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This chapter attempts to advance our understanding regarding social innovation with a focus on public sector organizations. The aim is to answer the following question: “How does…
Abstract
This chapter attempts to advance our understanding regarding social innovation with a focus on public sector organizations. The aim is to answer the following question: “How does a manager’s novel knowledge gained from decisional interventions act as a resource to achieve social innovation?” The study employed a qualitative research approach. Findings have stemmed from secondary sources such as officially published reports and media releases of three local councils of Victoria, Australia. The data were first contextually positioned and then analyzed by following the Gioia methodology. Research findings indicate that tacit knowledge gained by public managers helps them to make better decisional interventions. In different situations such as handling disturbance, negotiating with other parties, allocating resources, or being an intrapreneur, the decisions and its quality will be improved if public managers enhance their personal knowledge. This study also offers policymakers a new approach to deal with the social problems innovatively. It, therefore, provides insights on topics such as sustained social transformation through public reforms, navigation of resources, and wise leadership.
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If knowledge management programs are to build lasting value, they must directly support the competitive strategy of the organization.
Michael Zack, James McKeen and Satyendra Singh
The purpose of this paper is to report the results of an exploratory investigation of the organizational impact of knowledge management (KM).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report the results of an exploratory investigation of the organizational impact of knowledge management (KM).
Design/methodology/approach
A search of the literature revealed 12 KM practices whose performance impact was assessed via a survey of business organizations.
Findings
KM practices were found to be directly related to organizational performance which, in turn, was directly related to financial performance. There was no direct relationship found between KM practices and financial performance. A different set of KM practices was associated with each value discipline (i.e. customer intimacy, product development and operational excellence). A gap exists between the KM practices that firms believe to be important and those that were directly related to organizational performance.
Research limitations/implications
The majority of the research constructs were formative, thus improving the measurement of KM practices will prove vital for validating and extending these findings. The findings were based solely on organizations from North America and Australia and may not reflect KM practices in other geographic, economic or cultural settings.
Practical implications
This study encourages practitioners to focus their KM initiatives on specific intermediate performance outcomes.
Originality/value
The paper examines the relationship between KM practices and performance outcomes. It was expected that a direct relationship between KM practices and organizational performance would be observed. It was also expected that organizational performance would mediate the relationship between KM practices and financial performance. These expectations were supported. KM practices showed a direct relationship with intermediate measures of organizational performance, and organizational performance showed a significant and direct relationship to financial performance. There was no significant relationship found between KM practices and financial performance.
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David K. Goldstein and Michael H. Zack
This paper examines the impact of information supply and distribution on managerial information processing using a model derived from the organizational information processing…
Abstract
This paper examines the impact of information supply and distribution on managerial information processing using a model derived from the organizational information processing (OIP) framework developed by Daft and Weick. The model suggests that more supply and distribution of information will lead to greater information use and the acquisition of more knowledge, given that the organization's information processing capabilities match its requirements. The model was extended to include the influence of social factors (i.e., culture and power) and the level of knowledge in the organization. Product managers in two consumer goods organizations providing different levels of information technology support were studied to compare the effect of different approaches to supplying and distributing information. The focused comparison case research method was used, in which sites are selected differing only on the dimensions of interest, namely information supply and distribution. The cases provided evidence to support the model. The company which had more data and analytic tools available for its product managers used more information and knew more about the factors that influenced the marketing of its products. In addition, organizational culture and the level of knowledge at the companies affected their approach to information supply, information use, and knowledge acquisition. The results suggest that the effective use of information technology requires a combination of managing the organization culture and fitting the characteristics of information supply and distribution mechanisms to information requirements.
