Knowledge is a broad and abstract notion that has defined epistemological debate in western philosophy since the classical Greek era. In the past few years, however, there has been a growing interest in treating knowledge as a significant organizational resource. Consistent with the interest in organizational knowledge and knowledge management (KM), IS researchers have begun promoting a class of information systems, referred to as knowledge management systems (KMS). The objective of KMS is to support creation, transfer, and application of knowledge in organizations. Knowledge and knowledge management are complex and multi-faceted concepts. Thus, effective development and implementation of KMS requires a foundation in several rich literatures.

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Review: Knowledge management and knowledge management systems: conceptual foundations and research issues

This paper draws on the social and behavioral sciences in an endeavor to specify the nature and microfoundations of the capabilities necessary to sustain superior enterprise performance in an open economy with rapid innovation and globally dispersed sources of invention, innovation, and manufacturing capability. Dynamic capabilities enable business enterprises to create, deploy, and protect the intangible assets that support superior long- run business performance. The microfoundations of dynamic capabilities—the distinct skills, processes, procedures, organizational structures, decision rules, and disciplines—which undergird enterprise-level sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring capacities are difficult to develop and deploy. Enterprises with strong dynamic capabilities are intensely entrepreneurial. They not only adapt to business ecosystems, but also shape them through innovation and through collaboration with other enterprises, entities, and institutions. The framework advanced can help scholars understand the foundations of long-run enterprise success while helping managers delineate relevant strategic considerations and the priorities they must adopt to enhance enterprise performance and escape the zero profit tendency associated with operating in markets open to global competition. Copyright  2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Explicating dynamic capabilities: the nature and microfoundations of (sustainable) enterprise performance

The primary purpose of this article is to clarify the nature of the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) construct and to propose a contingency framework for investigating the relationship between EO and firm performance. We first explore and refine the dimensions of EO and discuss the usefulness of viewing a firm's EO as a multidimensional construct. Then, drawing on examples from the EO-related contingencies literature, we suggest alternative models (moderating effects, mediating effects, independent effects, interaction effects) for testing the EO-performance relationship.

Clarifying the Entrepreneurial Orientation Construct and Linking It To Performance

This article applies the convergent insights of institutional and resource dependence perspectives to the prediction of strategic responses to institutional processes. The article offers a typology of strategic responses that vary in active organizational resistance from passive conformity to proactive manipulation. Ten institutional factors are hypothesized to predict the occurrence of the alternative proposed strategies and the degree of organizational conformity or resistance to institutional pressures.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/258610.pdf

Strategic responses to institutional processes

This paper reports the results of a study designed to investigate the effective strategic responses to environmental hostility among small manufacturing firms. Data on environmental hostility, organization structure, strategic posture, competitive tactics, and financial performance were collected from 161 small manufacturers. Findings indicate that performance among small firms in hostile environments was positively related to an organic structure, an entrepreneurial strategic posture, and a competitive profile characterized by a long-term orientation, high product prices, and a concern for predicting industry trends. In benign environments, on the other hand, performance was positively related to a mechanistic structure, a conservative strategic posture, and a competitive profile characterized by conservative financial management and a short-term financial orientation, an emphasis on product refinement, and a willingness to rely heavily on single customers.

Strategic management of small firms in hostile and benign environments

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Call for PapersInformation Systems Research Special Issue: The Interplay Between Digital and Social Networks

The positive effect of herbal supplements on aging and age-related disorders has led to the evolution of natural curatives for remedial neurodegenerative diseases in humans. The advancement in aging is exceedingly linked to oxidative stress. Enhanced oxidative stress interrupts health of humans in various ways, necessitating to find stress alleviating herbal resources. Currently, minimal scientifically validated health and cognitive booster resources are available. Therefore, we explored the impact of plant extracts in different combinations on oxidative stress, life span and cognition using the multicellular transgenic humanized C. elegans, and further validated the same in Mus musculus, besides testing their safety and toxicity. In our investigations, the final product—the HACBF (healthy ageing cognitive booster formulation) thus developed was found to reduce major aging biomarkers like lipofuscin, protein carbonyl, lipid levels and enhanced activity of antioxidant enzymes. Further confirmation was done using transgenic worms and RT-PCR. The cognitive boosting activities analyzed in C. elegans and M. musculus model system were found to be at par with donepezil and L-dopa, the two drugs which are commonly used to treat Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. In the transgenic C. elegans model system, the HACBF exhibited reduced aggregation of misfolded disease proteins α-synuclein and increased the health of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, levels of Acetylcholine and Dopamine contents respectively, the major neurotransmitters responsible for memory, language, learning behavior and movement. Molecular studies clearly indicate that HACBF upregulated major genes responsible for healthy aging and cognitive booster activities in C. elegans and as well as in M. musculus. As such, the present herbal product thus developed may be quite useful for healthy aging and cognitive boosting activities, and more so during this covid-19 pandemic. 

