Knowledge Governance Research Articles

Mechanism to Improve the Innovation Capability of Late-developing Complex Product Manufacturing Enterprises Based on longitudinal case study of CRRC

Although China’s manufacturing level has made great progress in recent years, the situation that key core technologies are controlled by others has not fundamentally changed. The improvement of innovation capability greatly affects the development of manufacturing enterprises. Therefore, based on the longitudinal case study of CRRC, this paper attempts to analyze the mechanism of innovation capability improvement of late-developing complex product manufacturing enterprises. The results show that the innovation capability promotion mechanism of late-developing complex product manufacturing enterprises includes power traction mechanism, collaboration innovation mechanism, talent cultivation mechanism and knowledge governance mechanism. Based on this, this paper believes that in the process of development, the late-developing complex product manufacturing enterprises need to carry out corresponding personnel training and knowledge management with the help of the state, under a good environment in the industry and on the premise of maintaining their own brands.

Inter-organisational knowledge networks: synthesising dialectic tensions of university-industry knowledge discovery

PurposeDespite growth in use of inter-organisational relationships for knowledge co-creation, many collaborations struggle to realise the synergistic benefits of these networks. This paper aims to explore the evolving dialectic tensions evident within an inter-organisational relationship and the governance consideration to optimise the knowledge process.Design/methodology/approachA longitudinal case of a university-industry knowledge network is selected for study. The single case analysis aligns with the dialectical epistemology, which dismisses the expectation of homogeny or constancy across network cases.FindingsThe research highlights the circular condition between dialectic tensions evident within inter-organisational relations and the governance mechanisms developed to synthesis the network knowledge discovery capability. The research shows that these tensions are a natural part of the network existence and often advantageous to knowledge creation. The research also highlights that governance is required at multiple levels within the network entity to optimise knowledge exchange and discovery.Originality/valueThe research adds to the limited application of dialectical thinking to inter-organisational networks. It highlights the structural and relational governance mechanisms that interplay to optimise their knowledge process capability. The research also highlights the multiple levels within networks at which tensions can originate, requiring knowledge governance at the micro, meso and macro level to address the complexity of the inter-organisational relationship. This research provides a better understanding of how knowledge within inter-organisational relations can be managed for mutual benefit and value creation.

Putting the pieces together: Integration for forest landscape restoration implementation

AbstractThe concept of forest landscape restoration (FLR) is being widely adopted around the globe by governmental, non‐governmental agencies, and the private sector, all of whom see FLR as an approach that contributes to multiple global sustainability goals. Originally, FLR was designed with a clearly integrative dimension across sectors, stakeholders, space and time, and in particular across the natural and social sciences. Yet, in practice, this integration remains a challenge in many FLR efforts. Reflecting this lack of integration are the continued narrow sectoral and disciplinary approaches taken by forest restoration projects, often leading to marginalisation of the most vulnerable populations, including through land dispossessions. This article aims to assess what lessons can be learned from other associated fields of practice for FLR implementation. To do this, 35 scientists came together to review the key literature on these concepts to suggest relevant lessons and guidance for FLR. We explored the following large‐scale land use frameworks or approaches: land sparing/land sharing, the landscape approach, agroecology, and socio‐ecological systems. Also, to explore enabling conditions to promote integrated decision making, we reviewed the literature on understanding stakeholders and their motivations, tenure and property rights, polycentric governance, and integration of traditional and Western knowledge. We propose lessons and guidance for practitioners and policymakers on ways to improve integration in FLR planning and implementation. Our findings highlight the need for a change in decision‐making processes for FLR, better understanding of stakeholder motivations and objectives for FLR, and balancing planning with flexibility to enhance social–ecological resilience.

Managerial Authority When Knowledge is Distributed: A Knowledge Governance Perspective

A critical knowledge governance problem concerns the consequences for the use of the authority if the knowledge that is essential in a work setting is partially unknown to the person who is to exercise authority. Is it possible to rationally direct work and activities and efficiently utilize knowledge under such conditions? Recently, many scholars have given negative answers to this question, arguing that authority relations are becoming strained by the increasingly distributed nature of knowledge in and between firms. We analyze this argument on the basis of definitions of authority and distributed knowledge. This allows us to show that - while intuitively appealing - the argument that authority cannot be an efficient coordination mechanism in the presence of distributed knowledge is at best problematic. The argument is based on the flawed inference that because the holder of authority is ignorant about some of the knowledge held by employees, he cannot rationally direct them. However, it is correct that the quality of centralized direction (planning, authority) may be compromised by distributed knowledge, leading to choices of other governance mechanisms and structures.

