Network centrality,knowledge searching and creativity: The role of domain

This study aims to determine the role of knowledge searching on creativity in the fields of science research and technology development. Creativity is a process of knowledge combination, thus internal and external knowledge searching is important for creativity in both fields, particularly in the open innovation age. However, the nature of the work across these fields is different. While science research aims to solve theoretical problems and generate new knowledge, technology development aims to apply new knowledge to solve practical problems. Compared to science research, technology development has clear task goals, which make it easier to identify the related external knowledge and integrate this knowledge and in turn improve employee creativity. Thus, employees' attention to external knowledge as well as the influence of external knowledge on creativity might be different in the two fields. Results based on an empirical study of 211 employees from science research and 257 employees from technology development showed that external knowledge searching increased employee creativity in the field of technology development but not in science research. Furthermore, employees' centrality in the intra‐team problem‐solving network moderated the relationship between external knowledge searching and creativity in the science research field. Suggestions about employee creativity management in science and technology fields are discussed.     

Diversified Knowledge,R&D Team Centrality and Radical Creativity

The impact of team knowledge network structure on team creativity has seldom been explored. To address this gap, we argue that research and development (R&D) teams' radical creativity is not only associated with the source of diversified knowledge (insiders of the team, outsiders of the team and internet professional forums), but also with team knowledge network centrality. Data from 32 R&D teams in seven research institutions support our contention that diversified knowledge from all three sources positively affects team radical creativity. In addition, the betweenness centrality of R&D team knowledge networks moderates the relationship between two sources of diversified knowledge (insiders of the team and outsiders of the team) and team radical creativity.     

Employee Creativity and R&D: A Critical Review

Employee creativity is one of the most important components to measure a company's human capital, particularly in knowledge‐intensive companies. However, the complexity of the conception of creativity means that the measurement of employee creativity has become difficult. Reflecting discussions and contributions on Creativity in R&D as presented at the 2006 R&D Management Conference held in Taiwan, this short thematic paper reviews four different and critical approaches to creativity, namely the evolutionary approach, the cross‐disciplinary science approach, the social system approach and the social network approach. This paper concludes that the four approaches provide complementary contributions in understanding the measurement of creativity in an R&D context, but that the interaction of the socio‐cultural context with employee creativity needs to be taken into account.     

Modeling and analysis of project team formation factors in a project-oriented virtual organization (ProVO)

In this era of rapid changes in the project-oriented R&D organization’s environment, some are actively pursuing joint research to gain a leading edge over other R&D organizations. The condition for joint research is the knowledge that an organization needs from other organizations and the capability of collaboration. This study presents a ProVO model using the concept of virtual organization and project team formation based on knowledge and collaboration. In this model, VO is represented by the capability of carrying out a project and the cost of employment. Capability consists of knowledge competence (KC) and collaboration competence (CC). KC, in turn, consists of individual knowledge and collective knowledge from social network, while CC consists of density, degree centrality, and closeness centrality. To verify the presented model, we conducted a case study on a research institute. The analysis results show that all five project team formation factors of KC and CC are statistically significant. A prototype was also developed for selecting project team members using the binary logistics regression model. The proposed ProVO model can assist quantitative decision making on the selection of project team members by a project-oriented R&D organization from the aspects of knowledge and collaboration.     

Effects of task complexity on individual creativity through knowledge interaction: A comparison of temporary and permanent teams

Using the interactionist’s perspective of creativity, this paper proposes a new research model of creativity manifestation to explore how factors affecting individual creativity depend on team characteristics. We investigated the antecedents of creativity in the literature—task complexity, team member exchange, and knowledge sharing—and then examined the relationships and differences between temporary and permanent teams. To maximize practical implications, we studied two team types like project task force (PTF) and research and development (R&D) teams in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry in Korea, where strong creativity is required for team performance. PTF teams operate with a clear mission to be completed on a deadline, while R&D teams create scientific enhancements for existing products. The proposed structural model was tested empirically with cross-sectional data from 289 professionals from the two team types. Results indicated that, in the case of PTF teams, task complexity had an indirect relationship with individual complexity through knowledge interaction among team members, while for R&D teams, task complexity was directly associated with individual creativity, and indirectly associated with the creativity through team member exchange. Thus, team characteristics must be considered together with task complexity and knowledge interactions in order to achieve team goals more effectively by maximizing each member’s creativity.     

