Proceedings IFKAD 2017

PROCEEDINGS e-books

Proceedings IFKAD 2017

Knowledge Management in 21st Century: Resilience, Creativity and Co-creation

St. Petersburg, Russia 7-9 June 2017
ISBN: 978-88-96687-10-9
ISSN: 2280-787X

List of Included Articles:

Which personal factors affect knowledge workers’ resilience and creativity?

(503-517)

Anna-Maija Nisula, Heidi Olander

Abstract

The purpose of the present paper is to investigate and shed light on individual factors affecting the resilience and creativity of knowledge workers (KWs). We propose a theoretical model concerning the relation of the entrepreneurial motivations of achievement and materialism, general self-efficacy and an internal locus of control with resilience and creativity. The proposed model is tested using structural equation modelling partial least squares analysis (SEM-PLS) of a survey dataset of 423 observations. The data were collected from highly educated Finnish experts. The respondents are members of the trade union Academic Engineers and Architects in Finland TEK. The dataset was collected via a web-based questionnaire in the spring of 2016. The sample consists of respondents working across different companies and entrepreneurs, including freelancers and self-employed workers. The paper provides empirical evidence about the factors affecting KWs’ resilience and creativity. KWs’ creativity is a surprisingly understudied phenomenon, although it is increasingly topical due to the growth of KW and new forms of KW, such as freelance KW and work in addition to one’s main job, becoming ever more common. The study helps fill a gap in the literature on the relationship between individual-level resilience and creativity. By understanding how the different motivation types and the different personal capital dimensions affect resilience and creativity, companies can learn to improve the development of such capabilities with the support of different human resource management practices. Additionally, companies can learn to, for example, select employees with appropriate capabilities for certain jobs. It needs to be remembered that organizations employ ever more external resources, such as entrepreneurs and freelancers, and their motivations and capabilities might have different effects on resilience and creativity than those of the employees employed by the organization.

The influence of self-compassion on knowledge worker subjective wellbeing, creativity and knowledge sharing behaviour

(518-529)

Sandra Walden Pearson, Vidya S. Athota, Helene Burgh-Woodman

Abstract

Research continues to emerge on correlations between the practice of self-compassion and positive coping in adverse, non-workplace related interpersonal contexts. There appears an absence both of research on the influence of self-compassion on knowledge worker subjective wellbeing, creativity and knowledge sharing behaviour, and its influence in the context of interpersonal workplace adversity, such as that associated with workplace bullying – a phenomenon becoming increasingly prevalent as cyberbullying. The purpose of this conceptual paper is to draw attention to self-compassion’s subjective wellbeing influence on knowledge worker creativity and knowledge sharing behaviour. This conceptual paper reviews the literature on workplace bullying, and positive coping strategies associated with the practice of self-compassion, in the context of Kolb’s Learning Theory (1984), that may be conducive to identifying self-compassion’s simultaneously positive influence on knowledge worker subjective wellbeing, and on creativity and knowledge sharing behaviour. This study offers conceptual contribution to the promotion of knowledge worker subjective wellbeing, creativity and knowledge sharing behaviour. It does so by drawing on Kolb’s Learning Theory (1984) to explore the influence of self-compassion positive coping strategies on personal and professional wellbeing, especially in the context of workplace situated adversity, such as that traditionally associated with perceived exposure to workplace bullying. This paper aims to stimulate applied research into the influence of self-compassion, on knowledge worker subjective wellbeing, creativity and knowledge sharing behaviour, especially in relation to positive coping strategies on exposure to interpersonally driven workplace adversity. The practical implications point to the practice of self-compassion as a positive coping strategy both to promote knowledge worker subjective wellbeing, creativity and sharing behaviour, and inform 21st century knowledge management.

