Knowledge-intensive Industries Research Articles

Empirical Research on Ethical Leadership and Knowledge Workers’ Innovative Behaviour: The Mediating Role of Job Autonomy

Introduction: This research studied the mediating role of job autonomy in the relationship between ethical leadership and knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour based on self-determination theory. Data were collected from 377 knowledge workers in the IT industry in Sichuan, Henan, and Guangdong province, China. A conceptual model was constructed and tested with the statistical software SMART-PLS. This paper concludes that job autonomy effectively mediates ethical leadership and knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour. The findings also reveal the strong and positive impact of ethical leadership on knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour. This paper enriched the leadership literature and extended the understanding of the predictors of employee innovative behaviour Objective: To investigate the impact of ethical leadership on knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour. To study the relationship between ethical leadership and job autonomy. To examine the impact of job autonomy on knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour. To investigate the mediating effect of job autonomy between ethical leadership and knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour. Theoretical Framework: Knowledge workers are highly skilled workers with professional knowledge, good education, or experience in their respective fields (Davenport, 2006). According to Correia & Dierendonck (2010), three core elements underpin the global meaning framework of knowledge workers: first, knowledge workers perceive their work as a calling; second, they have a strong desire for membership within a community of peers; third, they demand autonomy. These elements are in consistency with SDT. Method: This research used a quantitative approach to test the hypothesis, a closed questionnaire to collect the data, and SMART PLS version 4 to analyze the data. The survey questions were translated into Chinese with a back-translation approach (Brislin, 1986), as the respondents were all Chinese. Results and Discussion: Due to the single source, we first test common method bias. We adopted a full collinearity assessment approach to check the common method bias (Kock, 2015; Kock and Lynn, 2012). In this approach, the constructs were regressed on a new dummy variable with random values. As shown in table 4.1, the variance inflation factor (VIF) is lower than 3.3 (Kock, 2015), the model is indicated free of common method bias. Research Implications: The study constructed a research model to investigate the mediating effect of job autonomy between ethical leadership and knowledge workers' innovative behaviour. Management in knowledge-intensive industries, like the IT industry, can gain inspiration from the research to develop proper management strategies to promote knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour while guarding the ethical line.

Empirical Research on Ethical Leadership and Knowledge Workers’ Innovative Behaviour: The Mediating Role of Job Autonomy

Introduction: This research studied the mediating role of job autonomy in the relationship between ethical leadership and knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour based on self-determination theory. Data were collected from 377 knowledge workers in the IT industry in Sichuan, Henan, and Guangdong province, China. A conceptual model was constructed and tested with the statistical software SMART-PLS. This paper concludes that job autonomy effectively mediates ethical leadership and knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour. The findings also reveal the strong and positive impact of ethical leadership on knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour. This paper enriched the leadership literature and extended the understanding of the predictors of employee innovative behaviour Objective: To investigate the impact of ethical leadership on knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour. To study the relationship between ethical leadership and job autonomy. To examine the impact of job autonomy on knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour. To investigate the mediating effect of job autonomy between ethical leadership and knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour. Theoretical Framework: Knowledge workers are highly skilled workers with professional knowledge, good education, or experience in their respective fields (Davenport, 2006). According to Correia & Dierendonck (2010), three core elements underpin the global meaning framework of knowledge workers: first, knowledge workers perceive their work as a calling; second, they have a strong desire for membership within a community of peers; third, they demand autonomy. These elements are in consistency with SDT. Method: This research used a quantitative approach to test the hypothesis, a closed questionnaire to collect the data, and SMART PLS version 4 to analyze the data. The survey questions were translated into Chinese with a back-translation approach (Brislin, 1986), as the respondents were all Chinese. Results and Discussion: Due to the single source, we first test common method bias. We adopted a full collinearity assessment approach to check the common method bias (Kock, 2015; Kock and Lynn, 2012). In this approach, the constructs were regressed on a new dummy variable with random values. As shown in table 4.1, the variance inflation factor (VIF) is lower than 3.3 (Kock, 2015), the model is indicated free of common method bias. Research Implications: The study constructed a research model to investigate the mediating effect of job autonomy between ethical leadership and knowledge workers' innovative behaviour. Management in knowledge-intensive industries, like the IT industry, can gain inspiration from the research to develop proper management strategies to promote knowledge workers’ innovative behaviour while guarding the ethical line.

