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Adaptive Innovation and a MOODLE-based VLE to Support a Fully Online MSc Business Information Technology (BIT) at the University of East London (UEL)




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Collective Creativity and Brokerage Functions in Heavily Cross-Disciplined Innovation Processes




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(GbL #3) Innovative Teaching Using Simulation and Virtual Environments




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Text-Based Collaborative Work and Innovation: Effects of Communication Media Affordances on Divergent and Convergent Thinking in Group-Based Problem-Solving




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Locating the Weak Points of Innovation Capability before Launching a Development Project




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The Effects of Knowledge Sharing and Absorption on Organizational Innovation Performance – A Dynamic Capabilities Perspective




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Evaluating and Developing Innovation Capabilities with a Structured Method




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Boosting Creativity with Transformational Leadership in Fuzzy Front-end Innovation Processes




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Interaction and Innovation - Reframing Innovation Activities for a Matrix Organization




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Innovation Capability: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda

Purpose: Innovation capability is a growing and significant area of academic research. However, there is little attempt to provide a cumulative overview of this phenomenon. The purpose of this systematic review is to synthesize peer reviewed articles published in the area to develop a conceptual framework and to aid future research. Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper adopted a systematic review of literature on innovation capability. The final screening generated 51 articles from 30 journals from 2000-2015. Findings: The examination and synthesis of the theoretical and the empirical articles show that (1) the authors applied narrow range of conceptual and theoretical foundations; (2) innovation capability is being investigated mostly at the firm level for about 90% of the articles, and marginally about 5% at network (supply) chain level; (3) the authors define innovation capability in different ways and use diverse set of dimensions to measure innovation capability; (4) there is potential for future research across firms in innovation management disciplines. Practical implications: The review contributes to theory development in organizational capability literature in general. Managers wishing to innovate need to examine critically and integrate some of the innovation capability dimensions proposed in this paper. Originality: The review is unique in the sense that it provides conceptualisation of innovation capability framework.




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Analogical Thinking for Generation of Innovative Ideas: An Exploratory Study of Influential Factors

Analogical thinking is one of the most effective tools to generate innovative ideas. It enables us to develop new ideas by transferring information from well-known domains and utilizing them in a novel domain. However, using analogical thinking does not always yield appropriate ideas, and there is a lack of consensus among researchers regarding the evaluation methods for assessing new ideas. Here, we define the appropriateness of generated ideas as having high structural and low superficial similarities with their source ideas. This study investigates the relationship between thinking process and the appropriateness of ideas generated through analogical thinking. We conducted four workshops with 22 students in order to collect the data. All generated ideas were assessed based on the definition of appropriateness in this study. The results show that participants who deliberate more before reaching the creative leap stage and those who are engaged in more trial and error for deciding the final domain of a new idea have a greater possibility of generating appropriate ideas. The findings suggest new strategies of designing workshops to enhance the appropriateness of new ideas.




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Management of Knowledge, Innovation and Performance in SMEs

For more than two decades, knowledge management (KM) has been examined in the literature and considered a basic factor in business management. The purpose of this article is to explore the ability of knowledge management to achieve small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) innovation and business performance. Data analysis procedures of PLS-SEM was used to analyze the data based on responses from the owners of 903 companies in industry, construction, services, and trade in the Region of Murcia (Spain) through a self-directed survey. The results show that KM has a significant influence on innovation but the influence on the level of performance of SMEs is insignificant. However, training employees as part of KM showed no significant influence on innovation in SMEs. It is important for leaders and managers to have greater openness to changes in the implementation and proper execution of KM. This work contributes primarily to the development of the literature on knowledge management and its relationship with innovation and business performance.




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The Penta Helix Model of Innovation in Oman: An HEI Perspective

Aim/Purpose: Countries today strategically pursue regional development and economic diversification to compete in the world market. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are at the crux of this political strategy. The paper reviews how HEIs can propel regional socio-economic growth and development by way of research innovation and entrepreneurship. Background: Offering an academic perspective about the role of HEIs using the Penta Helix innovation network for business and social innovation, the paper discusses opportunities and challenges in gestating an innovation culture. It likewise seeks, identifies and details strategies and workable programs. Methodology: Best-practice innovation campaigns initiated by Omani HEIs in collaboration with capstone programs organized by the government were parsed from selected local and international literature. The study includes a causal analysis of innovation information contained in 40 out of 44 published OAAA Quality Audit reports about HEIs from 2009 to 2016. The best-practice programs serve as success indicators and will be used as a field metric effect a Penta Helix blueprint for innovation. Contribution: The paper discusses how HEIs can engender, nurture, drive, and sustain innovation and entrepreneurial activity by using an innovation strategic blueprint like the Penta Helix model. It gathers together the recent historical attempts at promoting innovation by HEIs. It likewise suggests the creation of a network channel to allow key players in the innovation network to share innovation information and to collaborate with each other. Furthermore, it contributes to the development of innovation culture in HEIs. Findings: Expectations run high in academia. For one, universities believe that all innovations embryonically begin within their halls. Universities–too–believe it is naturally incumbent on them to stimulate and advance innovation despite that most innovation programs are initiated by the government in Oman. HEI engagement is perceivably still weak. HEIs have yet to come out as a strong leading force in promoting systems of innovation. There is clear awareness of the need to adopt leading-edge practices in innovation strategy and management, curriculum and assessment, staff support and reward systems, funding and ICT infrastructure, research commercialization and IP management, and community engagement. Recommendations for Practitioners: There is need to conduct more in-depth analyses about the synergy and partnerships between key players of the Penta Helix model. A large-scale survey will help completely reveal the status and impact of innovation practices in the region and among HEIs. Recommendation for Researchers: There is need to conduct more in-depth analyses about the synergy and partnerships between key players of the Penta Helix model. A large-scale survey will help completely reveal the status and impact of innovation practices in the region and among HEIs. Impact on Society: The paper hopes to influence policy. It fully intends to convince policymakers increase the adoption of strategic interventions. The paper is not a theoretical description of the problem. It suggests several concrete courses of action. Future Research: The paper has seen the need to measure the effectiveness of the current innovation practices among key players in the innovation network and how these practices advance Oman’s knowledge economy. We propose a Likert-based bottom-up engagement metric.




