Search results

This study aims to investigate how the processes of memory acquisition, retention, retrieval and application occur in project-based organizations (PBOs). In this kind of organization, the nature of corporate memory is influenced by the transience, uniqueness and independence of the project portfolio. Such understanding may help practitioners to mitigate the effects of project transience and promote knowledge sharing among project teams.

An empirical and qualitative study was carried out through a multiple case study approach conducted in three Brazilian Engineering Design Firms, which are organized by projects. Document analysis, direct observation and semi-structured interviews with engineers, project managers and executives were conducted.

The memory acquisition process takes place in five forms which have different sources and destinations when comparing PBOs with traditional organizational settings. Memory retention in PBOs crosses organizational boundaries and establishes a knowledge network of former employees and third parties. The PBOs project memory can be divided into volatile and perennial memory, where the former can be lost throughout project execution and the latter is internalized, becoming an inseparable part of the corporate memory. Memory retrieval in PBOs is also distinct since it has particular mechanisms depending on whether the knowledge is technical or administrative.

The research investigates the corporate memory processes within the volatile context of PBOs in a Latin-American developing country whose culture favors tacit knowledge exchange. The paper proposes a framework that unveils different patterns of knowledge acquisition, temporary and perennial retention structures, intensive usage of external knowledge in memory retrieval and particular memory applications in PBOs. The framework may guide scholars, project managers, engineers and practitioners in navigating through the uniqueness of organizational learning flows and structures in PBOs.

This paper aims to analyze the degree of contribution of the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) of organizations in the use of agile methods (AM) in project management.

A quantitative approach with the application of a survey with project professionals resulted in 206 valid answers. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and the method of partial least squares (PLS).

The results present empirical evidence of the significant contribution of EO in the use of AM in project management, confirming the main hypothesis of this study. This effect was not influenced by the control variables tested.

This study contributes to the development of research on AM and minimizes the literature gap on the connection between entrepreneurship and AM. The results are limited to the sample. Studies with broader samples and different segments are suggested, as well as the contribution of each dimension of the EO to AM.

Innovativeness, risk-taking, proactiveness, autonomy and competitive aggressiveness (EO dimensions) can contribute to the use of AM and guide actions to develop these behaviors, pursuing better adherence to agile values and the use of AM in project management.

The originality of this study regarding the connection between EO and AM lies on the presentation of a theoretical model of this relationship and reduces the gap in this research field. Given the degree of EO contribution in AM (19.7%), there are other factors that affect the use of AM in project management that should be investigated.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new typology to leverage the different knowledge gaps existing between universities and industries. This new typology classifies interactions into training-oriented, diffusion-oriented, service-oriented, development-oriented, and research-oriented.

The Brazilian 2010 Census data available from the CNPq Research Group Directory were used to test the typology.

It was found that, among the five types of interactions proposed, the most frequent were the development-oriented (39 per cent), diffusion-oriented (23 per cent), and research-oriented (16 per cent) ones. These findings indicate that it is likely that university-industry (U-I) interactions have improved in terms of quality in an attempt to attain a joint higher technological development.

The paper provides the U-I interaction debate with a new perspective about the kinds of interactions that could effectively bridge the knowledge gaps between universities and industries, especially in a developing country context.

Este artigo propõe uma nova metodologia para reduzir as diferentes lacunas em termos de conhecimento existentes entre universidades e empresas. Esta nova tipologia classifica as interações em formadora, difusora, financiadora, desenvolvedora e pesquisadora.

O Censo de 2010 disponibilizado pelo Diretório de Grupos de Pesquisa do CNPq foi utilizado para testar a tipologia proposta.

Verificou-se que, entre os cinco tipos de interação propostos, os mais frequentes foram as tipologias desenvolvedora (39%), difusora (23%) e pesquisadora (16%). Esses resultados indicam uma provável qualificação das interações universidade-empresa justamente com o objetivo de alcançar um desenvolvimento tecnológico conjunto superior.

O artigo contribui com o debate sobre interação universidade-empresa, propondo uma nova perspectiva sobre os tipos de interação que efetivamente podem preencher as lacunas em termos de conhecimento existente entre universidades e empresas, especialmente no contexto dos países em desenvolvimento.