M. Paz Salmador

The Interrelationships Among Informal Institutions, Formal Institutions, and Inward Foreign Direct Investment

This research contributes to institutional theory by examining the influence of informal institutions on formal institutions and the effects of formal institutions on inward foreign direct investment. In particular, the authors integrate prior research from multiple disciplines to identify and to examine the roles of a country’s formal regulatory, political, and economic institutions. The results suggest that the country’s informal institutions, in the form of the cultural dimensions of collectivism and future orientation, shape the country’s formal institutions. In turn, each of the three formal institutions affects the country’s level of inward foreign direct investment differently. To facilitate future research, the authors also provide a set of measures for formal institutions in 50 countries.

Tangible slack versus intangible resources: the influence of technology slack and tacit knowledge on the capability of organisational learning to generate innovation and performance

Literature has stated contradictory arguments about the importance of tangible and intangible resources. Meanwhile, the knowledge literature insists on the importance of tacit knowledge and a more traditional innovation literature and many practitioners have preferred to be focused on the importance of specific and tangible resources in organisational learning to generate innovative processes. In particular, the second perspective highlights the abundance of technological resources given the growing importance of information technology. Our sample of 575 technological firms operating in Spain shows that both resources are required to successfully implement the capability of organisational learning. Besides showing the positive relationship between this capability and the variables of innovation and performance, our results find that tangible and intangible resources have positive relationships with innovation and performance. In any case, our analysis allows us to discover the particularly strong influenc...

Diffusion of organisational innovation: knowledge transfer through social networks

This paper discusses the linkages between Social Network Theory (Granovetter, 1973) and Organisational Knowledge Theory (Polanyi, 1966; Nonaka, 1994; Nonaka et al., 2001) as it relates to the diffusion of organisational innovation within large organisations. The focus is on examining these theoretical interrelationships in three case studies, delving into major change projects in three large telecommunications firms. The findings indicate that weak ties are vital when the focus is on explicit knowledge, while strong ties are vital when the focus is on tacit knowledge. Further, a model is posed to expand this theoretical interrelationship to include a third dimension: the knowledge source.

Knowledge creation as a dynamic capability: implications for innovation management and organisational design

The paper presents the different types of knowledge involved in the process of knowledge creation, and analyses the main implications of such distinctions that managers need to consider in their attempt to build the dynamic capability of knowledge creation in the firm.

Total Quality Management: A critical analysis from a complexity approach

This article examines the effects of the adoption and implementation of typical Total Quality Management in an airline as an adaptive complex system. Our results, as they emerged from an in-depth case study in VARIG Brazilian Airlines, suggest that the specific TQM methods and procedures seem to be too mechanistic for such a complex environment. Based on our findings we propose that an adaptation of the typical TQM concepts and tools considering the paradigm of complexity with an organic approach may be more effective and produce actual and lasting changes in this kind of organisation.

Advances in the identification and measurement of Intellectual Capital and future developments in the Intellectual Capital research agenda: experience of the Intellectus Model and proposal of a synthetic index

Nowadays knowledge has become a key asset for firms in order to build a sustainable competitive advantage. The environment changes quickly and knowledge, and therefore the management of the Intellectual Capital (IC) of the firm, is a critical factor to take advantage of the opportunities. Despite relevant efforts in the field, the emphasis on its study is relatively new. The work is challenging because of the nature of intangible assets based on knowledge and the derived problems involved in their identification and strategic assessment. This paper focuses on experience of the Intellectus Model, analysing the main results obtained during the past 9 years and related to more than 50 applications in different kinds of organization. As a result, a gap between theory and practice is identified and discussed, as well as the main guidelines for the presentation of IC reporting and the proposal of a synthetic index that summarize the main variables which compose different forms of capital.

Strategic management of intellectual capital in firms: attempting to bridge the gap between theory and practice

Knowledge Management Research & Practice (2013) 11, 99–100. doi:10.1057/kmrp.2013.20 The increasing difference between company market value and company book value has prompted academics and practitioners to consider the concept of ‘intellectual capital’ (IC) as a key determinant of the process of value creation for companies, stakeholders, and society as a whole. In this sense, the identification and evaluation of knowledge, and other intangibles that produce or create value in the present, as well as knowledge and other intangibles that will produce or create value in the future in the firm, are main concerns related to wealth creation in the context of the Knowledge Economy. The development of IC theory has primarily been guided by the ideas and thoughts of a handful of influential practitioners, including Sveiby (1997) and Edvinsson (Edvinsson & Malone, 1997). These pioneers established the foundations of the way in which intangible factors determine the success of companies. Further contributions from other academics and practitioners have developed and refined the theory. Today, this theory is the pre-eminent guide to the management of intangible assets, attempting to facilitate success through sustainable competitive advantage for leading companies and organisations. But how are companies implementing these theories, and what challenges and limitations are they finding during the process? This Special Issue is dedicated to the exploration of how research and practice of IC at a firm level converge, with particular emphasis on the existing gaps between the two realms. The papers included are of a theoretical, technical, and practical nature, which are related to the actual practical applicability of theoretical models, in order to try to advance the field and bridge the gap between the theory and practice of IC. These contributions stem from a broad and holistic approach in the understanding of IC. A broad approach implies the understanding of IC, either comprising Human Capital, Structural Capital, and Relational Capital, or related to the core competences/core capabilities that can be defined as a bundle of intangible assets, which participate in the value creation process. A holistic approach refers to an internal and/or external view of IC, including perspectives such as strategy, human resources, intellectual property, innovation, and monitoring, among others. The goal has been to provide contributions referring to the analyses of different models that have proven to be effective, proposals of general frameworks that advance the existing literature and practice, as well as critiques of existing approaches. The papers are related to the understanding and conceptualisation of IC in firms as understood by the firms themselves; the presentation of experiences and practical applications of IC models at a micro level; the analysis of advantages and limitations of the existing IC organisational models; and the identification of challenges, as well as future lines of research related to IC models in organisations. Knowledge Management Research & Practice (2013) 11, 99–100 & 2013 Operational Research Society Ltd. All rights reserved 1477–8238/13