KEYS TO CREATING AN EFFECTIVE REGIONAL INNOVATION INFRASTRUCTURE

Integration processes in science, education and production are driven by the acceleration of scientific and technological progress, the introduction of innovative scientific developments into mass production and the informatisation of the economy. The development of knowledge-intensive industries places new demands on the training and retraining of innovation-sensitive personnel, as well as on science, education and the economy as a whole, which are currently unable to develop effectively independently and adapt to changes in technology and engineering. The purpose of the article is to find promising areas for the development of education and science based on their integration with business entities not only within the limited space of regions, but also on the basis of spatial integration of territories with a special geographical location. Methodology. The necessary and socially significant conditions for the integration of science, education and business are the achievement of knowledge and skills, goals and values related to the acceleration of the reproduction of innovation potential in society, awareness of the role of science, education and business in solving problems of innovation development, and also their integration interaction in this area. Practical implications. Three main levels of economic systems are allocated: individual, organisation, and region. It has been determined that the degree of influence of innovation processes on them is determined by the presence and condition of three factors necessary for the formation of innovation susceptibility (stabilising, activating and structural). Value/Оriginality. Based on the concepts of the main innovation systems and the necessary conditions for innovative economic growth, the authors have clarified the content of the category "innovation receptivity of the region". The paper also reveals the basic principles of building a model of innovation receptivity and determines the degree of interdependence and interdependence between its constituent elements based on a systematic approach.

Knowledge sharing between subsidiary and headquarters: A framework proposal

The pharmaceutical industry (PI) is recognized as a knowledge-intensive industry. Based on the perspective of managers in the subsidiary, this research proposes actions to facilitate knowledge sharing in the relationship between subsidiary and headquarters in a multinational pharmaceutical company. An exploratory case study was conducted. Data were collected from documental content analysis and fourteen interviews with managers from various areas and departments. The benefits include the possibility of participating in global projects and the resultant positive exposure accrued by the subsidiary. While the predominant knowledge flow is from the headquarters to the subsidiary, there is an opportunity to expand the flow in the opposite direction. Based on this study, actions designed to mitigate this point of disruption can be undertaken. This research offers a framework that encompasses the flow of knowledge, the main facilitators and barriers to knowledge sharing between geographically dispersed multinational units, as well as the knowledge sharing mechanisms.

Инвестиционный процесс в России: проблемы и перспективы в санкционный период

The article analyzes the investment process in the Russian economy during the period of serious sanctions restrictions. Since the Russian economy has an export-raw materials orientation, the industry, primarily processing, does not receive proper development, and many large manufacturing companies are foreign partners, who for the most part either closed their business in Russia altogether or sold it to Russian partners, today there are difficulties with the development of the main – the real sector of the economy. The purpose of the work was to study the current situation with the volume and structure of investments in the Russian economy. To do this, the statistical data of Rosstat by federal districts, by sources of financing in fixed assets and by types of fixed assets were analyzed. The authors identified the most pressing problems of the Russian economy for 2023, including: lack of funds for the development of industry, lack of technologies for the development of knowledge-intensive industries due to lack of funding, withdrawal of foreign partners, insufficient state support within state funds, etc. Based on this, practical ways of solving the difficulties that have arisen in the framework of the investment process in the Russian economy have been proposed.

The determinants of voluntary relational liabilities: empirical evidence

PurposeThe aim of this study is to analyse the factors that contribute to the disclosure of relational liabilities (RLs) of the US companies.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses content analysis to examine the disclosure of RLs in annual reports of the US companies listed on the Nasdaq-100 index from 2013 to 2015.FindingsThe study finds a positive correlation between the disclosure of RLs and gender diversity of the board of directors as well as the education level of the CEO. By contrast, the disclosure of RLs is negatively associated with the age of the CEO. Companies in knowledge-intensive industries also tend to disclose more information about their RLs than those in other industries.Originality/valueThis study focuses on the determinants of RLs, whereas previous research has mainly examined the positive impact of voluntary disclosure of intellectual capital on financial performance. The main objective of this study is to shed light on the factors that influence the disclosure of RLs.

