Query: Intrafirm technology and knowledge transfer: a best practice perspective

Candidate papers:

abstract: During the 21st century, the capability of best practice transfer will be a core competency of firms and a source of competitive advantage. This study reviews the practices of semiconductor firms and presents three models for the intrafirm transfer of best practices. These models have important implications for technology and knowledge management. First, replication strategies can apply not only to the service sector but also to manufacturing, including high tech firms. Second, these transfer models validate the contingency theory since various situations induce different transfer models. Third, external benchmarking may not always be the best way to solve problems and maintain competitive advantage. The resource based theory maintains that firms can retain a competitive edge by efficiently and effectively applying practices developed in house.
author_names: Iuan-yuan Lu

Chih Jen Mao

Chun-Hsien Wang
title: Intrafirm technology and knowledge transfer: a best practice perspective
venue: Int. J. Technol. Manag.
year: 2010

abstract: The evolution of phosphorus (P) management decision support tools (DSTs) and systems (DSS) in support of food and environmental security has been most strongly affected in developed regions by national strategies (i) to optimize levels of plant available P in agricultural soils, and (ii) to mitigate P runoff to water bodies. In the United States, Western Europe, and New Zealand, combinations of regulatory and voluntary strategies, sometimes backed by economic incentives, have often been driven by reactive legislation to protect water bodies. Farmer specific DSSs, either based on modeling of P transfer source and transport mechanisms, or when coupled with farm specific information or local knowledge, have typically guided best practices, education, and implementation, yet applying DSSs in data poor catchments and/or where user adoption is poor hampers the effectiveness of these systems. Recent developments focused on integrated digital mapping of hydrologically sensitive areas and critical source areas, sometimes using real time data and weather forecasting, have rapidly advanced runoff modeling and education. Advances in technology related to monitoring, imaging, sensors, remote sensing, and analytical instrumentation will facilitate the development of DSSs that can predict heterogeneity over wider geographical areas. However, significant challenges remain in developing DSSs that incorporate "big data" in a format that is acceptable to users, and that adequately accounts for catchment variability, farming systems, and farmer behavior. Future efforts will undoubtedly focus on improving efficiency and conserving phosphate rock reserves in the face of future scarcity or prohibitive cost. Most importantly, the principles reviewed here are critical for sustainable agriculture.
author_names: Patrick J Drohan

Marianne Bechmann

Anthony R Buda

Faruk Djodjic

Donnacha G Doody

Jon Duncan

Antti Iho

P Jordan

P J Kleinman

Richard William McDowell

P -E Mellander

I A Thomas

Paul J A Withers
title: A Global Perspective on Phosphorus Management Decision Support in Agriculture: Lessons Learned and Future Directions.
venue: Journal of environmental quality
year: 2019

abstract: In an effort to more rapidly develop their infrastructure, economies and living standards, many newly industrialised countries, such as Thailand, have embarked on a series of international Technology Transfer (TT) initiatives within the construction and other industries. However, these initiatives have not immediately translated into enhanced capabilities and competitiveness within indigenous firms, resulting in a sustained reliance on foreign firms. With few clues as to why TT ventures have not created expected outcomes for the indigenous construction industry, these countries lack direction on how to more rapidly diffuse best practice technology. In an attempt to improve rates of TT in the Thai construction industry, this paper reports on an attempt to appraise international TT performance on five large construction projects. A previously developed framework, developed by the authors, was utilised for this purpose and includes a total of six enabling and outcome perspectives, namely: (1) relationship building; (2) transferor characteristics; (3) transferee characteristics; (4) economic advancement; (5) knowledge advancement; and (6) project performance. A questionnaire survey was utilised to solicit TT performance scores from forty seven (47) Thai construction professionals working on these five projects. Summated TT performance scores are illustrated for the five companies using spider diagrams. Moreover, in depth discussion on the forces driving such scores is provided. Evaluating international TT on construction projects is the first step to assist host construction firms and government agencies to yield greater value from such initiatives.
author_names: Tanut Waroonkun

