<p> </p><p>Knowledge is considered nowadays as the main source of competitive advantage and, therefore, its appropriate application has been gaining great attention. The present study focuses on the use of integrative mechanisms in consulting firms as part of the knowledge application process during the action-planning stage of projects. Concepts such as knowledge, types of knowledge and Knowledge Management processes are clarified and then developed in a consulting firm context, in order to identify the advantages and disadvantages that this type of project-based organisations has due to the important role that knowledge plays in the consulting process. Furthermore, two main paradigms of Knowledge Management in consulting firms are developed based on a synthesis of the relevant literature. Next, different views of Knowledge Integration are exposed and the four mechanisms for Knowledge Integration proposed by Grant are assigned to each paradigm. These paradigms are used as theoretical base for the research and as selection criteria of two representative consulting firms, which constitute the unit of analysis of a qualitative study, which aims to rank the importance of the above mentioned Knowledge Integration mechanisms in the action-planning stage of the consulting project life-cycle.</p><p> </p><p>The research approach is deductive and subjective in terms of ontology. Critical realism more closely represents the study in terms of epistemology and the main sample characteristics are non-probabilistic, purposive and heterogeneous. The data are collected through surveys and semi-structured interviews and are analysed following a commonly accepted qualitative data analysis method.</p><p> </p><p>The study results regard the ranking of the four integrative mechanisms in terms of their usefulness during the action-planning stage of consulting projects. The results cannot be generalised due to the sample characteristics but they qualitatively reflect the importance of mechanisms for integration of knowledge in these two firms during this particular stage. By doing so, the study implies that, although the two consulting firms represent different paradigms of Knowledge Management, they have a similar predisposition to give priority to a certain Knowledge Integration mechanism against another.</p>

“Enabling Knowledge Communication between Companies” is essential for creating competitive advantage from collaborations. Communicating knowledge is about the capacity to e.g. transfer knowledge, create learning and design new technology. It is an issue of increasing importance to many companies whose operations are outsourced, offshored and integrated with alliance partners. This book addresses the type of collaboration that perhaps is the most challenging to manage – the development of new and complex products between companies. Collaboration on product development is attractive to many companies because of opportunities to share costs, distribute risks and enhance innovation potential. Achieving the goals of such collaborations is often hard because of difficulties with knowledge communication. The book identies issues that are critical for enabling knowledge communication between companies, including: The role of work integration between collaborating companies. The type of location suitable for different kinds of product development between companies. The managing of differences in companies’ perspectives on product technology and development processes. If you are in a position of leading, planning or analysing advanced collaboration with other companies, you should benefit from this study. It is intended for both researchers and managers dealing with operations between the company and its external network of partners, suppliers and customers. / Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2008

Knowledge is considered nowadays as the main source of competitive advantage and, therefore, its appropriate application has been gaining great attention. The present study focuses on the use of integrative mechanisms in consulting firms as part of the knowledge application process during the action-planning stage of projects. Concepts such as knowledge, types of knowledge and Knowledge Management processes are clarified and then developed in a consulting firm context, in order to identify the advantages and disadvantages that this type of project-based organisations has due to the important role that knowledge plays in the consulting process. Furthermore, two main paradigms of Knowledge Management in consulting firms are developed based on a synthesis of the relevant literature. Next, different views of Knowledge Integration are exposed and the four mechanisms for Knowledge Integration proposed by Grant are assigned to each paradigm. These paradigms are used as theoretical base for the research and as selection criteria of two representative consulting firms, which constitute the unit of analysis of a qualitative study, which aims to rank the importance of the above mentioned Knowledge Integration mechanisms in the action-planning stage of the consulting project life-cycle.   The research approach is deductive and subjective in terms of ontology. Critical realism more closely represents the study in terms of epistemology and the main sample characteristics are non-probabilistic, purposive and heterogeneous. The data are collected through surveys and semi-structured interviews and are analysed following a commonly accepted qualitative data analysis method.   The study results regard the ranking of the four integrative mechanisms in terms of their usefulness during the action-planning stage of consulting projects. The results cannot be generalised due to the sample characteristics but they qualitatively reflect the importance of mechanisms for integration of knowledge in these two firms during this particular stage. By doing so, the study implies that, although the two consulting firms represent different paradigms of Knowledge Management, they have a similar predisposition to give priority to a certain Knowledge Integration mechanism against another.