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Reinforcing Innovation through Knowledge Management: Mediating Role of Organizational Learning

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between knowledge management (KM) and organizational innovation (OI). It also enriches our understanding of the mediating effect of organizational learning (OL) in this relationship. Background: KM’s relationship with OL and OI has been tackled extensively in developed countries’ literature. Nowadays, the challenges of developing countries lie in the process of knowledge application. This study attempts to develop a new managerial knowledgeable tool and present a theoretical model and empirical analysis of the relationship between KM and innovation in Jordan, a developing country. To the knowledge of the author, no attempt has been taken to investigate this relationship in any Jordanian sector. Methodology: The sample of this study consists of 457 managers representing strategic, tactical, and operational levels randomly selected from 56 manufacturing companies in Jordan. A questionnaire-based survey has been developed based on KM, OL and OI literature to collect data. A structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was applied to investigate the proposed research model. Contribution: This study contributes to the literature in different ways. First, it asserts that OL assists in improving OI in manufacturing organization of developing countries. Second, it highlights the substantial benefits of applying KM, OL and OI in manufacturing companies in Jordan. Furthermore, it enhances the relationship between KM and innovativeness’ literature by providing empirical evidence, suggesting that OL is as important as KM to advance organizational innovation. Most importantly, it identifies the problem of a developing economy which is not promoting OL or taking care of it as much as they attended to KM in their organizational practices. Findings: Study findings indicate that the relationship between KM and OI is significantly positive. Results also reveal that the relationship between KM and organizational learning is significantly positive. Empirical results emerging from this study indicate that there is partial mediation to support the relationship between OL and OI. Recommendations for Practitioners: This study suggests that managers ought to recognize that organizational learning is equally important to KM. This entails that OL should be utilized within organizations to achieve organizational innovation. Moreover, managers ought to comprehend their importance and encourage their employees to adopt knowledge from various sources; which, if implemented correctly, will enhance the OL environment. Recommendation for Researchers: The research model can be used or applied in different manufacturing and service sectors across the globe. The findings of the current study can serve as a foundation to perform different studies to understand KM processes and recognize its antecedence. Impact on Society: This study presents insights on how to apply KM, OL and OI methodologies in Jordanian manufacturing companies to achieve a competitive advantage; hence, positively influencing society. Future Research: Future research may include conducting a similar study in the context of developed countries and developing countries which allows for comparison. Also, future research may examine the impact of KM on organizational performance applying both OL and OI as mediating variables.




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Knowledge Sharing Process and Innovation Success: Evidence from Public Organisations in Southern Nigeria

Aim/Purpose: This study investigates the relationship between knowledge sharing process and innovation success with specific emphasis on tacit knowledge. Based on the literature review, we hypothesised that knowledge donating and collecting have a positive relationship with innovation success. Methodology: The hypotheses were empirically tested using the partial least square path modelling with data collected from twelve state-owned public organisations operating in Southern Nigeria. Contribution: The research made distinct empirical contributions to the burgeoning literature on knowledge sharing and innovation from the public sector and developing country context. Findings: Knowledge donating and collecting contribute to innovation success positively and significantly. Knowledge donating effect on innovation success was found to be more significantly positive than the effect of knowledge collecting on innovation success. Recommendations for Practitioners: Public organisations should promote a supportive culture to spur innovation through the frequent share of experiences, information and skills among the various knowledge actors. Public managers should convey the importance of knowledge sharing and its value to knowledge users in clear terms and attend to creating conditions or contexts that encourage people to share knowledge freely and willingly with others. It is apt to improve organisational commitment and support for knowledge sharing activities such as mentorship programs, workshops, conferences, seminars and other related training and development programs in order to provide opportunities for employees to develop innovation competencies from the transfer of tacit knowledge developed over time from experience. To optimise innovation outcomes from knowledge sharing practices, knowledge sharing should be in tandem with the industry or global best practices. Future Research: Future studies should add interviews to provide depth in terms of insights and substance to the questionnaire, and may extend to public organisation with different ownership structure.




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The Relationship between Ambidextrous Knowledge Sharing and Innovation within Industrial Clusters: Evidence from China

Aim/Purpose: This study examines the influence of ambidextrous knowledge sharing in industrial clusters on innovation performance from the perspective of knowledge-based dynamic capabilities. Background: The key factor to improving innovation performance in an enterprise is to share knowledge with other enterprises in the same cluster and use dynamic capabilities to absorb, integrate, and create knowledge. However, the relationships among these concepts remain unclear. Based on the dynamic capability theory, this study empirically reveals how enterprises drive innovation performance through knowledge sharing. Methodology: Survey data from 238 cluster enterprises were used in this study. The sample was collected from industrial clusters in China’s Fujian province that belong to the automobile, optoelectronic, and microwave communications industries. Through structural equation modeling, this study assessed the relationships among ambidextrous knowledge sharing, dynamic capabilities, and innovation performance. Contribution: This study contributes to the burgeoning literature on knowledge management in China, an important emerging economy. It also enriches the exploration of innovation performance in the cluster context and expands research on the dynamic mechanism from a knowledge perspective. Findings: Significant relationships are found between ambidextrous knowledge sharing and innovation performance. First, ambidextrous knowledge sharing positively influences the innovation performance of cluster enterprises. Further, knowledge absorption and knowledge generation capabilities play a mediating role in this relationship, which confirms that dynamic capabilities are a partial mediator in the relationship between ambidextrous knowledge sharing and innovation performance. Recommendations for Practitioners: The results highlight the crucial role of knowledge management in contributing to cluster innovation and management practices. They indicate that cluster enterprises should consider the importance of knowledge sharing and dynamic capabilities for improving innovation performance and establish a multi-agent knowledge sharing platform. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers could further explore the role of other mediating variables (e.g., organizational agility, industry growth) as well as moderating variables (e.g., environmental uncertainty, learning orientation). Impact on Society: This study provides a reference for enterprises in industrial clusters to use knowledge-based capabilities to enhance their competitive advantage. Future Research: Future research could collect data from various countries and regions to test the research model and conduct a comparative analysis of industrial clusters.




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Prosumers’ Engagement in Business Process Innovation – The Case of Poland and the UK

Aim/Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to identify prosumers’ engagement in business process innovation through knowledge sharing. Background: In the increasingly competitive knowledge-based economy, companies must seek innovative methods of doing business, quickly react to consumer demand, and provide superior value to consumers. Simultaneously, contemporary consumers, named “prosumers”, want to be active co-creators of value and satisfy their consumption needs through collaboration with companies for co-creation, co-design, co-production, co-promotion, co-pricing, co-distribution, co-consumption, and co-maintenance. Consequently, consumer involvement in development and improvement of products and business process must be widely analyzed in various contexts. Methodology: The research is a questionnaire survey study of 388 prosumers in Poland and 76 in the UK. Contribution The contribution of this research is twofold. First, it identifies how prosumers can be engaged in business processes through knowledge sharing. Second, it investigates the differences between Poland- and UK-based prosumers in engagement in business process. Findings: The study found that prosumers are engaged in knowledge sharing at each stage of the business process innovation framework. However, there are differences in the types of processes that draw on prosumers’ engagement. Prosumers in Poland are found to engage mostly in the business process of developing and managing products, whereas prosumers in the UK engage mostly in the business process of managing customer services. Recommendations for Practitioners: This study provides practitioners with guidelines for engaging prosumers and their knowledge sharing to improve process innovation. Companies gain new insight from these findings about prosumers’ knowledge sharing for process innovation, which may help them make better decisions about which projects and activities they can engage with prosumers for future knowledge sharing and creating prospective innovations. Recommendations for Researchers: Researchers may use this methodology and do similar analysis with different samples in Poland, the UK, and other countries, for many additional comparisons between different groups and countries. Moreover, a different methodology may be used for identifying prosumers’ engagement and knowledge sharing for processes improvement. Future Research: This study examined prosumers’ engagement from the prosumers’ standpoint. Therefore prosumers’ engagement from the company perspective should be explored in future research.




