Title: Knowledge management with focus on the innovation process in collaborative networking companies

Authors: Martin Inganas, Fredrik Hacklin, Adrian Pluss, Christian Marxt

Addresses: ETH Zurich, Chair for Technology Management and Entrepreneurship, Kreuzplatz 5, Zurich 8032, Switzerland. ' ETH Zurich, Chair for Technology Management and Entrepreneurship, Kreuzplatz 5, Zurich 8032, Switzerland. ' Institute for Business Engineering, University of Applied Science Northwestern Switzerland, Steinackerstr. 5, Windisch 5210, Switzerland. ' ETH Zurich, Chair for Technology Management and Entrepreneurship, Kreuzplatz 5, Zurich 8032, Switzerland

Abstract: Knowledge lies at the very heart of innovation. A company|s ability to create, store and transfer knowledge about technologies, customer needs and the innovation process itself may well determine success in bringing new products or services to the market. Yet, little is known as to how companies treat these issues in practice. This paper presents the results of a research project assessing practices and challenges for innovation-oriented knowledge management within four global technology-based companies in Switzerland. Results are discussed from both company-internal and external network perspectives. For company-internal knowledge management, broad differences in terms of both practices and challenges were found between the companies – mainly because of different ways of implementing the innovation process and very different company cultures. Common issues included poor implementation of post-project reviews as well as a need for better integrating market and customer knowledge into all stages of the innovation process. For the external perspective, a more homogenous picture emerged where companies network with different partners throughout the innovation process and where knowledge creation and transfer were substantially greater for long-term partnerships.

Keywords: knowledge management; collaborative innovation; disruptive innovation; knowledge creation; knowledge transfer; collaborative networks; networking; technology based companies; Switzerland; organisational culture; innovation process; virtual organisations.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNVO.2006.010952

International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations, 2006 Vol.3 No.3, pp.283 - 298

Published online: 20 Sep 2006 *

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