Knowledge Management and Innovation

This book discusses management and engineering innovation with a particular emphasis on human resource management (HRM) and production engineering. In an innovation context, the disciplines of management and engineering are linked to promote sustainable development, seeking cultural and geographical diversity in the studies of HRM and engineering, applications that can have a particular impact on organizational communications, change processes and work practices. This connection reflects the diversity of societal and infrastructural conditions. The authors mainly analyze research on important issues that transcend the boundaries of individual academic subjects and managerial functions. They take into account interdisciplinary scholarship and commentaries that challenge the paradigms and assumptions of individual disciplines or functions, which are based on conceptual and/or empirical literature. The book is designed to increase the knowledge and effectiveness of all those involved in management and engineering innovation whether in the profit or not-for-profit sectors, or in the public or private sectors. Contents 1. We the Engineers and Them the Managers, Teresa Carla Oliveira and Joao Fontes Da Costa. 2. Strategic Capabilities for Successful Engagement in Proactive CSR in Small and Medium Enterprises: A Resource-Based View Approach, Nuttaneeya (Ann) Torugsa and Wayne O’Donohue. 3. Innovative Management Development in the Automotive Supply Industry – A Preliminary Case Study for the Development of an Innovative Approach to Innovation Management, Frank E.P. Dievernich and Kim Oliver Tokarski. 4. Innovative Product Design and Development through Online Customization, M. Reza Abdi and Vipin Khanna. 5. Struggling for Survival and Success: Can Brazil’s Defense Industry Help Foster Innovation?, Alex L?bo Carlos and Regina Maria de Oliveira Leite. 6. Knowledge Management Fostering Innovation: Balancing Practices and Enabling Contexts, Maria Joao Santos and Raky Wane. 7. Institutional Logics Promoting and Inhibiting Innovation, Teresa Carla Trigo Oliveira and Stuart Holland. 8. HRM in SMEs in Portugal: An Innovative Proposal of Characterization, Pedro Ribeiro Novo Melo and Carolina Machado. About the Authors Carolina Machado has been teaching Human Resource Management since 1989 at the School of Economics and Management, University of Minho, Portugal, becoming Associate Professor in 2004. Her research interests include the fields of Human Resource Management, International Human Resource Management, Training and Development, Management Change and Knowledge Management. J. Paulo Davim is Aggregate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. He has more than 25 years of teaching and research experience in production and mechanical engineering.

In present days more and more academics and practitioners are seeking to understand how organizations manage their knowledge and intellectual capital in order to obtain more effective competitive advantages. Taking into account these issues, and in order to answer the concerns expressed by these professionals, this book looks to help them to understand and implement in their organizations effective transfer and management of knowledge strategies. It looks for ways to understand and perceive how organizational HR, individually and as a team, conceptualize, invent, adapt, define and use this knowledge and intellectual capital. The book has a special interest in research on important issues that transcend the boundaries of single academic subjects and managerial functions. In a modern world, characterized by high levels of competition and complexity, only those organizations which can manage, efficiently, all their assets can survive. Among these the management of knowledge and intellectual assets is a recent and challenging process. Only with human talent organizations can survive. Conscious of these priorities, this book is of great relevance as it looks for ways to understand and perceive how organizational HR, individually and as a team, conceptualize, invent, adapt, define, transfer and use knowledge and intellectual capital. It is, also, very important and with positive implications to practitioners and academics, as it will contribute to a more effective advance and tool of communication in what concerns the understanding of key issues related to the knowledge management and intellectual capital in competitive organizations management all over the world.

Exciting new developments in risk assessment and management Risk assessment and management is fundamentally founded on the knowledge available on the system or process under consideration. While this may be self-evident to the laymen, thought leaders within the risk community have come to recognize and emphasize the need to explicitly incorporate knowledge (K) in a systematic, rigorous, and transparent framework for describing and modeling risk. Featuring contributions by an international team of researchers and respected practitioners in the field, this book explores the latest developments in the ongoing effort to use risk assessment as a means for characterizing knowledge and/or lack of knowledge about a system or process of interest. By offering a fresh perspective on risk assessment and management, the book represents a significant contribution to the development of a sturdier foundation for the practice of risk assessment and for risk-informed decision making. How should K be described and evaluated in risk assessment? How can it be reflected and taken into account in formulating risk management strategies? With the help of numerous case studies and real-world examples, this book answers these and other critical questions at the heart of modern risk assessment, while identifying many practical challenges associated with this explicit framework. This book, written by international scholars and leaders in the field, and edited to make coverage both conceptually advanced and highly accessible: Offers a systematic, rigorous and transparent perspective and framework on risk assessment and management, explicitly strengthening the links between knowledge and risk Clearly and concisely introduces the key risk concepts at the foundation of risk assessment and management Features numerous cases and real-world examples, many of which focused on various engineering applications across an array of industries Knowledge of Risk Assessment and Management is a must-read for risk assessment and management professionals, as well as graduate students, researchers and educators in the field. It is also of interest to policy makers and business people who are eager to gain a better understanding of the foundations and boundaries of risk assessment, and how its outcomes should be used for decision-making.

