• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.57-81
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• 2008

Knowledge is an essential strategic weapon for sustaining competitive advantage and is the key determinant for organizational growth. When knowledge is shared and disseminated throughout the organization, it increases an organization's value by providing the ability to respond to new and unusual situations. The growing importance of knowledge as a critical resource has forced executives to pay attention to their organizational knowledge. Organizations are increasingly undertaking knowledge management initiatives and making significant investments. Knowledge sourcing is considered as the first important step in effective knowledge management. Most firms continue to make an effort to realize the benefits of knowledge management by using various knowledge sources effectively. Appropriate knowledge sourcing strategies enable organizations to create, acquire, and access knowledge in a timely manner by reducing search and transfer costs, which result in better firm performance. In response, the knowledge management literature has devoted substantial attention to the analysis of knowledge sourcing strategies. Many studies have categorized knowledge sourcing strategies into intemal- and external-oriented. Internal-oriented sourcing strategy attempts to increase firm performance by integrating knowledge within the boundary of the firm. On the contrary, external-oriented strategy attempts to bring knowledge in from outside sources via either acquisition or imitation, and then to transfer that knowledge across to the organization. However, the extant literature on knowledge sourcing strategies focuses primarily on large organizations. Although many studies have clearly highlighted major differences between large and small firms and the need to adopt different strategies for different firm sizes, scant attention has been given to analyzing how knowledge sourcing strategies affect firm performance in small firms and what are the differences between small and large firms in the patterns of knowledge sourcing strategies adoption. This study attempts to advance the current literature by examining the impact of knowledge sourcing strategies on small firm performance from a holistic perspective. By drawing on knowledge based theory from organization science and complementarity theory from the economics literature, this paper is motivated by the following questions: (1) what are the adoption patterns of different knowledge sourcing strategies in small firms (i,e., what sourcing strategies should be adopted and which sourcing strategies work well together in small firms)?; and (2) what are the performance implications of these adoption patterns? In order to answer the questions, this study developed three hypotheses. First hypothesis based on knowledge based theory is that internal-oriented knowledge sourcing is positively associated with small firm performance. Second hypothesis developed on the basis of knowledge based theory is that external-oriented knowledge sourcing is positively associated with small firm performance. The third one based on complementarity theory is that pursuing both internal- and external-oriented knowledge sourcing simultaneously is negatively or less positively associated with small firm performance. As a sampling frame, 700 firms were identified from the Annual Corporation Report in Korea. Survey questionnaires were mailed to owners or executives who were most erudite about the firm s knowledge sourcing strategies and performance. A total of 188 companies replied, yielding a response rate of 26.8%. Due to incomplete data, 12 responses were eliminated, leaving 176 responses for the final analysis. Since all independent variables were measured using continuous variables, supermodularity function was used to test the hypotheses based on the cross partial derivative of payoff function. The results indicated no significant impact of internal-oriented sourcing strategies while positive impact of external-oriented sourcing strategy on small firm performance. This intriguing result could be explained on the basis of various resource and capital constraints of small firms. Small firms typically have restricted financial and human resources. They do not have enough assets to always develop knowledge internally. Another possible explanation is competency traps or core rigidities. Building up a knowledge base based on internal knowledge creates core competences, but at the same time, excessive internal focused knowledge exploration leads to behaviors blind to other knowledge. Interestingly, this study found that Internal- and external-oriented knowledge sourcing strategies had a substitutive relationship, which was inconsistent with previous studies that suggested complementary relationship between them. This result might be explained using organizational identification theory. Internal organizational members may perceive external knowledge as a threat, and tend to ignore knowledge from external sources because they prefer to maintain their own knowledge, legitimacy, and homogeneous attitudes. Therefore, integrating knowledge from internal and external sources might not be effective, resulting in failure of improvements of firm performance. Another possible explanation is small firms resource and capital constraints and lack of management expertise and absorptive capacity. Although the integration of different knowledge sources is critical, high levels of knowledge sourcing in many areas are quite expensive and so are often unrealistic for small enterprises. This study provides several implications for research as well as practice. First this study extends the existing knowledge by examining the substitutability (and complementarity) of knowledge sourcing strategies. Most prior studies have tended to investigate the independent effects of these strategies on performance without considering their combined impacts. Furthermore, this study tests complementarity based on the productivity approach that has been considered as a definitive test method for complementarity. Second, this study sheds new light on knowledge management research by identifying the relationship between knowledge sourcing strategies and small firm performance. Most current literature has insisted complementary relationship between knowledge sourcing strategies on the basis of data from large firms. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, this study identifies substitutive relationship between knowledge sourcing strategies using data from small firms. Third, implications for practice highlight that managers of small firms should focus on knowledge sourcing from external-oriented strategies. Moreover, adoption of both sourcing strategies simultaneousiy impedes small firm performance.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.61-71
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• 2018