/pdf/towards-the-development-of-phytoextract-based-healthy-ageing-rwxjpeqk.pdf

Towards the development of phytoextract based healthy ageing cognitive booster formulation, explored through Caenorhabditis elegans model

Ecological variability in dry regions is quite high at a short distance. Developing technologies at the research stations which are suitable for different ecological niches will require a very large number of well dispersed research stations. In addition it will require large facilities for on farm research. Even after that, it is unlikely that scientist will be able to develop repertoire of appropriate ted1nological responses for a vast variety of soil-climate and eco-sociological interactions. After all no two droughts are alike. After interacting with large number of very competent scientists and extension workers, I have reached a conclusion that we need not underestimate the capabilities of dry farmers, artisans and pastoralists. We should aim at transferring the scientific principles underlying some of the traditional technologies along with new derivations so that farmers can recombine available resources into different recipes of technologies. This will require systematic studies of farmers knowledge system and not just the innovations. It will also require recognition of the fact that farmers can not always discover the solutions to their problems using some of the age old tools of analysis. The role of the scientists has thus to be reappraised in the process. Organizational conditions will have to be created for scientists to work with the farmers to develop technologies which may not diffuse very widely. The scientific concepts can diffuse widely. I also argue that The Gospel of Dirty Hand propounded by K M Munshi in 1952 must be recalled if relations between farmers and the scientists have to be reconceptualized. The need for identifying locally rooted philosophical anchors for relating concepts with culture and values of the farmers, pastomlists and the artisans was never higher than to<1ay. Given the resource constraints, there is no case for subsidizing extension machinery in high growth irrigated regions. Farmers must pay for the services they need in these regions. In any case different type of ted1nology transfer system is needed in such regions. The public investment in extension in dry regions is needed but not of the T and V type. The fact that informal knowledge networks are stronger in rainfed regions implies that we can develop an eco-specific model of science transfer which will generate collective solutions. The days of individual oriented technology transfer system are over. Sustainability can be achieved if the ethical and moral basis of knowledge systems in high risk regions are under- stood and built upon. There is no reason why poverty should be highest in the regions where genetic diversity is highest. The entire spectrum of Intellectual Property Rights of people in drought and flood prone regions and hill areas and forest regions has to reconceptualized. Indian scientists and extension workers are competent and can accomplish the challenge of transforming dry land. But will policy makers unlearn the lessons suitable for irrigated regions. And also will they keep World Bank advisors off their back?

An Alternative Approach to Development and Diffusion of Technology for Dry Regions

Erosion of biodiversity has been an issue of concern for quite some time. But it is only oflate that the erosion of the knowledge associated with such biodiversity has attractedattention. Two key local-level processes that may help in stemming this erosion are: (a)generating an attitude of curiosity and a sense of commitment to this issue amongchildren and (b) enabling children to draw upon biodiversity knowledge extant in theolder generations. At another level, a third process of valorizing alternative modes ofknowledge may be required. Biodiversity-rich areas also exhibit poor educationalperformance. Children in these areas, however, possess a fund of informally-imbibedknowledge about biodiversity. Very often, such knowledge is unrecognized since it is notdirectly relevant to the competencies the formal schooling system seeks to develop. Thus,recognizing biodiversity-related knowledge may counter the loss of self-esteem thatresults from being labeled "laggards" and highlight the importance of conserving suchknowledge. “Biodiversity contests” have the potential to initiate all these three processes.A biodiversity contest aims at uncovering, in a healthy competition mode, the ability ofchildren to articulate their knowledge about local biodiversity, by drawing upon theirown knowledge or that of their elders. This paper focuses on the methodological aspectsof biodiversity contests, drawing on the experience gained with 14 contests held invarious schools of Gujarat, India, in which 1562 children participated. These contestswere limited to knowledge about flora. In a few villages, data regarding academicperformance of the children were collected. The paper examines some preliminary resultsregarding the relationship of age, caste status, sex, and academic performance of thechildren with their performance in the contests. It concludes with some pointers for futureaction.

Ecological knowledge of rural children: educational innovation and natural resource conservation

Protecting Traditional Knowledge of small, scattered and disadvantaged grassroots innovators and traditional knowledge holders: Honey Bee perspective : Agenda for Policy and Institutional Change

Anil K. Gupta

Papers

Call for PapersInformation Systems Research Special Issue: The Interplay Between Digital and Social Networks

Towards the development of phytoextract based healthy ageing cognitive booster formulation, explored through Caenorhabditis elegans model

An Alternative Approach to Development and Diffusion of Technology for Dry Regions

Ecological knowledge of rural children: educational innovation and natural resource conservation

Protecting Traditional Knowledge of small, scattered and disadvantaged grassroots innovators and traditional knowledge holders: Honey Bee perspective : Agenda for Policy and Institutional Change