Knowledge Acquisition Strategies Research Articles

Strategizing Originality for Technology Convergence: An Engineering Management Approach

This study examines how the integration of internal expertise with external research partnerships influences the confluence of technologies. Analyzing a decade’s patents, it clarifies the efficacy of varied knowledge acquisition strategies on innovation. The research quantifies the contribution of such synergies to innovation across technological, industrial, and geographic realms. Methodologically, it employs patent analytics to dissect originality into technology scope, assignee variety, industry diversity, and country-specific innovation trends from 2010 to 2019. Findings reveal a positive link between comprehensive technological and industrial knowledge and enhanced technological convergence. Significantly, it accentuates the role of global collaboration in unifying new technologies and industries. This interdisciplinary approach and in-depth organizational learning understanding are vital for spurring innovation. The results offer pivotal insights for academia and policy formulation in technology governance, advocating for integrated knowledge strategies to drive sector-spanning technology unification. The study provides a blueprint for fostering innovation through inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary exchange.

Direct and moderating effects of public R&D support on external knowledge acquisition: the interaction with performance feedback

ABSTRACT We argue that public R&D support may not only lead firms to increase their technological cooperation breadth, enhancing knowledge acquisition, but also influence how firms frame and approach R&D alliance decisions in response to their innovation performance feedback. From a behavioural perspective it is firms performing above or below innovation aspirations the ones that are more willing to gain access to new sources of external knowledge. We argue that while public funding of a firm’s R&D activities has a positive direct effect on cooperation breadth, it also exerts a negative moderating influence when firms deviate from their innovation aspirations, because managers’ external knowledge acquisition strategies tend to align with the objectives of subsidised projects. Using a panel of technological-intensive Spanish firms, we find support for our hypotheses, showing the importance of incorporating performance feedback as a key factor when analysing the impact of public R&D instruments on firms’ collaborative behaviour.

Environmental Regulations-Enabled External Knowledge Acquisition and Proactive Environmental Strategy: The Moderating Effect of Social Media Capability

Environmental Regulations-Enabled External Knowledge Acquisition and Proactive Environmental Strategy: The Moderating Effect of Social Media Capability

Filter Transfer Learning Algorithm for Missing Data Imputation in Wastewater Treatment Process

Missing data imputation is a critical data processing procedure in wastewater treatment process. However, the existing imputation methods cannot stand the missing data with high proportions that frequently happens due to unmaintained instruments or detection failures. Transfer Learning aims to learn much reliable information for the target domain with previous learned knowledge from a source domain, which provides a framework for solving such problem. This paper proposes a filter transfer learning algorithm (FTLA) for missing data imputation with high proportions. First, a knowledge acquisition strategy is developed to extract the source knowledge, including independent knowledge from historical datasets and parallel knowledge in terms of related datasets. The missing data is then interpreted through source knowledge comprehensively. Second, a filter transfer learning algorithm is designed to achieve target knowledge that mimics the tendency of the missing data. This algorithm can avoid serious negative transfer by using the extended Kalman filter to filtrate source knowledge. Third, a knowledge rolling mechanism is established to perform the imputation online with target knowledge, which can maintain the reliable imputation for missing data with high proportions. Finally, several comparative experiments of wastewater data are provided to demonstrate the merits of missing data imputation with FTLA.

Patterns of guild migration in the early modern period: Lessons from a comparative study of young artisans' migration and university peregrination

AbstractGuild migration in Hungary in the 16th to 18th centuries can be best captured by exploring the migration of young artisans. Peregrination and the migration of young artisans were a process of learning and making contacts in a foreign environment over several years. We will be looking at the life, tasks, objectives and, not least, knowledge acquisition and career strategy of one age group, young men roughly between the ages of 16–20, who in the early modern period were the main depositories of local economic and political power in Europe, including the territories of the former Kingdom of Hungary – especially in the towns – and who were entering local economic and political power after half a decade or so of studying.This highly mobile way of acquiring knowledge abroad through university and guild migration provided an experience of leaving the familiar home base. What these young men had in common was that their learning process took place in a foreign territory, far away from their home, in the unfamiliar environment of another country, using a different language. In the case of both groups of learners, the existence of a network of family ties, which can be traversed in several directions, proved to be a key organising factor. This link between the – mainly German-speaking – urban and rural citizens in Western Europe and the Hungarian (and Transylvanian) citizens in the early modern period was always evident in the guild organisation, both economically and culturally.