The research analysis will be proceeded with a specific question: The kind of endeavors the ICT providers must focus on within the ICT industry's Schumpeterian pattern of using barriers of knowledge during the rapid technological transformation and pursuing appropriability of guaranteed opportunities. The study was carried out by targeting and conducting empirical observations on the proliferation of technological patent applications made by ICT companies among approximately 5,700 listed North American corporations. The risk of arising cases, in which late-coming non-ICT companies adopt and participate in the technical pertinence and concept derived from the technological advent, will be treated as an independent variable in a survival analysis. Through this analysis, innovative technological attempts and absorption capabilities indicate significance.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.39-46
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• 2019

Research has shown that alliances with external partners are valuable to foster internal R & D efforts. However, it is not well known how to take advantage of the potential benefits of strategic alliances to create innovative outcomes. This study examines the value of strategic alliances and analyzes the role of human capital in the impact of strategic alliances on innovation performance. This study focuses on whether the absorptive capacity of human capital affects firm innovation through interaction with strategic alliances. In the analysis using 2,205 Korean venture firm data, strategic alliances have a positive effect on innovation performance. However, the moderating role of human capital in the relationship between strategic alliances and innovation performance shows a significant negative impact. This implies that the ability to internalize knowledge and information acquired from external partners into the firm is important. This study provides valuable insights for managers who want to enhance the effectiveness of strategic alliances by considering the interaction of strategic alliances and human capital.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.41-62
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• 2016

This study made an analysis of the effects of performance and learning orientation for the existing FTA on the intention to use a trilateral FTA among Korea, China and Japan. The results of the empirical analysis of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises(SMEs) located in Gwangju and Jeonnam provinces are as follows. First, there is a positive correlation between the effects of performance for the existing FTA and intention of a trilateral FTA. This result suggests that SMEs' performance feedback can be used as an asset of corporate experience and will be helpful to increase the intention to use a trilateral FTA by contributing to have sustainable competitive advantage of companies. Secondly, there is a positive correlation between the SMEs' learning orientation about FTA and intention to use a trilateral FTA. This result indicates that SMEs have more learning orientation for FTA. They actively acquire and diffuse information. These activities can be helpful for having prior knowledge and absorptive capacity. In conclusion, this study is considered to provide useful theoretical and practical implications that can contribute to enhancing the using intention of a trilateral FTA by explaining the significance of performance feedback and learning orientation.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.131-141
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• 2012

The miracle of Korean economic development is the benchmarking for the developing countries. Among them, the STP of Science and technology area is very important case they tring to learn from Deadeok, Korea. Ecuador and Kazakhstan have the huge natural resources and they have interested in the model of Daedeok STP. This paper study about their needs and Daedeok's capability, and effective implementing factors. This paper suggest a six one based on the Daedeok Innopolis experiences for the successful local STP. First, most important thing is human resource development strategy for the knowledge and technology transfer. Second, the construction of Engineering Center for the collaboration of industry and academy is needed. This is important to have a bargaining power to the appropriate technology transfer. Third, they need a hardware and software infrastructure to the technology commercialization. It include a incubator, manager, and complimentary asset. Fourth, they have to connect with market closely for the venture creation and growth. Fifth, the clustering is realized by the STP construction. Lastly, leadership is critical factor to the absorptive capacity.