How has Japan become a major economic power, a world leader in the automotive and electronics industries? What is the secret of their success? The consensus has been that, though the Japanese are not particularly innovative, they are exceptionally skilful at imitation, at improving products that already exist. But now two leading Japanese business experts, Ikujiro Nonaka and Hiro Takeuchi, turn this conventional wisdom on its head: Japanese firms are successful, they contend, precisely because they are innovative, because they create new knowledge and use it to produce successful products and technologies. Examining case studies drawn from such firms as Honda, Canon, Matsushita, NEC, 3M, GE, and the U.S. Marines, this book reveals how Japanese companies translate tacit to explicit knowledge and use it to produce new processes, products, and services.

The knowledge-creating company : how Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation

Purpose – Knowledge sharing is the corner-stone of many organisations’ knowledge-management (KM) strategy. Despite the growing significance of knowledge sharing’s practices for organisations’ competitiveness and market performance, several barriers make it difficult for KM to achieve the goals and deliver a positive return on investment. This paper provides a detailed review of current KM and related literatures on a large number of possible knowledge-sharing barriers with the purpose of offering a more comprehensive and structured starting-point for senior managers when auditing their organisation’s current knowledge base and knowledge-sharing requirements. Design/methodology/approach – This article reviews and discusses over three dozen potential knowledge-sharing barriers, categorising them into three main domains of recently published works: individual/personal, organisational, and technological barriers. Findings – The extensive list of knowledge sharing barriers provides a helpful starting point and guideline for senior managers auditing their existing practices with a view to identifying any bottle-necks and improving on the overall effectiveness of knowledge-sharing activities. Practical implications – Managers need to realise, however, that a particular knowledge sharing strategy or specific managerial actions will not suit all companies and that there are differences to be expected between MNCs and SMEs, private, public sector, and not-for-profit organisations. As such, the implementation of knowledge-sharing goals and strategies into an organisation’s strategic planning and thinking will vary greatly. Originality/value – The main discussion of this paper brings together a large range of knowledgesharing barriers in an attempt to indicate the complexity of knowledge sharing as a value-creating organisational activity.

Three‐dozen knowledge‐sharing barriers managers must consider

https://www.impgroup.org/uploads/papers/4476.pdf

Managing in complex business networks

Purpose – The objective of this paper is to investigate systematically the discipline of supply chain management (SCM) within the context of sustainability. The two concepts are increasingly aligned, and sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) represents an evolving field where they explicitly interact. Given their complex and holistic nature, breaking down the literature to understand its structures, processes, connections and limitations can provide an objective view of the status of research in these highly important fields, identifying key areas for future research/theory development.Design/methodology/approach – A systematic review of current SCM literature is carried out, specifically in relation to the social and environmental dimensions of sustainability.Findings – SSCM and the integration of sustainability into supply chains is a significant but evolving field evidenced by a current bias in the literature towards theory development and highly qualitative research methods. The environmental dim...

Making connections: a review of supply chain management and sustainability literature

Rise of strategic nets — New modes of value creation

https://impgroup.org/uploads/papers/4462.pdf

Strategic business nets - their type and management

This conceptual article focuses on the management of strategic business networks. Networks are seen to offer firms collective benefits beyond those of a single firm or market transaction. We aim to contribute to the development of the emerging theory of network management by integrating notions from the Industrial Network Approach, strategic management, and the Dynamic Capabilities View. Our starting premise is that the characteristics of the task that organizations try to accomplish through forming a specific strategic net, influence the management of that net and thus the capabilities required. In other words, we expect different types of strategic nets to require different managerial skill sets or capabilities. On the basis of this premise, we suggest a classification system for different types of strategic nets, identify key management issues that arise in operating in a network context, and consequently identify the basic capabilities required in managing different types of strategic nets.

/pdf/managing-strategic-nets-a-capability-perspective-c2n5ru1222.pdf

Managing Strategic Nets A Capability Perspective

This paper focuses on the role of knowledge in intentionally created business networks called nets. Nets are seen to offer firms collective benefits beyond those of a single firm or market transaction. We propose that the types of knowledge and learning required in the management of different types of business net are dependent on the value creation characteristics of the net types. Based on this we suggest a classification of three generic net types –‘current business nets’, ‘business renewal nets’, and ‘emerging new business nets’– and argue that they pose different conditions for management in nets. Using this framework and integrating notions from the industrial network approach, strategic management and dynamic capabilities view, and organizational learning we make a number of observations and propositions about the role of knowledge and learning in the three types of business net. The paper contributes to the emerging theory of network management.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/joms_626.pdf?abstractid=910628&mirid=1

Role of Knowledge in Value Creation in Business Nets

http://impgroup.org/uploads/papers/4246.pdf

Senja Svahn

Papers

Strategic business nets - their type and management

Managing Strategic Nets A Capability Perspective

Role of Knowledge in Value Creation in Business Nets

Crossing East-West boundaries: Knowledge sharing in intercultural business networks

How to influence the birth of new business fields — Network perspective