Too Many Meetings? Scheduling Rules for Team Coordination

Workers in knowledge-intensive industries often complain of having too many meetings, but organizations still give little thought to deciding when or how often to meet. We investigate the efficiency and robustness of various coordination scheduling rules. We consider workers who are engaged in a common activity (e.g., software programming) that can be divided into largely independent, parallel production tasks, but that necessitates periodic coordination. Coordination enables workers to address issues they have encountered in their independent work but takes time away from production. Using a stylized game-theoretic model, we show that small teams allow a more fluid, that is, worker-driven, approach to scheduling coordination, such as preemptive coordination (or production), under which any worker can impose coordination (or production). In larger teams this becomes inefficient. Several approaches can mitigate this effect. One option is to allocate the decision rights to produce or coordinate to the most productive worker. A more general version is to implement a voting-based scheme, where a minimum number of workers from a predetermined subset choose to coordinate. A third approach is to modify the preemptive coordination and production rules by adding time-based controls, to reserve some minimal amount of productive time or to enforce coordination after some point. Finally, a fixed-interval meeting schedule works well for very large teams. Our research helps formalize the tension between meeting (coordinating) and producing and indicates how to adapt team coordination scheduling rules to the degree of worker heterogeneity and team size. This paper was accepted by Jay Swaminathan, operations management. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.03227 .

The transformative potential of inward investment on industrial cluster development: the case of the semiconductor industry in Wales

ABSTRACT This paper examines the transformative potential of inward investment on cluster development. It undertakes this through the lens of the evolving semiconductor cluster in South Wales (UK) and within a context whereby the semiconductor industry is under pressure with government interventions to improve prospects being implemented at a time of increasing global tension in the industry. The paper reveals the potential of inward investors as agents of regional economic change and cluster development. It shows that the emerging South Wales cluster distinguishes itself in terms of investment motivation, commodities and services produced. These factors result in growing embeddedness in relation to elements such as joint research with higher education and intra-firm collaboration to develop new products and processes. The paper concludes that investments based on risky and fast-changing technologies in industries such as the semiconductor sector necessarily create challenges for policy makers. These are best managed by placing greater emphasis on developing the conditions to satisfy the needs of such knowledge-intensive industries in relation to labour market conditions, factor conditions and market access.

Improvement of country’s transport system and its regions through the digital transformation of the Russian transport industry

Introduction. The prerequisite for the study of the problem was the Strategy for the spatial development of the country for the period until 2024, proposed by the President of the Russian Federation, the basis of which is transport infrastructure by mode of transport, ensuring the connectivity of settlements, requiring phased modernization, personnel, technical and technological support, digitalization and integration into one ecosystem of digital services both for individual modes of transport and in aggregate as a ‘single window’ for the state and business for all transportation. The subject of the research was the digital transformation of the transport sector using the example of the automobile and road complex as the most in demand and, in our opinion, receptive to the digital economy.Materials and methods. Currently, compatibility, coordination and interaction of various modes of transport are becoming important when performing multimodal transportation of goods and passengers using digital technologies and platform solutions. In other words, a unified digital platform of the transport complex must be created, which is a systemic basis for information interactions and unites all current and planned information and digital solutions based on agreed principles, rules and standardsResults. The incomplete list of objects of digital transformation given in the article, due to its wide variety of systems necessary for use in transport, indicates its scale and adaptation to the needs of transport of existing achievements and new technical solutions in various fields. At the current stage, in order to solve the current problems, cooperation of industry scientific organizations is required, taking into account the main directions of their activities, current scientific, technical and personnel potential, integration with institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, scientific, design organizations and industrial enterprises of advanced high-tech and knowledge-intensive industries, with international scientific research. community.Conclusion. The methods and activities proposed in the article will ensure maximum efficiency and unity of the basic principles of the functioning and development of mobility systems in all regions and cities of the Russian Federation, will ensure an accelerated transition to the digital economy and the achievement of technological sovereignty of our country.