Strategic Choice and Organizational Performance of SMEs in Mombasa County, Kenya

This research assessed the manner that choice affects Mombasa County SMEs’ performance and specifically assess manner in which innovation, relationship development and product positioning influence performance of Mombasa based SMEs. In the research, in addition to employing. quantitative approach, descriptive research design also adopted while targeting the 209 SMEs in Mombasa County; from which of 136 them formed the sample size; premeditated by means of formula as Mugenda and Mugenda submit. The research employed proportionate sampling and to select respondents. In this research, data from primary sources was gathered using a closed-ended questionnaire that was distributed out using a drop-and-pick method. The quantitative analysis method was used in this study to provide descriptive and inferential statistics. The study concludes that at 0.05 level of significance, each of innovation strategy (β= 0.259; p = 0.002), positioning strategy (α=0.215; p= 0.019), knowledge acquisition strategy County (β=0.196; p = 0.005), and knowledge acquisition strategy (α =0.242; p= 0.0.37) has positively significant influence on organizational performance of SMEs in Mombasa County. The study recommends that the SMEs in Mombasa County that should; invest significantly in their innovation strategy to increase its productivity, strengthen their product positioning strategy; pay more attention on the relationship development strategy; concentrate on building its knowledge acquisition strategy

Learning versus researching in a desktop virtual reality: How reception goals influence the processing of uncertain information marked by verbal and visual cues

Research on the impact of virtual reality (VR) on learning and the integrated model of processing evidence and its uncertainty values (Glaser, Lengyel, Toulouse, & Schwan, 2022) indicates that learners are in danger of mistakenly confusing the representational fidelity of information with scientific certainty and neglect uncertain information during the learning process. In order to find a solution to this problem, we have examined how high-fidelity VR presentations may be supplemented by markers of scientific uncertainty in a way that provides learners with an understanding of the evidential nature of the VR's content and, at the same time, have them elaborate on particular elements of the VR, irrespective of their status of scientific uncertainty. We assumed that certain information is better retained than uncertain information, and additionally inferred that reception goals might influence the retention of uncertain information. Participants (n = 75) were assigned to one of two experimental conditions: learning goal and research goal (between-subjects factor). In both conditions, participants walked through the virtual reconstruction of a historic building with architectural elements including uncertain, medium, and certain architectural elements (within-subject factor). Uncertainty was expressed visually by stop light colors and verbally in accompanying audio explanations. Retention of the appearance of architectural elements, uncertainty values, their verbal scientific justifications, and also exploratorily historical experience were measured in both reception goal conditions. Results showed that with a learning goal but not a research goal the appearance of certain architectural elements was better remembered than that of uncertain architectural elements. The memory of uncertainty values and their verbal scientific justifications was equal for uncertain, medium, or certain architectural elements in both reception goal conditions. Affective engagement during the historical experience was higher with a research than with a learning goal. The study extends existing theories on processing uncertain information and shows that orchestrating basic characteristics of VR with carefully chosen instructional strategies for successful knowledge acquisition is especially important for VRs containing uncertain information.