Modern manufacturing processes are becoming more integrated and relying on measuring performance to better identify ways of improvement. The AEC industry is now moving in this direction through IT-based Design and Construction Integration (ITDCI). ITDCI is a collaborative knowledge-based activity in which each participant continuously and timely contributes and shares his/her knowledge to realize a specific goal, bonded by a unified and cohesive culture with the use of the supportive IT-tools. Executing the project in an ITDCI fashion requires the satisfaction of these conditions. This research developed a formal model that consists of 75 ITDCI mechanisms distributed over the different phases of the facility development process within colleges and universities to enable the knowledge transfer process and achieve the highest level of integration. The level of ITDCI involved in a particular project can be then measured by quantifying the number of ITDCI mechanisms introduced. The research methodology included the following activities: reviewing the related literature, developing and validating a scenario for the facility development process within typical colleges and universities through literature review and interviews, providing a definition for each phase of the process to be executed in an ITDCI fashion and finally identifying actions or mechanisms that have to be activated to obtain the highest level of ITDCI. The model was validated through an online survey that targeted the members of the Society of Colleges and Universities (SCUP) and a case study. WPI's new East Hall residence facility was used as a case study to validate the model. This model is a significant contribution to the construction industry because it acts as a measuring tool to assess the corresponding level of ITDCI in the facility development process. It also helps to develop a common understanding among industry practitioners on what is required to achieve a desired level of ITDCI in their project. This comprehension would guide them to a better recognition of the benefits and consequences of each specific level of IT-based integration on their project outcomes. It will also enable them to execute more accurate cost/benefit analyses and eventually opt for the optimum ITDCI level. For future work, the model could be expanded to include other types of facilities, such as residential, healthcare and commercial facilities to achieve wider adoption within the AEC industry.

The importance of knowledge in organizations has been steadily growing. Traditional economies focused on land, labour, and capital as their main production factors, and saw knowledge as external to the economic process. Over the last few decades, economists have started discussing the role of knowledge and technology in economic growth. The Resource-Based View of the firm explains the contribution of resources and capabilities of the firm to accomplish sustainable competitive advantage. As an extension of this view, the Knowledge-Based View of the firm suggests that knowledge is the basic economic resource, which explains an organization's sustainable competitive advantage. This view argues that in the knowledge-based economy, management of productivity of the knowledge-worker is the crucial challenge for growth and development. Organizational Capabilities are important for enhancing the competitive advantage and performance of the firms. However, the relationship between Organizational Capabilities and Knowledge-Worker Productivity have not previously been empirically examined. The current research, through Knowledge-Based View of the firm, examines the issue of effective knowledge integration from the perspective of Organizational Capabilities. This perspective suggests that effective knowledge integration improves the capabilities of an organization, which enhances the factors influencing the productivity of the knowledge-worker. Knowledge Integration Mechanisms were studied using four variables: Rules and Directives, Sequencing, Routines, and Group Problem-Solving. All these four variables were hypothesized to positively influence the three forms of Organizational Capabilities, namely Local Capability, Architectural Capability, and Process Capability. Then, the effect of these Capabilities on the Factors of Knowledge-Worker Productivity was examined. These factors were identified as Task Clarity, Autonomy, Innovation, Learning, Quality, and Value Addition. Through analysis of surveys collected from over three hundred knowledge professionals, this research empirically models and uncovers key aspects of these constructs. The results provide a basis for understanding the knowledge-based theory of the firm, which postulates that knowledge integration is the primary role of the firm. The data was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. This method was chosen because it allows the analysis of all the relationships simultaneously. From the analysis of data collected, results of this research suggests that Process Capability has got maximum influence on the Factors of Knowledge-Worker Productivity; and Group Problem-Solving, as a Knowledge Integration Mechanisms, was found to be most significant in the development of Organizational Capabilities. These results conform to those reported in the literature, that is improved Factors of Knowledge-Worker Productivity is dependent on Organizational Capabilities, which are enhanced by effective Knowledge Integration Mechanisms. Overall, this thesis expands the Knowledge-Based View of the firm by integrating the above mentioned three constructs. This integrated view provides insights on the significance of knowledge integration and illustrates how firms develop a set of capabilities that can improve the Factors of Knowledge-Worker Productivity. The findings from this research can be used to develop sound strategies for effective leverage of Knowledge Management, ensuring organizational development.

