• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.109-132
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• 2001

The purpose of this article is to develop a dynamic model of organizational capabilities and knowledge creation, and at the same time identify the organizational capability factors for effective knowledge creation, by empirically analyzing the history of new Quinolone antibacterial drug compound (LB20304a) discovery process at LG, as a case in point. Major findings of this study are as follows. First, in a science-based area such as drug development, the core of successful knowledge creation lies in creative combination of different bodies of scientific explicit knowledge. Second, the greater the difficulty of learning external knowledge, the more tacit knowledge is needed for the recipient firm to effectively exploit that knowledge. Third, in science-based sector such as pharmaceutical industry, the key for successful knowledge creation lies in the capability of recruiting and retaining star scientists. Finally, for effective knowledge creation, a firm must keep its balance among three dimensions of organizational capabilities: local, process, architectural capabilities.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.209-237
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• 2012

Multinational enterprises(MNEs) try to strengthen their global innovative capabilities by incorporating the foreign subsidiaries' knowledge bases. Foreign subsidiaries play an important role in MNEs' knowledge creation activities. This study develops a strategy model that strengthening the knowledge creation capabilities of Korean firms' foreign subsidiaries. Four strengthening strategy types are derived from three research areas related with center of excellence, subsidiary strategic roles, and knowledge creation capabilities. The strategies that strengthen knowledge creation capabilities are including organizational culture and autonomy reinforcing strategy, subsidiary's absorptive capacity reinforcing strategy, local environment management strategy, and network building strategy. Strategic fit conditions which support the success of each strategy type are also discussed.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.1-27
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• 2015

This paper presents a knowledge-based view of platform-centered collaborations among multiple organizations. Studies of technological innovation and knowledge creation have broadened beyond their initial emphasis on internal development within an organization or simple exchange of ideas between two parties toward complex collaboration among many organizations at the level of platform-based knowledge ecosystems. Platforms serve as an interface between different groups of producers and consumers in a variety of multi-sided knowledge markets such as smartphone operating systems and video games industries. This study is an exploratory examination to offer theoretical understanding of how the organizational capabilities of platform leaders help expand a network of platform participants. The growth of platform participants is particularly important in the early stage of any platforms as the concept of network effects suggests that the platform with the largest number of participants will capture entire markets. Building upon organization studies and network economics theory on multisided markets, this paper focuses on the role of platform leaders in expanding platform-based collaboration. In our view, platform leaders develop varying levels of three organizational capabilities to discern quality of potential participants, to attract them to actually participate in collaboration, and to maintain long-term exchange relations in the ecosystem. We suggest that the capabilities of platform leaders will have a positive effect on the expansion of platform participants to secure network effects, and also examine several contextual factors that moderate the relationship between a platform leader's capacity and platform expansion.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.69-87
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• 2007

High-tech industries in Taiwan exist in an environment with diverse product requirements and intense cost reduction and information integration stress. They must develop new operational directions to increase industry competitiveness. Therefore, Taiwan's high-tech industries must continue R&D and creativity, establish knowledge sharing mechanisms and improve new product development (NPD) performance. This research analyzed and explored the influences of knowledge management (KM) and knowledge sharing mechanisms introduced by Taiwan's high-tech industries on new product development performance. The relationship between knowledge management capabilities and NPD performance is studied. This research considers the intervening industry and corporate position variables. Taiwan's high-tech industries have gradually entered the era of IT region integration and application with competitive advantage creation based upon core techniques. The in-depth study of knowledge management and knowledge sharing introduced by the high-tech industry revealed double meanings in academic and practical applications. The research results showed the following: (1) the stronger the knowledge management capabilities of Taiwan's high-tech industries, the more significant the NPD performance. (2) The better the knowledge sharing mechanism in Taiwan's high-tech industries, the more significant the NPD performance. (3) Corporate scale is not necessarily the critical factor in NPD success and the influence of corporate scale on NPD performance did not show significant differences. (4) The stronger the degree of leading corporate techniques, the more significant the NPD performance.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.105-126
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• 2014

Knowledge integration is becoming a primary function of improving organizational capabilities and performance in today's convergence paradigm. The knowledge integration capability of employees has increasingly been regarded as a critical source for developing new products and services. This study investigates the influential factors of employees' knowledge integration capability and its effects. A theoretical research model was developed based on the socio-technical perspective and information processing theory. The model includes teamwork quality, expertise, IT support, and knowledge complexity as the primary influential factors of employees' knowledge integration capability. A large-scale survey was conducted for gathering data (a total of 316 samples from 141 organizations) to test the proposed model. The test results of the hypotheses show that expertise and knowledge complexity are the significant influential factors of employees' knowledge integration capability, and also the capability has a positive effect on the knowledge creation performance of employees. Our findings contribute to the development of initiatives for promoting employees' knowledge integration capability, especially in knowledge intensive organizations focusing on convergence products and services.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.1-22
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• 2009

A firm's competitive capabilities become greater when the firm has a specific knowledge. There are many studies have been examined how to accumulate the firm specific knowledge and to get the competitive capability on the various perspectives. This study suggest that the conceptual framework on the absorptive capability through reviews on the knowledge management theory. And it also suggests that the proposition about the technological capability building process through the in depth case study on a small and medium sized company in a LCD industry. This study found the following major characteristics about the absorptive capability building and knowledge creating process. First, it is required to building an absorptive capability rapidly that the harmony of local capabilities, integrative capabilities, and intensity of effort. And the most important factor is the intensity of effort in a small and medium sized firm with a weak knowledge base. Second, it is required to develop an innovative new product that the utilization of expeditious learning mechanism based on the exploration and exploitation process. Finally, complementary assets are needed to proactive exploration and exploitation. Based on the findings, the theoretical and managerial implications are derives and the further research directions are proposed.

