Ralph Heidl

Knowledge, Networks, and Knowledge Networks: A Review and Research Agenda

A large and growing body of empirical research shows that social relationships and the networks these relationships constitute are influential in explaining the processes of knowledge creation, diffusion, absorption, and use. The authors refer to such networks as “knowledge networks.” They advance an understanding of knowledge networks at multiple levels by conducting a systematic review and analysis of empirical research published on this topic in leading management, psychology, sociology, and economics journals. The authors develop a comprehensive framework that organizes the knowledge networks literature, which they use to review extant empirical research within and across multiple disciplines and levels of analysis. They identify points of coherence and conflict in theoretical arguments and empirical results within and across levels and identify emerging themes and promising areas for future research.

Knowledge, Networks, and Knowledge Networks

A large and growing body of empirical research shows that social relationships and the networks these relationships constitute are influential in explaining the processes of knowledge creation, diffusion, absorption, and use. The authors refer to such networks as “knowledge networks.” They advance an understanding of knowledge networks at multiple levels by conducting a systematic review and analysis of empirical research published on this topic in leading management, psychology, sociology, and economics journals. The authors develop a comprehensive framework that organizes the knowledge networks literature, which they use to review extant empirical research within and across multiple disciplines and levels of analysis. They identify points of coherence and conflict in theoretical arguments and empirical results within and across levels and identify emerging themes and promising areas for future research.

The Promise and Perils of Wearable Sensors in Organizational Research

Rapid advances in mobile computing technology have the potential to revolutionize organizational research by facilitating new methods of data collection. The emergence of wearable electronic sensors in particular harbors the promise of making the large-scale collection of high-resolution data related to human interactions and social behavior economically viable. Popular press and practitioner-oriented research outlets have begun to tout the game-changing potential of wearable sensors for both researchers and practitioners. We systematically examine the utility of current wearable sensor technology for capturing behavioral constructs at the individual and team levels. In the process, we provide a model for performing validation work in this new domain of measurement. Our findings highlight the need for organizational researchers to take an active role in the development of wearable sensor systems to ensure that the measures derived from these devices and sensors allow us to leverage and extend the extant knowledge base. We also offer a caution regarding the potential sources of error arising from wearable sensors in behavioral research.

Divisive Faultlines and the Unplanned Dissolutions of Multipartner Alliances

Received wisdom suggests that multipartner alliances are relatively unstable because of their complexity and the increased potential for free riding. Nonetheless, multipartner alliances do benefit from built-in stabilizing third-party ties that mitigate opportunism and conflict between partner pairs. Previous empirical research on multipartner alliance stability has been inconclusive. We shed some light on these inconsistencies by recognizing that within multipartner alliances, schisms can occur not only between a pair of partners but also between subgroups of partners that are divided by faultlines. We suggest that divisive faultlines can form between subgroups of partners within a multipartner alliance as a function of their prior experience with one another. When a subgroup of alliance partners has relatively strong ties to each other and weak ties to other partners, destabilizing factions can develop that hamper reciprocity among the partners. Using a longitudinal analysis of 59 multipartner alliances, we found that, in general, faultlines as modeled by the dispersion of tie strength within multipartner alliances increase the hazard of unplanned dissolutions. We also found that multipartner alliances comprising a mix of centrally and peripherally positioned partners within the industry network were less apt to suffer the effects of divisive faultlines. We suggest that this is due to the greater opportunity costs of dissolution and the presence of relatively high-status partners who can act as peacekeepers and coordinators of their lower-status partners.

A Comparative Analysis of Patent Assertion Entities in Markets for Intellectual Property Rights

The patent assertion entity is a relatively new organizational form that neither invents nor commercializes products, but acts as a distributor of intellectual property rights between inventors and commercializing entities. We combine measurement and governance branches of transaction cost theory to compare the efficiency of market intermediation by patent assertion entities to that of bilateral licensing agreements, patent pools, and firm integration. We consider the level of complementarity between patents and the breadth of their commercial applications to develop four general intellectual property configurations that depict distinct relationships between patent supply and patent demand. The costs and benefits of the various governance alternatives are then weighed for each configuration to identify when each alternative is likely to be most efficient. Our analysis suggests that patent assertion entities are most efficient in allocating intellectual property rights when there is substantial patent complementarity such that value is created through patent bundling, and these bundles are applicable across a broad range of product lines such that the costs of measuring infringement and its damages are substantial. We consider how the imperfections of patents as contracts between inventors and society in conjunction with rapid technological evolution contribute to the growth of patent assertion entities. This analysis provides some guidance for managers on how to appropriate value from intellectual property.

Wearable bluetooth sensors for capturing relational variables and temporal variability in relationships: A construct validation study.

The advent of wearable sensor technologies has the potential to transform organizational research by offering the unprecedented opportunity to collect continuous, objective, highly granular data over extended time periods. Recent evidence has demonstrated the potential utility of Bluetooth-enabled sensors, specifically, in identifying emergent networks via colocation signals in highly controlled contexts with known distances and groups. Although there is proof of concept that wearable Bluetooth sensors may be able to contribute to organizational research in highly controlled contexts, to date there has been no explicit psychometric construct validation effort dedicated to these sensors in field settings. Thus, the two studies described here represent the first attempt to formally evaluate longitudinal Bluetooth data streams generated in field settings, testing their ability to (a) show convergent validity with respect to traditional self-reports of relational data; (b) display discriminant validity with respect to qualitative differences in the nature of alternative relationships (i.e., advice vs. friendship); (c) document predictive validity with respect to performance; (d) decompose variance in network-related measures into meaningful within- and between-unit variability over time; and (e) complement retrospective self-reports of time spent with different groups where there is a “ground truth” criterion. Our results provide insights into the validity of Bluetooth signals with respect to capturing variables traditionally studied in organizational science and highlight how the continuous data collection capabilities made possible by wearable sensors can advance research far beyond that of the static perspectives imposed by traditional data collection strategies.

The Role of Examiner Workload and Applicant Reputation in Intellectual Property Protection

Management research has long recognized intellectual property rights (IPR) as a significant barrier to imitation. However, imperfections in the patenting process and associated litigation lead to significant uncertainty in patent scope and validity. The United States Patent Office (USPTO) is commissioned to adjudicate IP rights independent of applicant identity based solely on the novelty, usefulness and value of a technological advance. But patent examiners evaluate applications under conditions of high workload, sometimes using cognitive shortcuts when evaluating a patent application. Using behavioral theory (Cyert & March, 1963) and the organizational ecology literature we argue and empirically test that increasing examiner workload and applicant reputation are related to patent application outcomes.