The Impact of Technological Learning on Generating and Managing Technical Change Through Mediating Role of Technological Capabilities: The Case of EOR in Iran

Technological learning (TL) is necessary for absorbing and assimilating tacit and disembodied knowledge of technologies. After going through learning process, latecomers should have the ability to change and improve technology to respond to the technologically changing environment. Therefore, they need to build and accumulate technological capabilities (TCs) for generating and managing technical changes. The present research, applying a novel approach, studied TL, TC, and technical change in a single model to investigate the relationship among these three concepts in exploration and production companies of developing countries. Using the structural equation modeling method, the impact of TL mechanisms on two main types of TC, and TCs’ effect on incremental and radical technical changes were studied in the case of enhanced oil recovery (EOR), as a knowledge-intensive industry, in Iran, as an oil-rich developing country. In this article, the nature of technologies and the technological level of firms have been considered more seriously. The results showed that in the context of the EOR industry, learning by doing/using has a significant impact on operational capability (OC) and not on innovative capability (IC), learning by training/hiring, and learning by interacting have a considerable impact on both types of TC, and learning by searching has a significant influence only on IC. OC only generates incremental change, but IC develops both incremental and radical changes.

Managing Knowledge Requirements in the NPD Portfolio Selection Process Using Knowledge Clustering and Prioritization: A Case Study of an Australian Train Operator

In recent decades, knowledge-oriented new product development (NPD) has turned into a significant competitive advantage. It largely depends on the proper management of knowledge processes performed by knowledge management (KM). Among different KM processes addressed in the KM literature, knowledge clustering and prioritization (KCP) has received scant attention. However, it has a significant impact on the performance of other KM processes and is an integral part of the NPD process. KCP helps KM and NPD managers identify knowledge areas’ importance, risk, and cost implications in knowledge-intensive industries such as machinery and appliances. This article addresses this issue by introducing a two-phase research approach to cluster and prioritize knowledge areas. In the first phase, the study data, including knowledge areas, characteristics, and comparisons, are collected through an interview. Then, in the second phase, best-worst method (BWM) and K-means algorithm are employed to prioritize and cluster knowledge areas, respectively. The approach is applied to prioritize and cluster ten knowledge areas adopted by the operations team of an Australian train operator. Results revealed that site and construction managements are vital knowledge areas, whereas change management, programming, and cost control are less urgent for the operation teams.

Efficiency of Commercial Banks in India during Pre and Post E-Banking Period

Banking industry being the knowledge-intensive industry plays an important role in enhancing economic growth of the country. In this whimsical world of technology where Indian Commercial banks are facing intense competition both from domestic as well as international players, the working of this industry have changed drastically with the onset of e-banking period. Such technology-banking or e-banking era is a stimulant to enhance not only economic growth of the country but also efficiency of banks. In this context, this paper is an attempt to study the efficiency of commercial banks in India during pre and post banking period. Also, this study suggests policy recommendations for Indian banking industry to cope the inefficiency and face the competition boldly.

Industrial Development of the National Republics of the Volga-Vyatka Region during the Implementation of the Reform of Industry and Construction Management in 1957-1965

The author describes the results of the industrial development of the industry of the republics of the Volga-Vyatka region (Mari, Mordovian and Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic) during the implementation of the Sovnarkhoz reform (1957-1965), when instead of the sectoral principle of industrial and construction management, a model of territorial administration represented by the councils of the national economy operated. It is shown that the reform carried out contributed to the intensification of industrial construction in the republics of the Volga-Vyatka region: the existing industrial enterprises expanded and modernized, new factories and factories were put into operation, the structure of industry changed in favor of more knowledge-intensive industries, rationalization developed, labor productivity increased. The growth rate of industry in the Mari, Mordovian and Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic during the seven-year period exceeded the average Russian indicators. One of the factors that contributed to the rapid industrial development of the republics at the turn of the 1950s - 1960s was the course of the Soviet government to equalize the socio-economic conditions of various national regions of the country by modernizing their industrial potential. It was concluded that the reform of territorial administration became a powerful impulse to accelerate the development of the republics of the Volga-Vyatka region. By the beginning of the administrative reform, all three republics were territories with the predominant development of agriculture, but in the 1960s they turned into industrial-agrarian republics. The increase in the level of industrial development of the republics of the Volga-Vyatka region was accompanied by an increase in the level of urbanization, the creation of new educational and scientific institutions, and an increase in the scale of housing construction.

