Creative Hot Spots: A Network Analysis of German Michelin‐Starred Chefs

The Michelin Guide is a well‐respected source of information for the culinary consumer, and the stars awarded to the chefs by Michelin are powerful signs of culinary achievements. This study focuses on the career paths of Michelin‐starred chefs in Germany and aims at identifying the creative hot spots of the culinary domain. Through analysing the career trajectories of 262 chefs by means of social network analysis, it was found that the culinary network comprises a dense core, although some prolific chefs can be found at the periphery or even as isolates. Individual significance for the network – expressed as centrality – was found to be independent of the actor's star rating. Ties between chefs with different star ratings occur more often than between chefs with similar star ratings. The findings suggest that fewer ties are more beneficial for individual creative productivity and that knowledge transfers are more likely to happen between chefs with different levels of experience, skills and creative ability. Although creativity is still a personalized process, the acceptance and adaptation of the creative output is a social phenomenon, hence, this study underlined the suitability of social network analysis as a methodology for future studies of creative processes.     

Knowledge Systems and Global Advertising Services

This paper explores the contribution of global advertising services to the creation and dissemination of knowledge through an examination of their role in knowledge systems at a national and international level. The aim is not only to gain an understanding of global advertising services as bridges between national knowledge systems but also to examine how such services shape the institutions that constitute a knowledge system. In this way, an appreciation of the contribution of advertising services, and knowledge intensive services (KIBS) more generally, to the knowledge creation and distribution process will be developed.     

Intra‐organizational user‐centred design practices: The impact of design research departments at design consultancies

The user is a critical factor in design and innovation. Firms experiment with different approaches to involving the user in design processes, which results in new forms of intra‐ and extra‐organizational collaboration. The establishment of in‐house design research units within design consultancies is one such intra‐organizational user‐centred design practice that targets designer‐researcher collaboration. This paper addresses this issue and reports on the findings from multiple case study research exploring the impact of in‐house design research teams on designers' user knowledge construction. We utilized constructivist learning theory to assess major aspects of these intra‐organizational user‐centred design practices. Ethnographically informed field studies were conducted at six design consultancies representing three design fields (i.e., architecture, industrial design and interaction design) in the Northwestern United States. Three of the consultancies have design research departments and three do not. The findings indicate that in‐house design research units play a role in designers' user knowledge construction via their results, processes and human resources. Among these, the active participation of designers in the research process was observed to have the largest impact because of its contribution to designers' contextual and collaborative learning about users.     

Innovation as an Enhancer of Brand Personality: Globalization Experience of Titan Industries

Effective management of innovation involves creatively managing the process of creative destruction. For a product like a watch, capturing market share requires the careful enmeshing of brand reputation and innovation. Positioning itself uniquely through a comprehensive visioning exercise, Titan became a market leader. Titan Industries became the most admired brand in selling watches in forty countries. It is a leader in analog watches, designer clocks and branded jewelry. This paper analyzes the experience of interweaving brand reputation, organizational and technological innovation.     

The e-business capability of small and medium sized firms in international supply chains

The reality of trade is that it takes two or more parties to do business, and therefore the capabilities of both selling and buying firms are important. Where over 60% of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the USA and Canada have adopted some form of business process through a computer mediated network, such as the Internet, other countries have significantly lower adoption rates. In Asia and Latin America, where as many as 99% of all firms are classified as SMEs, low adoption rates may be an impediment to increased international trade. This paper takes a critical look at the existing research on adoption of e-business technology by SMEs internationally. In particular, we identify the gap in our knowledge about what makes SMEs in different countries capable of using the technology in their domestic and international supply chains. We present a typology of the business processes networked over computer-mediated processes from our preliminary empirical field research, interviewing 40 SMEs in Canada, Japan, China and Mexico. This is used to propose a model of international SME capability to guide future empirical research.     

The Development of Creative Capabilities in and out of Creative Organizations: Three Case Studies

This paper describes and analyses how creative organizations develop and use routines and processes to strengthen their creative capabilities. Using an exploratory framework based in resource‐based theory and creativity literature, it focuses on the role of the creative entrepreneur as a key component for organizations developing creative capabilities. The creative entrepreneur or agent builds collaboration, exploits knowledge and enhances relationships in and out of an organization. Drawing on three in‐depth case studies from different sectors (theatre, sports and software), the article expands the idea of creative capabilities to encompass routines and processes in organizations in industries generally not considered ‘creative’. Furthermore, it outlines how the creative entrepreneur is instrumental in developing and using the creative routines so that they form creative capabilities. Based on the analysis, the article discusses creative capabilities, collaboration in the process, and the creative entrepreneur’s role in developing and using them.     

