire and need for continuous competence development for researchers, and a step change is called for individual principal investigators about extending their leadership across the field of studies and appearing as critical business partners in the University-Industry collaboration.

The paper contributes to the literature by empirically investigating the influence of researcher competence on the University-Industry collaboration via researcher’s domain knowledge. It attempts to show the researcher’s ability to leverage their competencies in increasing the collaborative endeavour in making out business opportunities, which will eventually influence the public university’s sustainability development. In addition, it proves the importance of researcher’s competence and domain knowledge within the entrepreneurial activities, which serves as the significant drivers to ensure successful University-Industry collaboration.

With shortening product life cycles and an increasing number of product variants, manufacturing firms perform more production ramp-ups. In this context, learning is crucially important to quickly achieve high production process quality and stability. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Through a laboratory experiment, this study analyzes spillover learning between consecutive ramp-ups and how this phenomenon is influenced by tacit knowledge transfer through observation and imitation.

The results prove the existence of spillover learning between consecutive ramp-ups. Moreover, they provide evidence how tacit knowledge transfer through observation and imitation enhances learning of new tasks in consecutive production ramp-ups.

Future research could focus on the specific psychological processes driving tacit knowledge transfer and spillover learning, a topic which is only touched upon in this paper.

The findings show that manufacturing firms should not only aim at reaching a steep learning curve during a single production ramp-up, but should also take into account the effects of spillover learning with regard to future production ramp-ups. Furthermore, the paper provides novel insights concerning the allocation of workers to production tasks with regard to previous experience when introducing new personnel and during ramp-up phases.

Previous evidence on the existence and characteristics of spillover learning in production ramp-up situations is not conclusive. This paper provides new and unambiguous insights by considering different organizational settings.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how China’s manufacturers catch up with the forerunners through R&D cooperation by developing a new mode of latecomer–forerunner R&D cooperation, i.e. the periphery–core mode, which provides a viable way for China’s manufacturers to obtain forerunners’ core knowledge from their periphery knowledge via knowledge spillover and knowledge transfer.

The paper first reviews the literature on R&D cooperation process in the catching-up context and knowledge management in R&D cooperation. Then, three cases of R&D cooperation between China’s advanced technology manufacturers and their forerunners are introduced, with emphasis on interactivities in R&D cooperation and knowledge spillover. On the basis of the multi-case study, the periphery–core mode of R&D cooperation between latecomers and forerunners is conducted.

The paper finds that the latecomers can catch up with their forerunners by acquiring forerunners’ core technology used in periphery R&D activities. Through formal and informal interactions, the forerunners’ core technology can be extracted and transferred to latecomers, which the latecomers can then absorb and further develop. Thus, it can be concluded that the periphery–core mode of R&D cooperation is a viable way for the latecomers to get access to forerunners’ core technology.

The paper contributes to the literature on the catching-up theory by developing the periphery–core mode as a new mode for the latecomers to catch up with the forerunners. It expands the understanding of the latecomer–forerunner R&D cooperation by focusing on the way that China’s manufacturers as latecomers catch up with the forerunners by accessing the forerunners’ core knowledge from their R&D cooperation in periphery knowledge. The paper shows the mechanism of knowledge transfer and spillover in R&D cooperation. The role of communications, especially informal communication between cooperation partners, is emphasized in this process. This study also provides a new perspective for cooperation partner selection by arguing that latecomers can choose their cooperation partners according to the periphery and core knowledge they possess, other than the relationship between them. Besides, this paper emphasizes the mutual support between knowledge transfer, knowledge spillover and knowledge absorption, which is necessary for latecomers to achieve successful catching up in periphery–core R&D cooperation.

This paper aims to investigate the impact of knowledge spillover effects (KSE) on employment levels using a sample of 245 Italian Innovative startup companies created as a result of the legislative changes of Law Decree 179/12 introduced in Italy in 2012.

This study uses a parsimonious model with the employment level as the dependent variable. The paper tests for the impact that the measures of industry competition, specialization and diversity have on the level of employment in the Innovative Startup sector in Italy. The data uses a sample of 245 firms, across 20 geographic regions in Italy for three economic sectors at the 2-Dig NAICS classification.