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The Effect of Marketing Knowledge Management on Bank Performance Through Fintech Innovations: A Survey Study of Jordanian Commercial Banks

Aim/Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effect of marketing knowledge management (MKM) on bank performance via the mediating role of the Fintech innovation in Jordanian commercial banks. Background: An extensive number of studies found a significant relationship between Marketing knowledge management and bank performance (e.g., Akroush & Al-Mohammad, 2010; Hou & Chien 2010; Rezaee & Jafari, 2015; Veismoradi et al., 2013). However, there remains a lack of clarity regarding the relationship between marketing knowledge management (MKM) and bank performance (BP). Furthermore, the linkage between MKM and BP is not straightforward but, instead, includes a more complicated relationship. Therefore, it is argued that managing marketing knowledge management assets and capabilities can enhance performance via the role of financial innovation as a mediating factor on commercial banks; to date, however, there is no empirical evidence. Methodology: Based on a literature review, knowledge-based theory, and financial innovation theory, an integrated conceptual framework has been developed to guide the study. A quantitative approach was used, and the data was collected from 336 managers and employees in all 13 Jordanian commercial banks using online and in hand instruments. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze and verify the study variables. Contribution: This article contributes to theory by filling a gap in the literature regarding the role of marketing knowledge management assets and capabilities in commercial banks operating in a developing country like Jordan. It empirically examined and validated the role of Fintech innovation as mediators between marketing knowledge management and bank performance Findings: The main findings revealed that marketing knowledge management had a significant favorable influence on bank performance. Fintech innovation acted as partial mediators in this relationship. Recommendations for Practitioners: Commercial banks should be fully aware of the importance of knowledge management practices to enhance their financial innovation and bank performance. They should also consider promoting a culture of practicing knowledge management processes among their managers and employees by motivating and training to promote innovations. Recommendation for Researchers: The result endorsed Fintech innovation’s mediating effect on the relationship between the independent variable, marketing knowledge management (assets and capabilities), and the dependent variable bank performance, which was not addressed before; thus, it needs further validation. Future Research: The current designed research model can be applied and assessed further in other sectors, including banking and industrial sectors across developed and developing countries. It would also be of interest to introduce other variables in the study model that can act as consequences of MKM capabilities, such as financial and non-financial performance measures




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Entrepreneurial Leadership and Organisational Performance of SMEs in Kuwait: The Intermediate Mechanisms of Innovation Management and Learning Orientation

Aim/Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the impact of innovation management and learning orientation as the mechanisms playing the role of an intermediate relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and organisational performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kuwait. Background: SMEs are currently among the principal economic instruments in most industrialised and developing countries. The contribution of SMEs can be viewed from various perspectives primarily related to the crucial role they play in developing entrepreneurial activities, employment generation, and improving innovativeness. Developing countries, including Kuwait and other countries, in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), have recognised the key role played by SMEs as a strong pillar of growth. Consequently, many governments have formulated policies and programmes to facilitate the growth and success of SMEs. Unfortunately, the organisational performance of SMEs in developing countries, particularly in Kuwait, remains below expectations. The lagged growth could be due to a lack of good managerial practices and increasing competition that negatively impact their performance. Numerous researchers discovered the positive effect of entrepreneurial leadership on SMEs’ performance. However, a lack of clarity remains regarding the direct impact of entrepreneurial leadership on SMEs’ performance, especially in developing countries. Therefore, the nexus between entrepreneurial leadership and organisational performance is still indecisive and requires further studies. Methodology: This study adopted a quantitative approach based on a cross-sectional survey and descriptive design to gather data within a specific period. The data were collected by distributing a survey questionnaire to Kuwaiti SMEs’ owners and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) via online and on-hand instruments. A total of 384 useable questionnaires were obtained. Moreover, the partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis was performed to test the hypotheses. Contribution: The current study contributed to the existing literature by developing a moderated mediation model integrating entrepreneurial leadership, innovation management, and learning orientation. The study also investigated their effect on the organisational performance of SMEs. The study findings also bridged the existing significant literature gap regarding the role of these variables on SMEs’ performance in developing countries, particularly in Kuwait, due to the dearth of studies linking these variables in this context. Furthermore, this study empirically confirmed the significant effect of innovation management and learning orientation as intermediate variables in strengthening the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and organisational performance in the settings of Kuwait SMEs, which has not been verified previously. Findings: The study findings showed the beneficial and significant impact of entrepreneurial leadership and innovation management on SME’s organisational performance. The relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and SMEs’ organisational performance is fundamentally mediated by innovation management and moderated by learning orientation. Recommendations for Practitioners: The present study provides valuable insights and information regarding the factors considered by the government, policymakers, SMEs’ stakeholders, and other authorities in the effort to increase the organisational performance level and facilitate the growth of SMEs in Kuwait. SMEs’ owners or CEOs should improve their awareness and knowledge of the importance of entrepreneurial leadership, innovation management, and learning orientation. These variables will have beneficial effects on the performance and assets to achieve success and sustainability if adopted and managed systematically. This study also recommends that SMEs’ entrepreneurs and top management should facilitate supportive culture by creating and maintaining an organisational climate and structure that encourages learning behaviour and innovation mindset among individuals. The initiative will motivate them towards acquiring, sharing, and utilising knowledge and increasing their ability to manage innovation systemically in all production processes to adapt to new technologies, practices, methods, and different circumstances. Recommendation for Researchers: The study findings highlighted the mediating effect of innovation management on the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership (the independent variable) and SMEs’ organisational performance (the dependent variable) and the moderating effect of learning orientation in the same nexus. These relationships were not extensively addressed in SMEs of developing countries and require further validation. Impact on Society: This study aims to influence the management strategies and practices adopted by entrepreneurs and policymakers who work in SMEs in developing countries. The effect will be reflected in the development of their firms and the national economy in general. Future Research: Future research should investigate the conceptual research framework against the backdrop of other developing economies and in other business settings to generalise the results. Future investigation should seek to establish the effect of entrepreneurial leadership style on other mechanisms, such as knowledge management processes, which could function with entrepreneurial leadership to improve SMEs’ performance efficiently. In addition, future studies may include middle and lower-level managers and employees, leading to more positive outcomes.




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NOTICE OF RETRACTION: THE IMPACT OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT ON FIRM INNOVATIVENESS VIA MEDIATING ROLE OF INNOVATIVE CULTURE – THE CASE OF MNES IN MALAYSIA