The Co-creation of business knowledge as societal meaning in project teams

(460-473)

Johan Olaisen, Revang Øivind

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how collective tacit and explicit knowing develops among project team members. This article is a conceptual paper studying how collective knowing emerges in business contexts using working in project teams as examples. The dynamics of project teams give us a societal meaning of the process of knowing or a scripted story for business action. The empirical approach of the paper is from two Norwegian furniture producers project teams linking together the designers, the production engineers and the exchange in the marketplace. This methodology puts in evidence for a theoretical framework and theory for the dynamics of business knowledge as a societal meaning. This methodology puts in evidence that it is moving the team members out of their comfort zones that transfer tacit individual knowledge into actionable explicit collective knowledge. Action through rotation is more important than observing to transfer tacit individual knowledge to explicit individual and collective knowledge. The practical implication is the description of the process from individual to collective tacit and explicit knowing in a project team. The practical lesson is that moving the team member out of their traditional roles also secure the transfer of unknown tacit knowledge into actionable collective explicit knowledge. Creating and working through new roles in the team obviously make unknown tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge. This is a movement from what we don´t know that we know into what we know that we don´t know witch bring it into knowing and by that into business action.

How wellbeing and resilience in the workplace influence innovation?

(530-540)

Vidya Sagar Athota, Ashish Malik

Abstract

There is an increasing evidence that highlights the technical and managerial innovations are necessary for firm survival. However, there is limited focus on the relationship between employee well-being and resilience on innovations in an organisational context. The purpose of this conceptual paper is to map the relationships between concepts of employee well-being, resilience in the context of achieving workplace innovation outcomes. This conceptual paper reviews the literature on three sets of theoretical lenses: workplace innovations, organisational ambidexterity and HRM practices in supporting innovation and with an additional focus on individual level influences of employee well-being and resilience and its relationship on innovation. This paper is to the best of our knowledge is the first conceptual review that provides a multi-level review of the three disparate yet related sets of literatures and its impact on organisational innovation outcomes. In doing so, this study also fills the gap on the micro-level foundations of individual employee well-being and resilience and its relationship with innovation.

What is stopping us from using the blog in knowledge co-creation?

(541-547)

Mikko Vartio, Heli Aramo-Immonen

Abstract

Blog is an increasingly known social media application, that is considered to have good properties of communication. Yet its use has decreased. It is not known why people are not starting to use blog. The research problem arose from a survey study conducted in Tampere University of Technology in 2012-2016 (n_average = 52): Are there risks that are stopping people from using the blog? Second survey (n = 60) presented respondents known risks of social media, asking whether they are stopping them from using blog. Final stage of the research was conducted by semi-structured interviews (n = 2) providing complementary view on the subject. Possible misuse of the writings in the future was the main risk (32,8 %) stopping respondents from starting blog use. Misunderstanding (29,5 %) and anonymous harassment (22,9 %) were also barriers. Blog was seen to threat privacy (13,1 %) and information security (11,4 %) more than other social media applications. The interviews supported misunderstanding as a considerable risk, despite of the interviewees’ differing perceptions on social media. Fear of being misunderstood tells about the lack of control over social media. Users need feeling of control over the content they generate. Fears and emotions need to be taken into account when implementing new communication technologies.

Personal resources and knowledge worker engagement

(548-562)

Ilona Toth, Anna-Maija Nisula, Sanna Sintonen

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of personal resources on knowledge worker work engagement in contemporary economy. The focus of research is shifting to an interest in personal resources and psychological capital of knowledge workers, because work itself and work environment are currently undergoing fundamental changes. Personal resources are based on one’s belief that an individual can influence his or her environment successfully; this belief is critical for knowledge workers, freelancers and entrepreneurs in contemporary economy. These malleable attributes are discussed in the literature as personal resources (Luthans et al., 2007; Van Wingerden et al., 2015; Xanthopoulou et al., 2009) and as positive psychological capital (Luthans et al., 2010). An individual with sufficient personal resources is likely to master the balance between the situational and personal resources (Wingerden et al., 2015), stretch the given circumstances (Bakker & Demerouti, 2014) and achieve improved performance (Bakker et al., 2012). Engagement is a psychological state-like concept which can have a significant impact on performance improvement (Jeung, 2011). Work engagement is defined as a positive and fulfilling work-related state of mind characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption (Schaufeli et al., 2002). We propose a theoretical model based on a modern interpretation of the Conservation of Resources Theory (Schaufeli & Salanova, 2007) concerning the relationship between personal resources (self-efficacy, organization-based self-esteem, and satisfaction with life) in relation to the three dimensions of work engagement (vigor, dedication, and absorption). Then the proposed model is tested with structural equation modelling (LISREL). The data has been collected in October 2016 from the graduates of a Finnish university (n=103). The sample represents experts across industrial fields and various company-sizes, as well as entrepreneurs and freelancers. This paper provides empirical evidence on the influence of personal resources on knowledge worker engagement. There is a lack of empirical studies on knowledge worker (expert) work engagement which focuses on the aspects of personal resources in the context of knowledge worker engagement (e.g. O’Neill et al. 2014). Through understanding the impact of personal resources on person-job fit leading to work-related engagement companies can enhance their human relations management practices and develop better support mechanisms for their knowledge workers including temporary team workers, remote workers, as well as for other atypical work roles.

