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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 3 August 2022

Piera Centobelli, Roberto Cerchione, Emilio Esposito, Renato Passaro and Ivana Quinto

This paper aims to conceptualize the digital behavior of startups and investigate the emerging behaviors about digital strategies of the Italian startup firms enrolled in the…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to conceptualize the digital behavior of startups and investigate the emerging behaviors about digital strategies of the Italian startup firms enrolled in the Startup Act policy initiative. Digital technologies were divided into intra- and inter-organizational digital infrastructures, and this categorization offers startups the opportunity to identify a set of enabling technologies that could be used to improve their digital strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical analysis has been conducted to investigate the degree of adoption of digital intra- and inter-organizational digital infrastructures in the entire population of 6,178 Italian firms listed in the Register of Innovative Startups.

Findings

The paper proposes a taxonomy bringing together four startup behaviors for adopting digital technologies: digital follower, technical influencer, social influencer and digital leader. From the perspective of policy makers, considering the financial efforts that public authorities are supporting in the last decade, implications are mainly concerned with policy measures aimed both to reinforce the overall adoption of digital technologies and to develop a balanced adoption of intra- and inter-organizational digital infrastructures.

Originality/value

Measures addressed to support female and foreign entrepreneurship could be useful to support a more dynamic and well-balanced cultural and racial contamination, thus improving the adoption of digital tools.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 28 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 27 February 2024

Maryam R. Nezami, Mark L.C. de Bruijne, Marcel J.C.M. Hertogh and Hans L.M. Bakker

Societies depend on interconnected infrastructures that are becoming more complex over the years. Multi-disciplinary knowledge and skills are essential to develop modern…

Abstract

Purpose

Societies depend on interconnected infrastructures that are becoming more complex over the years. Multi-disciplinary knowledge and skills are essential to develop modern infrastructures, requiring close collaboration of various infrastructure owners. To effectively manage and improve inter-organizational collaboration (IOC) in infrastructure construction projects, collaboration status should be assessed continually. This study identifies the assessment criteria, forming the foundation of a tool for assessing the status of IOC in interconnected infrastructure projects.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature study and in-depth semi-structured interviews with practitioners in interconnected infrastructure construction projects in the Netherlands are performed to identify the criteria for assessing the status of IOC in infrastructure construction projects, based on which an assessment tool is developed.

Findings

The identified assessment criteria through the literature and the practitioner’s perspectives results in the designing and development of a collaboration assessment tool. The assessment tool consists of 12 criteria and 36 sub-criteria from three different categories of collaborative capacity: individual, relational, and organizational.

Originality/value

The assessment tool enables practitioners to monitor the status of IOC between infrastructure owners and assists them in making informed decisions to enhance collaboration. The assessment tool provides the opportunity to assess and analyze the status of collaboration based on three categories (i.e., individual, relational, and organizational).

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 June 2016

Jostein Langstrand

Systems thinking is well established as an important perspective within the management field. However, the perspective is not always as all-encompassing as sometimes argued. This…

Abstract

Purpose

Systems thinking is well established as an important perspective within the management field. However, the perspective is not always as all-encompassing as sometimes argued. This paper addresses the importance of including structural elements as a part of systems thinking in relation to organizational change. The purpose of the paper is to analyze how organizational infrastructure may influence processes and outcomes of organizational change initiatives.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a longitudinal case study of the introduction of lean in a large Swedish manufacturing company. The case study comprises three embedded cases, and the empirical material is based on interviews, observations and document studies. The material has been analyzed with a systems perspective, focusing on the interplay between ideas, infrastructure and behavior in the organization.

Findings

This paper suggests that organizational infrastructure may have a profound impact on organizational behavior. Consequently, an ambition to change organizational routines will be influenced by not only people’s sense-making and behavior but also the technology and infrastructure with which people interact.

Research limitations/implications

Thus, alignment between all these entities will facilitate the change process and increase the likelihood of successful organizational change. Thus, systems thinking requires stronger attention to organizational infrastructure to better understand organizational change processes, and a philosophical approach needs to be balanced against behavioral and technical aspects of change.

Originality/value

This paper challenges much of the received knowledge and assumptions about systems and suggests an expansion of systems thinking.

Details

International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, vol. 8 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-669X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 April 2011

Birinder Singh Sandhawalia and Darren Dalcher

Knowledge management (KM) needs a systematic approach to develop capabilities which accelerate the evolution of knowledge into a key organizational resource. This paper aims to

8809

Abstract

Purpose

Knowledge management (KM) needs a systematic approach to develop capabilities which accelerate the evolution of knowledge into a key organizational resource. This paper aims to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reports the empirical findings of a case study offering insights into the infrastructure and process capabilities required to provide knowledge support for organizational routines and activities.

