Knowledge Assets (knowledge + asset)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


External commercialization of knowledge: Review and research agenda

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT REVIEWS, Issue 4 2005
Ulrich Lichtenthaler
Companies increasingly make use of external knowledge exploitation, i.e. the commercialization of knowledge assets, although they often perceive considerable difficulties in managing external commercialization tasks. These difficulties are partly due to the imperfections in the markets for knowledge, which may be mastered by adequate management, as examples of various well-known companies show. In combination, these facts point to the need for research into external knowledge exploitation. A thorough analysis of past research confirms this need and shows that the existing literature is highly fragmented. By integrating the main findings of the different research streams, a detailed overview of the literature on external knowledge exploitation is established. The key characteristics of externally leveraging knowledge assets are presented, and a research agenda is set up. [source]


A computer prototype to support knowledge audits in organizations

KNOWLEDGE AND PROCESS MANAGEMENT: THE JOURNAL OF CORPORATE TRANSFORMATION, Issue 3 2009
Alonso Perez-Soltero
A knowledge audit is a process whose purpose is to diagnose the situation in which knowledge is kept within an organization, that is, it allows to know what knowledge exists, who has it, where it is, how it moves and how it is managed. The aim of this paper is to present the implementation of an ontology as a support to knowledge audit process through a computer prototype. A case study in an organization is developed, in which the knowledge audit process is supported by the prototype. Among the advantages it offers: facilitates obtaining knowledge inventory, classifying and valuing knowledge assets and flows, identifying knowledge gaps, knowledge management analysis and reusing the audit's results. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Defining a knowledge strategy framework for process aligned organizations: an IBM case

KNOWLEDGE AND PROCESS MANAGEMENT: THE JOURNAL OF CORPORATE TRANSFORMATION, Issue 2 2008
Stephen McLaughlin
Many organizations struggling to capitalize on their knowledge assets tend to let their knowledge management systems emerge from existing IT systems and infrastructure. Within a complex business environment this can cause a mismatch between how knowledge assets are, and should be managed. In order to help organizations develop dynamic and effective KM systems, the authors' suggest that organizations need to re-think how knowledge is created and shared around their core business processes. To be more specific the author's contend that for organizations where inter/intra organizational collaboration is vital to overall end-to-end performance, such as in a supply chain, organizations need to consider first the relationship between what the authors see as four key components. These are knowledge strategy, core process optimization, core process performance and knowledge barriers. This paper will explain why these components are important, and the relationship between them. The findings put forward in this paper are based on research concerned with improving process performance through knowledge transfer. The research follows a critical theory approach to identify best knowledge transfer practice across complex organizations. The research is exploratory in nature and a case study methodology is used to support this line of inductive theory building. The findings presented are based on data collated within, and across IBM's integrated supply chain. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Structuring residual income and decision rights under internal governance: results from the Hungarian trucking industry

MANAGERIAL AND DECISION ECONOMICS, Issue 5 2005
Josef Windsperger
The paper offers a property rights and monitoring cost explanation for the allocation of residual income and decision rights between the carriers and truck drivers under internal governance. First, by applying the property rights theory, we argue that the structure of residual income rights depends on the importance of noncontractible (intangible) assets of the truck driver to generate residual surplus. The more important the truck driver's intangible knowledge assets, the more residual income rights should be transferred to him. Second, we controlled for the monitoring costs as an additional explanatory variable of the allocation of residual income rights. According to agency theory, the variable proportion of the driver's income should be higher where monitoring costs are higher. Third, we investigate the relationship between residual income and residual decision rights under internal governance. If the contractual relation is governed by an employment contract, residual decision and residual income rights may be substitutes because, under fiat, a certain incentive effect of the governance structure may result either from the allocation of high-powered incentives or the transfer of residual decision rights to the driver. These hypotheses were tested by using data from the Hungarian trucking industry. The data provide partial support for the hypotheses. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


The Role of Champions in the External Commercialization of Knowledge,

THE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2009
Ulrich Lichtenthaler
Besides applying knowledge in their own products or services, firms may externally commercialize their knowledge assets (e.g., by means of outlicensing). The literature on champions, however, has focused on internal innovation. This gap in prior research is particularly remarkable as the potential for promoting external knowledge exploitation is high. Some pioneering firms realize great benefits, whereas most others experience major managerial difficulties. This paper tests five hypotheses regarding the emergence and impact of champions of external knowledge exploitation with data from 152 firms across industries. The results of the questionnaire-based study demonstrate the relevance of champions of external knowledge exploitation. Championing constitutes an essential success factor and has strongly contributed to the recent increase in external knowledge commercialization. These findings help to explain the discrepancies between the few successful and the majority of unsuccessful firms. Beyond existing insights, the emergence of champions is affected by external determinants in addition to internal determinants. There is an inverted U-shaped relationship between championing and the internal determinants, that is, organizational climate and active strategy. Moreover, there is a negative relationship between championing and market imperfection and an inverted U-shaped relationship between championing and competitive intensity, which both constitute external determinants of championing. In contrast to the traditional understanding, champions tend to emerge in supportive environments, in which internal and external barriers are relatively low. This surprising finding calls for rethinking the role and motivation of champions. [source]