Educational behaviour and student agency in personalised digital learning

Introduction. Digital educational practices with the opportunities for personalisation cause attention to the issues of students' educational behaviour peculiarities in the new conditions. In the modern situation of uncertainty, the changes in students’ position toward increasing agency, independence, and reflexion are relevant. It is advisable to analyse the promising vectors for changing the strategies of educational behaviour in terms of interaction, cooperation and orientation of students' agency. Materials and methods. The methodological basis of the study was a psychodidactic approach to designing a digital educational environment, the concept of agency and personalisation of education. We conducted the study in the Herzen University among the undergraduate students with the experience of studying e-courses with personalisation capabilities (N=50). The authors’ questionnaire was developed, aimed at students’ educational behaviour self-assessment in the conditions of e-learning at the beginning and at the end of studying a new e-course in the following areas: personal learning goals, knowledge acquisition strategies, knowledge application strategies, learning interaction strategies, and self-regulation strategies. Research results. The analysis of the results showed that in the process of personalised e-learning, there is a critical awareness of personal educational goals; the acquisition of new knowledge relies on an expanded source base. Strategies for applying knowledge set by the teacher are more acceptable. The priority of instrumentalisation of interaction over the use of new opportunities for cooperation is detected. Self-regulation is predominantly associated with pragmatism and planning. Conclusion. The experience of personalised digital learning affects the change in the strategies of students’ educational behaviour. There is an awareness of new opportunities for digital interaction and cooperation, and several types of agency – individual, proxy and collective. Problematic aspects are associated with an insufficient experience of cooperation in the digital environment and the prevailing stereotypes of behaviour according to a model and algorithm.

Development and Validation of a Self-Administered Questionnaire Measuring Essential Knowledge in Patients With Axial Spondyloarthritis.

To develop and validate a patient knowledge questionnaire regarding axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Knowledge considered essential for patients with axSpA was identified through Delphi rounds among rheumatologists, healthcare professionals (HCPs), and patients, then reformulated to develop the knowledge questionnaire. Cross-sectional validation was performed in 14 rheumatology departments to assess internal validity (Kuder-Richardson coefficient), external validity, acceptability, reproducibility (Lin concordance correlation coefficient), and sensitivity to change (knowledge score before vs after patient education sessions and effect size). The Spondyloarthritis Knowledge Questionnaire (SPAKE) is a self-administered 42-item questionnaire with a 32-item short form, both scored 0 to 100, assessing knowledge of disease, comorbidities, pharmacological treatments, nonpharmacological treatments, self-care, and adaptive skills. In the validation study (130 patients; 67 [51.5%] male, mean age 43.5 [SD 12.9] yrs), the mean (SD) score of the long-form questionnaire was 71.6 (15.4), with higher scores (better knowledge) in nonpharmacological treatments and adaptive skills and lower scores in cardiovascular comorbidity and pharmacological treatments. Acceptability was good, with no missing data; the internal validity coefficient was 0.85. Reproducibility was good (0.81, 95% CI 0.72-0.89). SPAKE showed good sensitivity to change; scores were 69.2 (15.3) then 82.7 (14.0) after patient education sessions (Hedges effect size = 0.92, 95% CI 0.52-1.31). SPAKE is a knowledge questionnaire for patients with axSpA, developed with the involvement of HCPs and patients and reflecting current recommendations for the management of axSpA. SPAKE will be useful in assessing knowledge acquisition and self-management strategies in routine care and research.

Organizational factors, knowledge management and innovation: empirical evidence from medium- and large-scale manufacturing firms in Ethiopia

Organizational factors, knowledge management and innovation: empirical evidence from medium- and large-scale manufacturing firms in Ethiopia

Exploring Knowledge Acquisition and Sharing Strategies: A Qualitative Study from Pakistan Football Industry

Purpose: This study has explored the knowledge acquisition and sharing processes operative in the football industry of Sialkot, Pakistan. This study has focused on how these firms could adopt new means of technologically advanced football processes. Knowledge acquisition, dissemination, and conversion have remained unexplored in the football production processes.
 Study design: The qualitative research methodology was used, and the grounded theory approach was applied. Using semi-structured interviews, data were collected from 15 informants, including CEOs, managers, and owners. Purposive sampling was used to select the informants. This was a cross-sectional study with an inductive approach. Gioia (2013) methodology was used to analyze the data in grounded theory.
 Findings: Data structure developed from the interviews produced three aggregate dimensions, namely strategic position, knowledge acquisition & strategic fit, and knowledge sharing. Data analysis reveals that football producing firms have invented state of the art technology and upgraded their operations according to the changing production requirements. These firms have earned a competitive advantage based on their dynamic capabilities, research & development, innovation and rich history of football production.