Rodney Anthony Stewart
title: Evaluating International Technology Transfer on Thai Construction Projects: A Case Study
year: 2007

abstract: The model of "Open Innovations" (OI) can be compared with the "Triple Helix of University Industry Government Relations" (TH) as attempts to find surplus value in bringing industrial innovation closer to public R&D. Whereas the firm is central in the model of OI, the TH adds multi centeredness: in addition to firms, universities and (e.g. regional) governments can take leading roles in innovation eco systems. In addition to the (transversal) technology transfer at each moment of time, one can focus on the dynamics in the feedback loops. Under specifiable conditions, feedback loops can be turned into feedforward ones that drive innovation eco systems towards self organization and the auto catalytic generation of new options. The generation of options can be more important than historical realizations "best practices" for the longer term viability of knowledge based innovation systems. A system without sufficient options, for example, is locked in. The generation of redundancy the Triple Helix indicator can be used as a measure of unrealized but technologically feasible options given a historical configuration. Different coordination mechanisms (markets, policies, knowledge) provide different perspectives on the same information and thus generate redundancy. Increased redundancy not only stimulates innovation in an eco system by reducing the prevailing uncertainty; it also enhances the synergy in and innovativeness of an innovation system.
author_names: Loet Leydesdorff

Inga A Ivanova
title: "Open innovation" and "triple helix" models of innovation: can synergy in innovation systems be measured?
venue: ArXiv
year: 2016

abstract: Clinical guidelines enable best medical evidence transfer to where best practice is needed. Although technology is considered the best way to reach this goal, the desired results have not been achieved yet.
author_names: Juan Manuel Pikatza Atxa

Ander Iruetaguena

David Buenestado

Unai Segundo

Juan Jose Garcia

Luis Aldamiz-Echevarria

Javier Elorz

Raul Barrena

Pablo Sanjurjo
title: Towards an Effective Knowledge Translation of Clinical Guidelines and Complementary Information
venue: DCAI
year: 2010

abstract: Innovation and Best Practices in Hospitality and Tourism Research contains 71 accepted papers from the Hospitality and Tourism Conference (HTC 2015, Melaka, Malaysia, 2 3 November, 2015) The book presents the "up and coming" paradigms and innovative practices within the hospitality and tourism industries, and covers the following topics: Management in Hospitality, Tourism, Foodservice and Gastronomy, Hospitality, Tourism and Foodservice Environment: Trends, New Concepts, and Developments, Education and Industry Linkages, Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics in Hospitality and Tourism Industry, Economic Social Environmental Cultural Impact of Tourism, Global Perspectives on Business, Hospitality and Tourism. Marketing Channels, Issues and Transformations in Hospitality and Tourism Industry, Information and Communication Technologies in Hospitality and Tourism Industry, Marketing Approaches/ Strategies in Hospitality and Tourism Industry, Consumer Behaviour in Hospitality and Tourism Industry, Human Resource Management in Hospitality and Tourism, Health and Wellness Tourism, Gastronomic Tourism, Sports Tourism, Islamic/Halal Tourism and Hospitality Management, Tourism Security and Safety, Tourism Development and Planning, Green Technology and Strategies in Hospitality and Tourism, Food Safety, Quality and Innovations, Research and Knowledge Transfer, International Tourism and Management of Crisis, Infrastructure, Development and Sustainability in Hospitality and Tourism Industry, Trends in Entrepreneurial Activity in Business and Hospitality, Trends in Accommodation, Food and Beverage, Transportation, Leisure and Events, and Hospitality Training and Development. The contributions on diverse topics present new ideas and information on the "stateof the art" research into hospitality and tourism. Innovation and Best Practices in Hospitality and Tourism Research will indeed be a useful reference for academics, postgraduate students as well as professionals involved in the fields of hospitality and tourism.
author_names: Salamiah A Jamal
title: Innovation and best practices in hospitality and tourism research proceedings of the Hospitality Tourism Conference 2015, Melaka, Malaysia, 2 3 November 2015
year: 2016

