Alexandre Ardichvili

A theory of entrepreneurial opportunity identification and development

Abstract This paper builds on existing theoretical and empirical studies in the area of entrepreneurial opportunity identification and development. It utilizes Dubins [Theory Building, (second ed.). Free Press, New York, 1978.] theory building framework to propose a theory of the opportunity identification process. It identifies entrepreneurs personality traits, social networks, and prior knowledge as antecedents of entrepreneurial alertness to business opportunities. Entrepreneurial alertness, in its turn, is a necessary condition for the success of the opportunity identification triad: recognition, development, and evaluation. A theoretical model, laws of interaction, a set of propositions, and suggestions for further research are provided.

Cultural influences on knowledge sharing through online communities of practice

– The purpose of this study is to explore cultural factors influencing knowledge sharing strategies in virtual communities of practice., – A qualitative research design was employed. Data collection was based on in‐depth interviews. The authors assumed that such factors as degree of collectivism, competitiveness, the importance of saving face, in‐group orientation, attention paid to power and hierarchy, and culture‐specific preferences for communication modes, would explain differences in knowledge seeking and sharing patterns., – The results showed that these factors had different levels of importance among employees in the three participating countries. The issue of saving face was less important than expected in China. Modesty requirements as well as a high degree of competitiveness among employees were found to be serious barriers to information sharing in China, but not in Russia and Brazil. Perceived differences in power and hierarchy seemed to be less critical in all three countries than initially assumed., – Since this study was conducted among the online community members of Caterpillar Inc., the results could be affected by factors unique to this specific case. Thus, future research should investigate the influence of other factors such as the organizational culture, or occupational groups on knowledge sharing strategies., – Before any introduction of country‐specific knowledge sharing systems, a cultural needs assessment should be conducted., – The impact of national culture factors on knowledge sharing has been largely neglected in the literature, and the findings will assist knowledge managers charged with the design of flexible knowledge management systems.

Learning and Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Communities of Practice: Motivators, Barriers, and Enablers:

The problem and the solution . Virtual (online) communities of practice (VCoPs; when community members share and cocreate knowledge in online discussions and other forms of knowledge exchange) are increasingly viewed as important vehicles of collective learning in the workplace. Currently, factors leading to successful online knowledge sharing are not well understood. This article is based on an extensive review of online learning, knowledge management, and online communication literature, and proposes a framework for understanding motivators, barriers, and enablers for successful online knowledge sharing and learning. The framework includes key motivational factors, such as utilitarian considerations, value-based considerations, and sense of community and belonging; barriers to online knowledge sharing, including interpersonal factors, procedural and/or use of technology-related factors, and cultural norms; and enablers of VCoP knowledge sharing, including supportive organizational culture, presence of personal knowledge-based trust, and availability of adequate tools. The article concludes with specific recommendations for promoting and supporting vibrant and productive VCoPs.

Emerging Practices in Leadership Development An Introduction

The problem and the solution .This article reviews recent novel contributions to leadership development theory and practice. It provides definitions and a brief overview of leadership and leadership development, and a summary of a number of seminal and contemporary leadership theories that serve as a foundation for leadership development practice today. In addition, the article discusses emerging new directions and approaches in leadership development. Last, this introduction provides a brief overview of each of the articles in this issue of emerging practices in leadership development.

Russian and Georgian Entrepreneurs and Non-Entrepreneurs: A Study of Value Differences

This study seeks to extend the body of knowledge of international and cross-cultural entrepreneurship and management research by testing hypotheses dealing with the degree of variance in cultural values between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs in two countries of the former Soviet Union: Russia and Georgia. A total of 867 entrepreneurs, managers, and production employees responded to a survey based on Hofstede’s work-related cultural values framework. Significant differences between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs existed on three of five cultural dimensions: Power Distance, Masculinity, and Long-term Orientation. However, the study also demonstrated that, in international entrepreneurship research, making distinctions between entrepreneurs and the rest of the population is not as fruitful as contrasting entrepreneurs with specific occupational and status groups. Thus, in this study entrepreneurs were, in some cases, different from managers but similar to employees, and, in some other cases, similar to managers but different from employees. An important implication is that some values are deeper rooted in a culture’s fabric and are less malleable than others. Thus, for Russia, Power Distance and Masculinity were substantially different from the earlier reported levels, whereas Individualism and Long-term Orientation were close to them. Also, for constructs measured in this study, significant differences were found in entrepreneurial and work-related values between the two countries of the former USSR, despite similarities in economic, political, and ideological legacies.

Knowledge Management, Human Resource Development, and Internet Technology

The problem and the solution. Human resource development (HRD) professionals consider the integration of the basic HRD functions an important goal. A part of this integration involves linking online technology-based knowledge management solutions and the technology-enabled learning and development of an organization’s human potential. This chapter explores the role of online technologies in the integration of knowledge generation and sharing, and organizational and individual learning and development.

The Role of HRD in CSR, Sustainability, and Ethics A Relational Model

This article proposes a theoretical model linking human resource development (HRD), corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate sustainability (CS), and business ethics. The model development was informed by Pierre Bourdieu’s relational theory of power and practice, and by Norbert Elias’ and Michel Foucault’s theories of power and knowledge. The model suggests that CSR, CS, and ethics are parts of the same organizational subsystem, shaped by a complex interaction between human capital, individual moral development, habitus (mindsets, dispositions), organizational practices and culture, and external situational factors. The generative mechanism, or motor, driving the development and change of organizational culture, consists of power relationships that are shaped by specific figurations of various types of human capital (social, cultural, economic, and symbolic). HRD can influence this system by engaging in culture change efforts, ethics and CS-/CSR-related education and training on all levels of the organization, and raising awareness of issues of power.

International Perspectives on the Meanings of Work and Working: Current Research and Theory:

The problem and the solution. This article situates the topic of the meaning of work and working in the broader context of social science research and theory and develops a rationale for its importance for the theory and practice of human resource development. Some of the themes, anchoring the content of the following articles, are related to issues of levels of analysis in the research on meaning of working; the need for the integration of different disciplinary traditions (historical, sociological, psychological, economic); the dangers of assuming an overly individualistic position on the subject; the role of meaning of working research in understanding the issues of self-identity; and crises of meaning of working arising from unemployment, lay-offs, and growing poverty around the world.

Constructing socially situated learning experiences in human resource development: an activity theory perspective

Todays work environment is becoming increasingly volatile, and is characterized by contingent strategies and the distributed nature of expertise. These conditions necessitate the development of new types of learning interventions that would integrate learning more fully with working and account for the distributed nature of learning, knowledge and expertise. In this paper, I propose to use the activity theory to conceptualize and develop socially situated learning experiences in a variety of human resource development situations. A conceptual model and a specific example of the application of this model in a management education setting are provided.

Ethical Business Cultures: A Literature Review and Implications for HRD.

This literature review identifies characteristics of ethical business cultures, describes factors, considered to be important in developing such cultures, describes current practices of developing ethical culture programs, and discusses the role of HRD in developing ethical business cultures. We argue that ethical thinking and behavior can be learned and internalized as a result of work-based interpretive interactions, and this learning process constitutes an important part of organizational learning. Therefore, to help the organization develop an ethical culture, HRD needs to play a key role in several interrelated activities which include: culture change efforts, focused on the creation of conditions, conducive to ethical behaviors; creation of a dynamic program of ethical training for employees on all levels of the organization; and development of up-to-date codes of ethics.