PSYCHOLOGICAL STRATEGIES AND ITS IMPACT ON EMPLOYEE INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY IN KNOWLEDGE INTENSIVE SECTORS

This study article investigates the relationship between psychological tactics and their impact on employee innovation and creativity in knowledge-intensive industries. To remain competitive and adapt to quickly changing markets, todays business landscape necessitates ongoing innovation and creativity. Knowledge-intensive industries, defined by their reliance on intellectual and psychological capital, require effective measures to stimulate employee innovation. This research explores the impact of several psychological methods, such as intrinsic motivation, autonomy, psychological safety, and mindfulness, on improving employee innovation and creativity. Organizations can better create interventions to cultivate a culture of innovation within knowledge-intensive sectors if they understand the interplay between these initiatives and employee outcomes.

Organization justice, knowledge sharing and employees' innovative behavior: evidence from the knowledge-intensive industry

PurposeEncouraging employees to display innovative behavior at the workplace is the need of all enterprises in this competitive era of the modern business environment. The study aims to explore the mediating role of knowledge sharing in the relationship between organizational justice and innovative behavior among employees working in the information technology (IT) industry in Vietnam.Design/methodology/approachThe research model was tested on the data collected from 387 employees working in IT enterprises with AMOS 22 software.FindingsConfirmatory factor analysis implied a good model fit. The results show that knowledge sharing mediates the effects of organizational justice with three main forms distributive, procedural and interactional justice on innovative behavior.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study provide valuable evidence and implications for the executive of IT enterprise in boosting knowledge sharing, and innovative behaviors among the employees, in improving their perception of justice in the workplace. This is particularly important due to the significant role of knowledge sharing in organizational development.Originality/valueThis study pioneered the identification of the underlying mechanism of organization justice – innovative behavior nexus by highlighting knowledge sharing as a mediator. Moreover, this study takes a step beyond by suggesting a more complicated model that explored mediating two dimensions of knowledge sharing.

Государственная научно-техническая политика и высшая школа РФ в зеркале посланий Президента РФ Федеральному собранию

The article is focused on the problem of changing the priorities of the state science and technology policy of the Russian Federation. The relevance of the issues under consideration is especially growing in recent years in the context of sanctions pressure on the Russian economy in general and on its knowledge-intensive industries in particular. The authors use content analysis as a key method of research, the object of which are the texts of the last three presidential addresses to the Federal Assembly. As a result, the authors ascertain the increasing attention to the problems of domestic science, including fundamental science, on the part of the head of state, highlight the key emphases in the presidential messages on the issues of training of scientific personnel, fi-nancing of fundamental research, attracting young researchers to science, etc. Besides, the article highlights a number of problems that are objectively inherent in the domestic scientific and technological system, but are not directly mentioned in the presidential addresses.

Bringing novices from the passive role in knowledge sharing to the active role

Purpose: The nature of firm competition between firms and the source of competitive advantage in many industries has shifted toward a knowledge-based economy. This is particularly the case in knowledge intensive industries, wherein a firm’s competitive advantage is highly dependent on its ability to generate and deploy new knowledge solutions. Although knowledge management (KM) is relevant to all organizations, it is likely that its importance is higher at some functional units like maintenance. The field of industrial maintenance is complex and knowledge-intensive. Typically, industrial maintenance knowledge is inaccessible due to industry policies and practices; furthermore, motivation to share knowledge is low or inexistent, due to its tacit and complex nature. Despite these difficulties, sharing knowledge between experienced workers and managers, on one hand, and novices and new comers, on the other hand, is a fundamental problem in industrial maintenance settings, and about which there is still much to be known. The current research reports an investigation aimed at increasing knowledge sharing (KS) between novices and other workers in industrial maintenance. Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative field longitudinal research was carried out at a maintenance department of a high-tech company. The research included three steps: the first one assessed the current situation of KM and KS in the department; the second one implemented a number of training programs aimed to increase KS between novices and the rest of the department; and the third one collected information about KM and KS, to assess changes between the two observation moments. Findings: Novices can take an active role in KM and KS in maintenance departments of high-tech industries, rather than a passive role, which can significantly facilitate and improve their own and other employees' knowledge while moderately enhancing the culture of knowledge sharing. Practical Implications: sharing knowledge is a very challenging issue to maintenance managers, faced with risks and problems that need to be acquired by novices. The current research helps knowledge-intensive companies by highlighting solutions that can be designed and adapted to improve employees' knowledge and also KS.  Originality/Value: Empowering novices to transition from a passive role in knowledge sharing to an active one, while simultaneously improving their knowledge and also KS practices in industrial maintenance through their involvement.