abstract: The model of "Open Innovations? (OI) can be compared with the "Triple Helix of University Industry Government Relations? (TH) as attempts to find surplus value in bringing industrial innovation closer to public R&D. Whereas the firm is central in the model of OI, the TH adds multi centeredness: in addition to firms, universities and (e.g. regional) governments can take leading roles in innovation eco systems. In addition to the (transversal) technology transfer at each moment of time, one can focus on the dynamics in the feedback loops. Under specifiable conditions, feedback loops can be turned into feedforward ones that drive innovation eco systems towards self organization and the auto catalytic generation of new options. The generation of options can be more important than historical realizations "best practices? for the longer term viability of knowledge based innovation systems. A system without sufficient options, for example, is locked in. The generation of redundancy the Triple Helix indicator can be used as a measure of unrealized but technologically feasible options given a historical configuration. Different coordination mechanisms (markets, policies, knowledge) provide different perspectives on the same information and thus generate redundancy. Increased redundancy not only stimulates innovation in an eco system by reducing the prevailing uncertainty; it also enhances the synergy in and innovativeness of an innovation system.
author_names: Loet Leydesdorff

Inga A Ivanova
title: 'Open Innovation' and 'Triple Helix' Models of Innovation: Can Synergy in Innovation Systems Be Measured?
year: 2016

abstract: Given the predominance of the 'psy' sciences in the gambling studies field, more theorizing of the kind that Young (2013) has done is sorely needed. Importantly, Young points to the role of researchers in creating the social construct of 'problem gambler' as part of the larger transfer of risk from governments and industries to individual consumers. However, we question what seems to be his view of prevalence research as a tool of legitimation and nothing more. As we have argued elsewhere (Volberg Wray, 2007) the gambling research arena suffers from at least two fundamental weaknesses; first, the lack of a constructionist perspective, which has led researchers to neglect the symbolic power of the problem gambling construct, and second, the lack of a structural perspective, which has led researchers to neglect the role of historical, economic and political forces in the legalization of gambling. This latter, structural perspective is not fully articulated by Young. To complement his focus on PGPSs, we believe it is essential to 'follow the money' (Safire, 1997) and investigate the social origins and destinations of the wealth that flows into and out of the legalized gambling arena. The dominance of the 'psy' sciences in the evolution of the 'problem gambler' construct has resulted in a vast literature that targets the individual but neglects important macro level dynamics of gambling. However, as Bernhard, Futrell, and Harper (2009) point out, while homogenization and isomorphic trends are evident in gambling spaces worldwide, there are also divergences in how local gambling industries develop, such that efforts to export Western practices have met with resistance. These investigators point to both homogenization and resistance in the global emergence of the 'problem gambling industry' and cite the example of South Korea, where Westernstyle 'best practices' in providing help to problem gamblers were spectacularly unsuccessful and had to be replaced with services that fit more appropriately with how gambling problems are managed in that culture (Bernhard et al. 2009) Prevalence studies are not just tools of domination. As forms of expert knowledge, they have a doubleedge that can cut both ways. Medical sociologists and social movement researchers have repeatedly shown how laypersons repurpose expert knowledge to suit their own ends, subverting and contesting the efforts of industries, institutions, and governments to use that knowledge to legitimate or normalize controversial technologies, policies, or diagnoses (Futrell, 2003) By extension, such 'lay experts' (Prior, 2003) may use PGPSs to help construct their own forms of 'popular epidemiology' (Brown, 1992) that represent the suffering of the categorized and afflicted rather than the economic and political interests of the categorizers. In the present context, a single example will have to suffice. In the ongoing battle over casino development in Philadelphia, community activists in Chinatown successfully opposed plans, backed by both the city and the state, to locate a casino in their neighborhood. Their protest strategy placed great significance on the findings from PGPS research that Asian populations particularly older, Asian males have higher rates of PG and are thus more vulnerable to harms associated with casino gambling (M. Yee, Chinatown Preservation Alliance, personal communication to Wray, May 27, 2009) That prevalence studies are more often used to legitimate and normalize gambling than to oppose it does not minimize the significance of this point, one we did not properly emphasize in our earlier work (Volberg Wray, 2007) We think this repurposing of expert knowledge by laypersons is one way to answer Young's call for a reflexive (re)placement' of prevalence studies. We are encouraged by Young's contribution. But we would plead for a broader perspective that asks whether, and how, non experts use PGPSs to resist or reduce gambling harms in their communities.
author_names: Rachel A Volberg

