Tacit knowledge has received a good deal of attention in the strategy field and is argued to be a key source of sustainable competitive advantage. Until now the work done has been principally conceptual with little empirical work to support the argument. This book fills the gap in the literature through empirical studies in which causal mapping is used to uncover whether tacit activities and causally ambiguous resources could be perceived to be a component in managers' accounts of their firms successes. The book also highlights the critical factors that are often ignored by managers.
What’s Your Competitive Advantage? offers a way to work with the realities of a complex world and the changing needs of your business. No-one can predict the future and we can’t predict the ultimate effect of any actions we take. What’s your Competitive Advantage? sets out an approach to managing change that reflects this complex reality. Built on insights from research into value creation and complex systems the book explains seven value creating strategies and the practices and change processes they require. Each play has an associated set of capabilities which deliver customer value efficiently: SPECIALISATION - choose to focus on a single product or product group and compete through superior product performance. ADAPTIVE - increase the system’s ability to respond to changing circumstances, particularly to changing customer needs. LOW COST - Deliver equivalent product quality compared to competitors but with a continual and relentless focus on cost reduction INNOVATION - Competing through product innovations. EXCELLENCE - Continuous incremental improvement of product or service quality NO-FRILLS - Serve price sensitive customers with a stripped down alternative product or service. TARGETING - Focus on a specific market segment and serve the needs of these customers more effectively than less targeted rivals The full text downloaded to your computer With eBooks you can: search for key concepts, words and phrases make highlights and notes as you study share your notes with friends eBooks are downloaded to your computer and accessible either offline through the Bookshelf (available as a free download), available online and also via the iPad and Android apps. Upon purchase, you'll gain instant access to this eBook. Time limit The eBooks products do not have an expiry date. You will continue to access your digital ebook products whilst you have your Bookshelf installed.
This innovative Handbook widens our understanding of knowledge management, a field that has risen to prominence in recent decades. It collects contemporary insights from more than 30 contributors into the rich tapestry of knowledge management practices across a broad landscape of cultures and socio-political contexts. The contributors offer authoritative analyses to inform practical applications of knowledge management, along with provoking reinterpretations of its developmental potential to guide future innovation and research in this field. The starting point for discussion centers around establishing a common definition for knowledge management, a concept that has remained nebulous since its inception. Expert contributions examine the relevance of this common definition within various contexts, such as Buddhist organizations, law firms, the army and indigenous organizations. The contributors explore how knowledge management could be effectively applied in these very diverse contexts. Some contributors analyze the universality of Ikujiro Nonaka’s concept of knowledge management. Other contributors suggest alternative definitions of knowledge management. While previous literature has primarily focused on how knowledge management is practiced currently, this handbook sets out alternative visions and conceptualizations of knowledge management in diverse settings and is, thus, focused on how knowledge management ideally should be practiced in various contexts. This Handbook of Research on Knowledge Management will appeal as a point of reference for academics and students of business and management, business administration, sociology and organizational behavior. Practitioners, managers and business-owners alike will also find this an invaluable resource.
This book takes a pragmatic approach to develop the competitive advantage of indigenous construction firms in the Global South, using Ghana as a case study. It provides readers with two major practical insights. The first focuses on the theoretical underpinning of firms’ competitive advantage and develops a competitive advantage model for indigenous construction firms. This competitive advantage conceptual framework aids in explaining the main and sub-attributes underpinning the competitive advantage of indigenous construction firms as well as providing the basis for assessing a firm’s competitiveness. Secondly, it highlights and addresses theoretical gaps in existing competitive advantage studies deemed essential for indigenous construction firms. Finally, a detailed two-stage Delphi study in the Ghanaian construction industry is presented as a case study. The book is therefore of interest to researchers in construction management, strategic management, civil engineering, business administration, marketing, entrepreneurial and economic studies. It is an essential manual for owners and managers of construction businesses. It is also useful for government departments and non-governmental agencies seeking innovative ways to develop the capacity of indigenous firms and/or contractors to make them more responsive to competitive bidding scenarios, delivery of projects, and satisfying the needs of the industry’s stakeholders.
"This book examines current research in support of knowledge management by focusing on how knowledge resources can be used to create and sustain competitive advantages, combining imitation and innovation theories"--Provided by publisher.
Helps scholars think about mergers and acquisitions in new ways, building our knowledge base on this critical topic. This book focuses on all three characteristics that make up this research field - studies from scholars in different countries, with different research questions, and relying on different theoretical perspectives.
Now in its second edition, this extended and thoroughly updated handbook introduces researchers and students to the growing range of theoretical and methodological perspectives being developed in the vibrant field of strategy as practice. With new authors and additional chapters, it shows how the strategy as practice approach in strategic management moves away from disembodied and asocial studies of firm assets, technologies and practices to explore and explain the contribution that strategizing makes to people working at all levels of an organization. It breaks down many of the traditional paradigmatic barriers in strategy to investigate who the strategists are, what they do, how they do it, and what the consequences or outcomes of their actions are. This essential work summarizes recent developments in the field while presenting a clear agenda for future research.
"This book captures an in-depth knowledge base on the most current and useful concepts, applications, and processes relevant to the successful management of knowledge assets"--Provided by publisher.
The determinants of a firm's innovative capacity are rooted in organizational design, incentives, human resources, internal culture, and external linkages. Profiting from innovation is always a challenge and licensing is one of many options.
