Chong Ju Choi

Creating a knowledge‐based city: the example of Hsinchu Science Park

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the role of tacit knowledge in successful knowledge‐based cities. It focuses on a case study of Hsinchu Science Park in Taiwan. The growth of successful knowledge‐based cities is dependent on three interrelated processes that create and transfer tacit knowledge in cities: local knowledge creation, transfer of knowledge from external sources and transfer of that knowledge into productive activities. Researchers need to focus on processes for the creation and transfer of tacit knowledge in cities, and designers and policy makers of knowledge‐based cities need to focus on creating tacit knowledge in cities. Discusses the connection between tacit knowledge and growth of global cities.

Singapore in transition: from technology to culture hub

Purpose – This paper aims to present an approach to the knowledge‐based economy that focuses on the developmental synergies between technology (especially information and communication technologies), culture and place (hub) as expressed in the innovative milieu of the inner city.Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws on research in city and urban planning, which emphasizes the importance of quality of a place, location or city and the more intentional emphasis given to development of human and cultural resources, which are conducive to innovation, learning, creativity and change in a knowledge‐based economy.Findings – Singapore is chosen as a case study of analysis for a knowledge‐based economy in transition because of its developmental approach and strategic shift from one focused on technology‐intensive sectors to one focused on high knowledge‐intensive companies and towards a free‐spirited dynamic creative hub in the making. It displays many characteristics typical of a knowledge‐based economy ...

Knowledge repositories in knowledge cities: institutions, conventions and knowledge subnetworks

Suggests another dimension of research in, and application of, knowledge management. This theoretical paper adopts a conceptual, multi‐disciplinary approach. First, knowledge can be stored and transmitted via institutions. Second, knowledge “subnetworks” or smaller groupings within larger networks can become key repositories of knowledge. The concept of knowledge “subnetworks” needs to be tested against empirical evidence, which should include a cross‐national comparison of knowledge‐based cities. The paper provides some insights to policy makers in designing or developing global cities. It is one of the few papers that discusses the connection between knowledge management and growth of global cities.

Development and knowledge resources: a conceptual analysis

– The purpose of this conceptual paper is to provide a typology of governance structures (three were identified) that offers an integrated approach to understanding knowledge as a global resource and facilitates research on the growing competition for knowledge resources between multinational corporations (MNCs) from developing and developed economies in this twenty‐first century., – The paper analyzes and structures the social science research on the importance of knowledge as a resource and the role of MNCs in the knowledge creation and dissemination process. Second, the global debate on globalization, economic inequalities and economic development, the role of the state and international public policy, and the nature of international political economy and collective action was discussed. Third, a typology of three governance structures was introduced., – The paper provides a three‐fold typology of governance structures, exchange, gifts and entitlement, to clarify knowledge as a resource in international business and development research., – The continuing prominence of MNCs in the context of the up and coming MNCs from the developing world will make the analysis of knowledge as a resource even more fundamental., – The integrated approach to the literature of economics, social sciences, anthropology, IB, and the formulation of a typology of governance structures for global knowledge resources MNCs from developed and developing economies are competing for, against a general framework for understanding the nature of knowledge resources and their role in development, especially on how knowledge resources can be created, governed, distributed and exchanged, has not been provided as yet – hence the value of this paper.

The State in Science, Technology and Innovation Districts: Conceptual Models for China

Abstract Throughout the world the creation of successful technology districts has become a major issue for public policy makers. This paper analyses the potential role of the state in entrepreneurship and the creation of technology districts, and outlines implications for Chinas social market economy. We identify three types of technology districts: (1) market-driven technology districts such as Silicon Valley in the USA and Cambridge in the UK; (2) state-driven technology districts targeting foreign multinational companies, such as Sophia Antipolis in France and Singapore; (3) state-driven technology districts which nurture local companies, such as the Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park in Taiwan. We believe that these three typologies provide the foundation for better understanding the potential role of the state in science and technology for China in the early 21st century.

The innovative future of service industries: (anti-)globalization and commensuration

This paper is about the innovative future of service industries, with a focus on knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). The authors discuss the unique characteristics of service industries, the effects of internet technology and standardization in the realm of globalization and the future global knowledge based society. The paper analyses the link between the assessment of KIBS – by both stakeholders and clients – and commensuration, which is defined as comparing different entities to a common metric and measurement. This conceptual paper argues that the temptation to ‘quantify’ the value of KIBS as if they were commodities in global free markets is mistaken and especially problematic in a knowledge based society and that the necessary conceptual framework will include commensuration and possibly concepts from the sociological study of exchange and gift-giving.

Open source communities: an integrally informed approach

Purpose – To reframe analysis of the open source software (OSS) phenomenon from an AQAL perspectiveDesign/methodology/approach – The approach is a review of current research thinking and application of the AQAL framework to suggest resolution of polarizations.Findings – The authors find that AQAL is valuable as an integrating framework allowing a more holistic understanding of the complex economic, social and cultural characteristics of open source communities.Originality/value – The original value of this paper is to link, within the AQAL framework, current parallel streams of OSS research, the traditional economic and the social and anthropological, by introducing considerations of psychological contract and intrinsic motivation.

Reputation, learning and quality uncertainty

Claims that, for many types of product, quality can be uncertain even after purchase and use, especially in services industries. Asks, if consumers cannot “learn” about the quality of a firm’s products, then what criteria will consumers use to judge product quality? Aims to develop a conceptual basis for analyzing this phenomenon structured around the idea that consumers use informational “surrogates.” Explains that such surrogates in turn have to be learned by consumers and also signaled by firms. Suggests that many such surrogates are based on the idea at the heart of herding behavior where prospective buyers group with others, so that they can use choices made by others as information to support their own choices. States that, under such conditions, factors such as the “size” of a firm’s client base, or the “age” of the firm may help consumers to learn about the firm’s product quality.

Organizational change in stakeholder business systems: the role of institutions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is threefold: to contribute to the increasing global debate in organization theory about corporate ethics; to focus on the importance of measurement costs and its influence on organizational change in stakeholder systems; and to provide a framework for overcoming the inherent ambiguity and increased measurement costs associated with stakeholder business systems.Design/methodology/approach – The approach is to analyze the importance of institutional certification and indirect measurement indicators, which are defined as indices to develop a dynamic framework capable of evaluating change in stakeholder business systems.Findings – The stakeholder business system, a dominant system in continental European countries, as well as various countries in Asia, requires involvement by multiple actors, including financial markets, banks, employees, government.Research limitations/implications – Further research is necessary to analyze in more depth the way organization value can be ...

Client base, age and competitive advantage in the services sector

For many types of products, quality can be uncertain even after purchase and use; this applies especially in services industries. The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual basis for analysing this phenomenon structured around the idea that suppliers and product users use informational “surrogates” to overcome ex post uncertainty about purchase quality. Many such surrogates are based on the idea at the heart of herding behaviour where prospective buyers group with others, i.e. join a herd, so that they can utilize the observed effects of choices made by others as information to support their own chokes. Under such conditions, the “size” of a selling organizations client base provides a competitive advantage; analogously, the organizations “age” also provides an advantage. Our ideas are illustrated by references to examples drawn from service industries such as insurance, banking and legal services.