Manlio Del Giudice

The impact of IT-based knowledge management systems on internal venturing and innovation: a structural equation modeling approach to corporate performance

Purpose n n n n nThe purpose of this paper is to assess the perceived importance of information technology (IT) as a core factor enabling innovation in knowledge management (KM). The aim is to propose an approach for using the IT tools for KM involved in the design of effective learning applications to help the firms to guide internal venturing development. n n n n nDesign/methodology/approach n n n n nThe research design at the base of the present research has provided a survey which was conducted on a sample consisting of 187 different companies located in the Italian provinces of Naples and Caserta, from the segments of the electronics, the computer and network systems, the software (SW) development, aimed at deepening connections and influences of the use of IT-based knowledge management system (KMS). Structural equation modeling technique has been performed to get results. n n n n nFindings n n n n nConsistent with what has been observed in previous studies (Del Giudice and Straub, 2011), the empirical analysis developed has confirmed that 72 per cent of companies surveyed has defined themselves much agree on the ability of KMS for supporting complex phenomena such as internal venturing: both encouraging the individual to become “intrapreneur”; and helping the employee to improve their performances within business processes in which they are likely to be involved. n n n n nOriginality/value n n n n nThis paper reviews key research literature issues on IT revolution for KM. With the growth of new and exciting IT opportunities, however, comes the daunting opportunity to experiment interoperable, easy to use, engaging and accessible IT applications that communicate the right information needed to reconfigure innovative mechanisms for entrepreneurism and organizational performance.

Knowledge-driven preferences in informal inbound open innovation modes. An explorative view on small to medium enterprises

Purpose n n n n nThis paper aims to investigate three key factors (i.e. cognitive dimensions, the knowledge-driven approach and absorptive capacity) that are likely to determine the preference for informal inbound open innovation (OI) modes, through the lens of the OI model and knowledge-based view (KBV). The innovation literature has differentiated these collaborations into informal inbound OI entry modes and formal inbound OI modes, offering an advocative and conceptual view. However, empirical studies on these collaborations are still limited. n n n n nDesign/methodology/approach n n n n nBuilding on the above-mentioned theoretical framework, the empirical research was performed in two stages. First, data were collected via a closed-ended questionnaire distributed to all the participants from the sample by e-mail. Second, to assess the hypotheses, structural equation modelling (SEM) via IBM® SPSS® Amos 20 was applied. n n n n nFindings n n n n nThe empirical research was conducted on 175 small to medium enterprises in the United Kingdom, suggesting that the knowledge-driven approach is the strongest determinant, leading to a preference for informal inbound OI modes. The findings were obtained using SEM and are discussed in line with the theoretical framework. n n n n nResearch limitations/implications n n n n nOwing to the chosen context and sector of the empirical analysis, the research results may lack generalisability. Hence, new studies are proposed. n n n n nPractical implications n n n n nThe paper includes implications for the development of informal inbound OI led by knowledge-driven approach. n n n n nOriginality/value n n n n nThis paper offers an empirical research to investigate knowledge-driven preferences in informal inbound OI modes.

Relazioni sistemiche tra imprenditorialità interna e gemmazione d’impresa: una ricerca empirica sulla natura cognitiva delle nuove imprese

The management of knowledge is increasingly considered as a main source of competitive advantage for corporations. It is argued that companies enjoy a competitive advantage if they know how to expand, disseminate and exploit organizational knowledge internally. Moreover, to achieve those goals the executive body is required to encourage knowledge sharing, flexibility, and adaptation to change, by spreading the entrepreneurial learning throughout all the levels of the organization. Although this attitude has positive results as it favours a better circulation of know-how within the company, on the other hand it may also generate upsetting behaviours leading to hostile spin off processes, as a result of the employees’ stratification of tacit knowledge and of cognitive maps. Then, this study assumes and empirically tests the possible relationships between firm specific knowledge stratification and corporate spin offs. By the way, spin off is assumed to be an adequate instrument for the spontaneous or induced transfer outside the parent company of tacit behavioural models, apparently similar to organizational routines, but as a matter of fact much more complex and refined: the cognitive scripts.