ONLINE CONTEXTUALIZED PERFORMANCE TASK-BASED ASSESSMENT USING GRASPS MODEL IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY

The primary purpose of the study was to provide a strategy and authentic assessment for the teachers, especially in GEC 107 during the Pandemic, and to determine the level of the acceptability of the Goal, Role, Audience, Situation, Performance/Product, and Standards (GRASPS) Model as an online contextualized performance task-based assessment in terms of content, relevance, and mechanics, and how effective the online contextualized performance task-based assessment is using the GRASPS Model in Science, Technology, and Society for non-Science students. The researcher used the mixed-method convergent parallel research design, and data integration approaches employed to test the hypothesis and ensure accuracy truly. The respondents were forty (40) students and forty (40) experts from Laguna State Polytechnic University-Sta. Cruz campus who were purposively selected for the quantitative aspect of the study, and five (5) students selected through rubrics as the criteria to consider. In implementing the GRASPS model as contextual task-based online performance, the researcher measured the performance of non-science-related students based on the GRASPS Model?s Online Contextualized Performance Tasks of each activity's presentation by each five (5) groups from BSA 1A and 1B. From the findings gathered, the computed p-value of 0.443 is more significant than the significance alpha of 0.05. From the given result, it can be implied that there is no significant difference in the rating of the two respondent groups. Therefore, the null hypothesis is accepted. Overall, the respondents believed that the GRASPS model is a practical knowledge acquisition and learning strategy for non-science-related students. The mechanism of the GRASPS model follows a systematic methodology, prolongs knowledge, and applies the ideas obtained to real-life problems, making it easier to understand the immediate challenges of promoting scientific literacy. This makes it easier to understand the importance and impact of science and technology on society. The respondents got involved and began to love science. It integrates knowledge and skills to solve real-life problems, allows students to experience challenges in real-life situations, and deepens their understanding of important academic content.

FIRMS’ INNOVATION OBJECTIVES AND KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION STRATEGIES

External partnerships play an important role in firms’ acquisition of the knowledge inputs to innovation. Such knowledge acquisition may be interactive - involving exploration and mutual learning - or non-interactive - involving exploitative activity and learning by only one party. Here, we consider how firms’ innovation objectives influence their choice of interactive and/or non-interactive knowledge search. We conduct a comparative analysis for Spain and the UK, which have contrasting innovation eco-systems and regulation burdens. Three empirical results emerge. First, we find strong support for complementarity between non-interactive and interactive knowledge search. Second, we find that where firms have innovation objectives relating to product or service improvement, they are more likely to establish non-interactive search strategies. Third, the innovation objective of reducing environmental impact is significantly related to both, interactive and non-interactive knowledge acquisition strategies. This is likely related to the increasing awareness of the need to promote an agenda based on sustainable growth.

Dynamic openness for network-enabled product and process innovation: a panel-data analysis

PurposePrior research on open innovation has not investigated changes in knowledge acquisition strategies of firms over time overlooking how learning from past knowledge acquisition can change subsequent search strategies. Also, prior research has focused principally on product innovation overlooking process innovation. The purpose of the paper is to introduce the concept of dynamic openness, which is defined as temporal changes in external knowledge search strategy. We explore four dynamic openness strategies – closing down, opening up, persistent open and persistent closed – and examine the impact of these strategies on both product and process innovation.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a panel dataset of 16,021 firms based on five waves (2009–2017) of the UK Community Innovation Survey (UKIS). All models are estimated using firm and year fixed effects (FE) method to control for endogeneity that arises from unobserved heterogeneity. Endogeneity and robustness tests were carried out to ensure the validity of results.FindingsThe results show that firms do use dynamic openness strategies over time leveraging learning from past searches. Specifically, the study indicates that closing down is not an effective strategy for either type of innovation. For process innovation, firms should pursue opening up strategy rather than persistent open strategy, whereas for product innovation firms could pursue either strategy, highlighting important contextual differences.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the literature on knowledge acquisition in open innovation: (1) by theorizing the underlying reasons – learning from past collaborations, absorptive capacity and external knowledge heterogeneity – why firms pursue one dynamic openness strategy over another and (2) by extending literature by delineating the dynamic openness strategies that firms should pursue in process innovation vs product innovation.

