Dynamics of Knowledge Development in a Competitive Economy - Exploring the Role of Ideas

Jump To References Section

Authors

  • Acharya Institute of Technology, MBA Institution, Bangalore ,IN
  • M. S. Ramaiah Institute of Management, Bangalore ,IN

Keywords:

Knowledge, Knowledge-Based Economy, Competitive Advantage, Idea Generation, Ideation Processes.
Development Economics

Abstract

In recent times, knowledge has become the major driving force for economic development through free trade and competition. In the process, the global economy got gradually transformed into a knowledge-based economic system. Since knowledge is considered as a critical strategic resource, its development and utilization has become a matter of major concern to all analysts. It is in this context, the present paper derives its relevance and utility. It is being increasingly realized that competition is not fought in the market places but in the R&D Labs, which are said to be the factories of ideas (or knowledge in general) while the markets are their testing grounds. Keeping this in mind, the paper attempts to analyze the nature and significance of the dynamics of knowledge development and also the role and significance of idea generation and its ideation modes, to gain competitive advantage.

Downloads

Published

2008-09-11

How to Cite

Naganna, N., & Savitha Rani, R. (2008). Dynamics of Knowledge Development in a Competitive Economy - Exploring the Role of Ideas. DHARANA - Bhavan’s International Journal of Business, 2(2), 17–38. Retrieved from https://informaticsjournals.com/index.php/dbijb/article/view/16132

Issue

Section

Research Articles

 

References

Lu, I. Y., Wang, C. H. and Mao, C. J. "Technology innovation and Knowledge Management in the high-tech industry", Intl. J. Technology Management, Vol. 39, Nos.1/2, 2007, pp. 3-19.

Vishwamitra Sharma, (translation) "Complete Chanakya Neeti", Manoj Publications, Chandani Chowk, Delhi – 6, 2004, pp. 46.

Alvin Toffler and Heidi Toffler, "Revolutionary Wealth", Alfred A Knopf Publications, New York, 2006.

Nada K. Kakabadse, Alexander Kouzmin and Andrew Kakabadse, "From tacit knowledge to Knowledge Management: Leveraging invisible assets", Knowledge & Process management, Vol. 8, No. 3, 2001, pp 137-154. See also Ursula Schneider, "Coping with the concept of Knowledge", Management Learning, Vol. 38(5), 2007, pp. 613-633.

Michael Polanyi, "The Tacit Dimension" (1966) in Laurence Prusak (Ed.), "Knowledge in organizations", Butterworth Heinemann, Boston, 1997, pp. 135-146.

Nonaka I., "The Knowledge Creating Company", Harvard Business Review, Nov.-Dec. 1991, pp. 2-9.

Wesley M. Cohen and Daniel A. Levinthal, "Absorptive capacity: A new perspective on Learning and Innovation", Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol.35, March 1990, pp. 128-152. See also Gary P. Pisano, "The R&D Boundaries of the firm: An Empirical Analysis", in the same journal, pp. 153-176.

Ikujiro Nonaka and Toshihiro Nishiguchi (ed.), "Knowledge Emergence: Social, technical and Evolutionary Dimensions of Knowlegde Creation", Oxford University Press, 2001, Chs. 1-3, pp. 1-52, 124-160.

Karl R. Popper, "Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge", Routledge and Kegan Paul, London, 1963.

Karl R. Popper, "The Logic of Scientific Discovery", Hutchinson and Co., London, 1959.

John Dewey made a distinction, about a century back, between information and knowledge.

Milan Zeleny, "Human Systems Management", World Scientific Publications, New Jersey, 2005, Ch. 1, pp. 1-45.

Karl E. Weick, "Enacted sensemaking in crisis situations", Journal of Management studies, 25(4), 1988. Karl E. Weick, "Sensemaking in organizations: Small structures with large consequences" in J Keith Murnigham (ed), "Social Psychology in organizations: Advances in Theory and Research", Prentice Hall, 1993. See, Karl E. Weick, "Making sense of the organization", Blackwell, 2001, Chapter on "Enactment processes in organizations", pp. 179-206.

Thomas Kuhn, "The structure of Scientific Revolutions", 2nd ed., The University of Chicago Press, 1970.

Nonaka I and Takeuchi H, "The Knowledge-creating Company: How Japanese Companies create the Dynamics of Innovation", Oxfo"d University Press, 1995.Gilbert Probst, Steffen Raub and Kai Romhardt, "Managing Knowledge: Building Block for Success", John Wiley, 2000, Chs. 1-4, 10, 12 Andrew M PettiGrew et al (Ed.), "Innovative forms of Organizing", Sage Publications, 2003. Andrew M. PettiGrew and Evelyn M Fenton, "The Innovative Organization", Sage Publications, 2000.

Harlan Cleveland, "The Knowledge Executive: Leadership in an Information Society", Truman Tally books/E. P. Dutton, New York 1989, pp. 30.