The management of knowledge and the use the CommonKads methodology and ontologies for modeling the legal knowledge necessary for preparation of judgments of processes in the area of consumer protection

(563-574)

Maurício Ribeiro Rotta, Fred Leite Siqueira Campos, Beatriz Marcondes Azevedo

Abstract

Tthis paper aims to determine which is the necessary knowledge to elaborate sentences in cases of contractual rescission, as determined by the consumer code, taking advantage of the resources and tools of the Knowledge Engineering, especially the methodology CommonKADS and ontologies, using ontoKEM and Protégé With the design of applied research, this work was developed based on the need perceived by several Courts of Justice, where the research problem related to knowledge engineering was identified. The applied research is motivated by the need to produce knowledge for the application of its results, as a contribution of practical purposes, with the vision in the solution of the problem found in reality. This work is part of the line of Knowledge Engineering applied to electronic government, whose objective is the training of professionals and researchers to study methodologies and techniques for the application of Knowledge Engineering and Computational Intelligence to generate knowledge to relate them to the media and knowledge and apply these to solve demands created by knowledge management, in this case applied to government institutions and, more specifically, to the judiciary. The methods and techniques of Knowledge Engineering form the basis of this research, employing an ontology to model the knowledge used by the judge during the motivation of the sentence, in contractual termination processes. The knowledge-intensive activities employed by the magistrate to prepare the sentence are very important, once they put an end to the process and resolve the dispute, realizing the effective provision of judicial protection to those who are entitled. The timely combination of the resources and applications of Engineering and Knowledge Management with e-Gov’s practices can contribute to increasing inclusion, democratization and access to justice for citizens with greater transparency and participation. This paper contributes to the community presenting what intensive knowledge activities deserve attention and priority to support in improving the performance and productivity of the Judiciary, with the application of engineering techniques and knowledge management. Greater speed in the decision-making process and consequent shortening of the judicial process, directly affect all levels of society and the country itself, unleashing the Courts with reduction of litigation awaiting judgment, improving the quality of the provision of judicial protection in favor of the brazilian population.

If you know social media, you see opportunities

(575-584)

Heli Aramo-Immonen, Mikko Vartio, Jari J. Jussila

Abstract

This study aimed to find out how bloggers perceive the opportunities and obstacles in using blog as a social media tool. In this study we found answers to a research question: Is there a correlation between use of social media and perceived opportunities gained via blogging? The qualitative and quantitative study was conducted among higher education students in Tampere University of Technology in Finland. Students were on Master level in industrial management, information technology or economics. These students are most likely using different tools of knowledge co-creation in their future professional positions, and therefore are a good sample for the study Numerous statistical calculations were conducted from the survey result in order to find evidence to our conclusions. This methodology puts in evidence that there indeed was a connection between the user’s social media attitude and the perceived opportunities in using blog (p = 0,0676). Furthermore, we found that if one sees opportunities in using blog he/she is also potentially willing to use it as a tool. The outcomes of the study convince us that in practice the obstacles of using social media (in this case blog) create a barrier for professional use of social media. If you know social media, you are willing to utilize it and you see business opportunities in this for example. From previous research we know that there is a big gap between generations in social media use and therefore also business opportunities are lost among practitioners.

Enhancing tacit knowledge sharing in virtual teams. Organizational perspective

(675-687)

Kaja Prystupa

Abstract

The aim of the paper is investigation factors and challenges in tacit knowledge sharing among virtual team members. Due to exploratory nature of the research, I followed qualitative approach based on cross-case analysis The research questions were broadly formulated, to allow for emergent theory building. This methodology puts in evidence that key factors contribution to tacit knowledge sharing are: organizational culture, rules and procedures, face-to-face and virtual meetings, mentoring, supportive technological environment and most importantly shared context.