Matt Wray
title: Beyond social control: Prevalence research and the uses of expert knowledge
year: 2013

abstract: The constant and rapid changes in the world over the last decades as the result of social, political and economic determinants have caused changes in the health care of the globalized society with consequent modifications of the epidemiological profile, increase in the complexity of health problems and in the demand of individuals. These factors compel the different disciplines of knowledge, specifically in health, to adapt their care processes, aiming at finding solutions for the real or potential needs of the individual. In this scenario, we emphasize Nursing, a social and humanistic health care practice discipline, which is structured in the science and art of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human beings with knowledge, skill and care. This premise has mobilized nursing theorists to produce specific knowledge in teaching, research and care, seeking to develop, test and apply care technologies and instruments that guide the choice for better practices which are sensitive to the singularity of each individual and that person's life context and overall well being. To transfer this knowledge into the professional practice, it is critical that the nurses develop strong intellectual abilities as well as technical scientific, ethical, aesthetic, and humanistic skills. Today and into the future the best nurses will demonstrate the ability to investigate, diagnose, set goals and intervene based on evidence, yet without losing the holistic perspective. Critical holistic thinking is most clearly evident in the nursing diagnosis process because "getting the problem right" is the first and most important step in solving the problem. The application of strong critical thinking, in conjunction with good clinical data and solid knowledge, is essential if an accurate diagnosis is to be made, a diagnosis which takes all the relevant factors into consideration. Critical thinking is the process of forming a reflective judgment concerning what to believe or what to do in any given context. It is reflective, meaning that it is open to self monitoring and self correction. It applies cognitive skills, including analysis, inference, evaluation, interpretation, and explanation. More than skills alone, strong critical thinking is driven by the consistent internal motivation to apply those skills. An orientation toward truth seeking, inquisitiveness, confidence in reasoning, organization, foresight, and maturity of judgment characterizes strong critical thinkers. Individuals are capable of developing into strong critical thinkers, and so are groups or teams which work together on problems. Holistic Critical Thinking in the Nursing Diagnostic Process
author_names: Peter A Facione

Maria da Graca de Oliveira Crossetti

Fernando Riegel
title: Holistic Critical Thinking in the Nursing Diagnostic Process.
venue: Revista gaucha de enfermagem
year: 2017

abstract: Logistics research in the area of performance measurement continues to receive attention from a variety of perspectives. One well received perspective is that of efficiency. Data envelopment analysis is a well studied analytical tool to identify best practicing efficient operating units of the firm. But a theoretical linkage remains absent from the literature. Drawing upon theoretical perspectives of organization search and knowledge transfer, this study identifies conditions in which suitable role models (according to reference set analysis) may be unrealistic and thus warrant refinements. Ironically, it is through the existence of these particular analytical tools that we are able to develop and then test our framework and illustrate the practical implications. Moreover, this study is ideally suited to illustrating how the methodology is widely applicable among the growing number of multi unit multi market (MUMM) firms around the world, particularly given the diffusion of sophisticated performance information gathering technologies widely used in today's information age.
author_names: Anthony D Ross

Stewart R Miller

Mason A Carpenter
title: When methods and theories collide: Toward a better understanding of improving unit performance in a multimarket firm
year: 2010