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2014 International Journal of Innovation Science
doi: 10.1260/1757-2223.6.4.185
Innovations can bring desired benefits to organizations if implemented successfully. Managers are a critical factor for influencing employee attitudes and behavior for adoption of innovations. We study employee (n=237) attitudes and behaviors for 13 different manager influence tactics in the innovation implementation phase of an e-learning system, which is regarded as the knowledge management system, in a manufacturing company in Taiwan. With regard to attitudes toward using the e-learning system, the influence tactics of apprising and collaboration were significantly associated with increased attitudes, while exchange and pressure were significantly associated with decreased attitudes. With regard to two separate behavior outcomes of the number of e-learning courses taken and the number of times online, the influence tactics of coalition, collaboration, and pressure all had significant increased associations; while ingratiation, inspirational appeals, legitimating, and rational persuasion all had significant decreased associations. Also, the influence tactics of apprising and persistence had significant increased associations only for the number of e-learning courses taken. Managers attempting to adopt innovative practices should consider the importance of influence tactics when adopting innovative practices in the corporate workplace.
2014 International Journal of Innovation Science
doi: 10.1260/1757-2223.6.4.205
A significant potential of information, knowledge, and experience is present at universities and research institutes. In view of growing competitive and innovation pressures, companies aim to increasingly use these resources. However, the transfer of knowledge between business and science is problematic. A multitude of research strands has recognized the tacit knowledge of research institutes as a decisive element that is crucial for the successful commercialization of research findings. In light of this context, various transfer strategies practiced by industry are systematized and evaluated based on the theory of knowledge. The rigorous reflection based on the theory of knowledge also opens the perspective on a new transfer strategy: the use of university spin-offs as knowledge transformers to exploit the tacit knowledge of parent institutes. Summaries for various transfer strategies are provided, and these strategies' effect on costs, flexibility, and access to the tacit realm of knowledge is shown.
2014 International Journal of Innovation Science
doi: 10.1260/1757-2223.6.4.213
The theoretical framework of innovation systems has been intensively studied over the last decades. The analysis of the network of interactions between institutions, actors, and processes appeared promising to derive valid hypotheses about the necessary preconditions and accelerating factors for and throughout the emergence of innovation. Few studies, however, succeeded to transform the theoretical framework into a model and even fewer took into account the evolutionary (time-related) character of such a complex system. This article follows two main questions: The first question is of a theoretical or methodological nature and is focused on how innovation systems can be designed in a way that makes them a workable model for future research. The main challenge lies in the generation of precise hypotheses that enable the researcher to trace technological evolution and the surrounding environment over time. This implies that the underlying theoretical assumptions of innovation systems have to be operationalized. This paper follows on the existing approaches and compares their merit to extract a promising concept. This concept is being coupled with existing theoretical assumptions on innovation policy to tackle the second question in this article about how to measure the political actors' influence on the innovation process. In essence, it becomes evident that innovation systems demand different political support in different development phases. These differences mainly refer to the level of intervention (from local to international) and types of interventions (e.g., direct investment, regulatory or systemic interventions). The article shows where in the system's development process certain types of political interventions are likely to be necessary and when private entrepreneurs and market mechanisms do not need this (or any) type of support. Finally, it sheds light on the influence of system-external events on the innovation system's development. It is shown that a consequential impact on the development can be spotted mainly under the influence of external macro events. Interestingly, these influences are on the one hand translated into the system via political action and on the other hand impact quite differently on the respective innovation systems, based on the system's state of evolution.
2014 International Journal of Innovation Science
doi: 10.1260/1757-2223.6.4.235
The article recalls the history of the development of Fluor FDG in Brazil. Important facts that impacted this development and how this technology evolved considering a time span of more than ten years, starting from 1996, are presented in this paper. Five decisions made between 2004 and 2005 were selected and analyzed from the perspective of knowledge that a key decision maker has developed around the main elements of a decision - problem, objectives, alternatives, consequences, risks approach, and linked decisions. In conclusion, this case shows that experienced decision makers can make quality decisions when they are equipped with the appropriate information, align the relevant decisions taken over time, know how to use the right tactics at the right time and with all participants in decision making. Experienced decision makers identify opportunities where there seem to be problems, review the current strategies and visualize new strategies, and prepare themselves adequately to deal with the uncertainties.
2014 International Journal of Innovation Science
doi: 10.1260/1757-2223.6.4.249
This essay summarizes the Harry Camp Lectures of Herbert Simon as they pertain to organizational decision-making. Organizations struggle to survive in ways not unlike organisms in the natural world, whether by means of domination or adaptation — though with the profound advantage of making conscious decisions how to adapt, rather than trusting to trial-and-error. Unfortunately, many experts in decision-making advise organizations to adopt methods for optimization that are unrealistic, if not impossible, such that the objective of survival is actually threatened by such advice.
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