The Front End of Innovation (FEI) is the early phase of the Product Development Process, responsible for the concept generation and an important driver of innovation success. The FEI is characterized by roles\' dynamism, ambiguity, and uncertainty. Several authors divide the FEI into other sub-phases in order to organize its activities, roles, and understand the function of each role. Despite the growing research about the FEI in recent years, there is a need for further research on the theme to better understand the dynamics and help to reduce the uncertainty in the critical concept phase. The formal processes designed for the front end are insufficient, the rules and roles are not fully described, and it is necessary to balance the interactions between the activities in the FEI to get a better-structured New Product Development - NPD - later. The main FEI models developed at the literature have discussed some key roles such marketing, engineering, customers, but they do not discussed the role of design, which is critical in creative activities which, in turn, are the nature of the new product development process. The literature also has not discussed the external integration in the FEI, that is, how the Brand Owners integrate the partners, especially the suppliers and design agencies, in this critical and uncertain phase. To tackle this issue, this research aims to examine the FEI in a dynamic industry, examining the integration of roles in an iterative process. The objective of this research is to identify the roles that play in the Front End of Innovation and the mechanisms of integration, whether internal through cross-functional teams; or external through interfirms integration. The main question that guided this research is \"What roles are involved in each FEI activity and what are the mechanism that integrate these roles in the FEI?\". This is qualitative and exploratory research, based on multiple-cases-studies. For this study, the packaging industry was selected because of its value chain in the concept phase, which has a complex set of relationships among its parties, Brand Owner, Design Agencies and Packaging Producers. The consumers buy the product by the performance of the same and also by the packaging. Packaging is considered a second product at the point of sale and a vital buying decision factor. Brand Owners understand that they need to integrate suppliers into the FEI to assist them in identifying opportunities, ideation, and conceptualization. Five brand owners were interviewed, and the FEI has been divided into five activities: Opportunity Identifications and Analysis, Idea Generation, Idea Enrichment, Idea Selection, and Concept Development. / O Front End de Inovação (FEI) é a fase inicial do processo de desenvolvimento de produtos, responsável pela geração de conceitos e um importante motor de sucesso na inovação. O FEI caracteriza-se pelo dinamismo, a ambiguidade e a incerteza dos papéis. Vários autores dividem o FEI em outras subfases, a fim de organizar suas atividades, papéis e compreender a função de cada função. Apesar da crescente pesquisa sobre o FEI nos últimos anos, há necessidade de novas pesquisas sobre o assunto para entender melhor a dinâmica e ajudar a reduzir a incerteza na fase conceitual crítica. Os processos formais projetados para o front-end são insuficientes, os papéis e as regras e não são totalmente descritos e é necessário equilibrar as interações entre as atividades no FEI para obter um melhor estruturado Desenvolvimento de Novos Produtos - NPD - depois. Os principais modelos de FEI desenvolvidos na literatura discutem alguns papéis fundamentais como marketing, engenharia, consumidores, mas não discutem o papel do design, crítico nas atividades criativas, que, por sua vez, são a natureza do processo de desenvolvimento de novos produtos. A literatura também não tem discutido a integração externa no FEI, ou seja, como os clientes integram os parceiros, especialmente os fornecedores e agências de design, nesta fase crítica e incerta. Para abordar esta questão, esta pesquisa visa examinar o FEI em uma indústria dinâmica, examinando a integração de papéis em um processo iterativo. O objetivo desta pesquisa é identificar os papéis que desempenham no Front End de Inovação e os mecanismos de integração, sejam eles internos através de equipes multifuncionais; ou externos através da integração entre firmas. A principal questão que guiou esta pesquisa é \"Quais papéis estão envolvidas em cada atividade do FEI e quais são os mecanismos que integram estes papéis no FEI?\" Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa e exploratória, baseada em estudos de casos múltiplos. Para este estudo, o setor de embalagens foi selecionado por sua cadeia de valor na fase conceitual, que possui um conjunto complexo de relacionamentos entre suas partes, as Indústrias de Bens de Consumo, as Agências de Design e os Produtores de Embalagens. Os consumidores compram o produto pela performance do mesmo e também pela embalagem. A embalagem é considerada um segundo produto no ponto de venda e um fator de decisão de compra vital. As Indústrias de Bens de Consumo entendem que precisam integrar fornecedores no FEI para ajudá-las a identificar oportunidades, ideação e conceituação. Foram entrevistados cinco Indústrias de Bens de Consumo e o FEI foi dividido em cinco atividades: Identificações e Análises de Oportunidades, Geração de Ideias, Enriquecimento de Ideias, Seleção de Ideias e Desenvolvimento de Conceitos.