Rachid Zeffane and Bruce Cheek
Because information is vital to effective decision making, the fostering of conditions which promote effective use of existing channels of information is therefore seen as a prime…
Abstract
Because information is vital to effective decision making, the fostering of conditions which promote effective use of existing channels of information is therefore seen as a prime element contributing to organizational survival and success (Fulmer et al, 1990). In particular, the way in which characteristics of individuals and the attributes of the tasks they perform, affect the use of different information sources is a pertinent issue in organizational analysis. It is also an important consideration in information systems development and management. Much of the existing research in this area has been dominated by attempts to define appropriate modes of information processing and the construction of models that might enhance effective communication (O'Reilly, 1982; Schick et al, 1990; Kim 8c Lee, 1991). The importance of this area of research has been heightened by the dynamics and complexities of industrial organizations and the need for various modes of information processing to address these dynamics (Kim & Lee, 1991). Also, because the appropriate use of information is the ‘life‐blood’ of organizational dynamics, the identification of aspects that might affect differential use of various channels (of information) is fundamental to an understanding of the area.
– This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.
Design/methodology/approach
This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.
Findings
Introduces the concept of customer knowledge-enabled innovation. This practical tool provides a scale consisting of 57 items, which will enable bosses to evaluate strengths and weaknesses in their management of customer knowledge. It has been tried out on a range of companies in Tunisia.
Practical implications
The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations.
Originality/value
The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.
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This teaching case describes a born-global Indian enterprise in R&D that developed and leveraged knowledge-intensive business services in speciality chemicals, custom synthesis of…
Abstract
Purpose
This teaching case describes a born-global Indian enterprise in R&D that developed and leveraged knowledge-intensive business services in speciality chemicals, custom synthesis of genes and contract research co-evolving dynamic capabilities in partnership with multinationals from Europe and North America. The purpose of this case to explore how emerging market multinationals can leverage factor market strengths for niche positioning in industries generally populated by large players, in this case, the big Pharma companies.
Methodology/approach
The case describes how the international strategy of the company was rooted in the “Make in India” national policy. The risks and opportunities involved a “springboard” approach of gaining customer confidence in North America, Europe and Japan in incremental steps. Challenges concerned fostering a credible talent management eco-system where scientific spirit and business pathways were pursued around unknown and unfamiliar projects challenging resource-based views of the firm.
Research implications
An interesting facet of this case is how the nexus of treaties with stakeholding constituents were configured and sustained for strategic management of intellectual capital and organizational knowledge.
Originality/value
The novelty of the case is in demonstrating how small EMNCs can leverage factor market advantages to become world leaders in niche segments. Another interesting feature is how such firms are organized around sustainability of shareholder value without profitability in their initial years.
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Edward Giesen, Saul J. Berman, Ragna Bell and Amy Blitz
The purpose of this paper is to find out what exactly the term business model innovation encompasses and what type yields the best results.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to find out what exactly the term business model innovation encompasses and what type yields the best results.
Design/methodology/approach
IBM Consulting researchers first identified the main types of business model innovation, which can be used alone or in combination. They then compared these three types of business model innovation across 35 best practice cases.
Findings
The study found that all new business models can be classified into three types: innovations in industry models; in revenue models and in enterprise models. A key finding was that each type of business model innovation, with the right strategy and strong execution can generate success.
Practical implications
Researchers found that while network plays are being used by diverse companies in different industries and regions and of varying age, size and other characteristics, this tactic has been a particularly useful strategy for older companies.
Originality/value
The study found that best business model innovation strategies provide a strong fit between the competitive landscape for a particular industry and the organization's strengths, shortcomings and characteristics such as age and size.
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How did gays in the military go from being characterized as dangerous perverts threatening to the state, to victims being persecuted by the state, to potential heroes fighting on…
Abstract
How did gays in the military go from being characterized as dangerous perverts threatening to the state, to victims being persecuted by the state, to potential heroes fighting on behalf of the state? What implications does this shift have for understanding the means by which the liberal state uses law to include the previously excluded? Offering a critical account of the inclusion of gays in the military, I argue that while the lifting of the ban can be seen as an important step in a classic civil rights narrative in which the liberal state gradually accommodates the excluded, pop culture allows us also to see state and minority group interest convergence as well as divergence, revealing the costs of inclusion.
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