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The purpose of this paper is to present and describe a morphology of the research literature on knowledge transfer in organizations.

This morphology, which is a comprehensive framework characterizing the knowledge transfer literature in terms of dimensions and options, was developed by an extensive scanning of the pertinent literature.

Eight dimensions were found suitable to characterize the knowledge transfer research literature. Corresponding to each dimension, two to six options were found.

The morphology demonstrates the extensiveness and variety of knowledge transfer research. To academics, the morphology can serve as a map of the knowledge transfer territory. Using the morphology, researchers can easily assess how an existing study fits in with the entire body of knowledge transfer research. Secondly, they can discern areas that have received less attention in comparison to others and thus identify gaps they may wish to address in a new study. KM practitioners can use the morphology to assess their knowledge transfer strategies in terms of the dimensions it currently has/lacks, and take appropriate decisions.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, a morphological approach has not been attempted so far to characterize KM research literature. The approach used can be applied to other areas of management as well, for similar purposes.

This paper engaged in theory-building from social movement and knowledge management (KM) theories and applied the case study method to explore the role of knowledge complexity in administration–society collaborations on knowledge. Complex knowledge is a kind of knowledge that consists of many interdependent elements, some of which are tacit. Complex knowledge creates challenges when external social groups attempt to transfer their knowledge to public organizations. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the following question: how do social groups acting as knowledge agents transfer their knowledge if it is complex?

A single-case study methodology informs the theory-building in this paper. The paper examined a case of collaboration between the natural childbirthing social movement and state maternity hospitals in Russia and Ukraine. The case was constructed from interviews, primary sources and secondary sources.

Social movement and KM theories were used in a case analysis to formulate theoretical propositions about the complexity of social movement knowledge, why and how movements transfer their knowledge through collaborations with the state, and how administrators assess movement knowledge and its transfer. The case suggests that administrators’ lack of capacity to recognize and deal with complex knowledge results in the underutilization of social groups’ knowledge. In particular, administrators treat complex knowledge as simple, and they misunderstand and underestimate its effects on collaboration.

To the best of this author’s knowledge, this paper is the first attempt in public administration to engage in theory-building from social movement and KM theories.

The purpose of this paper is to explore that relational capability plays a mediator role in the relationship between focal enterprises' control on knowledge transfer risks in R&D network.

The paper reviews the related literature from which it proposes a theoretical hypothesis and conceptual framework which is tested empirically adopting regression methodology by mathematical statistics software.

The results reveal that focal enterprises' control (core technological capability and network position) have a positive effect on knowledge transfer risks without the mediation of relational capability. Moreover, relational capability mediates the positive relationship between core technological capability and knowledge transfer risks.

The cross-sectional data of this research has difficult in testing causality between the variables, and future research should take account of the potential factors that can impact on knowledge transfer risks.

The results provide more valuable information to managers in alleviating knowledge transfer risks in R&D networks. For one thing, the study indicates how focal firms' control (core technological capability and network position) can be taken advantage of improving R&D efficiency and reducing the knowledge transfer risks. For another, the results emphasize that relational capability plays an important role in interacting with cooperative enterprises in the process of R&D activities.

Few studies present a theoretical discussion on focal firms control as the important determinants of knowledge transfer risks especially in the R&D network. Moreover it expands the related risk management theory by relational capability that mediates the relationship between focal firms control and knowledge transfer risks.

This paper aims to provide a theoretical frame and practical experience for understanding and improving knowledge creation in the RIC. This paper proved through an empirical study that knowledge transfer, knowledge assimilation and knowledge sharing between firms in a resource-based industry chain (RIC) have positive influence on knowledge creation.

A theoretical model covering knowledge transfer, knowledge assimilation, knowledge sharing and knowledge creation is established in this paper. The research object is the phosphorus chemical industry chain in central Guizhou.

The findings of this paper provide a theoretical frame and practical experience for understanding and improving knowledge creation in the RIC.

The subjective measures of knowledge capacities present a serious limitation. Another limitation is that the authors examined knowledge creation within the context of RIC. The cross-sectional design prevented the authors from studying causal relationships among the variables.

First, it contributes to the knowledge creation of inter-organization literature. Second, it contributes to the studies of knowledge creation in supply chains. Third, this study demonstrates the importance of investigating the strong network embeddedness and industry property of RIC, which have a critic effect on the capabilities of knowledge sharing, transfer and assimilation.

Employees play a central role in firms’ knowledge transferal, but knowledge-sharing brings significant costs for employees. Thus, this study aims to explore the components of firms’ incentive systems and how these influence employees’ knowledge-sharing, and also to test whether employees’ knowledge-sharing intentions transform into better knowledge transfer performance at the firm level.