• 한국벤처창업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.08a
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• pp.67-88
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• 2009

A firm's competitive capabilities become greater when the firm has a specific knowledge. There are many studies have been examined how to accumulate the firm specific knowledge and to get the competitive capability on the various perspectives. This study suggest that the conceptual framework on the absorptive capability through reviews on the knowledge management theory. And it also suggests that the proposition about the technological capability building process through the in depth case study on a small and medium sized company in a LCD industry. This study found the following major characteristics about the absorptive capability building and knowledge creating process. First, it is required to building an absorptive capability rapidly that the harmony of local capabilities, integrative capabilities, and intensity of effort. And the most important factor is the intensity of effort in a small and medium sized firm with a weak knowledge base. Second, it is required to develop an innovative new product that the utilization of expeditious learning mechanism based on the exploration and exploitation process. Finally, complementary assets are needed to proactive exploration and exploitation. Based on the findings, the theoretical and managerial implications are derives and the further research directions are proposed.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.55-73
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• 1998

In this paper we analyze the technological accumulation processes in the Korean semiconductor industry from the institutional approach. Institutional approach, which is closely connected with Neo-Schumpeterian tradition, has emerged as an alternative theoretical framework to neoclassical approach to understand the process of producing technological knowledge. Traditional wisdom of neoclassical approach revealed the limitation to explain the complex nature of knowledge creation and diffusion. US patent data are analyzed in terms of the increasing trend of numbers and its content to measure the rate and direction of technological capability accumulation. This analysis shows that semiconductor technologies are one of the fastest growing fields among Korean technological activities. Moreover, the analysis of patent content suggests that fabrication technologies are the most important area within the technological development of semiconductors, whilst circuit design and testing technologies are beginning to increase in significance. In addition, it is examined how private sectors and public institutions have contributed to generate technological capabilities, and the relationship between them has been changed during the development processes. It is found that Korean firms enhanced their technological capabilities from the learning and assimilation of imported technology to enhanced in-house R&D capabilities in the later stage. The support of public institution and government policy also played significant role to this successful transformation in conjunction with vigorous R&D investment of public sector.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.93-109
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• 2010

Over the last decade, some Korean enterprises have emerged to become global players in their specialized products. How have they achieved such tremendous technological progress in a short period of time? This paper explores that question by examining the characteristics of technological innovation activities at major Korean enterprises. The paper begins with a brief review of the stages of economic growth and science and technology development in Korea. Then, the existing literature, explaining the Korean innovation model, is analyzed in order to establish a new framework for the Korean innovation model. Specifically, Korean firms have experienced three sequential phases, and thus, the Korean model, at the firm level, can be coined as "path-following," "path-revealing," and "path-creating." Then, the stylized facts in the first phase (path-following) and the second phase (path-revealing) are discussed, in the context of empirical evidence from the areas of memory chips, automobiles, shipbuilding, and steel. In terms of technology development, the Korean model has evolved as "collective learning" in the first phase, "collective recombination" of existing knowledge and technology in the second phase, and is assumed as "collective creativity" in the third phase. Ultimately, all three can be classified as "collective creation". Korean firms now face a transition in the modes of technological innovation in order to efficiently implement the third phase. To achieve remarkable progress again, as they did in the past, and to sustain the growth momentum, Korean firms should challenge new dimensions such as creative technological ideas, distinctive technological capabilities, and unique innovation systems -- all of which connote 'uniqueness'. Finally, some lessons from the Korean technological innovation experience are addressed.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.35-52
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• 2006

Increasing competitive pressure, the constantly accelerating transformation of the economy, and a stronger focus on value creation have initiated the search for sustainable sources of competitive advantage in organizations. In this context, the concept of treating organizational knowledge as a valuable strategic resource has become quite popular recently. Knowledge has become the most critical component in the struggle for sustained competitive advantage and knowledge management (KM) has also been described for its possible role in creating sustainable competitive advantage. In order to examine the contingency between KM resources, KM strategies, and KM performance of organizations, a contingency model of KM, which is based on resource-based theory as well as knowledge-based theory, is developed from the information systems and strategic management literature in order to assess the following questions: (i) What KM resources affect the organization's KM strategies? (ii) Is there a relationship between KM strategies and organizational performance enhanced by KM? A detailed exploratory analysis of survey responses from 79 Korean companies provides the following significant findings: (i) This study found support for the proposed contingency model of KM; (ii) The organization's KM strategies are determined by social resources and its capabilities; (iii) An organization with a culture-based KM strategy is more likely to enhance organizational KM performance than an organization with a technology-based KM strategy.