David D Dubois and William J Rothwell, "The Competency Tool-Kit", Vol. I and II, HRD Press, US and Canada, 2007.

Douglas Graham and Thomas T Bachman, "Ideation: The Birth and Death of Ideas", John Wiley, New Jersey, 2004.

"World Investment Report: 2005 - Transnational Corporations and the Internationalization of R&D", UNCTD, UN, 2006; Based on a survey of 700 largest R&D performing firms.

Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble, "Ten Rules for Strategic Innovators: From Idea to Execution", Harvard Business School Press, Boston, 2005.

A brief account of autopoietic epistemology is given in Georg Von Krogh, Johan Roos and Ken Slocum, "An Essay on Corporate Epistemology", Strategic Management Journal, Vol 15, 1994, pp. 53-71. According to this approach, ideas breed ideas and knowledge breed knowledge. This inherent feature could be due to the ever increasing epistemic base by which the capacity to produce knowledge increases; the outcomes of which go to increase the base. In a sense, this implies self-generating processes. This logic can be extended to the innovative systems leading ultimately to the continuous growth processes.

Rishi Agnani and Dhiti Nanavati "Knowledge Management: An exploratory study of Few Companies in Gujarat" in Rajesh Kumar Jain et al (Ed.), "Enhancing Enterprise Competitiveness", Nirma University, Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 2007, pp. 149-163.

An excellent account of serendipity and its role in basic sciences, literature and social science along with its relationship with the Kuhn's paradigm concept is given in the seminal work of Robert K Merton and Elinor Barber, "The Travels and Adventures of Serendipity", Princeton University Press, Princeton 2004, See Chs. 1, 5, 7 and 9.

In the context of growth, mere innovation is not of much use unless it is diffused widely across the industry and markets through effective communication channels. This aspect is explained elaborately in: Arvind Singhal and James W. Dearing (Ed.), "Communication of Innovations", Sage Publications, New Delhi, 2006, pp. 15-60, 83-110.

The issue of diversity/difference in promoting innovative/ invention capabilities among the individuals, groups, firms etc.is elaborately explained in Scott. E. Page, "The Difference – How the power of diversity creates better groups, firms, schools and societies", Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford, 2007, pp. 1-6, Ch.14.

N. Naganna and Savitha Rani Ramachandran, "Building Sustainable Competitive Advantage through Knowledge, Ethics, Environment, R&D", Monograph, M. S. Ramaiah Institute of Management, July 2007.

Joseph E. Stiglitz and Andrew Charlton's "Fair trade for all"; Oxford University Press, 2005.

An excellent account of Knowledge Management to develop core capabilities and expertise and thereby to build and sustain competitiveness at the enterprise level, is given in Dorothy Leonard-Barton, "Wellsprings of Knowledge: Building and sustaining the sources of Innovation", Harvard Business School Press, Boston, 1995, Chs. 1, 2 and 6.

Murray E. Jennex, "Case studies in Knowledge Management", Idea Group publishing, London, 2005. The analysis as contained in our present paper if adapted to this collection of case studies will give a broader framework to improve our understanding of knowledge management in organizations.

For the meaning, scope and components of the quality of growth, see Vinod Thomas et al, "The Quality of Growth", Oxford University Press, published for the World Bank, 2000, pp. XIII–XXXIV.

Nonaka I., "A Dynamic theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation", Organizational Science, Vol. 5, No. 1, 1994, pp. 14-37.

Mitsuru Kodama, "Knowledge Innovation: Strategic Management as Practice", Edward Elgar, 2007, pp. 11-43, 137-160.

Kevin Gibson, "Ethics and Business", Cambridge University Press, 2007 Chs. 1-3 & 9; pp. 1-77, 203-239.

Christine W. Soo, Trimothy M. Devinney and David F. Midgley, "External Knowledge acquisition, creativity and learning in organizational problem solving", Intl. Journal of Technology Management, Vol. 38, Nos. 1/2, 2007; pp. 137-159.

Stephen B. Young, "Fiduciary Duties as a Helpful guide to Ethical decision-making in Business", Journal of Business Ethics, 2007, pp. 1-15.

Vimal Kamleshkumar Bhatt, "Sustainable Competitive Advantage through the knowledge-based approach: An empricial Evidence", Conference Volume on "Global competition and competitiveness of Indian corporate", organized during 18-19 May 2007 at Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode Campus, pp. 13-20. See also, Dr. Anil Srivastava and Dr. Raj Karan Gupta, "Leveraging Knowledge management for organizational innovation and creativity" in the same volume.

Michael J. Earl, "Knowledge as strategy"; Majorie A. Lyles and Charles R. Schwenk, "Top management, strategy and organizational knowledge structures" in Laurence Prusak (Ed.), "Knowledge in organizations", Butterworth-Heinemann, Boston, 1997.

Nicholas S. Timasheff and George A. theodorson, "Sociological theory – its nature and growth", 4th ed., Random House, New York, 1976, pp. 306-318.