The role of scientific knowledge within inventing teams: Empirical tests into Aircraft sector

(688-698)

Tommaso Savino, Lorenzo Ardito, Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli, Vito Albino

Abstract

The present aims at understanding whether and how mastering scientific knowledge in team dynamics helps to develop technologies with high breadth of impact (i.e., technologies that can be applied to diverse domains). Specifically, the relationship between the presence of scientists within inventing teams and the generality of the technologies they generate is examined. Furthermore, we asses if the fact that scientists operate in international or more familiar teams modifies the relationship above mentioned. We develop hypotheses and test them on the basis of a sample of 5390 patents belonging to the aircraft sector and granted at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) only by a single company. Tobit regression is used as the econometric technique. To the best of our knowledge, this research represents one of the first attempts to analyse the science-pervasiveness relationship with a particular focus on team dynamics. Furthermore, our study evidences that this relationship is contingent upon specific team characteristics (i.e., team internationalization and team familiarity). Results of this paper may help firms in organizing their research teams for developing pervasive technological solutions. In detail, we advise managers that having scientists within inventing teams may be detrimental. Moreover, we highlight that this negative effects of science are mitigated when scientists are within an international team; conversely, they are exacerbated when the team familiarity is high.

Advocator, Jester, Spokesperson, Provocateur or Boundary spanner? Exploring different communication styles at Twitter

(585-597)

Sanna Ketonen-Oksi, Harri Jalonen

Abstract

The recent development of digital communication technologies, and of social media in particular, have enhanced more direct communications between companies and their customers. Among many other things, the use of social media has become considerably popular in customer services. However, communicating with different types of customers is not easy. More profound understanding is needed about how to succeed in communicating with the customers in the increasingly impersonal, yet often emotionally sensitive online environments. Based on an extensive empirical data from Twitter discussions on climate change and energy industry, the analysis will follow the ideas and concepts of research on personalities and motivation in the context of social media. By theorising the impacts of human personality traits to a person´s communication style in social media, in accordance with the person´s own choices of roles and motivations to communicate in social media, this study will provide companies new insight on how to approach their customers in online environments. This study offers significant information for any company that wants to improve their customer service through social media. That is, by presenting the early phase taxonomy for different social media communication styles used in Twitter, this study will provide companies with both new insight and practical advice on how to better share information and manage discussions on their social media channels, considering the different communications styles of their customers.

Digitalization-effects on the legal industry: Emerging business models

(598-609)

Karl Joachim Breunig, Tale Skjølsvik

Abstract

This empirical paper addresses the effect of digitalization on professional service firms (PSFs). In particular, we apply business model frameworks to identify important dimensions of recent disruption within this context. PSFs, such as law firms, are defined by the professional workforce they employ and the knowledge-intensive services they deliver. While the business models underpinning these firms have changed little over the past century, recent research indicates that digitalization can severely disrupt this industry. We present empirical evidence from law firms applying alternative business models. Initially, data was collected through twelve semi-structured interviews in Silicon Valley in 2015. Subsequently, we conducted a media study identifying an additional 8 firms interviewed over Skype in 2016 and early 2017. The findings reveal key issues related to changes in law firms business models caused by digitalization: (1) cost and lawyer flexibility as main drivers of business model innovation through technology; (2) rethinking of business models in law; (3) enacted technologies as driver of change; and (4) digitalization as a way to overcome resource trade-offs. Each of these issues can and are likely to cause extensive changes to a professional service firm’s business model. In conclusion, we find that digitalization has huge implications for how professionals in the legal industry can structure their work, interact, recruit and train employees as well as design their services and interact with clients. The study of law firms contributes as an illustration of the potential impact of digitalization on a broader set of knowledge intensive organizations.