<p>It is visible in the innovation literature the tendency to evolve the innovation process into a moreopen and flexible model where innovators of all types can interact freely. This fairly recentparadigm known as Open Innovation is a phenomenon with still a considerable amount of opengaps and challenges. Therefore the question of how integration is achieved between differenttypes of outside innovators remains unanswered. Many organizations, some in more extent thanothers, are already applying Open Innovation within networks; however there is still not a clearunderstanding or a formal theory that describes the mechanisms that can help integrate theinnovation activities with other actors. To address this challenge, we conducted an exploratorystudy in 7 different organizations representing two types of innovators (private firms andacademic institutions) and a nexus agency that acts as an integrator between them. The first partof the results consist of an extensive list of 27 integration mechanisms applicable in openinnovation projects later categorized in 5 new main categories for their practical study anddiscussion. More abstractly, as relationships between these integration mechanisms and interorganizationalnetworks have not been analyzed yet, we want to propose a framework that canprovide an initial notion of their role and interaction in Open Innovation Projects. Thisframework is valuable to consider the applicability of the proposed integration mechanismscategories in different OI settings and supports the understanding of how the harmonization ofOI efforts occurs with different types of innovators. Having a framework of this typeconsiderably extends the understanding of integration in the Open Innovation field and providesas well a guide for organizations to identify how to integrate open innovation efforts.</p>

It is visible in the innovation literature the tendency to evolve the innovation process into a moreopen and flexible model where innovators of all types can interact freely. This fairly recentparadigm known as Open Innovation is a phenomenon with still a considerable amount of opengaps and challenges. Therefore the question of how integration is achieved between differenttypes of outside innovators remains unanswered. Many organizations, some in more extent thanothers, are already applying Open Innovation within networks; however there is still not a clearunderstanding or a formal theory that describes the mechanisms that can help integrate theinnovation activities with other actors. To address this challenge, we conducted an exploratorystudy in 7 different organizations representing two types of innovators (private firms andacademic institutions) and a nexus agency that acts as an integrator between them. The first partof the results consist of an extensive list of 27 integration mechanisms applicable in openinnovation projects later categorized in 5 new main categories for their practical study anddiscussion. More abstractly, as relationships between these integration mechanisms and interorganizationalnetworks have not been analyzed yet, we want to propose a framework that canprovide an initial notion of their role and interaction in Open Innovation Projects. Thisframework is valuable to consider the applicability of the proposed integration mechanismscategories in different OI settings and supports the understanding of how the harmonization ofOI efforts occurs with different types of innovators. Having a framework of this typeconsiderably extends the understanding of integration in the Open Innovation field and providesas well a guide for organizations to identify how to integrate open innovation efforts.

Abstract   This study addresses the research gap on knowledge transfer on a team level, by examining the potential and realized Absorptive Capacity (ACAP) on the receiver's side and potential and realized Disseminative Capacity (DCAP) on the sender's side. The research question and purpose relate to how ACAP and DCAP can aid innovation development teams in reaching their goals and what role social integration mechanisms play in this process. We develop a theoretical framework in which we synthesize existing literature and through which we analyzed the empirical data.   We follow a qualitative method and employ a single case strategy that fits our empirical data and allows to gain an understanding of social dynamics underlying knowledge transfer. The data was collected through interviews in the R&amp;D department of Atlas Copco, a large Swedish multinational corporation that operates in the mining and tunneling industry. From our analysis we conclude that social integration mechanisms can be used in order to lower the gap between potential and realized capacities. This can in turn lead to a higher innovative output of teams.