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

This study finds that positive economic incentives, positive relational incentives and negative relational incentives all increase employees’ knowledge-sharing intentions, contributing to firms’ improved knowledge-transfer performance. Thus, both positive and negative incentives and both economic and relational incentives exert influences on employees’ knowledge-sharing activities.

Because employees have both material and emotional needs and always want to approach good things and avoid bad things, firms should take measures to make their incentive systems more comprehensive. Then, employees can be motivated to share their knowledge effectively.

Existing studies have mainly explored the effects of positive economic incentives on knowledge transferal. Because individuals have both a promotion self-regulatory focus associated with an approach motivation and a prevention self-regulatory focus associated with an avoidance motivation, and because they have both material and emotional needs, this study classifies incentives into three types and confirms their effectiveness for motivating employees to share knowledge.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the knowledge management functions of corporate universities and their evolution.

Two Chinese corporate universities in the ICT industry were selected for the case studies. Data were collected by interviews and consulting the documents of the two corporate universities. Grounded theory was used for data analysis.

The research found that the knowledge management functions of the corporate universities encompass knowledge transfer, knowledge creation and knowledge services for intrapreneurship. The knowledge management functions of the corporate universities are enhancing with the development of the corporate universities. The knowledge management functions mutually reinforce each other. The knowledge network of the corporate universities is expanding and the scope of knowledge managed is broadening.

Companies should make full use of corporate universities in facilitating knowledge transfer, knowledge creation and knowledge services for intrapreneurship.

Analyzing the knowledge management functions of corporate universities and their evolution from the perspective of knowledge network enriches research on knowledge management of corporate universities.

This chapter aims to identify the main determinants that define the architectural properties of network emergence and significantly influence the dynamics underlying network evolution in time. The identification and analysis of these determinants, as well as the dynamic processes tied to them, allows to appreciate the competitive bases and consequences of network morphology. To this purpose, using a complex systems perspective as an integrative conceptual approach, we represent networks as complex dynamic systems of knowledge and capabilities. We perform a comparative in-depth analysis of the processes underlying the emergence and evolution of STMicroelectronic's global network and of Toyota's supplier network in the US so as to allow an elucidatory empirical assessment of the theoretical representation elaborated in the article.

Government initiatives are continuously being designed to create stable and supportive environments for developing new industries. Presents a conceptual model for use by governments in creating and sustaining an appropriate climate that facilitates the national adoption of e‐business. It focuses specifically on the needs of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Also suggests six categories of e‐business readiness metrics and measures to be used for assessing how a country is performing in terms of providing a positive e‐business readiness climate. Examples of innovative initiatives are provided from Canada, The Netherlands, Norway, and Singapore. Concludes that a balance among attention to infrastructure components has not yet been achieved in these countries.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of large‐scale collaboration network structure on firm innovation capability.

The authors utilize negative binomial regression models to explore the relationships between network structure and patent productivity.

Results demonstrate that firms embedded in alliance networks with higher reach will have greater innovative output, but fail to support the higher clustering enhances innovative productivity significantly, which is different from recent concerns regarding positive effects of higher clustering on patent output. The authors also find that the effect of alliance network as a conduit of knowledge transfer decays over time. Furthermore, both clustering and reach have mutually positive effects on the firm innovation with increases in the other.

Network structure attribute should be considered adequately when firms develop alliance activities and when relevant government departments make industrial policies.

This paper aims to fill the gap in the literature by providing the first systematic research of the impact of large‐scale collaboration network structure on firm innovation in China, and exploring the implications for firms to develop alliance activities and for relevant government departments to make industrial policies. This paper adds new evidence to the topic that alliance network is an important mechanism of knowledge spillover in China.

Managing knowledge is a critical capability for small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) to master because it helps them leverage their most critical resource. Organizational knowledge is the most salient resource at the disposal of SMEs in terms of availability, access, and depth. Successful SMEs are those who can leverage their knowledge in an effective and efficient manner, so as to make up for deficiencies in traditional resources, like land, labor, and capital. The purpose of this article to to discuss five peculiarities about knowledge management practices at SMEs.

The article draws findings from a nine‐month investigation of knowledge management practices at 25 SMEs.

The research discovered that SMEs do not manage knowledge the same way as larger organizations. Viewing SME knowledge management practices as scaled down versions of the practices found in larger organizations is incorrect. SMEs have understandable resource constraints, and hence have to be creative in working around these limitations in order to manage knowledge.

The paper sheds some light on peculiarities in SME knowledge management practices, which will hopefully entice scholars and practitioners to follow‐up with more detailed research undertakings.