Application features of conceptual models in processes of strategic decision-making

(610-623)

Miroslav Kubelskiy, Dmitry Kudryavtsev

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is a review of potential application of conceptual models to support the main stages of strategic management: strategy formulation, strategy implementation and strategy evaluation. To review the potential application of the conceptual models it is necessary to define basic notions and principles of the strategic management and determine the main challenges relevant to the strategic management at the age of knowledge economy. It is also necessary to define the term conceptual model, to classify existing types of conceptual models and ways of application. Moreover, creation of conceptual models of any object is a way of knowledge creation about this object. It is also applicable at other stages of knowledge management – capturing, codification, transferring and storing. The research method to achieve this purpose is a literature review focused on three main areas: (1) the main principles, notions and challenges from the field of strategic management; (2) the principles of systems analysis, systems approach and systems modeling; (3) the evolution, classification and application of conceptual modeling methods with subsequent analysis of relevant problems from the field of strategic management. Developments in the field of information science are used successfully in many fields of management such as financial, operations or supply chain management, but in the field of strategic management model-based methods and technologies are used not so widely. Further development of this research will able to integrate different types of conceptual models on the basis of Enterprise Architecture. This synthesis can increase the usage of information systems to support strategic decision-making process. This paper is a starting point for the further research. It is includes a systematic review of the basic notions and principles from the field of strategic management, systems analysis, conceptual modeling and enterprise architecture. Also here is a classification of modeling methods depending on the degree of their formalization: verbal, conceptual and abstract. Further research will allow to develop methods and techniques that can facilitate the process of strategic decision-making.

Influence of talent management practices on knowledge acquisition, assimilation, transformation and exploitation

(624-632)

Louisa Selivanovskikh, Marina Latukha

Abstract

To investigate the relationships between talent management practices (i.e. talent attraction, development and retention) and the absorptive capacity dimensions (Zahra and George, 2002), namely knowledge acquisition, assimilation, transformation and exploitation. The design for this research uses the combined strengths of qualitative and quantitative methods. The multiple-case study approach is used to gain the preliminary qualitative inputs for the “quantitative” core part of our study. Using survey data from HR managers of 240 MNCs from Brazil, Russia, China and India, we aim at investigating the relationship between talent management practices and absorptive capacity dimensions. Specifically, we expect that talent attraction and development will be positively related to knowledge acquisition and assimilation (constitute potential absorptive capacity), while talent development and retention will be positively related to knowledge transformation and exploitation (realized absorptive capacity). At the same time, we want to show that there is a positive relationship between talent management and organization’s performance, where absorptive capacity acts as a mediator. To capture absorptive capacity, we use a scale developed by Flatten and colleagues (2011). There is a growing recognition that talent management has the potential to address a number of valuable challenges encountered by organizations, not possible by the adoption of single disciplines. In the light of knowledge management, scholars name human capital in general to be the main source of an organization’s absorptive capacity (Mowery and Oxley, 1995) which in turn depends on the interaction between employees’ ability and employees’ motivation (Minbaeva et al., 2003). And though researchers have already called attention to the effects of certain HRM practices influencing extrinsic and intrinsic motivation of knowledge receivers on knowledge transfer (Minbaeva, 2008), practices connected to the attraction, development and retention of talented employees and their effects on knowledge transfer between different organizational units have not been addressed. The main outcome is the identification of relationships between talent attraction, development and retention and an organization’s ability to acquire, assimilate, transform and exploit knowledge by developing a talent management concept within strategic HRM and knowledge management. We demonstrate the applicability of the proposed framework and prove the role of talent management in knowledge transfer and organizational performance in context of developing countries.

Creating wealth in the knowledge-based economy: Theoretical foundations

(633-643)

Maria Rosário Cabrita, José Maria Viedma

Abstract

This is a theoretical research paper that aims to explore the leading microeconomic theories that support sustainable wealth creation. This research draws on the leading microeconomic theories of the firm, including the resource-based view, the knowledge-based view, the activity-based view, dynamic capabilities, open innovation, entrepreneurship, and corporate social and environmental responsibility to identify the drivers of creating sustainable wealth in the knowledge economy. This paper puts forward arguments for exploring the theories that holistically integrate the goals of economic, social and environmental growth and development into firms sustainable in their form of wealth generation. Although theoretical, in nature, this paper opens a practical avenue to explore the way in which enterprises develop their resources, capabilities and activities, fostering the persistence of building and preserving competitive advantages based on knowledge and sustainable development.