How are decision systems changing? The contribution of social media to the management of decisional liquefaction

Abstract The liquidity of data, information and knowledge is influencing the relationships among social and economic actors through the definition of a new socio-technical configuration in which new rules influence individual behaviours and different standards determine the success of every type of actions and decisions. In this new contest, decision-makers should understand that traditional hierarchical approaches are no longer able to face the challenges imposed by an emerging relational configuration in which decisions cannot be imposed but emerge from the interactions among actors. Aiming at supporting the definition of more affordable models of decision, the study proposes a reading key for the ongoing evolution and proposes some reflections useful for the emersion of a conceptual framework more fitting with the emerging scenario. The proposed reflections aim at supporting decision-makers in the identification of key variables likely to assure competitive advantages in the emerging social configurations.

A model for the diffusion of knowledge sharing technologies inside private transport companies

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate, inside the private sector of transport, a model for the diffusion of knowledge-sharing technologies with non-uniform internal influence that has been developed by Easingwood et al. (1983). Design/methodology/approach – The authors performed an empirical evaluation of the performances of the model by Easingwood et al. (1983) by analyzing data gathered from almost 230 taxi drivers joining two of the biggest taxi brokers operating in the Southern Italian city of Naples. Findings – Such an analysis reveals that the model by Easingwood et al. (1983) provides an excellent agreement with the empirical data and allows to obtain interesting predictions on the future evolution of the sector performances in terms of increasing use of knowledge-sharing technologies within the taxi drivers’ community of practice (CoP). Research limitations/implications – In particular, the authors show that a unique solution always exists, which is defined on the whole (positive) set of times ...

An exploration of contemporary organizational artifacts and routines in a sustainable excellence context

Purpose n n n n nOrganizations and their members operate in increasingly complex, dynamic and even disruptive environments, with risk and uncertainty being major challenges. To that effect, data, information, knowledge, and respective competences are increasingly instrumental in enabling and sustaining organizational intelligence that translates into resilience in the shorter and sustainable excellence in the longer term. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore the role of the artifacts and routines in a sustainable organizational excellence context. n n n n nDesign/methodology/approach n n n n nAn extensive literature review was used to develop the context of the paper, focusing on big data and organizational intelligence for enterprise excellence and resilience. In addition, a thematic literature review method was used to study the role and impacts of routines and artifacts in organizational change, policies, structure and performance. n n n n nFindings n n n n nAlthough many traditional management practices retain their validity, knowledge management must give a clearer view of the existing connection between firm-level competitive advantage in open economies flows and difficult-to-use knowledge assets. The proposed framework studies knowledge exploration and knowledge exploitation as organizational phenomena opposed and mutually incompatible. n n n n nOriginality/value n n n n nThe paper presents a first attempt to study the linkages of organizational routines and artifacts as a cycle wherein knowledge acquisition and learning competencies form and enhance a firm’s organizational intelligence, leading to robust competitiveness and sustainable entrepreneurship.

Corporate disclosure and intellectual capital: the light side of information asymmetry

The paper aims to undertake an in-depth analysis role and contribution of voluntary corporate disclosure and intellectual capital to improve the quality of relationships between companies and the market. Building upon the conceptual framework offered by signalling theory and legitimacy theory, a conceptual approach is used to identify possible advancements in the management of voluntary corporate disclosure and intellectual capital. To support the reflections herein, some evidence of the increasing relevance of human resources and the consequence of participation of human resources in the definition of corporate strategies is analysed in the perspective of information asymmetry. The papers highlight the need for companies: (1) to develop approaches better able to feel the market; (2) to exploit the contribution of human resources in understanding the market; (3) to improve approaches to corporate disclosure based on the contribution of intellectual capital in order to reduce information asymmetry within the market.

