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It is a common failing in mankind to look for knowledge and the solution in the far distance when the answer lies unnoticed at our feet. How do diverse and large corporations learn and share that knowledge internally in the face of so many pressures and constraints? At the heart of knowledge management theory, as at the heart of every company, is the individual. In that complex organism lies the ability or otherwise for a company to learn and prosper. The three articles reviewed here take very different attitudes to the individual – namely from an organizational standpoint, a theoretical position and finally from a sociological attitude.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the business model and the strategic intent to adopt an open collaboration initiative influence the perceived quality of collaboration outcomes.

This paper presents a framework to analyze the role of the strategic dimension and the operational dimension in open collaboration initiatives through multiple case studies in three companies to understand how the open collaboration initiative was deployed and how was the level of the alignment between these two dimensions.

The studied cases revealed that when an open collaboration initiative starts in the strategic dimension and there is an alignment between the organizational dimension and operational dimension, the collaboration outcomes are clearer and more traceable.

The study highlights the need to consider the involvement and the internal alignment between strategic and operational dimensions when deploying an open collaboration activity if they want to achieve all the benefits.

The presented framework can help managers to evaluate and understand how open collaboration activities are deployed within the company.

The study shows that when an open collaboration initiative is planned, its results and benefits can be extended to local communities by developing them.

This study aims to analyze the open collaboration initiative’s contribution to the overall organizational performance through the alignment between the organizational dimension and operational dimension perspective.

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

If you think of business in India merely as back‐office services or software development, think again. It is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with as an innovator – and as for exporting know‐how, just count the Indian‐born and Indian‐educated R&D chiefs in Silicon Valley.

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

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.

The impact of e‐business on export management companies (EMCs) has been debated for some time and several reasons for their survival have been forwarded. Based upon the resource‐based perspective of the firm, this study provides a far more fundamental reason for the survival of the well‐established EMCs‐their market‐based assets. Furthermore, this study analyzes the impact of e‐business proliferation on the well‐established EMCs transaction creating and physical fulfillment exporting services and their efficiency and effectiveness.

While the open innovation concept proposed by Henry Chesbrough a decade ago has had some striking successes, the myriad options for engaging external partners can be daunting, so leaders need a guide for getting started that matches the needs of their firm. This paper aims to address this issue.

The paper identifies that innovation processes involve three stages during which the business model elements are conceived and elaborated: idea‐generation, idea‐development, and commercialization. The question for leaders is: “In which of the three stages could your growth efforts benefit from an infusion of external ideas and expertise?”

The open‐innovation approach does not require a company to replace all its current research and development (R&D) efforts. But it does change the primary question leaders should be asking to “How can my company create significantly more value by leveraging external partners to bring many more innovations to market?”

The article shows executives how they can systematically assess an innovation process, understand where new venture business models are weakest, and select the points at which open innovation could add some needed spark.

The article leads executives through two‐step process for introducing a customized open innovation program: step one, assess where your company's innovation process would benefit from external input by using five key questions; and step two, learn how to manage external relationships.

The article depicts a practitioner's approach towards Innovation Evangelism in a corporate context. The case in point here is Wipro Technologies, one of the leading Information Technology firms based out of India. The author being an Innovation Evangelist at the firm shares the imperative of evangelism, the various vehicles deployed and the learnings there from. The need for Innovation Evangelism comes from the urge to spread awareness about innovation and enable it, especially at the grassroots level. Author defines an Innovation Evangelist in an organizational context as one who generates awareness of the need to innovate; builds a belief amongst people that anyone can innovate; and provides sufficient facilitation to enable innovation. At Wipro Technologies, Innovation Evangelism happens through a series of vehicles that include: Wipro's Innovation Camp, Innovation Bazaar, Story Book on Innovation, Systematic Creativity Workshops, and Inflection Point newsletter, among others. Each of these started as experiments and then through learning got institutionalized. Key learnings are: enrollment of the stakeholders; creating a semi-structure knowledge sharing environment; enabling a market of ideas, talent and capital; having a constant and consistent communication; transparency in operations; and taking a more scientific approach towards creativity; among others. One of the areas of further investigation is on measuring the direct and indirect returns of investment for each of these vehicles. The article would make a good read for researchers, academicians, professionals and students alike who study and execute innovations at the grassroots level.