Richard Li-Hua

Technology management in China: a global perspective and challenging issues

Purpose – This paper reviews the framework of the management of technology (MOT) field and examines some application cases of technological development and innovation in China. It addresses various crucial issues necessary in the establishment of infrastructure, strategies, mechanisms and systems of technology management in China. It draws upon knowledge acquired from the US experience in this field for the past two decades.Design/methodology/approach – An overview and conceptual paper based on observations and research experience.Findings – This paper stresses the importance of keeping‐up with the fast pace of technological change and the emerging new global paradigms of the business environment. MOT is an important strategic instrument to improve competitiveness and create prosperity in countries that effectively apply it. The paper draws upon the experience of the US in MOT over the past two decades and projects what may be needed for China to continue its development and economic growth in the future....

Knowledge management in the Chinese public sector: empirical investigation

Purpose – This paper aims to examine knowledge management (KM) processes and its implementation in the public sector in China and seeks to identify success factors that influence KM and attempts to address various key issues in the process in a hope to raise awareness of KM as a potential solution to improve the performance in the public sector.Design/methodology/approach – A case study and research experience are presented.Findings – The study suggests that KM in the public sector still in its infancy and has a long way to go in the KM journey. However, the study has identified a certain number of factors that are essential to the success of the KM initiative and program in the public sector, of which, the appropriateness and effectiveness of knowledge sharing is more important in the public sector than in the private sector. The study examines current situation in terms of KM activities in the public sector in China and fuelled the debate concerning KM in the public sector.Practical implications – The o...

Examining the appropriateness and effectiveness of technology transfer in China

Purpose – This paper seeks to address the appropriateness and effectiveness of technology transfer based on the extant literature reviews and the structured survey data in Jiangsu, Henan and Xinjiang, China.Design/methodology/approach – Structured survey followed by a correlation analysis with the CORREL function in Excel.Findings – This paper describes a structured survey undertaken in Jiangsu Province, Henan Province and Xinjiang Autonomous Region, PRC, which examines a particular aspect of technology transfer within Sino‐foreign joint ventures. The findings suggested important implications for the relationship between technology transfer and economic development. Moreover, the identification of the peculiarities of both technology transfer and knowledge transfer has led to the thorough examination of appropriateness and effectiveness of technology transfer. This study is thought‐provoking in establishing the blockage of tacit knowledge transfer and suggests means by which tacit knowledge transfer could...

Benchmarking China firm competitiveness: a strategic framework

Purpose – This editorial aims to review various theoretical frameworks in measuring firm competences, including marketing competences, strategic flexibility, innovation capacity building of organizations and attempts to propose a conceptual framework to benchmark and rank the Chinese firms in terms of competitiveness.Design/methodology/approach – An overview and conceptual paper based on observations and research experience. Drawing on the prevalent theoretical models of building up competitiveness and reports from well established research centres, government and international associations worldwide, this paper presents a strategic framework for evaluating and measuring firm competitiveness in China.Findings – The paper stresses the importance of keeping‐up with the fast pace of technological change and the emerging new global paradigms of the business environment. It addresses the development trajectory and the way through which firms can contribute to capacity building and the creation of competitive a...

What will Make China an Innovation-Oriented Country?

Purpose – “China phenomena” is changing the knowledge balance of the world. Many countries, in particular, Western countries, are carefully following the development and change of Chinas technology system and innovation policy. After turning itself into the worlds manufacturing powerhouse, China aims to be an innovation‐oriented country. The purpose of this paper is to list some of the key factors which favor or hinder Chinas efforts to build an innovative economy.Design/methodology/approach – The paper lists some of the key factors, which favor or hinder Chinas efforts to build an innovation‐oriented country. The factors identified are summarized from a literature review on studies about Chinas efforts to build innovation capabilities.Findings – The paper finds that three key factors favor Chinas efforts to build an innovation‐oriented country, including escalating R&D spending, the upgrading of technological capabilities and global linkages. Four central challenges are facing China, such as how to...

Corporate entrepreneurship and market performance: an empirical study in China

Purpose – This paper reviews literature of corporate entrepreneurship (CE) and explores the relationship between CE and market performance in China by taking a disaggregated approach after developing a reliable and valid scale of CE.Design/methodology/approach – The empirical paper is based on questionnaire survey and statistical analysis.Findings – This paper identifies the key dimensions of CE and finds that each dimension exerts differentiated impacts on market performance of firms in China.Originality/value – Nowadays, more and more studies have been conducted on entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial orientation, intrapreneurship or CE. However, no agreement has been reached about the key dimensions of CE and much less is know about the generalizability of related research findings in emerging economies. This paper is intended to bridge these gaps.

Knowledge transfer in international educational collaboration programme

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the literature of international development strategy of high education and examine what is happening currently in terms of education collaboration between the UK and China and attempt to address various challenges in capacity building through knowledge transfer.Design/methodology/approach – Theoretical analysis supported by observation and interviews.Findings – The study has identified that there are a certain number of elements, which are crucial to the success of international educational collaboration, of which, the appropriateness and effectiveness of knowledge transfer/knowledge sharing is vital to the capacity building of higher educational institutions. The study examines on‐going Sino‐British education collaboration programme and fuelled the debate concerning knowledge transfer/knowledge sharing in high education between the developed and developing countries.Originality/value – Based on a comprehensive examination and analysis of the process of kno...

Strategic Aspects of Innovation and Internationalization in Higher Education: the Salford PMI2 experience

Purpose – As globalization increasingly affects the university sector around the world, there is a great advantage being placed on those universities that can respond timely and flexibly with appropriate innovation and internationalization strategies. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature of strategic aspects of innovation and internationalization in higher education. Based upon the premises of the Salford Prime Ministers Initiative 2 (PMI2) project, this paper aims to develop a theoretical framework which demonstrates how various objectives of innovation and internationalization can be translated and achieved in a learning organization context.Design/methodology/approach – Theoretical analysis supported by empirical experiences. The paper explores the ideas and links between globalization and innovation/internationalization in higher education. The main concern of the paper is the implementation strategy of innovation and internationalization rather than the concepts and process of innov...

Trend of knowledge management in China: challenges and opportunities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore challenges and opportunities in knowledge management (KM) research trends in China.Design/methodology/approach – The literature review presents the status quo of China KM research from a world‐wide perspective and Chinas economy today. Then the paper explains theoretical analysis of KM development and future trend in the West. The third part of literature review addresses the debate of KM practices followed by the way how KM trend is discussed in Western research. Empirical evidences from the journal literature, the web sites of consultancy companies, and in the presentation of research centres are examined. A triangulated methodology include data from two well known management database searching results for “China” and “Knowledge Management”; two KM surveys in China and other web site and journals.Findings – The paper is an initial exploration of the KM research trends in China. The research explains the opportunities and challenges facing KM researchers...

Technology strategy and sustainability of business: Empirical experiences from Chinese cases

Purpose – This paper sets out to review the literature of technology strategy, competitive advantage and sustainability of international business, in particular, the contribution that the enactment of technology strategy can make toward the effective implementation of business sustainability in the post-recession. It examines what kind of role technology strategy plays in Chinese business and how business sustainability could be leveraged through the implementation of appropriate technology strategy. This paper attempts to address various crucial issues in the establishment of a proper technology strategy for the sustainability of the business in the global market place based upon case study of five vanguard Chinese companies. Design/methodology/approach – This exploratory study primarily adapts a qualitative multiple-case-study method which attempts to understand how Chinese firms perceive the role of technology strategy in their business, to capture the practical terms and concepts underpinning technolo...