TY - JOUR
T1 - Towards a kernel theory of external knowledge integration for high-tech firms
T2 - exploring a failed theory test
AU - Kraaijenbrink, Jeroen
AU - Wijnhoven, Fons
AU - Groen, Aard
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - Designing information systems (ISs) requires a thorough understanding of the organizational knowledge processes in which these systems are used. Although much is known about internal organizational knowledge processes, the understanding of external knowledge processes is less developed. Hence, this paper reflects an attempt to operationalize and test a model of the process of external knowledge integration (EKI), consisting of an identification, acquisition, and utilization stage. We utilize high-technology based firms from a variety of high-tech categories including nanotechnology based firms since these firms have critical knowledge integration needs. The results of an international survey, with responses of 317 high-tech companies, suggest that not these three EKI-stages, but four organizational effectiveness functions (goal attainment, pattern maintenance, adaptation, and integration) account for most variation in responses. These findings seem to imply that ISs that are to support the EKI-process should be designed according to organizational effectiveness functions rather than to EKI-stages. It is proposed that each organizational effectiveness function imposes different requirements on ISs because users interact differently with IS in each function
AB - Designing information systems (ISs) requires a thorough understanding of the organizational knowledge processes in which these systems are used. Although much is known about internal organizational knowledge processes, the understanding of external knowledge processes is less developed. Hence, this paper reflects an attempt to operationalize and test a model of the process of external knowledge integration (EKI), consisting of an identification, acquisition, and utilization stage. We utilize high-technology based firms from a variety of high-tech categories including nanotechnology based firms since these firms have critical knowledge integration needs. The results of an international survey, with responses of 317 high-tech companies, suggest that not these three EKI-stages, but four organizational effectiveness functions (goal attainment, pattern maintenance, adaptation, and integration) account for most variation in responses. These findings seem to imply that ISs that are to support the EKI-process should be designed according to organizational effectiveness functions rather than to EKI-stages. It is proposed that each organizational effectiveness function imposes different requirements on ISs because users interact differently with IS in each function
KW - Knowledge integration
KW - Organizational effectiveness functions
KW - Factor analysis
KW - High-tech SMEs
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-34548311776&partnerID=MN8TOARS
U2 - 10.1016/j.techfore.2006.12.003
DO - 10.1016/j.techfore.2006.12.003
M3 - Article
SN - 0040-1625
VL - 74
SP - 1215
EP - 1233
JO - Technological forecasting and social change
JF - Technological forecasting and social change
IS - 8
ER -