Protecting strategic knowledge : Insights from collaborative agreements in the aerospace sector
- Authors: Jordan, Judith , Lowe, Julian
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Technology Analysis and Strategic Management Vol. 16, no. 2 (2004), p. 241-259
- Full Text: false
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- Description: This paper explores the dilemma that firms face with respect to knowledge sharing in strategic alliances. On the one hand, alliance success is associated with high levels of interaction and co-operation between partners. On the other hand, full and open co-operation exposes a firm's distinctive knowledge and skills and makes it vulnerable to opportunistic moves by alliance partners. Hence firms experience a fundamental paradox: to gain the greatest benefits they must exchange information and knowledge with external parties yet, at the same time, they must protect themselves against knowledge appropriation. This dilemma is particularly acute in the aerospace sector where political imperatives strongly influence partner choice and collaborators are often strong rivals in other contexts. In this paper we use data drawn from four collaborative agreements in the aerospace sector to explore the ways in which a focal firm has sought to protect its strategic knowledge and manage knowledge flows in alliance relationships. We find that existing theoretical lenses provide valuable but partial insights into the question of knowledge appropriation in alliances and offer limited guidance to managers charged with making alliances work. We suggest that some rich insights can be gained by focusing on the overlaps and interstices between existing theories and that greater exploration of the everyday working practices in alliances may offer a useful starting point for improved theorising. © 2004 Taylor & Francis Ltd.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003000793
The influence of national and organizational culture on absorptive capacity of Chinese companies
- Authors: Tian, Feng , Lowe, Julian
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: The international journal of knowledge, culture & change management Vol. 7, no. 10 (2007), p. 1-8
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- Reviewed:
- Description: The paper reports on a research study of knowledge acquisition by Chinese firms involved in collaborative ventures with foreign enterprises. The study uses 152 Chinese businesses and examines how absorptive capacity (ACAP), as conceptualized by Cohen and Leventahl (1990) and modified by Zahra and George (2002), and national and organizational culture differences, affect the transfer of knowledge between Chinese firms and their international partners. The study uses a multivariate modeling approach to examine the impact of a number of factors on successful knowledge transfer. It finds that ACAP has a significant effect on successful knowledge transfer but that the relationship is significantly modified by cultural differences and inter-firm communications. Culture per se does not influence knowledge transfer directly but does so through its impact on communications channels and institutions. Knowledge management practices and organization are also able to impact successful knowledge transfer.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003005181