An empirical investigation on organizational innovation and individual creativity

Innovation is one of the critical success factors for organizations. It is essential for business to understand the driving forces of innovation. This study investigates the impact of the following three factors on innovation: employee relationship, knowledge sharing, and IT application maturity. 167 samples of firm level data were collected to construct the measurements of innovation, intensity of employee relationship, employee diversity, quality of knowledge sharing, and IT application maturity. It is found that all of these factors have significant impacts on innovation. We further extend the investigation to individual creativity as a corresponding concept to organizational innovation. An employee social network was constructed at a size of 149 nodes. It is shown that the centrality of each employee in the social network has significant positive impact on individual creativity. With these results from investigating organizational innovation and individual creativity, this study empirically illustrates the importance of enhancing employee relationship, knowledge sharing, and IT application maturity.     

Structural effects of R&D collaboration network on knowledge diffusion performance

With the advent of knowledge-based economy, the process and structure of knowledge diffusion mechanism in R&D collaboration networks have become more complex and dynamic. However, regardless of the complexity and importance of these R&D collaboration networks, previous empirical analyses have focused mainly on statics, which cannot be a sufficient basis to thoroughly explore knowledge diffusion in the R&D collaboration network. Furthermore, there has been little research done on the relationship between knowledge diffusion and the structure of an R&D collaboration network. Hence, this paper modeled knowledge diffusion based on social network analysis. It also investigated the impact of network structure on the performance of knowledge diffusion, focusing on average knowledge stock and knowledge variance. The results confirm that the small-world network is the most efficient and equitable structure toward effective knowledge diffusion.     

Dialogue‐Based Evaluation as a Creative Climate Indicator: Evidence from the Pharmaceutical Industry

This paper examines how different forms of performance evaluation relate to aspects of the creative climate in a major pharmaceutical company. The study was based on a large employee‐attitude survey that was distributed to all company employees. The study analyses survey results from 5,333 employees at five R&D sites. The results indicate that management's evaluation of employees (either dialogue‐based or control‐based) relates to the type of motivation (intrinsic or extrinsic) that drives employees, to their style of thinking (value‐focused thinking) and on their attitudes to organizational creativity. The paper then discusses implications of these findings for HRM.     

Finding research trend of convergence technology based on Korean R&D network

Traditionally, collaboration network or citation network is used to answer the old question how scientists or engineers interact with each other. This paper introduces a R&D network to make up the missing aspect of the traditional approaches about using multi-sources and to find out the trend of convergence technology R&D in Korea. We collect data about human resources and national R&D projects from Korean national R&D databases, and then construct a weighted network between experts by using meta-data mapping and the network folding technique. And we apply Newman’s grouping algorithm that is generalized to a weighted network for detecting the community structure of the network. Gathering data from multi-sources is useful to reveal the structure of network rather than to use only one database. Lastly, we perform a network analysis to examine important experts. The result shows significant information about research trend and core experts in Korea. We expect this study will be helpful in three ways: (1) how to make a network from heterogeneous multi-sources, (2) how to figure out the current situation of convergence technology R&D, (3) how to discover who are important people in Korean convergence technology R&D network. And this paper is just a cornerstone of the work to investigate the current situation of national R&D projects in Korea.     

How Should the Chinese Government Invest R&D Funds: Enterprises or Institutions?

With the rapid increase of the government R&D investment in China, the efficient optimization of the R&D investment areas of the Chinese government significantly influences regional innovation productivity and economic growth in the long run. By expanding the R&D-based growth model and using empirical analysis, this paper discusses the optimal combination for the government to coordinate its R&D expenditure as productive public investment in various sectors, under the condition of promoting long-term economic growth, is discussed by considering the aspects of capability for independent innovation, the development capability for basic knowledge, and the absorption capability for the technique. Results are as follows. (1) The level of production efficiency of enterprises, such as the capability for independent innovation, the development capability for basic knowledge, and absorption capability, influences the inclination of the government to invest in enterprises and institutions. When an enterprise has a high production efficiency level, technological level A, and knowledge storage B, increased investment from institutions to the enterprise can significantly promote regional economy growth. Otherwise, the government should increase R&D investment in institutions. (2) The government R&D investment in institutions can indirectly promote economic growth through the promotion of human capital and the understanding and absorption capacity of external knowledge, independent innovation capability, and basic knowledge development capability of enterprises. This paper may help the government to create appropriate policies with higher efficiency in R&D investment, and promote technical progress and economic growth in China.     