Aim/Purpose: ******************************************************************************************** After its investigation, the Research Ethics, Integrity, and Governance team at RMIT University found that the primary author of this paper breached the Australian Code and/or RMIT Policy and requested that the article be retracted. ********************************************************************************************* This paper aimed to examine the impact of knowledge management on firm innovativeness of multinational enterprises (MNEs) via the mediating role of innovative culture in Malaysia. Background: Inadequate management practices and growing competition among MNEs operating in developing nations, notably in Malaysia, have hindered their organizational success. Although several studies have shown that knowledge management has a substantial impact on MNEs’ success, it is not apparent if innovation at the company level has a direct impact on their performance. Thus, there is no definitive evidence between knowledge management with business innovativeness and organizational success. Methodology: This study adopted a quantitative approach based on a cross-sectional survey and descriptive design to gather the data in a specific period. A convenient sampling approach was used to select 296 respondents from Malaysia-dependent MNEs of different industries. One of the advantages of this study methodology is that the sample targeted many fields. Afterward, SPSS AMOS 24.0 software package analysis was performed to test the hypotheses. Contribution: The study contributes to knowledge management and firm innovativeness literature through advancing innovative culture as a mediating factor that accounts for the link between these two constructs, especially from an emerging economy perspective. The research findings also offer managerial implications for organizations in their quest to improve firm innovativeness. Findings: The results support that innovative culture significantly affects MNEs’ performance. Innovative culture enhances the capability of MNEs to be innovative that finally leads to the superior performance of firm innovativeness. Recommendations for Practitioners: According to this research, companies that exhibit an innovative culture, the acquisition of new information, the conversion of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge, the application of knowledge, and the safeguarding of knowledge, all have a positive effect on their innovativeness. This means that for organizations to run an innovative MNE in Malaysia, a creative culture must be fostered since the current study has shown how it is seen as a catalyst that facilitates learning, transformation, and implementation of relevant knowledge. Recommendation for Researchers: Future studies should be carried out in other sectors aside from the manufacturing sector using the same scales used to measure knowledge management. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of knowledge management and firm innovativeness using innovative culture as a mediator should be researched in other developing economies. Impact on Society: While the main aim of this study was to better understand how and why MNEs operate the way they do, it had an indirect impact on the business and political tactics taken by CEOs and managers working in MNEs in developing countries, as this research has shown. Future Research: Future research should employ the methodology presented in this study and pursue this in other sectors, such as emerging and developed nations’ major businesses, to validate the results and further generalize the conclusions. Other methods should also be incorporated to investigate the other dimensions of MNEs’ performance, including market orientation, technology orientation, and entrepreneurial orientation.




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The Nexus Between Learning Orientation, TQM Practices, Innovation Culture, and Organizational Performance of SMEs in Kuwait

Aim/Purpose: This paper aimed to examine the impact of learning orientation on organizational performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) via the mediating role of total quality management (TQM) practices and the moderating role of innovation culture. Background: SMEs’ organizational performance in developing countries, particularly in Kuwait, remains below expectation due to increasing competition and inadequate managerial practices that negatively impact their performance. Although several studies had revealed a significant effect of learning orientation on SMEs’ performance, the direct impact of learning orientation on their performance is still unclear. Thus, the link between learning orientation and organizational performance remains inconclusive and requires further examination. Methodology: This study adopted a quantitative approach based on a cross-sectional survey and descriptive design to gather the data in a specific period. The data were collected by distributing a survey questionnaire to the owners and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Kuwaiti SMEs using online and on-hand instruments with 384 useable data obtained. Furthermore, the partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis was performed to test the hypotheses. Contribution: This study bridged the significant gap in the role of learning orientation on SMEs’ performance in developing countries, specifically Kuwait. In this sense, a conceptual model was introduced, comprising a learning orientation, TQM practices, innovation culture, and organizational performance. In addition, this study confirmed the significant influence of TQM practices and innovation culture as intermediate variables in strengthening the relationship between learning orientation and organizational performance, which has not yet been verified in Kuwait. Findings: The results in this study revealed that learning orientation had a significant impact on organizational performance of SMEs in Kuwait. It could be observed that TQM practices play an important role in mediating the relationship between learning orientation and performance of SMEs, as well as that innovation culture plays an important moderating role in the same relation. Recommendations for Practitioners: This study provided a framework for the decision-makers of SMEs on the significant impact of the antecedents that enhanced the level of organizational performance. Hence, owners/CEOs of SMEs should improve their awareness and knowledge of the importance of learning orientation, TQM practices, and innovation culture since it could significantly influence their performance to achieve success and sustainability when adopted and managed systematically. The CEOs should also consider building an innovation culture in the internal environment, which enables them to transform new knowledge and ideas into innovative methods and practices. Recommendation for Researchers: The results in this study highlighted the mediating effect of TQM practices on the relationship between learning orientation (the independent variable) and organizational performance (the dependent variable) of SMEs and the moderating effect of innovation culture in the same nexus. These relationships were not extensively addressed in SMEs and thus required further validation. Impact on Society: This study also influenced the management strategies and practices adopted by entrepreneurs and policymakers working in SMEs in developing countries, which is reflected in their development and the national economy. Future Research: Future studies should apply the conceptual framework of this study and assess it further in other sectors, including large firms in developing and developed countries, to generalize the results. Additionally, other mechanisms should be introduced as significant antecedents of SMEs’ performance, such as market orientation, technological orientation, and entrepreneurial orientation, which could function with learning orientation to influence organizational performance effectively.




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The Roles of Knowledge Management and Cooperation in Determining Company Innovation Capability: A Literature Review

Aim/Purpose: The aim of this study is to develop a research model derived from relevant literature to guide empirical efforts. Background: Companies struggle to innovate, which is essential for improving their performance, surviving in competition, and growing. A number of studies have discussed company innovation capability, stating that innovation capability is influenced by several variables such as cooperation and knowledge management. Therefore, further research is necessary to identify factors playing a role in enhancing innovation capability. Methodology: This study is based on systematic literature review. The stages are: (1) research scope review, (2) comprehensive online research, (3) journal quality assessment, (4) data extraction from journals, (5) journal synthesis, and (6) comprehensive report. The online research used Google Scholar database, by browsing titles, abstracts, and keywords to locate empirical research studies in peer-reviewed journals published in 2010-2020. Furthermore, 62 related articles were found, of which 38 articles were excluded from further analysis and 24 articles were selected because they were more related to the topic. Contribution: The results of this study enrich the research in the field of knowledge management, cooperation, and innovation capability by developing a conceptual framework of innovation capability. The proposed theoretical model may be fundamental in addressing the need of a research model to guide further empirical efforts. Findings: This study provides a research model derived from systematically reviewing relevant literature. The proposed theoretical model was done by incorporating the aspects of knowledge management, cooperation, and innovation capability. The model shows that knowledge management and cooperation are essential aspects of innovation capability. Furthermore, this study also provides the dimensions and sub dimensions of each variable that was established after synthesizing the literature review. Recommendations for Practitioners: Business practitioners can use the identified predictors of innovation capability and the dimensions of each variable to explore their company’s innovation capability. They can also take the relevant variables into consideration when making policies regarding innovation. Recommendation for Researchers: The theoretical model proposed in this study needs validation with further empirical investigation. Impact on Society: Readers of this paper can obtain an understanding that knowledge management and cooperation are essential aspects to consider in enhancing innovation capability. Future Research: Future studies should explore other dimensions of knowledge management and cooperation through alternative approaches and perspectives.




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The Influence of Crisis Management, Risk-Taking, and Innovation in Sustainability Practices: Empirical Evidence From Iraq

Aim/Purpose: This study examines the impact of decision-making, crisis management, and decision-making on sustainability through the mediation of open innovation in the energy sector. Background: Public companies study high-performance practices, requiring overcoming basic obstacles such as financial crises that prevent the adoption and development of sustainability programs. Methodology: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to the closure of businesses in Iraq, a survey was distributed. To facilitate responses, free consultations were offered to help complete the questionnaire quickly. Of the 435 questionnaires answered, 397 were used for further analysis. Contribution: The impact of crises that impede the energy sector from adopting sustainable environmental regulations is investigated in this study. Its identification of specific constraints to open innovation leads to the effectiveness of adopting environmentally friendly policies and reaching high levels of sustainable performance. Findings: The impacts of risk-taking, crisis management, and decision-making on sustainability have been explored. Results show that open innovation fully mediates the relationship between the factors of risk-taking, crisis management, decision-making, and sustainability. Recommendations for Practitioners: The proposed model can be used by practitioners to develop and improve sustainable innovation practices and achieve superior performance. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers are recommended to conduct in-depth studies of the phenomenon based on theoretical and empirical foundations, especially in light of the relationship between crisis management, decision-making, and risk-taking and their impact on sustainability based on linear and non-compensatory relationships. Impact on Society: This study provides a reference for organizations with similar cultural backgrounds in adopting sustainable practices to minimize pollution in the Iraqi context. Future Research: A more in-depth study can be performed using a larger sample, which not only includes the energy industry but also other industries.