The empirical results provide evidence in favor of regional specialization as the main force to create and transfer knowledge resulting in increased employment; while higher levels of competition and a more diverse regional production bases result in lower firm employment levels. Employment levels for these firms are also time-dependent, and thus mainly determined at the time of the firm’s creation. This study also found a lack of technological convergence across regions, that are inherent regional differences are not bridged by knowledge spillover effects.

This paper is based on a sample of Italian Innovative Startups and consequently, further research with a potentially larger sample and, perhaps, a sample across countries could also shed some light on the issues relating to KSE and their effects on employment generation and firm formation.

From a practical point of view, the results indicate that regional disparity and limited transmission of KSE across regions remain an impediment to the flow of knowledge. This in turn may limit the development of entrepreneurial activities and further development of new firms. Practical implications regarding knowledge management indicate that firms face time and spatial challenges when developing, transferring and acquiring knowledge. In sum, the evidence points out in favor of existent and persistent regional heterogeneity in terms of economic and technological specialization as sources of employment.

This research adds to the empirical evidence focusing on the effects of knowledge spillover effects in the Innovative Startup segment of the economy. This research highlights the applicability of knowledge spillover effects accounting for levels of industry competition, specialization and diversity. We also provide a measure of cluster formation and concentration at the sectoral and regional levels. Thus, the research provides a better understanding under which conditions knowledge is more likely to have positive or negative effects on employment generation.

This article explores whether six broad categories of activities undertaken by Canadian business scholars’ academics: publications record, citations record, teaching load, administrative load, consulting activities, and knowledge spillovers transfer, are complementary, substitute, or independent, as well as the conditions under which complementarities, substitution and independence among these activities are likely to occur.

A multivariate probit model is estimated to take into account that business scholars have to consider simultaneously whether or not to undertake many different academic activities. Metrics from Google Scholar of scholars from 35 Canadian business schools, augmented by a survey data on factors explaining the productivity and impact performances of these faculty members, are used to explain the heterogeneities between the determinants of these activities.

Overall, the results reveal that there are complementarities between publications and citations, publications and knowledge spillovers transfer, citations and consulting, and between consulting and knowledge spillovers transfer. The results also suggest that there are substitution effects between publications and teaching, publications and administrative load, citations and teaching load, and teaching load and administrative load. Moreover, results show that public and private funding, business schools’ reputation, scholar’s relational resources, and business school size are among the most influential variables on the scholar’s portfolio of activities.

This study considers simultaneously the scholar’s whole portfolio of activities. Moreover, the determinants considered in this study to explain scholars’ engagement in different activities reconcile two conflicting perspectives: (1) the traditional self-managed approach of academics, and (2) the outcomes-focused approach of university management.

Consistent with the knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship, the purpose of this paper is to recognise the complementary entrepreneurial role of knowledge transfer intermediary organisations in the context of two Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries: Poland and the Czech Republic.

The aim was achieved through empirical studies relying on multiple-case study methodology and cross-case analysis covering 21 cases of commercialisation intermediary institutions. It was assumed that institutional and geographical conditions can impact the knowledge-based opportunity exploitation between different national economies.

Research confirmed that scientists in Poland and the Czech Republic are the central figures of the commercialisation process in terms of entrepreneurial opportunity recognition; however, they need support from intermediary organisations in many other entrepreneurial activities. The history of knowledge commercialisation and its intermediating entities in these countries is relatively young and spin-off company creation is not a common practice. Expertise knowledge, creativity and self-confidence admitted, by the respondents in both countries, can be an optimistic sign for the future efforts in fostering innovativeness of CEE countries. Stronger support of formal institutional framework and policies in those countries is expected.

Science commercialisation has lately attracted much attention, but only a few studies have tried to develop conceptual frameworks considering knowledge-based entrepreneurship and knowledge commercialisation in their relations and subsequential roles. Also, over the past couple of years literature in this area has expanded mainly relying on observations in the USA and Western European countries. Hence, this study allowed to collect findings from CEE countries for which data are still insufficient but can significantly contribute to the theory development. Also, some recommendations for policymakers arise from this study. Further research could validate the results in an extensive quantitative study.

This study aims to explore the knowledge spillover mechanism in big science projects (BSP) from an institutional perspective by elaborating on the dynamic relationship between institutional dualism and legitimacy.

The study conducts an exploratory research and adopts the grounded theory methodology in the context of BSP. Data draw mainly upon nine semi-structured interviews.