How Team Identification and Expertise Identification Affect R&D Employees' Creativity

The relationship between team identification and expertise identification in the R&D context and the mechanism by which these variables influence R&D creativity is not yet clear. We present and empirically test a theoretical framework proposing that knowledge sharing mediates the relationship between identification and creativity in R&D teams. Based on 120 paired‐sample survey data of 30 R&D teams, we show that knowledge sharing mediates the relationship between team identification (but not expertise identification) and R&D team members' creativity. Contributions to the literature and the practice of innovation and R&D management, knowledge and creativity management, and team management are discussed.     

Employee Goal Orientation,Work Unit Goal Orientation and Employee Creativity

For employee creativity to occur, organizations must build a context conducive to creativity, in addition to identifying employees with creative potential. Complementing and extending earlier research, we develop and test a cross‐level model about how work unit goal orientation might relate to employee creativity. We also theorize and examine the mediating role of employee information elaboration linking work unit goal orientation and employee creativity. We conduct a questionnaire survey based on multi‐source data from 340 employees comprising 53 teams in eight Taiwanese organizations. The results indicate that the work unit goal orientation is positively, whereas the work unit performance‐avoidance orientation is negatively, related to employee creativity through employee information elaboration. Furthermore, work unit goal orientation also plays a cross‐level moderating role: the positive relationship between individual‐level learning orientation and information elaboration is stronger when work unit learning orientation is higher, but weaker when work unit avoidance orientation is higher.     

Knowledge-sharing motivations affecting R&D employees' acceptance of electronic knowledge repository

Why would R&D employees be willing to use an electronic knowledge repository (EKR) for knowledge-sharing? This study integrates a technology acceptance model (TAM) to investigate the influence of extrinsic and intrinsic motivations on R&D employees' acceptance of an EKR for knowledge-sharing. Empirical data were collected through a survey, which gathered data from 225 employees working in 10 organisations in Taiwan. The results indicated that (1) reputation and reciprocity were found to be two important antecedents to perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use; (2) altruism was also found to be an important antecedent to perceived ease of use; (3) reputation was the most influential factor of perceived usefulness, and another influential factor of perceived usefulness was reciprocity. Three knowledge-sharing motivations that significantly affect the perceived ease of use were listed as reciprocity, altruism, and reputation, according to the relative importance; (4) altruism plays an important role in explaining the EKR usage intentions for knowledge-sharing both directly and indirectly; and (5) the results were consistent with the propositions of TAM. This study contributes theoretically and empirically to the body of EKR usage research and also has practical implications.     

The role of R&D and corporate governance in Korea: IT firms versus non-IT firms

Recent economic development in Korea was mostly driven by companies in the IT sector. Also, it is widely argued that R&D investment has a positive impact on firm value, especially for IT firms. In this paper, we analyze how R&D investment has contributed to the growth of Korea’s economy by examining the effect of R&D investment on firms’ market value, measured as Tobin’s Q, and investigate whether this effect is different between firms in the IT sector and firms in the non-IT sector. We also account for the effect of another major change experienced by Korean firms: changes in corporate governance structure. We find that for firms in the IT industry, higher R&D investment coupled with high foreign ownership results in higher firm valuation.     

Quantifying worker interactions and characterizing worker performance through ubiquitous IoT

Cloud technologies and artificial intelligence are transforming call centers into intelligent relationship hubs. Such transformation requires call-center employees to be strategically connected based on the distribution of expertise. However, today’s organizations lack a real-time method to agilely and pervasively map knowledge-distribution and optimize information flow. We present a pilot study showing that the interactions captured by Zigbee and infrared (IR) Internet of things (IoT) sensors on sociometric badges (a business-card-sized printed circuit board) worn by 36 employees in a call center can be used to characterize interactions and their impact on employee performance. Specifically, we quantify an employee’s centrality, weak ties, and strong ties from sensor network data and analyze the effects on average task-processing time. Further analysis reveals insights into interactions among workers that were previously limited by coarse qualitative data in survey studies. This study points to the potential of a “living lab” approach for investigating the effects of employee interactions and behaviors on their performance quantitatively in the real word using ubiquitous IoT.     