외부지식이 제품혁신에 미치는 영향: 지식학습과 탐색방법의 상호작용을 중심으로

This study examines how the external knowledge affects innovation. We categorize firms’ external knowledge sources into two modes: STI(science-technology-innovation) and DUI(doing-using-interacting). At the same time, we distinguish between the breadth and depth of firms’ external knowledge acquisition strategies, while considering the interaction between the knowledge source and the acquisition strategy. Previous studies have considered the source and the acquisition strategy of external knowledge independently. Thus, in order to fill this gap in the literature, we identify two types of external knowledge, each with its own searching mode, suggesting a 2 × 2 acquisition strategy model of external knowledge.

Characterizing the relationships between tertiary and community cancer providers: Results from a survey of medical oncologists in Southern California

BackgroundTertiary cancer centers offer clinical expertise and multi‐modal approaches to treatment alongside the integration of research protocols. Nevertheless, most patients receive their cancer care at community practices. A better understanding of the relationships between tertiary and community practice environments may enhance collaborations and advance patient care.MethodsA 31‐item survey was distributed to community and tertiary oncologists in Southern California using REDCap. Survey questions assessed the following attributes: demographics and features of clinical practice, referral patterns, availability and knowledge of clinical trials and precision medicine, strategies for knowledge acquisition, and integration of community and tertiary practices.ResultsThe survey was distributed to 98 oncologists, 85 (87%) of whom completed it. In total, 52 (61%) respondents were community practitioners and 33 (38%) were tertiary oncologists. A majority (56%) of community oncologists defined themselves as general oncologists, whereas almost all (97%) tertiary oncologists reported a subspecialty. Clinical trial availability was the most common reason for patient referrals to tertiary centers (73%). The most frequent barrier to tertiary referral was financial considerations (59%). Clinical trials were offered by 97% of tertiary practitioners compared to 67% of community oncologists (p = 0.001). Most oncologists (82%) reported only a minimal‐to‐moderate understanding of clinical trials available at regional tertiary centers.ConclusionsCommunity oncologists refer patients to tertiary centers primarily with the intent of clinical trial enrollment; however, significant gaps exist in their knowledge of trial availability. Our results identify the need for enhanced communication and collaboration between community and tertiary providers to expand patients’ access to clinical trials.

Bridging the gaps between tertiary and community care networks: Results from a southern California survey research analysis.

1538 Background: Although many tertiary cancer centers offer access to myriad research protocols, the majority of patients nevertheless receive treatment at community practices. We sought to examine the barriers that hamper clinical collaboration between tertiary and community practice environments in Southern California. Methods: A 31-item survey was distributed to community and tertiary oncologists using REDCap, a browser-based electronic data capture system. Survey questions assessed the following attributes: demographics and features of clinical practice, referral patterns, availability and knowledge pertaining to clinical trials, strategies for knowledge acquisition, and integration of community and tertiary practices. Results: The survey was distributed to 98 oncologists, 85 (87%) of whom completed it in full. The most common institutional affiliations were City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center (58%), University of California, Los Angeles (10%), and Cedars Sinai Medical Center (8%). In total, 52 (61%) respondents were community practitioners and 33 (38%) were tertiary oncologists. A majority (56%) of community oncologists defined themselves as general oncologists whereas almost all (97%) tertiary oncologists reported a subspecialty. Clinical trial availability was the most common reason for pt referrals to tertiary centers (73%). The most frequent barrier to tertiary referral was financial considerations (59%). Clinical trials were offered by 97% of tertiary practitioners as compared to 67% of community oncologists (p = 0.001). Of note, while a majority of tertiary center providers (52%) described the primary value of community practices to be a source of referrals for clinical trials, most community oncologists (82%) reported only a minimal-to-moderate understanding of clinical trials available at regional tertiary centers. Conclusions: Community oncologists refer patients to tertiary centers primarily with the intent of clinical trial enrollment; however, significant gaps exist in their knowledge of trial availability. Our results identify the need for enhanced communication and collaboration between community and tertiary providers to expand patients’ access to clinical trials.