The knowledge spillovers in BSP are driven by institutions, which work through mechanisms of legitimacy perception. Formal and informal institutions influence organizational and individual behavior through legitimacy pressure and support. Formal institutions impose legitimacy pressure on organizations and individuals, forcing them to cooperate closely to solve problems; informal institutions enable them to adopt innovative strategies and positive attitudes through legitimacy support; all these promote knowledge spillovers in research and development (R&D) activities, engineering practice and regional interaction. Knowledge spillovers enable stakeholders to realize their R&D advancement, manufacturing promotion and management sophistication. Further, regional knowledge diffusion and culture transmission promote regional innovation and social capital accumulation.

The study develops a theoretical model that shows how knowledge spillover mechanisms happen in BSP from an institutional perspective (the trigger, the channels/process and the impacts). More specifically, this explanation is provided by explaining how formal and informal institutions influence organizational and individual behavior through legitimacy perceptions.

First, policymakers should recognize and value the guiding, supporting and coordinating role of formal institutions and enrich capital forms to release the legitimacy pressure of stakeholders. Second, management of BSP needs to be capable of coordinating stakeholder relationships and interactions, while management should focus their attention on fostering good organizational routines and shared group value. Third, the local culture and customs should be taken into consideration since it can be an enabling or constraining of BSP. Finally, industries can take advantage of the opportunity to coordinate their R&D efforts to gain competitiveness.

First, the authors introduce the institutional perspective to analyze the construction process of BSP, which helps to better understand the interactions of stakeholders under the influence of institutions, the dynamic process and impacts of knowledge spillovers. Second, the authors are committed to contributing to the development of knowledge spillover theories by adopting an institutional perspective. The authors furthermore explore and propose the presence of a dynamic mechanism between institutional dualism and knowledge spillovers. In consequence, the authors introduce the concept of legitimacy perceptions, which is a bridge to understanding the interaction between them. Third, by explicitly discussing the actual meaning of our framework, the authors explore the unique potential of institutional arrangement in promoting the knowledge management of complex cross-border cooperation, while seeking to promote its management and administrative practices.

This study investigates the impact of multinational enterprises (MNEs) on economic and human development in Africa. Specific focus is placed on the local managerial capability building. Capability building is an important part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) framework and is considered a necessary prerequisite for achieving poverty alleviation targets. The low level of local capabilities is a well-recognized issue in Africa. The study also addresses the emerging stream of research devoted to MNEs from developing countries. Such MNEs have a different level of managerial capabilities, a different corporate culture, and different operation models compared to MNEs from developed countries. This study analyzes the industrial development of Ghana and compares cases of Chinese and European MNEs operating in this country. On the basis of multimethod analysis, we provide extensive policy implications.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between effective knowledge management and corporate performance, to explore the dynamic symbiosis phenomenon of effective knowledge management based on organizational ecology with multinational companies (MNCs) and non-multinational companies (non-MNCs) and to explore the symbiosis strategy of knowledge management between multinational and non-multinational companies (non-MNCs) in China.

To measure effective knowledge management, this paper first uses structural equation model to measure knowledge management, based on the evolution dynamics equation in organizational ecology to measure the effectiveness of knowledge management, and studies the symbiosis of effective knowledge management between MNCs and non-MNCs based on ecological perspective.

Effective knowledge management can promote the financial performance of enterprises, but different degrees of effectiveness have different effects. In addition, the coupling and collaboration between knowledge management and corporate performance can reflect the value of effective knowledge management. The results show that effective knowledge management plays a positive moderating effect between knowledge management and corporate performance. Finally, the effective knowledge management system of MNCs (non-MNCs) has negative effect on non-MNCs (MNCs), showing the exclusive relationship between MNCs and non-MNCs in China.

The effectiveness of knowledge management is only based on the measurement of financial performance coupling. For other types of performance, it needs to be tested. The samples may not cover symbiosis relationship of effective knowledge management in other countries.

This paper provides practical and theoretical reference for confirming the symbiotic interaction and identifying the opportunities and challenges of knowledge management among different types of corporation groups.

The paper is one of the pioneering studies to explore the pattern of symbiotic evolution of effective knowledge management between MNCs and non-MNCs. From completely new perspectives, this study advances the research of knowledge management to a new and promising area.