In today’s business environment, as organizations constantly seek to growth and develop through the optimization of their innovative and creative potential, understanding the critical issues and management practices in R & D is essential. This book provides a critical revaluation of the state of the art issues and concepts in R&D management. The views expressed are those of leading French researchers and professionals in this field, fed by empirical studies in national and international firms.

The book not only gives a clear picture of the policy and strategic framework of PFI/PPP projects, the governance and knowledge management issues through different phases from planning, design development to operation and service delivery and the processes associated with each phase, but practical tools, methodologies and capabilities needed to deliver PFI/PPP projects in a range of sectors are also explained. It clearly demonstrates the key imperatives that are the hallmark of successful programmes and projects no matter what there method of funding or delivery. I have no doubt that, in undertaking the programmes and projects that I am responsible for delivering and in undertaking OGC Gateway Reviews, to support clients delivering their own programmes and projects, I will draw on the material contained in this book. —From the Foreword by Rob Smith, Director of Gateway Reviews and Estates & Facilities, Department of Health There is a growing demand worldwide for transport, healthcare, education, energy and water infrastructure. However, government resources are often insufficient to meet the needs of new projects and to upgrade existing infrastructure. Private participation in public infrastructure is therefore increasing but the respective roles of the public and private sectors are the subject of intense debate. This has led to renewed interest in public-private partnerships in developed and developing countries. Governance and Knowledge Management for Public-Private Partnerships shows how effective governance and knowledge management can improve the performance of PFI/PPP projects. It provides an in-depth understanding of different dimensions of governance and how they affect project management structure, processes, and decision-making ability of actors and teams involved in PFI/PPP projects. The role of knowledge management strategy, the need for benchmarking knowledge management efforts, specific tools and methodologies for capturing, sharing and applying knowledge to accelerate learning and capacity building are also examined. The book is essential reading for all those involved in PFI/PPP projects, including policy makers, industry practitioners, academics and students. The practical tools for governance and knowledge management it offers make this book particularly useful for consultants, contractors and client organisations.

Innovation, in economic activity, in managerial concepts and in engineering design, results from creative activities, entrepreneurial strategies and the business climate. Innovation leads to technological, organizational and commercial changes, due to the relationships between enterprises, public institutions and civil society organizations. These innovation networks create new knowledge and contribute to the dissemination of new socio-economic and technological models, through new production and marketing methods.

Innovation Economics, Engineering and Management Handbook 1 is the first of the two volumes that comprise this book. The main objectives across both volumes are to study the innovation processes in today's information and knowledge society; to analyze how links between research and business have intensified; and to discuss the methods by which innovation emerges and is managed by firms, not only from a local perspective but also a global one.

The studies presented in these two volumes contribute toward an understanding of the systemic nature of innovations and enable reflection on their potential applications, in order to think about the meaning of growth and prosperity.

Innovation, in economic activity, in managerial concepts and in engineering design, results from creative activities, entrepreneurial strategies and the business climate. Innovation leads to technological, organizational and commercial changes, due to the relationships between enterprises, public institutions and civil society organizations. These innovation networks create new knowledge and contribute to the dissemination of new socio-economic and technological models, through new production and marketing methods. Innovation Economics, Engineering and Management Handbook 2 is the second of the two volumes that comprise this book. The main objectives across both volumes are to study the innovation processes in today's information and knowledge society; to analyze how links between research and business have intensified; and to discuss the methods by which innovation emerges and is managed by firms, not only from a local perspective but also a global one. The studies presented in these two volumes contribute toward an understanding of the systemic nature of innovations and enable reflection on their potential applications, in order to think about the meaning of growth and prosperity

This timely handbook represents the latest thinking in the field of technology and innovation management, with an up-to-date overview of the key developments in the field. Under the separate but related headings of market environment; business models; innovation processes; and organizational design; leading scholars contribute essays that chart the important debates and emergent issues in the field of technology and innovation management.

A key problem facing the construction industry is that all work is done by transient project teams, and in the past there has been no structured approach to learning from projects once they are completed. Now, though, the industry is adapting concepts of knowledge management to improve the situation. This book brings together 13 contributors from research and industry to show how managing construction knowledge can bring real benefits to organisations and projects. It covers a wide range of issues, from basic definitions and fundamental concepts, to the role of information technology, and engendering a knowledge sharing culture. Practical examples from construction and other industry sectors are used throughout to illustrate the various dimensions of knowledge management. The challenges of implementing knowledge management are outlined and the ensuing benefits highlighted.

More and more organizations are becoming aware of the importance of tacit and explicit knowledge owned by their members which corresponds to their experience and accumulated knowledge about the firm activities. However, considering the large amount of knowledge created and used in the organization, especially with the evolution of information and communications technologies, the firm must first determine the specific knowledge on which it is necessary to focus. Creating activities to enhance identification, preservation, and use of this knowledge is a powerful mean to improve the level of economical performance of the organization. Thus, companies invest on knowledge management programs, in order to develop a knowledge sharing and collaboration culture, to amplify individual and organizational learning, to make easier accessing and transferring knowledge, and to insure knowledge preservation. Several researches can be considered to develop knowledge management programs supported by information and knowledge systems, according to their context, their culture and the stakeholders' viewpoints.