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The Impacts of KM-Centred Strategies and Practices on Innovation: A Survey Study of R&D Firms in Malaysia

Aim/Purpose: The aim of this paper is to examine the influences of KM-centred strategies on innovation capability among Malaysian R&D firms. It also deepens understanding of the pathways and conditions to improve the innovation capability by assessing the mediating role of both KM practices, i.e., knowledge exploration practices, and knowledge exploitation practices. Background: Knowledge is the main organisational resource that is able to generate a competitive advantage through innovation. It is a critical success driver for both knowledge exploration and exploitation for firms to achieve sustainable competitive advantages. Methodology: A total of 320 questionnaires were disseminated to Malaysian R&D firms and the response rate was 47 percent. The paper utilised structural equation modelling and cross-sectional design to test hypotheses in the proposed research model. Contribution: This paper provides useful information and valuable initiatives in exploring the mediating role of knowledge exploration and knowledge exploitation in influencing innovation in Malaysian R&D firms. It helps R&D firms to frame their KM activities to drive the capability of creating and retaining a greater value onto their core business competencies. Findings: The findings indicate that all three KM-centred strategies (leadership, HR practices, and culture) have a direct effect on innovation. In addition, KM exploration practices mediate HR practices on innovation while KM exploitation mediates both leadership and HR practices on innovation. Recommendations for Practitioners: This paper serves as a guide for R&D managers to determine the gaps and appropriate actions to collectively achieve the desired R&D results and national innovation. It helps R&D firms frame their KM activities to enhance the capability of creating and retaining a greater value to their core business competencies. Recommendation for Researchers: This paper contributes significantly to knowledge management and innovation research by establishing new associations among KM-centred strategies, i.e., leadership, HR practices, and culture, both KM practices (knowledge exploration and knowledge exploitation), and innovation. Impact on Society: This paper highlights the important role of knowledge leaders and the practice of effective HR practices to help R&D firms to create a positive environment that facilitates both knowledge exploration and knowledge exploitation in enhancing innovation capabilities. Future Research: Further research could use a longitudinal sample to examine relationships of causality, offering a more comprehensive view of the effect of KM factors on innovation over the long term. Future research should also try to incorporate information from new external sources, such as customers or suppliers.




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The Implications of Knowledge-Based HRM Practices on Open Innovations for SMEs in the Manufacturing Sector

Aim/Purpose: The main aim of this study was to investigate the impact of knowledge-based Human Resources Management (HRM) practices on inbound and outbound open innovation in Jordanian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Background: SMEs in Jordan lack tangible resources. This insufficiency can be remedied by using knowledge as a resource. According to the Knowledge-Based View (KBV) theory, which posits knowledge as the most valuable resource, SMEs can achieve open innovation by implementing knowledge-based HRM practices that enhance the utilization of knowledge and yield competitiveness. Methodology: This study adopted the quantitative method employing descriptive and exploratory approaches. A total of 500 Jordanian manufacturing SMEs were selected from 2,310 manufacturing SMEs registered lists, according to the Jordan Social Security, by using random sampling. The study’s instrument was a questionnaire that was applied to these SMEs. There were 335 responses that were deemed useful for analysis after filtering out the replies with missing values; this corresponded to a response rate of 67%. The paper utilized structural equation modeling and cross-sectional design to test hypotheses in the proposed research model. Contribution: This study advocates the assumption of the role of KBV in improving innovation practices. This study contributes to the existing strategic HRM research by extending the understanding of knowledge-based HRM practices in the context of SMEs. Thus, this study contributes to the understanding of innovation management by demonstrating the role of knowledge-based HRM practices in boosting inbound and outbound OI practices, thereby enhancing innovation as an essential component of firm competitiveness. Findings: The findings revealed the positive impact of four knowledge-based HRM practices on inbound and outbound open innovation in Jordanian manufacturing SMEs. These practices were knowledge-based recruitment and selection, knowledge-based training and development, knowledge-based compensation and reward, as well as knowledge-based performance assessment. Recommendations for Practitioners: This study is expected to help the stakeholders of SMEs to re-shape the traditional HRM practices into knowledge-based practices which improve managerial skills, innovation practices, and the level of the firm’s competitiveness. Recommendation for Researchers: This study serves as a significant contribution to the research field of innovation practices by building a new association between knowledge-based HRM practices and inbound and outbound open innovation. Impact on Society: The study emphasizes the vital role of knowledge-based HRM practices in enhancing the knowledge and social skills of the human capital in SMEs in Jordan, thus improving the country’s social and economic development. Future Research: Future research could build on this study to include service SMEs. It could also employ a longitudinal study over the long run which would allow for a deeper analysis of the relationships of causality, offering a more comprehensive view of the effect of knowledge-based HRM on open innovation. Furthermore, future research could examine the sample of investigation before and after implementing the knowledge-based HRM practices to provide stronger evidence of their influence on inbound and outbound innovation.




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Determinants of Radical and Incremental Innovation: The Roles of Human Resource Management Practices, Knowledge Sharing, and Market Turbulence

Aim/Purpose: Given the increasingly important role of knowledge and human resources for firms in developing and emerging countries to pursue innovation, this paper aims to study and explore the potential intermediating roles of knowledge donation and collection in linking high-involvement human resource management (HRM) practice and innovation capability. The paper also explores possible moderators of market turbulence in fostering the influences of knowledge-sharing (KS) behaviors on innovation competence in terms of incremental and radical innovation. Background: The fitness of HRM practice is critical for organizations to foster knowledge capital and internal resources for improving innovation and sustaining competitive advantage. Methodology: The study sample is 309 respondents and Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used for the analysis of the data obtained through a questionnaire survey with the aid of AMOS version 22. Contribution: This paper increases the understanding of the precursor role of high-involvement HRM practices, intermediating mechanism of KS activities, and the regulating influence of market turbulence in predicting and fostering innovation capability, thereby pushing forward the theory of HRM and innovation management. Findings: The empirical findings support the proposed hypotheses relating to the intermediating role of KS in the HRM practices-innovation relationship. It spotlights the crucial character of market turbulence in driving the domination of knowledge-sharing behaviors on incremental innovation. Recommendations for Practitioners: The proposed research model can be applied by leaders and directors to foster their organizational innovation competence. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers are recommended to explore the influence of different models of HRM practices on innovation to identify the most effective pathway leading to innovation for firms in developing and emerging nations. Impact on Society: This paper provides valuable initiatives for firms in developing and emerging markets on how to leverage the strategic and internal resources of an organization for enhancing innovation. Future Research: Future studies should investigate the influence of HRM practices and knowledge resources to promote frugal innovation models for dealing with resource scarcity.




