As a young and interdisciplinary field, Knowledge Management (KM) holds a crucial role in scientific research and development of knowledge-intensive economies. This study elaborates on the methods used in previous studies regarding the research trends of KM and their contribution to the discipline by examining the KM literature. The purpose of the study is to determine the current research trends of KM by analysing KM citation classics and examining their characteristics as well as presenting a holistic framework of KM publications from the results of citation analysis. A total of 152 articles published in peer review journals between the years 2010-2014 were analysed. As a result of the analysis, a holistic KM framework was developed in order to contribute to a consensus of KM field. The results of the study reveals that the coverage of KM articles expanded into a broad spectrum of concepts, disciplines and environment.
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Insider ethnographic analysis is used to analyze change processes in an engineering department. Distributed leadership theory is used as conceptual framework.
In dynamic and competitive environment, the importance of innovation is accepted as a necessary ingredients for firms to create value and sustain competitive advantage. However, very little empirical research has specifically addressed to what extent different kinds of innovation rely on specific knowledge management processes and entrepreneurial orientation. The objective of this study is to identify the different types of innovation that are predominant in companies, and how to facilitate different types of innovation activities. A questionnaire survey was conducted and 169 valid replies were received. This research analyzes the relationship among knowledge management processes, as well as entrepreneurial orientation and different types of innovation. The results from an empirical survey study reveal that organizations facilitate different types of innovation (i.e., administrative versus technical innovation) through entrepreneurial orientation and knowledge management process (i.e., knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing and knowledge application). The results also show that the partial mediating role of knowledge management processes in the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and different types of innovation.
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Digital transformation has been recognized for its potential to contribute to sustainability goals. It requires companies to develop their Data Analytic Capability (DAC), defined as their ability to collect, manage and analyze data effectively. Despite the governmental efforts to promote digitalization, there seems to be a knowledge gap on how to proceed, with 37% of Dutch SMEs reporting a lack of knowledge, and 33% reporting a lack of support in developing DAC. Participants in the interviews that we organized preparing this proposal indicated a need for guidance on how to develop DAC within their organization given their unique context (e.g. age and experience of the workforce, presence of legacy systems, high daily workload, lack of knowledge of digitalization). While a lot of attention has been given to the technological aspects of DAC, the people, process, and organizational culture aspects are as important, requiring a comprehensive approach and thus a bundling of knowledge from different expertise. Therefore, the objective of this KIEM proposal is to identify organizational enablers and inhibitors of DAC through a series of interviews and case studies, and use these to formulate a preliminary roadmap to DAC. From a structure perspective, the objective of the KIEM proposal will be to explore and solidify the partnership between Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas), Avans University of Applied Sciences (Avans), Logistics Community Brabant (LCB), van Berkel Logistics BV, Smink Group BV, and iValueImprovement BV. This partnership will be used to develop the preliminary roadmap and pre-test it using action methodology. The action research protocol and preliminary roadmap thereby developed in this KIEM project will form the basis for a subsequent RAAK proposal.
De markt vraagt om steeds meer productvariëteit. Veel bedrijven realiseren productvariëteit nu met veel klant-specifiek engineeringswerk (Engineer-to-Order/EtO). Dit zet druk op alle afdelingen in het bedrijf zoals sales, engineering, productie en service. Een uitdagende manier voor deze bedrijven, om beter met het spanningsveld tussen externe en interne eisen om te gaan, is het ontwikkelen van meer configureerbare producten (lego principe}. Hiervoor is een modulaire opbouw van het product nodig waarin verschillende productonderdelen gestandaardiseerd zijn en gebruikt kunnen worden in verschillende eindproducten. Zo kan, met minder engineeringsactiviteiten, een product geconfigureerd worden (Configure-to-Order/CtO) en de klant productvariëteit worden geboden zonder alle interne druk. Voor diverse bedrijven vormen ook de mogelijkheden van Industry 4.0 en sustainabilty ambities belangrijke drivers in hun streven naar meer CtO. Het implementeren van CtO is echter niet eenvoudig. Het vraagt om aanzienlijke capaciteit, kennis en kunde op het gebied van productontwikkeling, procesontwikkeling en het veranderproces. Betrokkenheid van medewerkers uit alle belangrijke afdelingen (verkoop, engineering, productie, service etc.) is een vereiste. Mkb-bedrijven worstelen hiermee en hebben behoefte aan goede tools en technieken, zowel inhoudelijk, over de ontwikkeling van de productarchitectuur en de impact hiervan op de bedrijfsprocessen, als veranderkundig, hoe deze transitie tot stand te brengen. In dit Sia RAAK-mkb onderzoek willen wij samen met productie mkb-bedrijven, kennisinstellingen en brancheorganisaties een integrale aanpak ontwikkelen om CtO op een goede manier te implementeren. De deelnemende mkb-bedrijven hebben de duidelijke wens om dit de komende jaren te doen. Voor de specifieke casussen zullen met casestudies en interventieonderzoek aanpakken ontwikkeld worden. Studentprojecten zullen ondersteuning geven aan de verschillende interventies. Vervolgens zal systematisch case-vergelijkend onderzoek worden uitgevoerd om inzicht te krijgen in wat in welke situatie werkt. Op basis van het case-vergelijkend onderzoek worden tools en technieken ontwikkeld die enerzijds generiek zijn en anderzijds kunnen worden aangepast aan specifieke bedrijfssituaties.
The SPRONG-collaboration “Collective process development for an innovative chemical industry” (CONNECT) aims to accelerate the chemical industry’s climate/sustainability transition by process development of innovative chemical processes. The CONNECT SPRONG-group integrates the expertise of the research groups “Material Sciences” (Zuyd Hogeschool), “Making Industry Sustainable” (Hogeschool Rotterdam), “Innovative Testing in Life Sciences & Chemistry” and “Circular Water” (both Hogeschool Utrecht) and affiliated knowledge centres (Centres of Expertise CHILL [affiliated to Zuyd] and HRTech, and Utrecht Science Park InnovationLab). The combined CONNECT-expertise generates critical mass to facilitate process development of necessary energy-/material-efficient processes for the 2050 goals of the Knowledge and Innovation Agenda (KIA) Climate and Energy (mission C) using Chemical Key Technologies. CONNECT focuses on process development/chemical engineering. We will collaborate with SPRONG-groups centred on chemistry and other non-SPRONG initiatives. The CONNECT-consortium will generate a Learning Community of the core group (universities of applied science and knowledge centres), companies (high-tech equipment, engineering and chemical end-users), secondary vocational training, universities, sustainability institutes and regional network organizations that will facilitate research, demand articulation and professionalization of students and professionals. In the CONNECT-trajectory, four field labs will be integrated and strengthened with necessary coordination, organisation, expertise and equipment to facilitate chemical innovations to bridge the innovation valley-of-death between feasibility studies and high technology-readiness-level pilot plant infrastructure. The CONNECT-field labs will combine experimental and theoretical approaches to generate high-quality data that can be used for modelling and predict the impact of flow chemical technologies. The CONNECT-trajectory will optimize research quality systems (e.g. PDCA, data management, impact). At the end of the CONNECT-trajectory, the SPRONG-group will have become the process development/chemical engineering SPRONG-group in the Netherlands. We can then meaningfully contribute to further integrate the (inter)national research ecosystem to valorise innovative chemical processes for the KIA Climate and Energy.