People's Responses and Problems in Governing Practice at Chhededaha Rural Municipality of Bajura District

Good governance is the key for development and prosperity. Effective, stable, and accountable governments are essential in the fight against poverty. It is the critical factor in poverty reduction as well as in achieving development objective in its right. Good governance does not occur by chance. It must be demanded and nourished explicitly and consciously by the nationstate. Local government is the closest tier and unit of government to the citizen at the lowest level. Good governance is the major yardstick for people's prosperity. Well accepted good governance always addresses the felt needs of local people. If governing practice does not run according to people's desire, it always stimulates the corruption and instability. This manuscript examines the major problems and people's perceptions in light of local level governing practices including planning, budgeting, fund mobilizing, participation and entire developmental activities. Lack of knowledge governance values and principles, poor service delivery, unnecessary interference, inconsistency among the political parties, prevalence of corruption, low level of practical and theoretical ideas of service delivery mechanism among the elected members, lack of honesty between elected members and government personnel are the key problems of good governance in practice.

Knowledge Governance: Meaning, Nature, Origins, and Implications

Assumptions about the knowledge held by economic agents have been an integral part of the theory of economic organization since its inception. However, recent work — here called “knowledge governance” — has more explicitly highlighted knowledge as both an independent and dependent variable. Thus, a spate of work in management research and new institutional economics has highlighted dimensions such as complementarity, complexity, tacitness, and so on of knowledge assets and shown how knowledge assets, thus dimensionalized, has explanatory value with respect to economic organization. However, knowledge may also be seen as being caused by governance mechanisms and structures; specifically, incentives, allocations of decision rights, organizational structure and so on influence the search for knowledge, and the creation, sharing and integration of knowledge. More philosophically, the concern with the role of knowledge in the context of economic organization prompts a reevaluation of a number of the fundamental assumptions that are often used to guide theory-building in the economics of organization (e.g., Bayesian and game theoretical foundations).

Conservation Decision-Making in Palau: An Example of the Parallel Working of Scientific and Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

Despite unprecedented knowledge of conservation science, loss of biodiversity continues on a global scale. In this study, we investigate how choices are exercised where science, local and traditional knowledge come together for conservation decision-making. Our case study is the Palau Protected Areas Network, a program established to support conservation in the Pacific island nation of Palau. We apply a framework based on the concept of knowledge governance to explore the rules and norms that shape the relationships between knowledge and decision-making across both customary and Western-styled institutional lines. The major practical implications from this study are that: (1) there are internal and external audiences for Palauan conservation, (2) these audiences are associated with different expectations around what makes knowledge a legitimate basis for action, (3) the current conservation system operates in parallel, with science informing largely external audience and local and traditional knowledge speaking more directly to internal audiences and (4) this parallel system is likely to come under increasing pressure as the audiences for conservation change.

Agglomeration, absorptive capacity and knowledge governance: implications for public–private firm innovation in China

ABSTRACT This paper considers the role of firm ownership structure, absorptive capacity and agglomeration on firm innovation in the Chinese context. A popular co-occurrence measure is used to measure local spillovers expected to take place between similar but different industries co-located together. Relying on a large panel of Chinese firms, this paper offers three main results: (1) privately owned enterprises (POEs) are more efficient innovators than their state-owned enterprise (SOE) counterparts; (2) local spillovers from related industries enhance firm innovation, especially for firms with higher pre-existing learning abilities; and (3) despite possessing relatively high levels of absorptive capacity, POEs maintain higher innovation performance compared with their SOE counterparts. These findings help confirm the absorptive capacity thesis, but also suggest that possessing relatively higher levels of absorptive capacity, in and of itself, is not always a sufficient precondition for firms to overcome all the cognitive and technological barriers to leveraging external sources of knowledge. In line with theories of knowledge governance, one explanation for this finding is that private (government) operators develop higher (lower) quality governance procedures that ultimately enhance (hamper) their ability to integrate successfully external sources of knowledge, even after developing a high level of absorptive capabilities.