Knowledge sharing and exchange of information within bank and firm networks: the role of the intangibles on the access to credit

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to theoretically develop the idea that the intangible value of the collaboration between firms and the banking system can influence the probability of default (PD) on the part of firms and, therefore, their rating. The authors also propose that collaboration between banks and firms has a positive effect not only on the access to credit but also on the innovation activities and on the intervention of foreign capital in the ownership of Italian businesses. Design/methodology/approach – As pointed out by the literature on smaller businesses finance, investments widely rely on credit availability. Tests using data on a sample investigation involving 5,587 firms, operating in 17 manufacturing sectors in Italy, support the majority of the proposed ideas. Findings – The empirical investigation shows that only some aspects of the collaboration between enterprises and banks influence the PD, the investments in R&D and the internationalisation of ownership of the enterprises. ...

Influences of cognitive dimensions on the collaborative entry mode choice of small- and medium-sized enterprises

Purpose n n n n nThe purpose of this paper is to address internationalisation of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by specifically focussing on collaborative entry modes. Despite significant research done on market entry and internationalisation strategies of firms, the use of collaborative entry modes by SMEs during internationalisation has not received a lot of attention. The authors contribute to foreign market entry studies by analysing the influences of cognitive dimensions on collaborative entry mode choice (equity vs non-equity modes) of SMEs in their international markets. n n n n nDesign/methodology/approach n n n n nThe authors analyse the influences of cognitive dimensions on the choice between equity-based vs non-equity-based collaborative entry modes. The empirical sample consists of internationalisation strategies of 345 Italian SMEs, where the authors used a questionnaire to collect the data. The authors use structural equation modelling to analyse influences of factors like asymmetric information, informal institutional distance, time trends of country, perception of size and resources of potential host country partners, and perception of host country partners’ power on this important market entry mode. n n n n nFindings n n n n nThe results show that high informal institutional distance leads to preference of non-equity-based collaborative entry mode by Italian SMEs. The authors also find that positive time trends of the host country, positive perception of size and resource of the local partner, as well as the local partners’ power leads to preference of equity-based collaborative entry mode by Italian SMEs. n n n n nOriginality/value n n n n nThis study focusses on an ignored aspect of market entry strategies, i.e., equity vs non-equity collaborative entry mode choice of SMEs. The authors use insights from resource-based view and cognitive dimensions literature, to address the influences of five cognitive dimensions on the collaborative entry mode choice of SMEs during their internationalisation.

International diversification and firm performance: a four-stage model

Purpose n n n n nThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between international diversification (ID) and performance in multinational firms by proposing a new and unified theory of multinationality that incorporates, integrates and extends previous concepts and hypotheses. n n n n nDesign/methodology/approach n n n n nThe study relies on data concerning the world’s largest companies, derived from the Fortune Global 500. An OLS regression analysis has been carried out in order to test a four-stage relationship between ID and performance. n n n n nFindings n n n n nOn a final sample of 391 multinationals, this paper provides an empirical evidence that support the existence of a four-stage theory by using a relevant sample of “top” multinational firms. n n n n nResearch limitations/implications n n n n nThis study has two main limitations: first, a single indicator was used to measure ID; second, some potential variables have had to be excluded due to data availability. n n n n nPractical implications n n n n nThis paper offers some intriguing practical implications, as well: first, it points out to some thresholds where performances are higher at certain level of ID; second, it highlights that performance will face two kinds of decreases due to intra-regional and inter-regional liability of foreignness; finally, it individuates differences with regard to some firms’ characteristics such as home or host country’s behaviors and about the kind of industries in which they operate, as well. n n n n nOriginality/value n n n n nThis is one of the first studies that tests and finds positive evidences about a four-stage theory, regarding to the relationship between ID and performance. Moreover, it proposes other interesting results with regard to the differences between home vs host country-oriented firms and between manufacturing vs services multinational firms.