Knowledge kanban system for virtual research and development

Virtual research and development (R&D) is inevitable to reduce the product life cycle. Enterprises tend to rely on their foreign partners for supporting technology and knowledge acquisition to conduct and improve firms’ product development with low R&D risk. R&D is a highly creative and knowledge-intensive activity, Therefore, efficient knowledge flow, which transmits the right knowledge to the right people at the right time, is key to improving efficiency of the R&D process.     

Dynamic R&D with strategic behavior

We consider a two-player infinite-horizon discrete-time game where the players invest in R&D in order to develop a new technology to reduce production costs. We compute firms’ equilibrium R&D investment strategy as a function of the level of knowledge in the economy. The latter changes endogenously with firms’ decisions to invest in R&D. We show that firms do not invest in R&D if the knowledge level is too low, while both firms do R&D when the level of knowledge is high. However, there is an intermediate knowledge region where there are two pure Nash equilibria: either no firm does R&D or both firms do R&D. Multiplicity of equilibria leads generally to a challenging selection problem. In our context, it is shown that the case of both firms investing in R&D can be Pareto-dominating for both players. It follows that government actions which allow an economy to increase the level of knowledge above a threshold may be welfare enhancing.     

A team formation model based on knowledge and collaboration

Appointing a good leader to the position of team manager and having competent workers collaborate as team members is a key to success in business activities of an enterprising institution. The traditional methodologies of human resource management have defined the required abilities for team managers and team members, and evaluated those abilities of employees. However, it is difficult to consider those abilities systematically in practice. In addition, the current management paradigm undergoes rapid transitions into knowledge management. In step with these trends, this study presents a framework for analyzing the knowledge of the candidates for managers and team members for the new team, and proposes a genetic algorithm and social network measures for choosing a team manager and team members. A prototype was built for testing the feasibility of the model. The testing data are from an R&D institute’s human resource management department. The results show that our proposed approach is a quantitative and systematic method for selecting proper personnel for appropriate teams.     

Innovation systems in Malaysia: a perspective of university—industry R&D collaboration

Collaborative research and development (R&D) activities between public universities and industry are of importance for the sustainable development of the innovation ecosystem. However, policymakers especially in developing countries show little knowledge on the issues. In this paper, we analyse the level of university–industry collaboration in Malaysia. We further examine the fundamental conditions that hinder university–industry collaboration despite the government’s initiatives to improve such linkages. We show that the low collaboration  is a result of an R&D gap between the entities. While the universities engage in basic and fundamental R&D, the private sectors involved in incremental innovation that requires less R&D investments. The different nature of the industries’ R&D requires closer cooperation between firms namely buyers, suppliers and technical service providers and not the universities. Among others, the lack of an intermediary role, absorptive capacity and collaborative initiative by the industry also contribute to the problem. The study suggests that the collaborative activities can benefit both if deliberate and effective efforts on reducing the R&D mismatch are made between the universities and industry. Likewise, proper institutional arrangements in coordinating these activities are required. This result seems to reflect the nature of many developing countries’ national innovation systems, and therefore, lessons from Malaysia may serve as a good case study.     

Module production, centrality, and M&A in the keiretsu of Mazda

Relationship analysis is one of the most interesting issues in interorganizational management. The relationships between an auto maker and parts suppliers in the keiretsu of Japan, as one special case, have recently been greatly changed due to the diffusion of module production. Parts suppliers are required to develop their capacity for research and development (R&D) and parts integration to cope with the new situation. Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are carried out by these parts makers. In order to measure the transactional relationship between centrality and module production, we reviewed the literature of module production and interorganizational research from the viewpoint of networks, and measured the eigenvector, one of the centrality indices, of the transaction network in the keiretsu of Mazda using the two fiscal years of 1995 and 2005. We analyzed the changes in interorganizational relationships between the years 1995 and 2005, and identified the relationship between centrality and the module system. Furthermore, we discussed the implications of our new findings about the transaction network in Mazda.