Mark Dodgson

Organizational Learning: A Review of Some Literatures

Organizational learning is currently the focus of considerable attention, and it is addressed by a broad range of literatures. Organization theory, industrial econ omics, economic history, and business, management and innovation studies all approach the question of how organizations learn. A number of branches of psychology are also revealing on the issue. This paper assesses these various literatures by examining the insights they allow in three main areas: first, the goals of organizational learning; second, the learning processes in organizations; and third, the ways in which organizational learning may be facilitated and impeded. It contends that while the various literatures are revealing in particular aspects of organizational learning, a more complete understanding of its complexity requires a multi-disciplinary approach. The contributions of the different approaches are analyzed, and some areas are suggested where the transfer of analytical concepts may improve understanding.

The handbook of industrial innovation

Part 1 the nature, sources and outcomes of industrial innovation. Part 2 Sectoral and industrial studies of innovation. Part 3 Key issues affecting innovation. Part 4 The strategic management of innovation. Part 5 Future challenges of innovation in a global perspective.

Learning, Trust, and Technological Collaboration

Companies increasingly collaborate in their technological activities. Collaboration enables firms to learn about uncertain and turbulent technological change, and enhances their ability to deal with novelty. A number of studies reveal the importance for successful collaboration of high levels of inter-personal trust between scientists, engineers, and managers in the different partners. However, these individual relationships are vulnerable to labor turnover and inter-personal difficulties. Using two examples of highly successful technological collaborations, it is argued that the survival of such relationships in the face of these inevitable inter-personal problems requires the establishment of interorganizational trust. Such trust is characterized by community of interest, organizational cultures receptive to external inputs, and widespread and continually supplemented knowledge among employees of the status and purpose of the collaboration.

Technological collaboration in industry : strategy, policy and internationalization in innovation

1. Technology in Industry 2. Technological Collaboration in Industry 3. Why Collaboration? 4. Theoretical Approaches to Collaboration 5. Collaboration and Innovation - the case of biotechnology 6. Collaboration and Innovation - networks, intermediaries and standards 7. Public Policy and Technological Collaboration 8. Technological Collaboration and Corporate Strategy 9. Internationalization and Technological Collaboration 10. Technological Collaboration in Japan 11. The Collaborative Technological Activities of Small Firms 12. The Management of Technological Collaboration 13. The New Challenges of Technological Collaboration.

European Technology Policy Evolution - Convergence Towards Smes and Regional Technology-Transfer

Abstract The paper briefly maps trends in public policies towards stimulating industrial technological change, from the largely uncoordinated ‘science policies’ and ‘industrial policies’ of the 1960s; to the more integrated ‘innovation policies’ of the 1970s; to the collaborative, pre-competitive research-based ‘technology policies’ of the 1980s. These changes were accompanied by increasing collaboration between government departments involved in the formulation and implementation of S&T policies. More recently within Europe (and beyond), policy emphasis has been on the technological strengthening of the so-called development regions, largely through the enhancement and creation of regional technology transfer infrastructures, and on intensifying efforts to assist the innovatory endeavours of SMEs. National programmes within Europe have been paralleled by programmes of the European Commission in Brussels.

The strategic management of R&D collaboration

For many firms collaborative R&D is an important component of their technology strategies. R&D collaboration can provide valuable supplementary technological knowledge for firms, building technological capacity. Due to the additional problems of managing R&D in collaboration, rather than entirely in-house, outcomes from it are often uncertain and benefits are hard-earned. This paper, based on a literature review, and on six case-studies of firms experienced in collaboration, examines some of these problems. Because of the high management costs of collaboration, the length of tme needed to build effective communications paths between different organisations, and the specific technological nature of these forms of inter-firm linkage R&D collaboration should be a strategic toncern. Partner selection should be made, and the collaboration conducted, on the basis of the expectation of a continuing relationship encouraging mutual learning and based on a high degree of trust.

The Oxford handbook of innovation management

INTRODUCTION THE SOURCES OF INNOVATION THE CONTEXT FOR INNOVATION STRATEGY, MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION

Indicators used to measure the innovation process: defects and possible remedies

Some diverse indicators used to measure the innovation process are considered. They include those with an aggregate, and often national, focus, and rely on data from scientific publications, patents and RD improved capacity to measure it has implications for policy-makers, managers and researchers. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.

THE INTENSIFICATION OF INNOVATION

This paper suggests that the innovation process has intensified as a result of the application of new digital technologies. These technologies that simulate, model and integrate, intensify the innovation process through facilitating economy of effort and definiteness of aim. Of all the many analytical lenses used to examine innovation, the most valuable in accounting for this “automation of innovation” is Rothwells concept of the 5th Generation Innovation Process. Our paper revisits this element of Rothwells (1992) prize-winning article in R&D Management. It reviews the use of a range of enabling technologies and strategic management practices for the automation of innovation that were either in gestation or unknown at the time of Rothwells paper. Rothwells speculation about the increased “electronification” of the innovation process, and of related technological and strategic integration, has proven to be correct. The use of the new “electronic toolkit” can transform the innovation process by facilitating the transfer, transformation and control of information. Using insights from contemporary innovation and management research, this paper examines the benefits and limitations of these digital technologies in dealing with the challenges of innovation of reducing costs and increasing speed, predictability and strategic organisational integration. It presents a conceptual framework for assessing the intensification of innovation and outlines some strategic managerial precepts that will facilitate effective use of these technologies. The paper concludes with speculations about future developments in the intensification of innovation and its impact for strategic management, together with questions for further research.

Contributing factors to the diffusion of IT within small and medium-sized firms in Indonesia

Abstract This paper investigates factors contributing to the diffusion and adoption of IT within small and medium-sized firms in Indonesia. Multiple case studies were used to answer detailed research questions and to reach the qualitative aspects of IT diffusion at the level of the firm. Based on the exploratory nature of the study, it is believed that internal innovative capabilities of firms have a prominent role in facilitating IT diffusion. This factor is made up of three proxy variables: level of IT knowledge, level of IT investment and coherent IT strategy reflecting the circumstances by which small and medium-sized firms in this developing country are able to respond to possible technological changes. The existence of government support and industry-academia linkages is also a contributing factor to the diffusion and adoption of IT in firms.