After 100 years at an historically low level, inequality began to rise in the late 20th century, a trend which was especially marked in the English-speaking countries including New Zealand. Various explanations have been advanced, but internationally the most favoured theory is skill-biased technological change, driven by the new information and communication technologies. This thesis used income and wage data from the New Zealand Population Census and the New Zealand Income Survey to examine wage trends between 1991 and 2004. As in other developed countries wage dispersion was increasing in the 1990s, though it appears to have slowed since 2001, and the increased inequality is strongly correlated with workers' skills and qualifications. There is also a correlation between new technology and earnings inequality, but this appears to be attributable to the demand for skills in the industries which are changing fastest, rather than anything intrinsic to the new technology.

To date, the existing literature is very limited in its provision of links between knowledge management or intellectual capital with innovation. Existing studies have derived their innovation processes from large companies’ perspectives and have not considered the needs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Different types of innovation will require different resources and, therefore, will need to be managed differently. Little research has been aimed at identifying innovation processes from a knowledge-based perspective. Although a fascinating array of innovation research has been carried out in the context of R and D issues and economic factors, the knowledge/innovation gaps and the gaps of innovation perspectives between larger/smaller firms should be filled in to map a more comprehensive picture of the proposition. This research is aimed at bridging these gaps through the leveraging sources of innovation, both the internal and external supporting processes of innovation and the construction of the innovation supply chain. The study suggests that, due to the integrated innovation models and propositions, future researchers will be able to undertake an empirical study for more high-tech SMEs in a selected high-tech industry to obtain a generalised result for specific high-tech industries. Also, the integrated innovation models and propositions can be used to undertake case studies or empirical studies for the other SMEs. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The Theory of Disruptive Technologies put forward by Clayton Christensen in 1997 has attracted significant attention. This case study tests the hypothesis that the theory is generalisable to new situations. It uses datasource triangulation by using document, statistical and interview analyses (including investigator triangulation) to apply the Theory to Australian Digital Theses Program (ADT) and finds that the Program may indeed be a disruptive technology in relation to academic libraries, universities and to the publishing industry. However, it has greater potential to be disruptive in the latter, and to be a sustaining technology, as defined by the Theory, in relation to libraries and universities.

Doctor of Philosophy / Since the 1950s, economic growth has been one of the main topics of economic discipline. In this context, the sources of economic growth have been analysed by different economic theories. These theories can be decomposed into two groups, namely modern neoclassical theory and evolutionary economic theory. In the modern neoclassical economic theory, the technological progress is considered as the main determinant of the long-run economic growth. In this regard, the sources of economic growth differences among countries are analyzed by using various types of models. In the earliest studies, it is assumed that technological progress is exogenous (Solow-Swan model). Constant returns to scale and perfectly competitive market structure assumptions are the main characteristics of these studies. After the developments in the economic theory, technological progress has been taken into account in a different way by a new line of models, namely endogenous growth models. More specifically, technological progress is endogenously determined process in these models. Contrary to the previous models, increasing returns to scale, which stem from externality and the monopolistic market structure, play a significant role in endogenous growth models. We have reached to the conclusion that, although it suffers from some weaknesses, endogenous growth model proposes a more realistic explanation for the economic growth process. In the evolutionary economic theory, technological progress is also considered as the main determinant of economic growth. However, this theory deals with empirical issues by focusing on observed facts instead of constructing theoretical models, and provides both guidance and interpretation regarding technological progress. In this theory, variables and relationships that are considered have many practical implications. In that respect, its structure is very much realistic and it avoids certain logical gaps and inconsistencies. One of the aims of this thesis is to examine developments in economic theory by focusing on technological progress. For this purpose, we compare formal and evolutionary theories. Our theoretical review reveals that both the endogenous growth models in the tradition of modern neoclassical theory, and the important insights of the evolutionary economic theory help to analyze technological progress and/or economic growth. Furthermore, this thesis aims to measure technological progress. The measurement of technological progress is vital for the nations’ development strategies and the firms’ innovation policies. In this regard, we use patent statistics as a proxy of technological progress. The empirical parts of the thesis involve a number of applications of endogenous growth theory by taking into account the propositions of modern neoclassical economic theory. In this regard, the growth rate differences across countries are examined by using the frameworks of both the modern neoclassical and evolutionary theories. The results show that both theories have reasonable power to explain why growth rate differs across countries. In addition, we conclude that patenting activities rather than R&D activities more suitably represent innovative activities. Moreover, this thesis empirically tests the knowledge generation process in the framework of endogenous growth approach. We employ the knowledge production approach for this purpose. It is found that both domestic and international stocks of knowledge as measured by granted patent statistics, R&D activities, human capital and openness measures are significant factors in explaining productivity growth. Furthermore, product variety and quality improvement dimensions of technological progress are empirically analyzed by using patent statistics. It is found that both dimensions of technological progress significantly affect creation of new technologies. Finally, the findings indicate that technological capability of Turkey is far away from other developed countries covered by this study.

This multi-method study investigated the relationship between the dimensions of organizational learning, organizational innovation and organizational climate in the Australian Hotel Industry. The hotel industry was chosen as it is highly labour intensive and serves as a suitable environment to test the three dependent variables that are closely employee related. Data was collected from a total population sample of 800 respondents, employed in 50 hotels, which included 45 from a large International Brewery Group located in Melbourne and 5 independent hotels. The response rate was 75%. Organizational learning was measured using, the 34-item Organizational Learning Profile (OLP) scale (Pace et al, 1997) containing the four dimensions of OL (Achievement Mindset, Learning Practices, Information Sharing Patterns, and Inquiry Climate) was used. Organizational Innovation was measured using the 24- item Workplace Innovation Scale (WIS) (McMurray and Dorai, 2002) containing the four dimensions of Innovation (Organizational Innovation, Innovation Climate, Team Innovation and Individual Innovation). Organizational Climate (OC) was measured using the 40 item Koys and DeCotiis (1996) scale containing the eight dimensions of support, autonomy, pressure, cohesion, recognition, fairness, innovation and trust. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS (v.10) and qualitative data was analyzed using theme-category analysis. This study contributes to the management literature and extends the existing knowledge on learning, innovation and climate. Specifically the results show that the dimensions of organizational learning, innovation and climate are predictors of one another and it establishes a significant relationship between the dimensions of learning, innovation and climate. Furthermore, this study found that Workplace Survey is a valid and reliable scale to measure learning, innovation and climate. The recommendations made in this study will help management understand the importance of learning and innovation in the workplace. In turn, this will improve the organizational climate by facilitating learning and innovation among hotel employees.

This thesis analyses the material and ideological dimensions of the knowledge economy with particular reference to New Zealand. The emergence of the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the context of transnational capitalism precipitates the co modification of information, communication and knowledge. This process is obscured by the ideological construction of techno-futurism. Techno-futurism is a combination of technological determinism and futurism that appropriates notions of progress. In the pages which follow, historical analyses of this ideology inform the subsequent critique of knowledge economy discourse. In New Zealand knowledge economy discourse contained techno-futurist elements and deflected attention from the global absorption of national capitalism. In this context the Catching the Knowledge Wave Conference (KWC), held in Auckland in the first days of August 2001, is examined. I argue that the instigators and organisers of the conference were enmeshed within the business culture of finance capital and ICTs. Textual analysis of keynote addresses reveals the ideological dimensions to knowledge wave and knowledge economy talk. These dimensions are; entrepreneurialism, knowledge as (economic) progress, and globalism.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan Technological University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. School of Technology, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 89-91).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan Technological University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--Michigan Technological University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the World Wide Web.