Theoretical Review on Strengthening Tourism Supply Chain Infrastructure using Knowledge Management’s and SECI Model with reference to Jammu based Tourism

The tourism industry is a knowledge-intensive industry, and the knowledge management (KM) practices can be effectively adapted to facilitate knowledge sharing, creation, and utilization within the tourism supply chain in Jammu and Kashmir. This can lead to strengthened infrastructure and improved supply chain outcomes. The SECI model is a knowledge management framework that can be effectively adapted to the tourism supply chain in Jammu and Kashmir. The model has four stages: socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization. By adapting the SECI model to the tourism supply chain in Jammu and Kashmir, tourism professionals can share knowledge, create new knowledge, and improve the overall performance of the supply chain. This paper proposes a framework for strengthening tourism supply chain infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir using knowledge management and the SECI model. The framework is based on the following four pillars: Creating a knowledge-sharing culture; Developing knowledge-sharing platforms; Providing training on knowledge management; and Measuring the impact of knowledge sharing. The proposed framework is a valuable tool for strengthening tourism supply chain infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir. By implementing the framework, tourism professionals can share knowledge, create new knowledge, and improve the overall performance of the supply chain. This can lead to strengthened infrastructure and improved supply chain outcomes.

Industrial Agglomeration and Corporate ESG Performance: Empirical Evidence from Manufacturing and Producer Services

Global climate change has emerged as a persistent global crisis. Under the dual pressures of industrial structure upgrading and ecological environment improvement, enhancing enterprise ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) performance can contribute to achieving sustainable development of the global economy. Selected a sample of 285 prefecture-level cities in China from 2005 to 2020 and panel data of listed companies to empirically examine the impact of industrial agglomeration on corporate ESG performance and its heterogeneity effects. We found that industrial agglomeration generally positively affects corporate ESG performance, with the significant promotion of ESG performance in manufacturing and a “U”-shaped relationship between producer services. Influence channel analysis found that industrial agglomeration acts on corporate ESG performance through the micro-transmission mechanisms of financing constraints, investment levels, market competitiveness, and internal control. Heterogeneity research found that the impact of manufacturing agglomeration on corporate ESG performance is more significant in capital-intensive and high-end technology industries, while producer service agglomeration has a more significant effect on ESG performance for knowledge-intensive industries. This study contributes to a better understanding of the microeconomic consequences of industrial agglomeration and expands the research perspective on the internal mechanisms and external incentives of corporate ESG performance. It provides a basis for local governments to analyze the different characteristics and microeconomic consequences of industrial agglomeration and provide empirical evidence for listed companies to adjust their ESG performance structure dynamically.

Where Do Social Support and Epistemic Centrality Come From? The Case of Innovators in the French Biotech Industry

The link between entrepreneur’s network centrality and innovation performance has been broadly studied in knowledge-intensive industries such as biotechnology. However, little research has been focused on the social mechanisms that allow innovators to reach such a central position. We contribute to the existing literature by exploring the factors that may lead or prevent entrepreneurs from reaching a central position in their professional networks of knowledge exchange and social support in French biotech milieu. We use a unique quantitative and qualitative database of 138 and 126 biotech entrepreneurs observed, respectively, in 2008 and 2013. When accounting for entrepreneurs’ position in the social (friendship) and knowledge (advice) domain, we draw on three dimensions through which entrepreneurs build their position: their professional experience, their inter-organizational (or political) engagement, and the financial and geographical situation of their company. Results from a regression analysis showed that the specific individual and organizational aspects of the trajectory of the entrepreneurs explain their position in the observed networks. Factors such as the previous experience in the health industry, the training expertise, the international experience, the political engagement, and the geographical and financial situation of the company help entrepreneurs to build up their centrality. The two observations allow us to describe indirectly the evolution of norms that are considered legitimated to carry out innovation in the biotech field.