International Journal of Innovation Management

While several frameworks have attempted to incorporate knowledge management within the principles of innovation, there is still scant evidence of the influence of key drivers that facilitate intra-organisational knowledge transfers to improve international new product development (INPD) processes. We draw on three related literature streams focusing on parts of the organisation, innovation and knowledge management literature and present a conceptualisation of drivers that tend to influence knowledge flows between R&D centres in three international locations. Our results are based on R&D and product managers' experiences and perceptions at Wattyl Limited, a multinational Australian manufacturer of paint and coating products. The findings demonstrate that a value-creating innovation depends on a number of internal knowledge drivers that facilitate the INPD process. They also add to further clarifying some conceptual issues in the extant literature. We also draw attention to specific messages for R&D and product managers involved in INPD processes.

The second half of the 1990s has witnessed almost three-fold increase in the exports of Indian electronics industry. The study proposes a model for analysing the export intensity of 164 electronics firms in India and tests the same empirically. The Tobit model is estimated using firm level panel data for the period 2000–2005 for the electronics industry in India. The results show that both size of the firm, foreign direct investment and capital employed have played an important role in boosting exports in this sector. The study has policy implications to improve the performance of the Indian Electronics sector in India and similar other countries.

Business competitiveness and sustainability depends on the effective management of innovation. To be effective, innovation needs to take place within every area of an organisation and by association within organisational networks that include key suppliers, customers and other strategic partners. Distributed innovation management is the process of managing innovation both within and across networks of organisations that have come together to co-design, co-produce and co-service the needs of customers. As innovation collaboration spreads outside the reporting structures of any one organisation, its management faces new challenges that must be addressed if collaboration is to be successful. This paper presents a discussion on the relational capabilities that need to be nurtured if distributed innovation management is to occur. It introduces an integrated framework and tools to support innovation from the individual employees to the distributed network level. Finally, it presents a case study of distributed innovation between a consortium of six organisations within the biotechnology area.

Patents play a greater role in the economy. The patent strategy is an important tool for creating value and reflects a coordinated effort for developing, managing and using patents to accomplish company's goals. The patent strategy is composed by three dimensions: intent, strategy, and management. The literature considers these elements as independent each others and neglects that some factors could influence them. The study aims at (1) systematising the literature contributions, (2) defining the basic approaches to patent strategy able to suggest a patents strategy policy and establish a relationship among the different patent aspects and (3) studying the dynamics with time.

The study, based on the literature analysis and multiple case studies, identifies five basic approaches to patent strategy. The dynamics in approach to patent strategy and affecting factors have been studied based on a case study.