Ki Hyuk Kang

Revisiting knowledge transfer: Effects of knowledge characteristics on organizational effort for knowledge transfer

This study analyzes the effects of knowledge characteristics on the extent of organizational effort for knowledge transfer. In this paper, three knowledge characteristics that affect organizational behavior for knowledge transfer are identified based on knowledge-based views and organizational learning theory: tacitness, difficulty, and the importance of knowledge. We establish three hypotheses on the effects of these three knowledge characteristics on the extent of effort for knowledge transfer (i.e., the frequency of contact with knowledge source), and provide empirical tests employing the dataset from project teams in a multinational consulting firm via the OLS model. Results show that tacitness, difficulty, and importance have positive effects on the frequency of contact with knowledge sources. This implies that firms exert more effort to acquire the knowledge when the knowledge is tacit, difficult, or important.

Does Partner Type Matter in R&D Collaboration for Product Innovation?

Most firms tend to utilise various types of R&D collaboration partners simultaneously and partnerships between different types of partners show different properties. Thus, the effect of R&D collaboration may vary depending on partner types. This study considers four partner types: competitors, customers, suppliers and universities. It empirically examines the effect of R&D collaboration with each type of partner on product innovation, employing the Korean Innovation Survey data. Results show that R&D collaborations with customers and universities have a positive effect on product innovation, whereas R&D collaborations with suppliers and competitors have an inverted-U shape relationship with product innovation. This result can provide an explanation to the chaotic results of previous research and assist managers in selecting appropriate R&D partner.

External technology acquisition: a double-edged sword

Firms are known to actively utilise external technology acquisition to update and extend their technological knowledge base. Although external technology acquisition has various advantages, it should be considered as a double-edged sword as it also has some inherent negative aspects. This study examines the role of external technology acquisition to investigate whether external technology acquisition is complementary or substitutive to internal R&D activities in creating innovation. The results show that external technology acquisition has an inverted U-shaped relationship with subsequent technology innovation performance, and that is not complementary to internal R&D activities. We thus confirm that external technology acquisition has to be seen as a double-edged sword and that managers need to be aware of the potentially negative effects of strong diversity of the firms external technology acquisition sources on internal R&D and subsequent innovation performance.