Towards a More Realistic Creative Problem Solving Approach

This paper takes a closer look at the existing multi‐step diamond shaped models for creative problem solving (CPS). A case history of a real‐life technical problem in which CPS techniques were used is our source of inspiration for some new ideas about approaching CPS. We propose three concurrent processes: Content finding, Acceptance finding and Information finding. In concrete in‐company projects, these three processes need to be managed simultaneously, which leads to a fourth overarching process: project management. Content finding is concerned with the process the creative session members are going through based on people's own active knowledge and ideas and on sharing their mental models to get new ideas. Acceptance finding is concerned with the co‐creation of new and additional mental systems that are needed for bringing new ideas into good currency within the existing organization and goes beyond agreement on implementation plans. Information finding is concerned with gathering additional knowledge on the ideas that are not readily available during the session. Finally, Project management is concerned with organizing and leading the creative session and in the embedding of the project into the larger organization.     

Capitalizing on Careabouts to Facilitate Creativity

Low-level knowledge work is work that requires some, but not a great deal, of knowledge to perform. This work sustains the operations of all of our major businesses. As we transform to a knowledge society, it will become increasingly important that this work be performed creatively. Amabile’s well-researched framework for understanding creative action suggests that reward strategies will be successful if knowledge workers are intrinsically motivated, but low-level knowledge work more often than not attracts those who lack intrinsic motivation. As a result, the likelihood of creative action for this group of workers is low. How can “garden variety” creative action be facilitated when knowledge workers lack intrinsic motivation? I introduce the notion of “careabouts,” and suggest ways of linking personal careabouts to incorporate objectives. This linkage provides the hook that can hoist these low-level knowledge workers into creative knowledge work in the knowledge society.     

The Influence of Competitiveness on SMEs Internationalization Effectiveness. Online Versus Offline Business Networking

ABSTRACT

The article aims to analyze the importance of reinforcing the relational capital of the small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the context of a globalized market. It elaborates on the influences of competitiveness on online versus offline business networking with a view to achieve effectiveness in the European steel pipe SMEs internationalization process. The results indicate that internationalization effectiveness is indirectly influenced by competitiveness, with online and offline networking mediating the relationship between the two variables.     

概念产品设计的创造性思维与方法

概念产品设计创造性思维与方法运用设计实例从思维方式与设计方法两方面来讨论如何进行概念产品设计.思维的目的在于创造。思维方式就是如何进行创造的方式。思维方式决定了产品设计立意的高低,价值的大小.而科学的设计方法是从知识,技术层面将创造性的思维转化成可视。可触的物化的产品的过程。对于概念产品设计,思维方式与设计方法是辨证统一,相辅相成的。     

Organizational creativity‐innovation process and breakthrough under time constraints: Mid‐point transformation

Time, as a constraining resource, is an important factor in organizational creativity processes. Yet we know little about its role in influencing the creative‐innovative process. This paper uses a case study to integrate three process‐oriented theories concerning the importance of process mid‐points and breakthrough as time resources dissipate. The context we examine is the design process of an exhibition of industrial innovations at the Science Museum in Jerusalem. We argue that actors select a course of action at approximately the temporal mid‐point of a process and that this course of action is itself creative and leads to a breakthrough transformation. Two types of mid‐point creative breakthrough transformation are classified as recombining and pruning. We suggest a theoretical integration and further directions for research.     

Diffusion of knowledge in social media networks: effects of reputation mechanisms and distribution of knowledge roles

Social media platforms serve as important tools for diffusing knowledge within organizations. The factors affecting knowledge diffusion through social media networks (SMNs) need to therefore be better understood. Accordingly, this paper focuses on two SMN‐specific characteristics – reputation mechanisms and the distribution of knowledge roles – which are argued to enhance and enable, respectively, the smooth transfer of knowledge in a SMN. To examine their effects, we distinguish between two types of reputation mechanisms – adaptive and objective – and across three distinct knowledge roles in SMNs: seekers, contributors and brokers. We argue that the extent of knowledge diffusion in the SMN depends on the type of mechanism and the relative distribution of these three roles. Using data collected through an agent‐based simulation, we find that (a) the distribution of knowledge roles affects knowledge diffusion, with distributions consisted of more brokers outperforming others and (b) objective reputation mechanisms outperform adaptive mechanisms. Furthermore, we find that reputation mechanisms and distribution of knowledge roles interact to influence knowledge diffusion. The study's implications for future research and practice are discussed in the light of its limitations. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd     

The Antecedents of Creativity Revisited: A Process Perspective

This study invokes a process view on employee creativity to uncover how the different stages of the creative process are associated with different antecedents. Specifically, we explore the role of five previously identified antecedents of organizational creativity in the different phases of the creative process within organizations: (1) personality; (2) rewards; (3) the role of co‐workers; (4) leadership; and (5) organizational resources. In an analysis of 22 case studies we found that antecedents of creativity indeed have different roles in different stages of the creative process and that antecedents that are helpful in one stage of the creative process, can be detrimental for another stage. Such results highlight the importance of conceptualizing creativity as a process, rather than as an outcome variable.     