The Front End of Innovation (FEI) is the early phase of the Product Development Process, responsible for the concept generation and an important driver of innovation success. The FEI is characterized by roles\' dynamism, ambiguity, and uncertainty. Several authors divide the FEI into other sub-phases in order to organize its activities, roles, and understand the function of each role. Despite the growing research about the FEI in recent years, there is a need for further research on the theme to better understand the dynamics and help to reduce the uncertainty in the critical concept phase. The formal processes designed for the front end are insufficient, the rules and roles are not fully described, and it is necessary to balance the interactions between the activities in the FEI to get a better-structured New Product Development - NPD - later. The main FEI models developed at the literature have discussed some key roles such marketing, engineering, customers, but they do not discussed the role of design, which is critical in creative activities which, in turn, are the nature of the new product development process. The literature also has not discussed the external integration in the FEI, that is, how the Brand Owners integrate the partners, especially the suppliers and design agencies, in this critical and uncertain phase. To tackle this issue, this research aims to examine the FEI in a dynamic industry, examining the integration of roles in an iterative process. The objective of this research is to identify the roles that play in the Front End of Innovation and the mechanisms of integration, whether internal through cross-functional teams; or external through interfirms integration. The main question that guided this research is \"What roles are involved in each FEI activity and what are the mechanism that integrate these roles in the FEI?\". This is qualitative and exploratory research, based on multiple-cases-studies. For this study, the packaging industry was selected because of its value chain in the concept phase, which has a complex set of relationships among its parties, Brand Owner, Design Agencies and Packaging Producers. The consumers buy the product by the performance of the same and also by the packaging. Packaging is considered a second product at the point of sale and a vital buying decision factor. Brand Owners understand that they need to integrate suppliers into the FEI to assist them in identifying opportunities, ideation, and conceptualization. Five brand owners were interviewed, and the FEI has been divided into five activities: Opportunity Identifications and Analysis, Idea Generation, Idea Enrichment, Idea Selection, and Concept Development. / O Front End de Inovação (FEI) é a fase inicial do processo de desenvolvimento de produtos, responsável pela geração de conceitos e um importante motor de sucesso na inovação. O FEI caracteriza-se pelo dinamismo, a ambiguidade e a incerteza dos papéis. Vários autores dividem o FEI em outras subfases, a fim de organizar suas atividades, papéis e compreender a função de cada função. Apesar da crescente pesquisa sobre o FEI nos últimos anos, há necessidade de novas pesquisas sobre o assunto para entender melhor a dinâmica e ajudar a reduzir a incerteza na fase conceitual crítica. Os processos formais projetados para o front-end são insuficientes, os papéis e as regras e não são totalmente descritos e é necessário equilibrar as interações entre as atividades no FEI para obter um melhor estruturado Desenvolvimento de Novos Produtos - NPD - depois. Os principais modelos de FEI desenvolvidos na literatura discutem alguns papéis fundamentais como marketing, engenharia, consumidores, mas não discutem o papel do design, crítico nas atividades criativas, que, por sua vez, são a natureza do processo de desenvolvimento de novos produtos. A literatura também não tem discutido a integração externa no FEI, ou seja, como os clientes integram os parceiros, especialmente os fornecedores e agências de design, nesta fase crítica e incerta. Para abordar esta questão, esta pesquisa visa examinar o FEI em uma indústria dinâmica, examinando a integração de papéis em um processo iterativo. O objetivo desta pesquisa é identificar os papéis que desempenham no Front End de Inovação e os mecanismos de integração, sejam eles internos através de equipes multifuncionais; ou externos através da integração entre firmas. A principal questão que guiou esta pesquisa é \"Quais papéis estão envolvidas em cada atividade do FEI e quais são os mecanismos que integram estes papéis no FEI?\" Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa e exploratória, baseada em estudos de casos múltiplos. Para este estudo, o setor de embalagens foi selecionado por sua cadeia de valor na fase conceitual, que possui um conjunto complexo de relacionamentos entre suas partes, as Indústrias de Bens de Consumo, as Agências de Design e os Produtores de Embalagens. Os consumidores compram o produto pela performance do mesmo e também pela embalagem. A embalagem é considerada um segundo produto no ponto de venda e um fator de decisão de compra vital. As Indústrias de Bens de Consumo entendem que precisam integrar fornecedores no FEI para ajudá-las a identificar oportunidades, ideação e conceituação. Foram entrevistados cinco Indústrias de Bens de Consumo e o FEI foi dividido em cinco atividades: Identificações e Análises de Oportunidades, Geração de Ideias, Enriquecimento de Ideias, Seleção de Ideias e Desenvolvimento de Conceitos.