The innovation and economic consequences of knowledge spillovers: fit between exploration and exploitation capabilities, knowledge attributes, and transfer mechanisms

Unlocking the relationships between strategic planning, leadership and technology transfer competence: the mediating role of strategic quality management

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationships between firms’ strategic planning (SP), leadership and technology transfer competence (TTC) by specifically incorporating the mediating role of strategic quality management (SQM).

Design/methodology/approach

This study performs structural equation modeling using AMOS on survey data collected from 200 Turkish firms operating in multiple industries and sectors.

Findings

This study finds that leadership in Turkish firms operating in multiple sectors is positively associated with SQM. This study further finds that SQM positively influences Turkish firms’ TTC and mediates the roles of SP and leadership in TTC.

Research limitations/implications

A key research implication from this study relates to the mediating role of SQM in TTC in an emerging economy context. This study highlights that SP and leadership can play an essential role in TTC through the mediating mechanism of SQM. Consequently, SQM emerges as a crucial linking pin in conveying the impact of quality management practices on technology transfer in emerging markets.

Practical implications

An essential managerial implication of this study relates to the critical roles of leadership, SP and SQM in TTC. For the managers of firms operating in a relatively uncertain emerging context such as Turkey, it is essential to adopt a supportive and empowering leadership style, where open communication and innovative activities are viewed positively and SQM is adopted holistically. Also, SP should be streamlined throughout the firm and followed by SQM to support TTC.

Originality/value

This paper links the technology (and knowledge) management and the strategy and leadership literature streams by focusing on the mechanisms of technology transfer and delving into the linkages between SQM, leadership, SP and TTC. It specifically presents SP and leadership as precursors to SQM in their joint influence on TTC. Accordingly, this research bridges technology, strategy and leadership research and provides a broader picture of technology transfer that encompasses the joint role of different processes in firms’ TTC.

Knowledge transfer mechanisms in franchise network

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of knowledge transfer (KT) mechanisms in a franchise network.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses qualitative and grounded theory techniques to collect and analyze data from a franchise network based in Africa. This approach enables the triangulation of data from different sources including field visits, observation, interviews and company reports.

Findings

The findings suggest that training is the most preferred mechanisms for transferring localized knowledge. The results highlight the importance of identifying franchisees’ training needs for transferring relevant knowledge according to experience and market profile of franchisees. Additionally, a collaborative environment within the network facilitates the sharing of best practices.

Research limitations/implications

Data/insight from Africa in this study provides both theoretical and practical implications. Propositions presented can help advance KT and franchise research.

Originality/value

Franchising and knowledge management research in emerging markets especially in Africa is rare. This paper provides valuable insights for understanding KT practices in the African franchise market.

An integrated model of the knowledge antecedents for exploring software process improvement success

Purpose

Software process improvement (SPI) is a knowledge activity that is critical to the excellence of information system development. This study observes two knowledge gaps in the quest for SPI success and proposes a research model that integrates existing knowledge antecedents to address these gaps. Based on organizational learning theory and the dynamic capability view, the proposed model consolidates a firm's absorptive capacity (AC), learning ability in terms of exploration and exploitation and knowledge sharing (KS), and it examines the contextual relationships among these knowledge antecedents on the path to SPI success.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research design is implemented to examine the model with a sample of 138 SPI-certified organizations in Taiwan and Mainland China. The partial least squares (PLS) technique is used for the data analysis.

Findings

The results reveal the following findings. First, AC triggers the effect of exploration/exploitation on SPI success. Second, KS fosters exploitation but has an insignificant influence on exploration. Third, KS can promote AC, and it serves as the sourcing mechanism for all of the knowledge antecedents. Overall, an integrative set of knowledge learning routes is presented in guiding software firms on the way to SPI success.

Originality/value

In addition to identification of the two knowledge gaps, this study advances the authors’ understanding by comprehending the causal associations of the four knowledge antecedents on the way to SPI success.

A Sustainable Development Perspective on Cooperative Culture, Knowledge Flow, and Innovation Network Governance Performance

The contemporary sustainable development imperative sees enterprises seeking competitive advantages in innovation networks, the distinguishing features of which are continuous interaction and knowledge flow between participants. As an informal governance mechanism, cooperative culture influences the stability and durability of the members’ interactions. Knowledge flow is a core network activity that is highly dependent on the cultural environment. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether innovation governance performance is affected by cooperative culture and knowledge flow. How do they play an influential role? We use structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the linear relationships among the three variables: cooperative culture, knowledge flow, and governance performance. The results suggest that knowledge flow has a mediating effect on the relationship between cooperative culture and governance performance. We also use fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to explore how cooperative culture and knowledge flow combined can influence governance performance. The results indicate that different combinations of cooperative culture and knowledge flow lead to different levels of governance performance, with two paths leading to high governance performance, which are fit creation-oriented and compatible sharing-oriented paths. These findings have significant implications for improving innovation governance performance and their sustainable development.