O desenvolvimento de capacidades dinâmicas como recurso estratégico

O setor de vestuário está inserido no complexo e dinâmico mercado da moda, marcado pela globalização e pelo crescimento da competitividade. Neste contexto, revela-se importante o estudo do tema capacidades dinâmicas, que visa a explicar como empresas conseguem alcançar e sustentar vantagens competitivas mesmo em ambientes altamente dinâmicos e de constantes modificações. Com base nisso, a presente pesquisa – caracterizada como um estudo de caso único, de abordagem qualitativa e descritiva – investigou quais são os mecanismos e os instrumentos de desenvolvimento das capacidades dinâmicas de uma empresa do segmento vestuário, tendo como base o modelo de Wang e Ahmed (2007) que as analisa a partir do conjunto de capacidades adaptativas, absortivas e inovativas. Observa-se no caso estudado que para o desenvolvimento das capacidades dinâmicas ocorre a articulação entre comportamentos e habilidades de busca e inovação, entre rotinas e processos de busca e inovação e entre mecanismos de aprendizagem e governança do conhecimento.
 Palavras-chave: Capacidades dinâmicas. Setor de vestuário. Capacidade absortiva, Capacidade adaptativa. Capacidade inovativa.

Barriers to sustainable procurement in the Nigerian construction industry: an exploratory factor analysis

Research into the application of sustainable procurement in construction projects is nascent with the few prominent studies carried out in the developed nations. Of particular interest is how developing nations are rising to the challenge of development and using their procurements strategically. One way the construction industry helps to achieve sustainable development is through its procurement activities. Previous studies show that Nigeria is embracing sustainable procurement however the uptake is slow. Therefore, this research sets out to evaluate the factors that constitute barriers to sustainable procurement of publicly funded construction projects in Nigeria. A questionnaire survey was used to evaluate construction industry professionals' perspective on the barriers to sustainable procurement in Nigeria. Three hundred and twenty questionnaires were returned and used for analysis. Out of the nineteen variables tested, factor analysis reveals four clusters named in other of significance as sustainability knowledge level, transparency and governance, mismatch of procurement strategy and national policy challenges, and construction industry related factors. This study recommends that mitigating these challenges will require improving sustainability knowledge among project stakeholders, ensuring transparency and good governance, adapting procurement laws with sustainability clauses and construction industry development.

Strategic Measurement Method Using Balanced Scorecard Approach at The North Minahasa District Health Office

The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze a series of processes to realize the strategy objectives through strategic measurement using the Balanced Scorecard approach at the North Minahasa District Health Office. The research method used was qualitative with a case study design. The results show that the Balanced Scorecard approach as a strategic management tool can improve the quality of strategy implementation, when it can clarify the size of its strategic performance. This case study contributes to the current state of knowledge and local government regarding the development and implementation of the Balanced Scorecard in the future to local governments that intend to implement it. For further research, the trial of the application of the Balanced Scorecard to local governments is an important strategic issue

Smart city big data analytics: An advanced review

AbstractWith the increasing role of ICT in enabling and supporting smart cities, the demand for big data analytics solutions is increasing. Various artificial intelligence, data mining, machine learning and statistical analysis‐based solutions have been successfully applied in thematic domains like climate science, energy management, transport, air quality management and weather pattern analysis. In this paper, we present a systematic review of the literature on smart city big data analytics. We have searched a number of different repositories using specific keywords and followed a structured data mining methodology for selecting material for the review. We have also performed a technological and thematic analysis of the shortlisted literature, identified various data mining/machine learning techniques and presented the results. Based on this analysis we also present a classification model that studies four aspects of research in this domain. These include data models, computing models, security and privacy aspects and major market drivers in the smart cities domain. Moreover, we present a gap analysis and identify future directions for research. For the thematic analysis we identified the themes smart city governance, economy, environment, transport and energy. We present the major challenges in these themes, the major research work done in the field of data analytics to address these challenges and future research directions.This article is categorized under: Application Areas > Government and Public Sector Fundamental Concepts of Data and Knowledge > Big Data Mining

