International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management

Managing knowledge is a critical challenge for organizations while it is a major potential for gaining competitive advantage. This empirical study confirms and improves a framework which proposes a link between knowledge management enablers and knowledge creation process. The model introduces improvements on the process-oriented perspective of knowledge by using the knowledge creation model by adding business strategies and market dynamism to the model. As an inter-mediator, new product development is accepted. This research provides a structural equation model (SEM) that can be referred by academicians and enables managers a tool that can be used for seeking sound strategies.

This paper adopts an exploratory analysis based on a multiple case study to investigate the interplay of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) business modeling strategies and Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policies in a mid-income country efforts to develop a national semiconductor industry. Specifically, we analyze how 22 Brazilian SMEs supported by two comprehensive federal programs designed and implemented business models and strategies in an attempt to, on the one hand, meet the scope and timing of public funding resources and, on the other hand, develop capabilities to enter the industry’s global value chain. Drawing on a wide body of literature and on the evidence collected, we identified and categorized the firms’ business models into five groups: Pure Play IP, Pure Play Design, Fabless, Fabless Plus and Captive. We then analysed the firms’ within the specificities of each group. The paper shows that, in addition to business models and strategies oriented to meet short-term survival needs, the financial benefits for firms were low and unstable, with recurrent and unresolved frictions between policy-makers, planners and firms.

Many advanced economies are at the forefront of the growth of university–industry (U–I) collaborations. But many developing countries have yet to fully implement this type of important linkage phenomenon. We report empirical findings from our study conducted in Sri Lanka to provide more explanations on the nature of U–I collaboration in developing countries. We used multiple methods to collect empirical data, namely a questionnaire survey, interviews with university academic staff and a few company managers, held focus group workshops and exploited secondary data on national government sponsorship initiatives linked to U–I collaborations. This paper discusses key practical implications around current modes of U–I collaborations, barriers to collaboration and funding of collaborations, which provide a number of valuable lessons for the advancement of knowledge.

The paper addresses the question of human capital as constraint to innovation in post-transition economies. The analysis is performed both on the macroeconomic and microeconomic levels. Macroeconomic level encompasses discussion of available human capital and clustering of post-transition economies accordingly. Microeconomic analysis based on the Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey confirms that innovative firms are more likely to perceive inadequate education of the workforce as severe obstacle to their business activities. In all analyzed clusters, the more innovative employers feel compelled to train their employees, the more likely they are to be dissatisfied with the education of the workforce.

Can individual differences in the personal style of the leader contribute to project culture? How might culture boost behavioral outcomes and success in projects? Drawing on a sample of 189 participants in 59 projects, we illustrate that leader personal style plays a part in the development of culture in project-based work. Additionally, we show that culture in projects can be exercised by the leader to initiate contextual performance — when workers willingly exert extra effort during project implementation. Finally, we show that contextual performance contributes to project success. Recommendations for selecting and coaching persons designated as project leaders are provided.

Enterprise growth has long been viewed as a strong success indicator. The literature on enterprise growth is however fragmented. This paper determines the major factors identified in the literature that can be attributed for promoting enterprise growth, linking them to success criteria for for-profit enterprises operating at the base of the pyramid (BOP) market. The rationale behind enterprises entering the BOP is the simultaneous alleviation of poverty and generation of profits. Via a grounded theory (qualitative analysis) approach, 25 enterprise growth factors were identified and the internal, business strategy related, start-up phase influencing factors were applied to BOP oriented enterprises, culminating in an operational framework.

This paper analyses the link between project portfolio management (PPM) implementation and perceived company success in achieving strategic objectives. As foundation for a conceptual model, the paper explores and investigates three areas of PPM literature: (1) PPM success criteria (2) PPM success factors and (3) problems faced in PPM. Using a conceptual model, the paper empirically investigates the link between the implementation of various PPM practices, the perceived importance of these practices and the perceived success of project portfolios within a South African context. A mixed methodology approach consisting of: (1) surveys and (2) follow-up interviews was followed during the execution of the study. The study targeted 10 different industries and obtained 342 responses in total. The survey data was supported by four semi-structured follow-up interviews that aimed to further investigate some of the salient trends observed in the data. The study enables the deduction of various recommendations for good practice and implementation gaps in the area of PPM in the South African context. This includes recommendations regarding practices that appear to have a strong link with perceived PPM success, yet are viewed as unimportant by many practitioners.

Video games and movie industry are and have always been billion-dollar businesses. In the last decades, they have had a major impact on how people spend their leisure time, and it is widely recognized that they are changing people’s behaviors and activities. On the other hand, one of the key characteristics of today’s societies is creative idea generation. This study intends to investigate the relation between simple funny video games and short comedy movies and creative idea generation. The contribution of this paper is to suggest that certain short, simple funny/comedy digital audiovisual technologies are important to drive creativity. In particular, it is shown that both simple funny video games and short comedy movies have a positive and meaningful correlation with computer users’ creative idea generation. The results of this research may have positive impact on organizational resources management, especially, human resources management and it can justify the creation of new start-ups in the multimedia industry targeting the production of special video games and movies addressing organizational objectives.

Make-or-buy decision is an important factor affecting the profitability of the firms in all sectors. The goal of this study is to propose a model for firms in engineering design services sector for make-or-buy decisions. A survey was conducted to determine the importance percentages given in an engineering company in make-or-buy decisions and a model was developed. The results of the case study show intriguing clusters of company personnel.

As the lack of consensus among company managers and personnel may inhibit the successful implementation of the developed strategy, we use K-Means Clustering to determine the different perspectives of different groups of employees (managers, senior engineers, junior engineers, technical and administrative support personnel) which may contribute to the understanding of social dynamics of decision making within the company. 4-cluster and 5-cluster analysis results indicate the need for further study on the dynamics of cluster membership.

Rapid development in mobile technologies has brought about changes in human behavior and social relationships. The mobile revolution has brought about changes in technology dependence. It has also increased technostress. This research studies the mobile technology dependence construct. A survey was conducted among mobile phone users. Structural equation models were used to analyze the results. Results indicated that connecting to work, location based services, and sense of security, are important factors of the mobile technology dependence construct, and that increased technology dependence leads to increased mobile technostress, and increased discontinuance intentions. Implications of the findings are examined.