Fighting and doping: Professional mixed martial artists experience and exposure to performance-enhancing substances and supplements

In the last few decades, mixed martial arts (MMA) has grown to become a mainstream sport, broadcasted worldwide. The increased commercialization, structure, and physical requirements of the sport arguably make the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PED) attractive to MMA fighters. In contrast, cultural aspects within MMA and diverse expressions of masculinity may temper PED use. Yet, the sport has received little empirical inquiry. This exploratory study sought to understand MMA fighters’ experience and exposure to PED and sport supplements. Specifically, how fighters learn about, use, and rationalize the use of these substances was explored, along with cultural aspects of the sport that may influence use. Furthermore, given the rapid rise of this sport, generational differences between veterans and early-career fighters were examined. Seventeen semi-structured interviews with professional MMA fighters were conducted and analyzed using a two-cycle coding method. The presentation of results was organized into four categories: learning and conversing, supplement and PED use, rationalization of use, and MMA contextual factors. Multiple misconceptions existed and the use of both supplements and performance-enhancing substances followed similar justifications linked to recovery, performance enhancement, and deficiency correction. Marijuana emerged as a debated performance-enhancing substance. Experimentation was common and knowledge acquisition strategies differed based on career stage and standing within the fighting and doping community. Fighters acknowledged the pressure to dope. However, cultural aspects of the sport and a purity perspective provide deterrents to both supplement and PED use. The implications of these findings, along with recommendations for future research are discussed.

Features of the Relationship Between Metacognitive Monitoring and Metacognitive Control

The research studies the peculiarities of the relation between metacognitive monitoring and metacognitive control. The study focuses on some theoretical and methodological aspects of the relationship between metacognitive monitoring and control. The article presents an analysis of metacognitive monitoring and control concepts, their distinct functional features, the processes of their functioning, and the peculiarities of the interaction between these components of metacognition. Metacognitive monitoring as a subjective assessment of one's own cognitive processes and knowledge cannot be considered separately from metacognitive control over the strategic regulation of cognitive operations and resources. As a result, metacognitive monitoring processes are an important condition for updating metacognitive control. Thanks to properly organized highly effective metacognitive monitoring, students can at the metacognitive level study cognitive features of knowledge acquisition and use appropriate learning strategies. With the help of metacognitive control, students can use metacognition to regulate their own activities at the cognitive level. The need to study the features of this interaction was due to the importance of continuing the theoretical analysis of the basics of metacognitive monitoring, substantiation of its components, clarifying of the relationship with the effectiveness of educational activities and etc. The results of the theoretical analysis found in the study play a significant role in this relationship understanding. We can assume that the results of the theoretical analysis found in the study play a significant role in the process of understanding such issues.

Absorptive capacity in startups: A systematic literature review

Purpose: Several scholars have pointed out that absorptive capacity (AC) is critical for the innovation process in large firms. However, many other authors consider startups as key drivers for innovation in the current global economy. Therefore, this article aims to identify how the concept of AC has been addressed in the new venture context. Methodology: A systematic literature review analyzing 220 papers published between 2001 and 2018. Findings: The systematic literature review identifies three clusters of research addressing AC in startups: Knowledge, Innovation, and Performance, along with the central authors of the discussion, the main contributions, theoretical references, and their future research agenda guidelines. Implications for theory and practice: This study contributes to the innovation and entrepreneurship literature by connecting the importance of AC and new venture creation, and providing a better understanding of how entrepreneurs could enhance their innovative processes. Originality and value: Based on the analysis of the literature review, a framework that differentiates knowledge acquisition strategies for new ventures was created. The framework categorizes the strategies according to the knowledge source (i.e., internal or external) and the degree of intentionality (i.e., formal or informal).