Dimensions of knowledge governance in a multi-PMO project context

Purpose Knowledge is recognized to be a key asset to achieve the strategic objectives of an organization. To that end, it is necessary to count on governance mechanisms that ensure the alignment between the knowledge resources and processes and the business strategy. Given that knowledge management is often performed by project management offices (PMOs), the purpose of this paper is to explore if the dimensions for PMOs governance suggested in the literature are also valid for knowledge governance and what problems do exist. Design/methodology/approach This research has been done using case study methodology. A large complex project in the IT industry was deeply analyzed. This project brings together most of the elements that can be found in current organizational contexts (e.g. geographical dispersed project teams, multicultural environment, technical complexity, etc.), thus reinforcing the applicability of the results obtained. Findings The study findings indicate that knowledge flows between PMOs take place along the dimensions defined for PMO governance, thus confirming the suitability of those dimensions also for the governance of knowledge. This research also validates the connection between the barriers to knowledge sharing and the knowledge governance mechanisms, and provides empirical evidence of the importance of informal knowledge governance to foster knowledge sharing behaviors. This is of key importance to overcome daily operational issues. The observations made are, in fact, valuable lessons learnt for future projects and a valuable input for further research. Originality/value This study explores the similarities between PMOs governance and knowledge governance in multi-PMO settings on the basis of a case study, thus contributing additional empirical data to the literature. Previous work with this approach has not been found.

Knowledge Management in Brazil: What Governance Mechanisms are Needed to Boost Innovation?

ABSTRACTThe need to innovate is relevant to many firms around the globe and is particularly pressing for those in emerging markets. They face global competition, are under-resourced, and suffer from weaker institutional support. It is suggested that to innovate successfully in this context, indigenous firms would benefit from focusing on managing their current knowledge base more efficiently. We know little about how knowledge management works outside developed economies and which knowledge governance mechanisms have more influence than others in the context of emerging economies. To address this gap, we explore how context may matter for the use of knowledge governance mechanisms and their effect on innovation performance in Brazilian firms. Using the survey data of 109 firms, structural equation modelling, and cluster analysis, our findings suggest that the joint application of knowledge-focused rewards, organizational design, and information and communication technologies that support knowledge processes is critical for boosting innovation performance. We discuss how the peculiarities of the Brazilian context may shape these findings. Our article contributes to the knowledge management and innovation literature by demonstrating that the joint effects of bundles of knowledge governance mechanisms and contextual variables should be explored in order to understand their impact on organizational outcomes.

Authorising geographical knowledge: the development of peer review in The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, 1830–c.1880

Abstract When the Royal Geographical Society was founded in 1830, its prospectus made a firm commitment to produce a regular journal of the geographic communications it expected to receive. This article examines how submissions from authors were screened by trusted readers before acceptance and hence begins to elucidate the origins of peer review in the discipline's first English language journal. Whilst there has been extensive examination of geographic texts, hitherto there has not been any systematic examination of institutional peer review's governance of geographic knowledge. Historians of science, however, have begun to historicise peer review within scientific fields. This paper adds to these studies, by bringing a discipline on the periphery of science in the nineteenth century into dialogue with the history of peer review. Through detailed assessment of authors' manuscripts and their associated correspondence, this study reflects on the development of mechanisms that authorised geographic knowledge in the society's journal. It further examines how individual reviewers interpreted and practiced the society's procedures. Overall it demonstrates how peer review was central in shaping the geography that appeared in the pages of The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society.

Knowledge Governance: Building a Conceptual Framework

This exploratory systematic literature review is a starting point for a deep literature review on “Knowledge Governance” (KGOV) topic. The aim is to have a quick picture about KGOV; specifically trying to identify the seminal, core and relevant documents. We also seek to know the contexts of these studies, as well as on what ontological levels and activities they refer to. The principal results are: a) the identification of the structure of the topic, by retrieving the main seminal articles and the most cited (core documents) and b) the building of a structured analysis framework. This framework will be used to perform a deep literature review that aim to develop an integrated and holist conceptual model on Knowledge Governance. Major conclusions are related to clues for future research on this topic.