Findings

It also presents a four‐stage framework that helps to make sense of the development of capabilities during the implementation of KM initiatives.

Practical implications

The research moves KM capability development from being a mere concept to being a clearly articulated set of stages, which underpin organizational growth.

Originality/value

As above, the research moves KM capability development from being a mere concept to being a clearly articulated set of stages, which underpin organizational growth.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 November 2020

Mohammad Hossein Jarrahi, Rebecca Reynolds and Ali Eshraghi

Personal knowledge management (KM) lends new emphasis to ways through which individual knowledge workers engage with knowledge in organizational contexts. This paper aims to go…

Abstract

Purpose

Personal knowledge management (KM) lends new emphasis to ways through which individual knowledge workers engage with knowledge in organizational contexts. This paper aims to go beyond an organizational approach to KM to examine key personal KM and knowledge building (KB) practices among adult professionals.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents a summary of the findings from interviews with 58 consultants from 17 managing consulting firms. Participants were selected based on their knowledge-intensive roles and their willingness to share information about their knowledge practices. Data analysis was inductive and revealed multiple personal KM activities common among research participants, and the way these are supported by informal ties and various technologies.

Findings

This work highlights ways in which “shadow information technology” undergirds personal knowledge infrastructures and supports KM and KB practices in the context of management consulting firms. The results uncover how personal knowledge infrastructures emerge from personal KM and KB practices, and the role of informal social networks as well as social media in supporting personal KM and KB.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes an overall conceptual model of factors that help knowledge workers build a personal knowledge infrastructure. By affording an understanding of socially embedded personal KM activities, this work helps organizations create a balance between KM strategies at the organizational level and personal knowledge goals of individual workers.

Originality/value

Much of the previous research on KM adopts organizational approaches to KM, accentuating how organizations can effectively capture, organize and distribute organizational knowledge (primarily through KM systems).

Details

Information and Learning Sciences, vol. 122 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-5348

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2000

Peter Meso and Robert Smith

With the advent of knowledge management, intellectual capital is gaining increasing recognition as the only true strategic asset. This has led to a proliferation of organizational

16218

Abstract

With the advent of knowledge management, intellectual capital is gaining increasing recognition as the only true strategic asset. This has led to a proliferation of organizational knowledge management systems (OKMS), for managing intellectual capital. This article addresses the question: “Are OKMS strategic assets within the context of the resource‐based view?” Two views of OKMS emerge – the technical and the socio‐technical view. An analysis of OKMS from each perspective is presented and their resultant implications on the competitive position of the firm explained. The findings indicate that, for a firm to reap long‐term strategic benefit from OKMS, it should adapt the broader socio‐technical view when developing, implementing and managing its OKMS. This suggests that firms need to consider not only the technology but also the organizational infrastructure, the organizational culture and the people who form the OKMS, and the knowledge that is to be processed by these OKMS.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 4 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 February 2011

Annette M. Mills and Trevor A. Smith

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of specific knowledge management resources (i.e. knowledge management enablers and processes) on organizational performance.

12813

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of specific knowledge management resources (i.e. knowledge management enablers and processes) on organizational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses survey data from 189 managers and structural equation modeling to assess the links between specific knowledge management resources and organizational performance.

Findings

The results show that some knowledge resources (e.g. organizational structure, knowledge application) are directly related to organizational performance, while others (e.g. technology, knowledge conversion), though important preconditions for knowledge management, are not directly related to organizational performance.

Research limitations/implications

The survey findings were based on a single dataset, so the same observations may not apply to other settings. The survey also did not provide in‐depth insight into the key capabilities of individual firms and the circumstances under which some resources are directly related to organizational performance.

Practical implications

The study provides evidence linking particular knowledge resources to organizational performance. Such insights can help firms better target their investments and enhance the success of their knowledge management initiatives.