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Adopting Green Innovation in Tourism SMEs: Integrating Pro-Environmental Planned Behavior and TOE Model

Aim/Purpose: This study investigated factors influencing the intention to engage in green innovation among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector, using an integrated approach from the pro-environmental planned behavior (PEPB) and technology organization environment (TOE) models. Background: Green innovation is a long-term strategy aimed at addressing environmental challenges in the Indonesian tourism sector, especially those related to SMEs in culinary, accommodation, transportation, and creative industries. While prior research primarily focused on innovation characteristics and various behavioral intentions towards new technologies, this study pioneered an approach to understanding green innovation practices among SMEs by examining behavioral intention and the influence of internal organizational and external environmental factors. This was achieved through the PEPB model, which extends the theory of planned behavior (TPB) by incorporating perceived authority support and perceived environmental concern and integrating it with the TOE model. This comprehensive approach was crucial for understanding SME motivations, needs, and challenges in adopting green innovation, thereby supporting environmental sustainability. Methodology: Data were collected through offline and online questionnaires and interviews with 405 SMEs that had implemented green innovation as respondents. The theoretical model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with top-level constructs. Contribution: This research contributed to the development and validation of an integrated model for green innovation in SMEs, offering insights and recommendations for all stakeholders in the tourism sector to formulate effective green innovation strategies. Findings: This research revealed that the integrated model of pro-environmental planned behavior and technology organization environment successfully explained 71% of the factors influencing the intention to engage in green innovation for SMEs in the tourism sector. Perceived authority support emerged as the strongest factor, while perceived behavioral control was identified as a weaker factor. Recommendations for Practitioners: The research findings recommended that SMEs in the tourism sector focus on customer satisfaction and operational efficiency and optimize the recruitment and training processes of resources to maximize success in adopting environmentally friendly innovations. Meanwhile, for the government, providing support, incentives, and stringent environmental regulations could encourage sustainable business practices. Recommendation for Researchers: The research findings recommended that SMEs in the tourism sector focus on customer satisfaction and operational efficiency and optimize the recruitment and training processes of resources to maximize success in adopting environmentally friendly innovations. Meanwhile, for the government, providing support, incentives, and stringent environmental regulations could encourage sustainable business practices. Impact on Society: Examining the factors influencing the intention to engage in green innovation among SMEs in the tourism sector carried significant social implications. The findings contributed to recommending strategies for businesses and stakeholders such as the government, investors, and tourists to collectively strive to minimize environmental damage in tourist areas through the implementation of green innovation. Future Research: There are several promising avenues to explore to enhance future research. Expanding the scope to include diverse regions and industries and using additional approaches, such as leadership theory and management commitment theories, can increase the R-squared value. Additionally, broadening the profile of interviewees to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the intention to engage in green innovation should be considered.




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"Islands of Innovation" or "Comprehensive Innovation." Assimilating Educational Technology in Teaching, Learning, and Management: A Case Study of School Networks in Israel




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Teachers in a World of Change: Teachers' Knowledge and Attitudes towards the Implementation of Innovative Technologies in Schools




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Does Use of ICT-Based Teaching Encourage Innovative Interactions in the Classroom? Presentation of the CLI-O: Class Learning Interactions – Observation Tool




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Analyzing the Discourse of Chais Conferences for the Study of Innovation and Learning Technologies via a Data-Driven Approach

The current rapid technological changes confront researchers of learning technologies with the challenge of evaluating them, predicting trends, and improving their adoption and diffusion. This study utilizes a data-driven discourse analysis approach, namely culturomics, to investigate changes over time in the research of learning technologies. The patterns and changes were examined on a corpus of articles published over the past decade (2006-2014) in the proceedings of Chais Conference for the Study of Innovation and Learning Technologies – the leading research conference on learning technologies in Israel. The interesting findings of the exhaustive process of analyzing all the words in the corpus were that the most commonly used terms (e.g., pupil, teacher, student) and the most commonly used phrases (e.g., face-to-face) in the field of learning technologies reflect a pedagogical rather than a technological aspect of learning technologies. The study also demonstrates two cases of change over time in prominent themes, such as “Facebook” and “the National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) program”. Methodologically, this research demonstrates the effectiveness of a data-driven approach for identifying discourse trends over time.




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Improving the Chances of Getting your IT Curriculum Innovation Successfully




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The Knowledge Innovation Matrix (KIM): A Clarifying Lens for Innovation




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Predicting the Use of Twitter in Developing Countries: Integrating Innovation Attributes, Uses and Gratifications, and Trust Approaches

Based on the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory (Rogers, 2003), the uses and gratifications (U&G) theory, and trust theory, this study investigated the factors that influence the use of Twitter among the Kuwaiti community. The study surveyed Twitter users in Kuwait. A structured online questionnaire was used to collect data, and 463 respondents who provided complete answers participated. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the effect of three theoretical perspectives on Twitter usage. The result of the analysis showed that Twitter usage is better explained by DOI constructs than by U&G constructs. The findings indicated that the perceived relative advantage from DOI, and the need for information, need to pass time, and need for interpersonal utility from the U&G approach, have a direct positive significant effect on the use of Twitter. None of the trust theory constructs was found to be significant in predicting the general use of Twitter. The study results help Twitter providers and users in individual or organizational contexts to understand what factors generally affect the usage of the Twitter service.




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Facilitating Innovation in Interdisciplinary Teams: The Role of Leaders and Integrative Communication

Aim/Purpose: The complexity of scientific problems has spurred the development of transdisciplinary science, in which experts are brought together to collaborate across disciplinary and practice boundaries. These knowledge diverse teams can produce novel solutions, but they often fail to achieve their potential. Background: Leaders have a crucial role to play in enabling effective collaboration among these diverse experts. We propose that a critical predictor of whether a newly formed interdisciplinary team will perform well is the leader’s multidisciplinary breadth of experience, which we define as a leader’s possession of significant experience in multiple areas of research and practice. We suggest that these leaders will have the capability to skillfully manage the interactions within the team. Methodology: We test our prediction in a sample of 52 newly formed interdisciplinary medical research teams. We also observe and examine the communication patterns in a subset of these teams. Contribution: There is a lack of systematic study of the impact leaders have on newly formed interdisciplinary science teams whose members have little or no prior collaborative experience with each other, possess specialized knowledge, and have limited overlapping expertise. This study combines quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the effect of leader multidisciplinary experience on team communication patterns and innovation. Findings: Our study finds that teams are more innovative when their leader has a moderate breadth of multidisciplinary expertise. Exploration of team communication patterns suggests that leaders with moderate multidisciplinary breadth of experience actively stimulated information sharing across expert domains by choosing cross-cutting topics and drew individuals’ attention to the knowledge and approaches of others in the team. Recommendations for Practitioners: Insights from this work can have practical implications regarding how to best select and train leaders to facilitate cross-boundary collaboration in transdisciplinary science. This study elucidates a variety of communication strategies that leaders can to enhance the team innovativeness. Recommendation for Researchers: Further investigation into the underlying psychological states that these communication strategies elicit is needed. Future research should investigate psychological mediators such as knowledge consideration, perspective taking, and cognitive flexibility. Impact on Society: Transdisciplinary science is needed to solve society’s most complex problems. The more insight we gather about factors that can help these knowledge diverse teams to be successful, but more society will benefit. Future Research: More research is needed on team formation, leader experience, and team outcomes in transdisciplinary science teams in a variety of contexts.