English

Top-down and centralized soil conservation programs have caused low adoption of sustainable practices. The adoption is a multistage and adaptive process that relies on the management of local knowledge. The results of 61 surveys were analyzed in order to systematize experiences of soil knowledge governance involving social organizations and farmers. Soil knowledge governance was done mainly through the sharing of experiences among farmers. This path resulted both in the strengthening of existing institutions and in the creation of new associative forms and rules. The incentives for farmers to maintain soil conservation practices went beyond the financial ones and reflected the diversity of their views and expectations: eating healthy food, diversifying agricultural production, and improving their social position in the community. The increased adoption of soil conservation practices that resulted from this approach led to the rethink the kind of public policies that would better help soil conservation in Mexico. Key words: Public policy, soil conservation, soil knowledge governance, sustainable land management.

Brokers in a destination's knowledge networks

Abstract This paper applies a two-mode social network analysis approach to identify the brokers in knowledge networks resulting from interactions taking place at specialized seminars and courses organized in a tourism destination. Empirical findings show that technology and innovation centers can be the leading hub of ‘administered knowledge networks’ – understood as efficient knowledge governance arrangements – in which a wide variety of actors, including universities, private-sector associations, public organizations, and firms play complementary roles depending on the nature of the interactions (formal transfer versus informal exchange flows). These structures are found to be fundamental for the functioning of localized systems of learning.

Diversifying knowledge governance for climate adaptation in protected areas in Colombia

Abstract Protected areas face many threats, including the observed and projected impacts of climate change, yet there is little evidence that adaptation strategies are providing comprehensive solutions to deal with ecological transformation due to changing climates. In this article we explore whether, how and to what extent the governance of knowledge helps or hinders managerial change towards more proactive climate adaptation. We applied a knowledge governance framework that addresses social and cultural dimensions of environmental decision-making, alongside the institutional arrangements that support particular knowledge-based relationships, to document the knowledge-based processes in place for managing protected areas under uncertain climate change in Colombia. We found that the results of scientific experimentation and modelling (mainly in the natural sciences) are often stated as the preferred source of knowledge to inform decision making, forming a dominant narrative that climate adaptation can and should be driven by scientific and technical information. However, institutional arrangements in practice were typically more diverse in the knowledge sources that contribute to protected area policy and practice. This indicates a significant mis-match between the desired knowledge base for climate adaptation governance, and the actual knowledge processes that underpin effective planning. We propose that understanding institutional arrangements that shape adaptation decision contexts can help to address barriers for using climate information effectively, including understanding its limitations. It can also help managers identify opportunities to draw on existing diverse and rich knowledge systems to support the institutional transformations needed to enable strategic planning and management for effective climate adaptation.

ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY: COMPONENTS AND ORGANIZATIONAL MECHANISMS FOR ITS DEVELOPMENT

ABSTRACT Purpose: The objective of this study is to understand how the process of absorptive capacity (ACAP) is developed, by analyzing the behaviors and abilities of a group of companies, their routines and processes and the mechanisms of learning and knowledge governance. The companies operate in the metal mechanics sector and they are based in the southern region of Brazil. Originality/value: The relevance consists of the operationalization of component elements and in the development of organizational mechanisms of dynamic capacity (Meirelles & Camargo, 2014), as means of ACAP development (Wang & Ahmed, 2007) in organizations belonging to the metal mechanics sector. Design/methodology/approach: It is a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive empirical research, carried out by a multiple case study. It seeks to investigate in detail three organizations of the metal mechanics sector, by analyzing the procedures, resources, mechanisms, and systems, which makes it possible for them to develop absorptive capacities. Content analysis was performed in order to analyze the data. Findings: The researched companies develop absorptive capacity through some behaviors and abilities, such as relationship capacity, learning capacity, and people’s training capacity, and through routines and processes, especially information search routines, market monitoring routines and risk management. Finally, the researched companies develop absorptive capacity by learning mechanisms and knowledge governance, such as researches, information exchange among clients, suppliers and other companies.