Suchergebnisse

PurposeThe importance of relational capital for the university has grown enormously in recent years. In fact, relational capital allows universities to promote and emphasize the effectiveness of the third mission. The purpose of this paper is to propose a case study involving an Italian university that recently set up a new research observatory, and, thanks to its success, succeeded in enhancing its relational capital.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopted an action research approach to analyze the case study. Consistently, the authors followed the analysis, diagnosis, and intervention phases. First, the authors focused on the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the process through which the university created relational capital, and finally, the authors proposed solutions to improve the process.FindingsThis case study shows that the creation of relation capital for the host university was the result of a process of transfer and transformation of the individual relationships of the observatory's promoters.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to filling a significant gap in the literature on relational capital and universities and provides useful insights into how these organizations can encourage its creation. It also allows scholars, managers, and politicians involved in higher education to gain a greater understanding of this relevant topic.

"This book addresses the multiple contexts of best practices transfer of knowledge as an intermediate open innovation. It also explores practices of knowledge transfer in different sectors of activity, namely tourism, health and the production of aquatic organisms, between citizens and governments."

AbstractIn this paper, we try to explain the use of knowledge transfer mechanisms in franchising firms by applying the knowledge‐based view of the firm that integrates results from the information richness theory. Starting from the information richness theory we argue that the degree of tacitness of system‐specific knowledge determines the information richness of the knowledge transfer mechanisms of franchising firms. We examine the following hypotheses: (1) the franchisor uses more knowledge transfer mechanisms with a lower degree of information richness (such as email, intra‐ and internet), if the tacitness of system‐specific knowledge is low, and (2) the franchisor uses more knowledge transfer mechanisms with a higher degree of information richness (such as training, seminar, meetings, visits), if the tacitness of system‐specific knowledge is high. We test these hypotheses by using data from 83 franchising firms in the Austrian franchise sector. The data provide partial support for the hypotheses. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

AbstractAn expectation‐based process model of knowledge transfer across borders is proposed. The effectiveness of such transfer is postulated to be dependent on the alignment between individual and organizational expectations surrounding the transfer of knowledge. Individual expectations regarding transfer of knowledge are formed through bounded rational cost‐benefit considerations and moderated by culturally and context‐bound expectations. Practical suggestions on how to improve such alignment through specific implementation alternatives are offered. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PurposeTo offer a framework of structural and contextual influences on knowledge transfer of foreign management ideas to Vietnamese academic and managerial colleagues. It addresses four factors: stage of relationship between Vietnamese and foreign counterparts; participative competence (i.e. knowledge, experience, and motivations of those sending and receiving knowledge); atmosphere within each side's organization; and conduit conditions, or factors that facilitate transmittal or translation of knowledge.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on an ethnographic study from 1994‐2003 of the creation of Vietnam's first international standard business school, within the National Economics University (NEU), in Hanoi, which included participant observation, semi‐structured and informal interviews with over 60 Vietnamese faculty members, managers, university administrators, and foreign visiting professors and administrators, field notes, documentation, and archival records.FindingsThe paper concludes that long‐lasting knowledge transfer is not straightforward in its flow; must be bi‐directional for the primary transfer (i.e. of Western business knowledge) to succeed, and moves from primarily explicit to both explicit and more tacit knowledge transfer.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper calls for additional research on perceptive competence, organizational atmosphere, conduit conditions, and turning points in relationships.Practical implicationsA toolkit for managers on key aspects to consider in knowledge transfer and exchange within developing countries and within multinational firms.Originality/valueThe paper expands existing models and adds new components regarding the relationship between parties, and the notion of bi‐directional interactions.

AbstractTranslation supports cultural interaction by fostering mutual understanding and enabling people to access foreign cultures. Logically, translation also furthers knowledge transfer in a broad sense. Drawing on recent scholarship that focuses on the migration and mobility of literary products (Damrosch, 2003; Casanova, 2004), this article seeks to show that the knowledge generated by both the practice of translation and the interdisciplinary area of Translation Studies is a key factor in shaping the image of a national culture.

We investigate the transfer of talent management knowledge to a Slovak manufacturing setting from a translation perspective. The translator is shown to be the key agent in the cross-national, cross-language knowledge transfer process, who not only provides linguistic translation but also provides cultural and political interpretation of key vocabularies. By drawing on different models of translation we show that (a) discourse and language cannot be separated in knowledge transfer interventions and (b) the translator is a key agent in shaping the transfer process by addressing the 'discursive void' that characterizes local experiences with, and knowledge about, talent management.

This study surveys a broad spectrum of US manufacturer and service firms to examine the effect of tacit knowledge transfer on firm innovation capability. The authors present a set of hypotheses concerning the relationships between inter‐firm relationship strength and tacitness of knowledge transfer, extent of tacit knowledge transfer and innovation capability, and innovation capability and innovation performance based on the theory of knowledge. Moderating roles of firm collaborative experience and firm size on the relationship between inter‐firm relationship strength and the extent of tacit knowledge transfer are considered. Empirical results generally support the predictions from the theory and managerial implications are included.

Die wissensbasierte und -intensive Ökonomie hat eine neue Positionierung von Hochschulen im "knowledge triangle" bewirkt, wobei das regionale Umfeld als Aktionsraum an Bedeutung gewonnen hat. Ausgehend von einem allgemeinen Governance-Verständnis wird die regionale Governance von Wissensprozessen behandelt, in Bezug zu Ansätzen der "organisationalen Felder" gesetzt, auf Basis des Ansatzes regionaler Wissensbasen werden Regionstypen differenziert, Modelle regionsbezogener Hochschulgovernance diskutiert und die den Regionstypen zugeordneten Governance-Ansätze mit den Hochschulgovernance-Formen konfrontiert. Ergebnis: Da regionale Politik und Verwaltung gegenüber den Hochschulen kaum über Möglichkeiten direkter Einflussnahme verfügen, muss ein produktives Kooperationsverhältnis konsensual erfolgen. Eine Öffnung der Hochschulen setzt voraus, Transdisziplinarität als Denkweise und Forschungszugang zu etablieren. Netzwerke verschiedenster Art gelten hier als erfolgsträchtiger Weg.