Originality/value

Prior research often utilizes composite measures when examining the knowledge management‐organizational performance link. This bundling of the dimensions of knowledge management allows managers and researchers to focus on main effects but leaves little room for understanding how particular resources relate to organizational performance. This study addresses this gap by assessing the links between specific knowledge management resources and organizational performance. The results show that some resources are directly related to organizational performance, while others are not.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 15 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 October 2018

Thi Nguyet Que Nguyen, Liem Viet Ngo, Gavin Northey and Christopher Agyapong Siaw

Drawing upon the resource-based view of the firm, this paper aims to develop and empirically validate a model that examines the relationships between technical knowledge…

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Abstract

Purpose

Drawing upon the resource-based view of the firm, this paper aims to develop and empirically validate a model that examines the relationships between technical knowledge management infrastructure (TKMI), social KM infrastructure (SKMI) and competitive advantage provided by KM (CAPKM). The authors argue that KM process capabilities account for the direct effects of TKMI and SKMI on CAPKM.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used partial least squares —structural equating modelling (SEM) to empirically test the hypotheses using a sample of 251 firms from an emerging economy. The results were then confirmed using the bias-corrected bootstrap procedure. The study also conducted two robustness checks including examining a competing moderation model and performing fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), a set–theoretic method that examines how causal conditions combine into all possible configurations of binary states to explain the desired outcome.

Findings

The findings show that TKMI and SKMI have positive effects on CAPKM. In addition, KM process capabilities mediate the direct effects of TKMI and SKMI on CAPKM.

Originality/value

This paper complements and advances previous research in several ways. Firstly, the paper develops a conceptual model that depicts the interrelationships between TKMI, SKMI, KM process capabilities and CAPKM. Secondly, this paper suggests the critical role of the “action” component (i.e. KM process capabilities) that capitalises on the KM resources in the creation of CAPKM.

Article
Publication date: 3 April 2017

Ali Intezari, Nazim Taskin and David J. Pauleen

This study aims to identify the main knowledge processes associated with organizational knowledge culture. A diverse range of knowledge processes have been referred to in the…

5299

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to identify the main knowledge processes associated with organizational knowledge culture. A diverse range of knowledge processes have been referred to in the extant literature, but little agreement exists on which knowledge processes are critical and should be supported by organizational culture.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a systematic literature review methodology, this study examined the primary literature – peer-reviewed and scholarly articles published in the top seven knowledge management and intellectual capital (KM/IC)-related journals.

Findings

The core knowledge processes have been identified – knowledge sharing, knowledge creation and knowledge implementation. The paper suggests that a strategy for implementing successful organizational KM initiatives requires precise understanding and effective management of the core knowledge infrastructures and processes. Although technology infrastructure is an important aspect of any KM initiative, the integration of knowledge into management decisions and practices relies on the extent to which the organizational culture supports or hinders knowledge processes.

Research limitations/implications

The focus of the study was on the articles published in the top seven KM/IC journals; important contributions in relevant publications in other KM journals, conference papers, books and professional reports may have been excluded.

Practical implications

Practitioners will benefit from a better understanding of knowledge processes involved in KM initiatives and investments. From a managerial perspective, the study offers an overview of the state of organizational knowledge culture research and suggests that for KM initiatives to be successful, the organization requires an integrated culture that is concerned with knowledge processes as a set of inextricably inter-related processes.

Originality/value

For the first time, a comprehensive list of diverse terms used in describing knowledge processes has been identified. The findings remove the conceptual ambiguity resulting from the inconsistent use of different terms for the same knowledge process by identifying the three major and overarching knowledge processes. Moreover, this study points to the need to attend to the inextricably interrelated nature of these three knowledge processes. Finally, this is the first time that a study provides evidence that shows the KM studies appear to be biased towards Knowledge sharing.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 21 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 May 2023

Sven Januszek, Torbjørn H. Netland and Andrea Furlan

Do managers at different hierarchical levels in a firm perceive the effectiveness of a lean program differently, and does it matter for their commitment to it and the resulting…

Abstract

Purpose

Do managers at different hierarchical levels in a firm perceive the effectiveness of a lean program differently, and does it matter for their commitment to it and the resulting lean implementation? This study answers these questions by analyzing the perceptions and behaviors of top and middle managers in a manufacturer deploying a global lean program.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors hypothesize that managers at different levels perceive lean programs differently, which, in turn, should affect their commitment to lean and the resulting implementation. To test these relationships empirically, the authors collect survey data from a global manufacturer in the process industry and analyze them using hierarchical linear regression and structural equation modeling.

Findings

The findings show that middle managers perceive lean programs as more effective than top managers do. They further show that higher commitment from the top and middle managers to the lean program is positively related to building the organizational infrastructure needed for lean implementation.

Research limitations/implications

This research is conducted in one global company. Although the research setting implicitly controls for many possible confounding variables, such as the product and process complexity or organizational culture, future research can explore and test the findings in other organizational contexts.

Originality/value

This study is the first to empirically study the relations between perceptions of and commitment to lean programs across different hierarchical levels and what it means for program implementation. The paper contributes new plausible explanations for why many lean programs slow down.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 44 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

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