Open innovation with scientific partners and patenting: the moderating role of the internal context for innovation

(644-660)

Lara Agostini, Lars Bengtsson, Valentina Lazzarotti, Raffaella Manzini, Anna Nosella, Luisa Pellegrini, Ioana Stefan

Abstract

This paper aims at investigating how the degree of openness, in a depth conception (Laursen and Salter, 2006) and with scientific partners is associated to innovation performance, measured through the number of patent application. Moreover, we provide a detailed and contextual analysis which assigns to a multifaceted setting for innovation a crucial role in shaping the relationship between the degree of openness with scientific partners and the patenting. The context for innovation is defined through four internal factors that are indicated as possible moderators: the innovation strategy, the drivers and the intellectual capital, in its human and social components. We relied on a survey developed in 2012 in Finland and Sweden on 263 firms. We focused on the manufacturing industry and we considered statistical units with no fewer than 10 employees. Data was collected by means of questionnaires addressed to people knowledgeable about OI (R&D managers or similar). The items of the questionnaire, built as perceptive 7 point Likert scales, defined the degree of openness (depth) and the context for innovation. As concerns patents, we used Thomson Innovation to download patent stocks from 2011 to 2016 coherently with data collection of the survey. A structural equation model was applied to test the supposed relationships, controlling for firm size and country. With respect to previous research, the contribution of the study is a more fine-grained investigation of the direct and interactive association that links the degree of openness to scientific partners and the patenting. The peculiar nature of the scientific partners and the studied context for innovation have proven to be critical to understand more in depth the association between openness and patenting. We also deepen the analysis of Zobel et al. (2016) who only analyse if the firms have or do not have patents, by providing evidence for how the number of patents is associated with openness and the internal context. The findings of the study provide a helpful template for managers to decide on the firms’ use of patents when collaboration is with scientific partners. The template proposes four internal contextual variables to be considered, two at the strategic and two at the organisational level.

Innovation Hubs, a new form for Open Innovation in SME’s

(661-674)

Han Meer, Hilde Groot

Abstract

The impact of innovation on national economic growth is a widely recognized. Economic growth and job creation activity is no longer characterized by reliance on innovation in large firms but has shifted to S(mall) and M(edium) E(nterprise)s and startup firms. Innovation in SMEs is one of the major drivers in the economic resilience of a region. In this paper, we will focus on open innovation practices in SMEs and the use of a specific organizational form to organize the open innovation process. The paper presents the results of a participatory study on one of the major mechanisms for SMEs in their practice of Open Innovation, which comprises a specific organizational form to cooperate with (local) Universities. Based on the ‘Engaged Scholarship’ methodology (Van de Ven, 2007) four main activities are undertaken in a cyclic model: problem formulation, research design, theory building and problem solving. By applying a survey, multiple case studies and a benchmark study a thorough understanding of the problem and the solution was found. In our study, we found a specific form to overcome the challenges for SMEs to cooperate with Universities. This form was later named the Innovation Hub. Innovation Hubs are a specific organizational form in which students enhance the innovative capacity of one or more companies by the implementation of research and innovation projects. In the paper the strengths and possible challenges of the Innovation Hub will be discussed and the first results of our project to raise a set of Innovation Hubs for SMEs in the Eastern part of Holland will be presented. The mechanism for Open Innovation in SMEs discussed in the paper has positive effects on the outcomes of innovation of the SMEs as well as their possibilities to attract (technical) young and talented professionals. In the research, it was found the Innovation Hubs also seem to have a positive impact on the regional innovation system thus preventing the so-called “Brain Drain” from rural areas to the larger cities.

Knowledge spillover impact on the efficiency of companies: empiric study results

(699-707)

Arkady Vladimirovich Trachuk, Natalia Vyacheslavovna Linder

Abstract

The research examines the impact of knowledge spillover effects (in our case, knowledge gained as a result of work of industrial companies in international markets) on the company innovative performance. Innovations are considered in the context of both organizational and technological innovations. Hypotheses about improvement of the performance of innovation activities as a result of companies’ entry into foreign markets, about the importance of stable and long-term exports in order to increase the efficiency of industrial companies, as well as about the impact of work in the markets of countries of the near abroad (CIS countries) and the far abroad on the innovative performance of Russian industrial companies are being tested. Panel data of companies of three manufacturing industry sectors are used: high-, medium-, and low-tech sectors. The research reveals the dependence of the performance increase of companies in high- and medium-tech sector on companies’ investments in new technologies, and of low-tech sector companies – on implementation of organizational and management innovations. Moreover, it shows that the impact of knowledge spillover effects on the performance depends not on the geographic direction of the export: into the markets of the far or near abroad (CIS countries), but on the sector profile of companies.

