Knowledge stocks, knowledge flows and innovation: Evidence from matched patents and innovation panel data

Successful innovation depends on knowledge – technological, strategic and market related. In this paper we explore the role and interaction of firms’ existing knowledge stocks and current knowledge flows in shaping innovation success. The paper contributes to our understanding of the determinants of firms’ innovation outputs and provides new information on the relationship between knowledge stocks, as measured by patents, and innovation output indicators. Our analysis uses innovation panel data relating to plants’ internal knowledge creation, external knowledge search and innovation outputs. Firm-level patent data is matched with this plant-level innovation panel data to provide a measure of firms’ knowledge stock. Two substantive conclusions follow. First, existing knowledge stocks have weak negative rather than positive impacts on firms’ innovation outputs, reflecting potential core-rigidities or negative path dependencies rather than the accumulation of competitive advantages. Second, knowledge flows derived from internal investment and external search dominate the effect of existing knowledge stocks on innovation performance. Both results emphasize the importance of firms’ knowledge search strategies. Our results also re-emphasize the potential issues which arise when using patents as a measure of innovation.

Higher education for democratic innovation

A comparative examination of the role of higher education in promoting democratic values and practice in a changing world. The book examines case studies of regions facing specific challenges arsing form conflict or disadvantage, the role of universities as anchor institutions, strategies for inclusion and the role of new technologies.

Open for Business: Universities, Entrepreneurial Academics and Open Innovation

The emergence of open innovation theory and practice, alongside the evolution to a quadruple helix system of innovation, has led to a need for universities to rethink their models of engagement with industry and wider society. One important element in this system is the entrepreneurial academics; however there is a lack of research considering the motivations of entrepreneurial academics, who differ from academic entrepreneurs, to engage in knowledge transfer in line with open innovation policy. This research offers practical insights on whether new models of engagement, increasingly offered by universities, really address the policy drivers for open innovation. Furthermore, this research explores whether these activities might motivate entrepreneurial academics to participate. Preliminary findings identify that many supposedly new collaboration activities do not really motivate entrepreneurial academics. This may have important implications on the ability of universities to become truly open and to encourage their academics to become engaged in collaboration and impact.

Competency-Based Theory For Achieving Innovation: The Case Of Post-Disaster Reconstruction

For those working in the humanitarian sector, achieving positive outcomes for postdisaster communities through reconstruction projects is a pressing concern. In the wake of recent natural disasters, NGOs have become increasingly involved in the permanent reconstruction of affected communities. They have encountered significant barriers as they implement reconstruction programmes and this paper argues that it is important to address the visible lack of innovation that is partially to blame. The theoretical bedrock of a current research project will be used as the starting point for this argument, the overall goal of which is to design a competency-based framework model that can be used by NGOs in post-disaster reconstruction projects. Drawing on established theories of management, a unique perspective has been developed from which a competency-based reconstruction theory emerges. This theoretical framework brings together 3 distinct fields; Disaster Management, Strategic Management and Project Management, each vital
to the success of the model. The objectives of this paper are a) to investigate the role of NGOs in post-disaster reconstruction and establish the current standard of practice b) to determine the extent to which NGOs have the opportunity to contribute to sustainable community development through reconstruction c) to outline the main factors of a theoretical framework first proposed by Von Meding et al. 2009 and d) to identify the innovative measures that can be taken by NGOs to achieve more positive outcomes in their interventions. It is important that NGOs involved in post-disaster reconstruction become familiar with concepts and strategies such as those contained in this paper. Competency-based organizational change on the basis of this theory has the potential to help define the standard of best practice to which future NGO projects might align themselves.