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Knowledge-Oriented Leadership, Psychological Safety, Employee Voice, and Innovation

Aim/Purpose: The truism is that leadership fosters or restricts innovation behaviours in organisations, but the extent to which it does depends on the leadership style in practice. This study focuses on one of the contemporary leadership styles, knowledge-oriented leadership [KOL], which has received scant attention in research. In doing so, the contextual factors of psychological safety [PS] and employee voice [EV] were applied to determine how KOL influences are channeled to innovation at the individual level. Methodology: Data were collected from 347 academic staff in public universities in Southern Nigeria and subjected to a partial least square [PLS] analytical procedure for data treatment and hypotheses testing using the SmartPLS 3 software for variance-based structural equation modelling. Contribution: The study formed an integrated research framework that links knowledge-oriented leadership and innovation by accounting for the contextual mechanisms of psychological safety and employee voice. Findings: The PLS results demonstrated that the knowledge-oriented leadership and innovation relationship was positive and significant, and this relationship was partially mediated by two variables, namely, PS and EV. Furthermore, the two mediating variables channeled KOL’s influence on innovation in a sequence. Recommendation for Researchers: Organisations need to consider the practical application of KOL to improve innovation outcomes considerably. By this, leadership training programs should include modules, courses, or topics on KOL to engender the formation of requisite managerial skills. More so, they should consider the criterion of demonstrable KOL abilities for leadership selection and recruitment. As a personal development initiative, managers can attend leadership development programmes as well as obtain certification in knowledge management to improve their KOL abilities. This initiative should be encouraged and supported by organisations. In all, the human resource management framework should be responsive to the dynamics of the knowledge economy regarding leadership. Given that PS and EV function as mediators, organisations should actively cultivate an environment enabling interpersonal risky behaviours founded on trust, respect, and cooperation and encourage/support employees who demonstrate such behaviour accordingly. In this line, they should create and sustain a supportive environment that positively reinforces voice decisions and behaviours. Future Research: The study only determined the links between KOL, PS, EV, and innovation in public universities in Southern Nigeria. Other studies may examine the linkages in other knowledge-intensive organisations as well as expand the geographic scope to make for better generality of findings. Future studies should look at other underlying mechanisms that can affect the KOL-innovation relationship, such as psychological capital, work engagement, work commitment, etc. The role of moderators can be identified and introduced to this integrative framework to demonstrate the conditions affecting the linkages.




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2024 Fall Symposium — Race, Rights, and Innovation: Cultivating Equity in the Digital World

Friday, September 27 | 9:30 a.m. (PT) | Online Event Details and Recoding Here  Join us for Race, Rights, and Innovation: Cultivating Equity in the Digital World, a thought-provoking event exploring the intersection of race, technology, and legal frameworks. We’ll delve into the historical treatment of minority creators in copyright ...

The post 2024 Fall Symposium — Race, Rights, and Innovation: Cultivating Equity in the Digital World appeared first on Berkeley Technology Law Journal.




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The limits and possibilities of history: How a wider, deeper and more engaged understanding of business history can foster innovative thinking

Calls for greater diversity in management research, education and practice have increased in recent years, driven by a sense of fairness and ethical responsibility, but also because research shows that greater diversity of inputs into management processes can lead to greater innovation. But how can greater diversity of thought be encouraged when educating management students, beyond the advocacy of affirmative action and relating the research on the link between multiplicity and creativity? One way is to think again about how we introduce the subject. Introductory textbooks often begin by relaying the history of management. What is presented is a very limited mono-cultural and linear view of how management emerged. This article highlights the limits this view outlines for initiates in contrast to the histories of other comparable fields (medicine and architecture), and discusses how a wider, deeper and more engaged understanding of history can foster thinking differently.




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DOING MORE WITH LESS: INNOVATION INPUT AND OUTPUT IN FAMILY FIRMS

Family firms are often portrayed as an important yet conservative form of organization that is reluctant to invest in innovation; however, at the same time, evidence shows that family firms are still flourishing and that many of the world's most innovative firms are indeed family firms. Our study contributes to disentangling this puzzling effect. We argue that family firms—owing to the family's high level of control over the firm, wealth concentration, and importance of non-financial goals—invest less in innovation but have an increased conversion rate of innovation input into output and, ultimately, a higher innovation output than non-family firms. Empirical evidence from a meta-analysis based on 108 primary studies from 42 countries supports our hypotheses. We further argue and empirically show that the observed effects are even stronger when the CEO of the family firm is a later-generation family member. However, when the CEO of the family firm is the firm's founder, innovation input is higher and, contrary to our initial expectations, innovation output is lower than that in other firms. We further show that the family firm-innovation input/output relationships depend on country-level factors, namely, the level of minority shareholder protection and the education level of the workforce in the country.




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European Space Agency's call for proposals: Data User Element INNOVATOR

European Space Agency (ESA) has released its call for proposals for the next projects in the Data User Element (DUE) INNOVATOR arena. Projects are expected to contributed to various international efforts, and CliC and the Cryosphere in a Changing Climate Grand Challenge are specifically mentioned. We encourage those of you interested in submitting a proposal to consider tying your efforts to some of the ongoing and developing CliC activities.
 
The full call for proposals can be downloaded here.
 
The DUE INNOVATOR III will consist in a suite of up to 12 projects of maximum two year time duration and of value up to 200 K euro each. The  DUE INNOVATOR III projects will give to the end-users, industry and research communities the opportunity to develop and demonstrate innovative Earth Observation (EO) services and products using existing ESA, ESA third-party mission and other EO datasets. These original projects, if successful, may constitute future large scale activities within the Agency's Data User Element (DUE) programme.
 
The DUE INNOVATOR III application areas and service themes are open, but require a targeted end-user community that will directly benefit from these new services and products. At least one end-user entity shall be actively involved in each DUE INNOVATOR III project and will be responsible for providing the detailed service and product requirements, as well as support the interpretation and validation of the service products, and assess the adequacy of and benefits of the service.
 
Each project will be carried out up to 24 months and will consist of three phases: - Specification and demonstration; - Implementation and validation; - Evaluation and evolution scenario. EO topics already covered by past or ongoing projects within the ESA DUP/DUE, EOMD, GSE, EU Framework Programmes or National programmes will not be considered for funding. Spanish Tenderers are advised that although Spain is participating in EOEP-4, its contribution is already earmarked for specific elements in EOEP-4 aiming at ensuring continuity with activities stemming from the previous period. Therefore, for this ITT, entities which have their registered office in Spain are not entitled to take part in a bidding consortium, either as Prime Contract or as subcontractor.




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Contributions on Fauna Europaea: Data papers as innovative model on expert involvement

Fauna Europaea started in 2000 as an EC-FP5 four-year project, delivering its first release in 2004. After 14 years of steady progress and successful participations in several EC projects, as a part of the EC-FP7 European Biodiversity Observation Network project (EU BON), to increase the general awareness of the work done by the contributors and to extend the general dissemination of the Fauna Europaea results, the Biodiversity Data Journal has applied its novel e-Publishing tools to prepare data papers for all 56 major taxonomic groups.

