Abdelkader Daghfous

Knowledge sharing through inter‐organizational knowledge networks

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the business sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) based on their level of involvement in knowledge‐sharing activities with external sources, internal organizational innovations, and the barriers and benefits of joining knowledge networks. Subsequently, the findings are used as a basis for proposing several recommendations on managing knowledge in the UAE businesses that could result in higher levels of motivation and productivity.Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory investigation is done by in‐depth interviews with the employees of five local and eight multinational companies in the UAE.Findings – The paper finds that the concept of knowledge management (KM) is still not well received in this region. Most of the companies interviewed are concerned about confidentiality of their knowledge, and the presence of competent and trustworthy partners in such KM structures.Research limitations/implications – The findings provide a foundation for further...

An empirical investigation of the roles of prior knowledge and learning activities in technology transfer

Abstract This study analyzes 120 university–industry technology transfer projects. A significant positive relationship was found between the learning activities performed by the firm during the development and implementation stages of the technology transfer project and the benefits to that firm from the project. In contrast, prior knowledge of the firm about the existing technology was found to have only a marginal contribution to the project benefits. However, further exploratory analysis based on high and low levels of technical and organizational uncertainty revealed more provocative relationships.

Understanding and managing knowledge loss

Purpose – Research on knowledge loss is at an early stage of evolution. This paper seeks to extend the existent literature through an exploratory investigation of the drivers and impacts of knowledge loss, as well as associated retention strategies within manufacturing and service operations. Design/methodology/approach – Multiple research streams are used to explore and capture the complexities and intricacies of knowledge loss within four firms. The author follows a multiple case study approach with theoretical sampling of manufacturing and service firms. Findings – The results of this study suggest that organizations should retain and diffuse architectural knowledge, improve strategic coordination among units, develop existing capabilities through different networking strategies and more effective networks, and transform these capabilities into effective organizational routines to mitigate knowledge loss and increase knowledge retention. Meanwhile, relying solely on standard operating procedures, infor...

Information and innovation: a comprehensive representation

Abstract Many approaches in the literature on Management of Technological Innovation disregard explicit treatment of the sources and uses of information during the innovation process. Rather, one-dimensional progressions of events are traced from invention through to final innovation outcome, with selected events cited as having been critical. Even when careful attempts have been made to expand such theories to treat Supply factors and Demand factors independently and explicitly, wide variance from actual innovation outcomes has often resulted. Particularly, successful entrepreneurial start-up firms have appeared to follow different rules than those of major corporations. Earlier theories appear incomplete to describe prospects, predict outcomes, or guide management of technological innovation over the full range of effective approaches. By making Information an explicit dimension added to the familiar Supply-Demand pair, one obtains a three-dimensional frame of reference in which widely differing innovation circumstances may be explicitly represented, since sources of information for resolving uncertainty do differ widely from sources for avoiding negligence. This frame of reference is applied to explain the divergent nature of Apple and Boeing innovation histories, as illustration.

Organizational learning, knowledge and technology transfer: a case study

Knowledge‐based competition has magnified the importance of learning alliances as a fast and effective mechanism of capability development. This case presents a technology transfer project from a universitys engineering research center to a private firm to illuminate learning and knowledge‐based determinants of the outcomes of such projects. In this paper, project success and effective knowledge transfer are used interchangeably to indicate a relatively high level of achievement of intended as well as the unintended benefits to the recipient firm. The main focus of this paper is on the contribution of prior related knowledge and the learning processes and activities, performed by the recipient firm, to such benefits. Based on the results of the case study, this paper draws several implications that differ from those prevailing in the literature on organizational learning and technology transfer, proposes ideas for future research, and makes practical recommendations for managers.

Absorptive capacity and innovative enterprise systems: a two-level framework

The literature on innovation and technological change frequently reminds us that it is very difficult to improve a process that is not well understood. However, a review of past research indicates an implicit consensus that absorptive capacity is a generic organisation-level construct. This paper attempts to present a new conceptualisation of absorptive capacity, which divides absorptive capacity into two distinct levels. The first level represents the firms general domain-neutral absorptive capacity that its employees/units possess. The second level represents the absorptive capacity in specific areas of knowledge such as customer relationship management, total quality management, knowledge management, including a more extensive discussion of supply chain management.

Knowledge management as an organisational innovation: an absorptive capacity perspective and a case study

The global economy is in the midst of sweeping economic and social transformations, where knowledge has replaced physical labour and natural resources as the key source of sustained growth. At the organisational level, a knowledge advantage is widely considered a sustainable source of competitive advantage. However, managing knowledge requires a complex combination of new tools, infrastructures, processes, strategies, and their coexistence and integration with the existing ones. Whether at the top of a CEOs agenda or considered a faddish practice, knowledge management (KM) is both compelling and overwhelming. This paper examines the implementation of KM from an absorptive capacity perspective. A case study is presented to illustrate how the framework can be used to assess the importance of an organisations familiarity with KM principles, techniques, and strategic value; and whether it has the required learning capabilities to successfully adopt and implement KM.

Industrial modernisation initiatives: a technology transfer, organisational learning, and knowledge management perspective

Small manufacturing firms typically lack the necessary resources, such as money, information, and expertise, to upgrade their operations, resulting in low innovation rates, missed opportunities, and under-investment in productive technologies and best practices. In todays hyper-competitive marketplace, it is pivotal for firms to master the art of integrating disparate sources of knowledge. Managing knowledge requires a complex combination of new tools, infrastructures, intellectual capital, processes, strategies, and their coexistence and integration with the existing ones. The lack of adequate private assistance mechanisms for small firms has been sought to be compensated through public industrial modernisation initiatives across the US and the world to promote the diffusion and successful deployment of new technologies and business practices among small industrial firms. This paper uses three overlapping yet complementary perspectives that would motivate and direct a strategic reorientation of such public assistance initiatives.

Knowledge Management Implementation in SMEs: A Framework and a Case Illustration

In todays hyper-competitive marketplace it is pivotal for firms to master the art of integrating disparate sources of knowledge. Managing knowledge requires a complex combination of new tools, infrastructure, intellectual capital, processes, strategies, and their coexistence and integration with the existing ones. Although knowledge management (KM) implementation appears relatively risky and overwhelming, it starts with a few steps and requires assistance from inside and outside the organisation. This paper examines the implementation of KM from a dynamic capabilities perspective (Teece et al., 1997) and proposes a model that summarises the normative framework, which suggests that an organisation builds the requisite infrastructure to be in a position to embark on the path towards successful KM implementation. Based on a case study of a UAE based firm, this paper illustrates the utility of the framework as a guide in efforts to manage knowledge, draws practical recommendations for managers and policy makers enabling them to develop their organisations in the global knowledge economy. The paper also proposes ideas for future research.

The KCRM knowledge audit: model and case illustration

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a methodology for conducting a knowledge‐enabled customer relationship management (KCRM) knowledge audit, which involves applying knowledge auditing principles to assess the existence and implementation level of KCRM processes within an organization. This type of audit enables an organization to thoroughly review the extent to which knowledge is generated, codified, distributed and utilized while the firm is identifying, differentiating between, interacting with, and customizing products and services for its customers.Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws upon the KM, CRM, and auditing literatures to develop a KCRM knowledge audit methodology. As an illustration, the proposed methodology for KCRM knowledge auditing was applied within the service arm of a paint manufacturing firm in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Findings – The proposed methodology allows supplier organizations to systematically evaluate the extent to which their CRM approaches are...