Collaborative Problem Solving Through Creativity in Problem Definition: Expanding the Pie

The classic models of two party problem solving in situations of potential conflict are reviewed and the growing impetus for a process that would encourage collaborative win‐win solutions is summarized. In is demonstrated that in‐win collaboration requires innovative thinking, and that a four stage process of deliberate creativity with a track record of success is described. The process, called Simplex, emphasizes ‘out of the box’ thinking in problem defining (before solving) as the key to making a perceived ‘fixed pie’ larger, moving beyond the shackles of zero‐sum, win‐lose, compromise thinking. If a problem can be conceptualized from a new angle in such a way that each party believes its resolution would provide a high level of satisfaction, then the parties will be more likely to work together collaboratively. This process uses four specific creative thinking skills. A case study is described in which the Simplex process was used in union management bargaining. In the case study, when the creative process was deliberately applied, success was achieved in building trust and developing expanded pies and new solutions. However, when the process was abandoned, the trust was lost, no creative solutions were developed, and a sub‐optimal lose‐lose situation resulted. A two‐dimensional diagnostic model which shows the relationship between skill level in the process and motivation to use it is provided. This model defines four modes of pure and mixed distributive and integrative bargaining.     

Innovation Culture,Collaboration with External Partners and NPD Performance

Researchers and managers have found that the use of external knowledge in the process of new product development (NPD) helps to sustain a firm's competitiveness by strengthening its innovative performance. However, little is known about why some firms use external knowledge sources for NPD in an extensive manner while others hardly ever use them. In addition, there is disagreement about which external partners significantly contribute to the innovative performance of a firm as valuable knowledge sources. Based on the resource‐based view (RBV) of the firm and Kitchell's innovation adoption model, this paper expects a firm's innovation culture to have a significant impact on its openness to external knowledge – measured in terms of its collaborative behaviour with five different external partners – and for that behaviour to influence the firm's NPD performance. A sample of 254 technology‐based firms across several industries is used to empirically test the research model with covariance‐based structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings deepen our understanding of the discrepancies between successful pioneering firms active in technology and knowledge sourcing and others being less successful.     

认知演化算法

受人类创造性思维过程的启发,借鉴认知心理学和创新计算的研究成果,提出了一种模拟人类基于创造性思维的问题求解过程和行为的智能算法--认知演化算法.该算法以知识为核心,将问题求解看成一个基于知识的创造性思维过程,对发散思维、收敛思维、记忆、执行、学习和价值体系6个关键模块进行了建模,充分发挥了知识演化和基于知识的创造性思维技巧在问题求解中的作用.通过数值实验分析了CEA各参数对算法性能的影响,并以一个扩展的路径优化问题将CEA与经典的智能算法进行了比较.实验结果表明,针对知识密集型优化问题,该算法能够以较少的目标评价次数得到问题的较优解.     

A SUPER‐AGENT‐BASED FRAMEWORK FOR REPUTATION MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY FORMATION IN DECENTRALIZED SYSTEMS

In this article, we propose a novel super‐agent‐based framework for reputation management and community formation in decentralized systems. We describe this framework in the context of Web service selection where agents with more capabilities act as super‐agents. These super‐agents serve as reputation managers to maintain reputation information of services and share the information with other consumer agents that have fewer capabilities than the super‐agents. In addition, super‐agents can maintain communities and build community‐based reputation for a service based on the opinions from all community members that have similar interests and judgement criteria as the super‐agents or the other community members. A practical reward mechanism is also introduced to create incentives for super‐agents to contribute their resources (to maintain reputation and form communities) and provide truthful reputation information. Experimental results obtained through simulation confirm that our approach achieves better effectiveness and scalability compared to the systems that do not use super‐agents and that do not form communities.     

AN INTEGRATED CLUSTERING‐BASED APPROACH TO FILTERING UNFAIR MULTI‐NOMINAL TESTIMONIES

Reputation systems have contributed much to the success of electronic marketplaces. However, the problem of unfair testimonies has to be addressed effectively to improve the robustness of reputation systems. Until now, most of the existing approaches focus only on reputation systems using binary testimonies, and thus have limited applicability and effectiveness. In this paper, We propose an i ntegrated CLU stering‐ B ased approach called iCLUB to filter unfair testimonies for reputation systems using multinominal testimonies, in an example application of multiagent‐based e‐commerce. It adopts clustering techniques and considers buyer agents’ local as well as global knowledge about seller agents. Experimental evaluation demonstrates the promising results of our approach in filtering various types of unfair testimonies, its robustness against collusion attacks, and better performance compared to competing models.