Fauna Europaea provides a public web-service with an index of scientific names (including important synonyms) of all living European land and freshwater animals, their geographical distribution at country level, and some additional information. The Fauna Europaea project covers about 230,000 taxonomic names, including 130,000 species name. This represents a huge effort by more than 400 contributing specialists throughout Europe and is a unique (standard) reference suitable for many users in science, government, industry, nature conservation and education.

'Contributions on Fauna Europaea' is the second series launched by the Biodiversity Data Journal after the Checklist of British and Irish Hymenoptera and the first one that embraces thematic data-papers structured in a common pattern extracted from a large database. This novel publication model will assemble in a single-issue 56 data-papers on different taxonomic groups covered by the Fauna Europaea project in the period 2000-2014 and a range of accompanying papers highlighting various aspects of this project (gap-analysis, software design, taxonomic assessments, etc.).

This is the first collection of data-papers of this scale. It will formalise and effectively publish the results of nearly 500 contributors building the largest European animal (taxonomic) database. The new publication model provides a reliable mechanism for citation and bibliographic indexing of large and uniformly structured databases.

"The publication of Fauna Europaea data papers brings a number of benefits for science, for example it stimulates experts to hand-over descriptive details on their groups, triggers new ways of community networking and participation, motivates experts to update their data, supports a better documentation of their achievements, including issues like 'micro-publications', and increase an ownership feeling with the associated effort" said Dr Yde de Jong, coordinator of the Fauna Europaea and Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure (PESI) projects.

The launch of this large collection of data papers coincides with one more cutting-edge innovation of the Biodiversity Data Journal, the publication of an API, a first of its kind, to import complex and data-rich manuscripts, which include text, data, images, in-text citations, references, in fact anything that a manuscript may contain.

"I am happy that these exciting innovations coincided with the first birthday of the Biodiversity Data Journal. Just a year ago we launched this new concept with the motto: Making your data count! These novel approaches and tools are an excellent example how our concept evolved!" comments Prof. Lyubomir Penev, Managing Director of Pensoft Publishers.

 
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Original Sources:

de Jong Y, Verbeek M, Michelsen V, Bjørn P, Los W, Steeman F, Bailly N, Basire C, Chylarecki P, Stloukal E, Hagedorn G, Wetzel F, Glöckler F, Kroupa A, Korb G, Hoffmann A, Häuser C, Kohlbecker A, Müller A, Güntsch A, Stoev P, Penev L (2014) Fauna Europaea – all European animal species on the web. Biodiversity Data Journal 2: e4034. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.2.e4034

Gibson D, Bray R, Hunt D, Georgiev B, Scholz T, Harris P, Bakke T, Pojmanska T, Niewiadomska K, Kostadinova A, Tkach V, Bain O, Durette-Desset M, Gibbons L, Moravec F, Petter A, Dimitrova Z, Buchmann K, Valtonen E, de Jong Y (2014) Fauna Europaea: Helminths (Animal Parasitic). Biodiversity Data Journal 2: e1060. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.2.e1060





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Nature-Based Solutions: Innovation potential for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in Europe

On Tuesday 30 September 2014, the European Parliament Intergroup on "Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development", in collaboration with the European Commission and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), organised a full day conference entitled: "Nature-Based Solutions: Innovation potential for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in Europe."

Bringing together 140 participants including representatives from the European Institutions, local and regional authorities, research institutes, NGOs and International organisations, as well as private sector representatives, this conference aimed at promoting the solutions that nature can offer in tackling major challenges, such as climate change and natural disasters, in ensuring food security to an increasing population, in protecting the health of European citizens, and the conservation of biodiversity in the EU and at the global level.

The speakers, panellists and participants in the audience all agreed that using nature to tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time can be cost-effective, can help safeguard the environment and halt biodiversity loss, and can provide numerous economic and social benefits by creating jobs and growth and by stimulating innovation.
 
Read more and find results from the conference here.




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Investing in European success – A Decade of Success in Earth Observation Research and Innovation

The European Commission has recently released publication focused on Earth Observation Research and EU BON is one of the successful projects featured in it. 

The publication titled "Investing in European success – A Decade of Success in Earth Observation Research and Innovation" looks at the benefits that Earth Observation brings to studying and protecting the environment.

The Earth’s atmosphere, oceans and landscapes are changing rapidly, with human activities being a major driver. Monitoring and modelling these changes are critical because they allow governments, society and the private sector to make informed decisions about climate, energy, food security, natural hazards, health and other societal challenges. To be effective, these responses must be grounded in comprehensive and timely information. More importantly, decision makers, managers and experts must have access to the information they need, when they need it and in a format which can be easily utilised.

To address this challenge, the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) has provided a voluntary framework since 2005 where 98 governments, the European Commission and 87 international organisations develop new projects and coordinate their strategies and investments in the field of Earth observation. The vision of GEO is to realise a future wherein decisions and actions for the benefit of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations and information. GEO’s main objective is to develop and implement the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). 

EU BON is an attempt to overcome these problems at European level and to contribute to the Group on Earth Observations’ (GEO) global initiative with the same aims – GEO BON.

Find the full publication here, EU BON can be found featured on pages 26 - 27.





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BIOTALENT EU Conference: Tackling biodiversity challenges through innovative e-learning

BIOTALENT is a multilingual blended e-learning training programme to gain crucial skills and knowledge in biodiversity. Protecting life on earth in all its forms also involves introducing innovative ways to address pressing environmental issues of today. A strong investment in environmental education and a passion for science is therefore essential to this programme.

This one-day event, Taking place on 18 May 2017, in Brussels, will illustrate the uniqueness of the BIOTALENT project and programme in the way environmental education is brought to the course participant. The various expert speakers that are invited are all very passionate about innovation in education and the new ways in which scientific and environmental education can contribute to conserving biodiversity.  

To register and find out more visit the official announcement.





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The innovation edition

Cooling down our addiction to air conditioning by building a more energy efficient AC. Also, it’s a “wind, wind, wind” for cargo ships powered by sails; engineering students in Los Angeles design quality-of-life solutions for refugee camps; a navigation app helps drivers get around Nigeria; the drive to thwart diseases like malaria and dengue by altering the genes of mosquitoes.

(Photo: Air conditioning units in Antwerp, Belgium on Tuesday, July 23, 2019. Credit: Dirk Waem/AFP via Getty Images)




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The Value of Innovation in 2022

Tom Harris returns for another discussion with W&C about the challenges facing spray foam insulation, growth in the industry, and his overall impression of the future for the industry.




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New Innovations

A selection of some of the new products showcased at industry trade shows this year.




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ACI Foundation’s 2024 Technology Forum Drives Collaboration and Innovation

The ACI Foundation’s Concrete Innovation Council gathered in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to discuss technology and innovation at the 2024 Technology Forum. The event took place May 14-16 at the Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza.




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PCA Presents Energy and Environment, Safety Innovation and Chairman’s Awards

The Portland Cement Association, representing America’s cement manufacturers, announced the winners of its Energy and Environment, Chairman’s Safety and Safety Innovation Awards at its 2024 Cement Fly-In in Washington, D.C.




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Innovative Insulation Solutions for an Energy-Efficient Home

Ways to decrease your home’s energy output and save you money.