Knowledge acquisition and start-up companies performance: a literature review

(708-720)

Vincenzo Corvello, Pasquale Gioffrè, Cecilia Perri, Emanuela Scarmozzino

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to provide a review of the works existing in literature about the effects of knowledge acquisition methods on start-up’s performance. This study aims at identifying: 1) the most significant issues addressed by researchers in the field of knowledge acquisition processes, giving specific reference to knowledge spillover among high tech start-ups; 2) the main results obtained so far in the field; 3) development and future directions of the research in this area. The purpose, in particular, is to investigate how knowledge acquisition methods impact on innovative performance and firm survival in the case of new high-tech firms. The literature review focused on the analysis of journals selected in an international ranking on the portal SCImago Journal & Country Rank. The research was carried out based on four specific steps: 1) selection of papers focused on both knowledge acquisition methods and high-tech start-ups’ performance in terms of both survival and innovation capability; 4) an analysis of the contents of the abstracts of individual articles; 3) definition of inclusion and exclusion criteria; 4) a collection of the relevant articles, in order to examine in detail their content and results. Knowledge acquisition methods has become one of the most well-known concepts in Knowledge Management studies. Knowledge acquisition is likely to influence the chances of a new firm to survive and keep its innovative capabilities. However there is a dearth of studies on this topic. Systematizing the different contributions of the topic “knowledge management methods” in the case of start-ups provides a clearer view of these issues and represents a contribution to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying new firms success. The literature review is a first step of a larger work that will involve an empirical analysis. By means of this first step, it is possible to understand how knowledge acquisition methods influence in start-up’s performance and survival. This paper tries to provide a deeper understanding of the topic of knowledge acquisition in new ventures thus supporting entrepreneurs and researchers.

Business accelerators as an element of investment infrastructure for building innovative economy in Russia

(721-730)

Tatiana Khansuvarova, Nadezhda Pokrovskaya

Abstract

Construction of innovative development aims to restructure Russian national economic space from the resources-driven economy to the knowledge-driven model. The networking, institutional background and efficient infrastructure help private companies to design and embody the business projects. The triple research’s purpose is 1) to identify the business accelerators’ place as key elements in the investment infrastructure of Russia, 2) to determine the accelerating effect on the intensity of Russian innovation development in comparison with the world performance in this sphere, 3) to propose measures to improve the efficiency of business accelerators and investment infrastructure as a whole. The paper reflects a conceptual research that is carried out as a theoretical study which is illustrated with the analysis of several empirical cases considered as the best practices or useful examples for understanding the success’ factors. We propose to consider business accelerators from the standpoint of the institutional approach, to analyze them as institutional intermediaries between investors and entrepreneurs to facilitate the implementation of business ideas. A number of case studies on the business accelerators in Russia is based on use methods of statistical and narrative analysis of information taken from different published sources. This research puts in evidence connectedness of international surveys and rankings, information of the largest Russian venture companies (Internet Initiatives Development Fund, Russian Venture Company, etc.) and investment funds experts’s opinions. The authors provide systematization of research on institutional background and investment infrastructure, including business incubation and accelerating systems serving as incentives to support the private business initiatives and projects. The proposed cases demonstrate the selection of key elements and factors of the business accelerators efficiency. The outcomes of the application allow practical recommendations for improving the efficiency of business accelerators and Russian investment infrastructure as a whole. Key practical recommendations include: reducing the proportion of State involvement in business accelerators to increase the loyalty of foreign investors; saving State accelerators principally in industries oriented to the Russian domestic market; increasing the engagement of higher education institutions in the business accelerators for deepening knowledge of business, on the one hand, and for a better universities understanding of real business needs, on the other hand; developing specific conditions for the live acceleration of businessmen from Russian regions to eliminate regional disparities.