IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jknowl/v13y2022i1d10.1007_s13132-021-00750-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Knowledge Sharing Opportunities for Industry 4.0 Firms

Author

Listed:
  • Dominique Lepore

    (University of Macerata)

  • Sabrina Dubbini

    (ISTAO (Istituto Adriano Olivetti) Business School)

  • Alessandra Micozzi

    (Marche Polytechnic University and Ecampus University)

  • Francesca Spigarelli

    (University of Macerata)

Abstract

This paper focuses on the role that collaboration holds in supporting knowledge sharing mechanisms for the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. We develop a qualitative analysis based on four firms that show a collaborative approach both in the regional ecosystem in which they are included and within their organizational structure. The objective is twofold, i.e. to understand if and how the introduction of 4.0 technologies has changed the nature of the relationships with external knowledge sources, and if and how 4.0 technologies have redefined the collaborative culture within the organizational structure. The findings show that collaboration is imperative for introducing 4.0 technologies. The firms reveal to hold a mentoring role by supporting other less advanced firms in the adoption of 4.0 technologies and confirm that 4.0 technologies are facilitating the emergence of a collaborative culture in the regional ecosystem. On the other hand, both formal and informal collaborative approaches within their organization are found to support the adoption of new digital technologies.

Suggested Citation

  • Dominique Lepore & Sabrina Dubbini & Alessandra Micozzi & Francesca Spigarelli, 2022. "Knowledge Sharing Opportunities for Industry 4.0 Firms," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 13(1), pages 501-520, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jknowl:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1007_s13132-021-00750-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s13132-021-00750-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s13132-021-00750-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s13132-021-00750-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Evangelista, Rinaldo & Vezzani, Antonio, 2010. "The economic impact of technological and organizational innovations. A firm-level analysis," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 1253-1263, December.
    2. Etzkowitz, Henry & Leydesdorff, Loet, 2000. "The dynamics of innovation: from National Systems and "Mode 2" to a Triple Helix of university-industry-government relations," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 109-123, February.
    3. Roberta Capello & Camilla Lenzi, 2015. "Knowledge, Innovation and Productivity Gains across European Regions," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(11), pages 1788-1804, November.
    4. Lee, Saerom & Baek, Hyunmi & Jahng, Jungjoo, 2017. "Governance strategies for open collaboration: Focusing on resource allocation in open source software development organizations," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 431-437.
    5. Bruce Kogut & Udo Zander, 1992. "Knowledge of the Firm, Combinative Capabilities, and the Replication of Technology," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 3(3), pages 383-397, August.
    6. Landesmann,Michael A. & Scazzieri,Roberto (ed.), 2009. "Production and Economic Dynamics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521114257, January.
    7. Rajagopal, 2014. "The Human Factors," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Architecting Enterprise, chapter 9, pages 225-249, Palgrave Macmillan.
    8. Gee W. Bock & Young-Gul Kim, 2002. "Breaking the Myths of Rewards: An Exploratory Study of Attitudes about Knowledge Sharing," Information Resources Management Journal (IRMJ), IGI Global, vol. 15(2), pages 14-21, April.
    9. Demetris Vrontis & Giuseppe Tardivo & Stefano Bresciani & Milena Viassone, 2018. "The Competitiveness of the Italian Manufacturing Industry: an Attempt of Measurement," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 9(4), pages 1087-1103, December.
    10. Steven MacGregor & Pilar Marques-Gou & Alexandra Simon-Villar, 2010. "Gauging Readiness for the Quadruple Helix: A Study of 16 European Organizations," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 1(3), pages 173-190, September.
    11. Isabel Freitas & Tommy Clausen & Roberto Fontana & Bart Verspagen, 2011. "Formal and informal external linkages and firms’ innovative strategies. A cross-country comparison," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 91-119, February.
    12. Angela Triguero & Sara Fernández, 2018. "Determining the effects of open innovation: the role of knowledge and geographical spillovers," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(5), pages 632-644, May.
    13. K. Ganesh & Sanjay Mohapatra & S. Nagarajan, 2014. "Design and Development of Knowledge Management for Manufacturing," Springer Books, Springer, edition 127, number 978-3-319-02892-7, December.
    14. Simon Rodan & Charles Galunic, 2004. "More than network structure: how knowledge heterogeneity influences managerial performance and innovativeness," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(6), pages 541-562, June.
    15. Bonte, Werner & Keilbach, Max, 2005. "Concubinage or marriage? Informal and formal cooperations for innovation," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 23(3-4), pages 279-302, April.
    16. Luís Farinha & João Ferreira & Borges Gouveia, 2016. "Networks of Innovation and Competitiveness: A Triple Helix Case Study," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 7(1), pages 259-275, March.
    17. Talya Ponchek, 2016. "To Collaborate or Not to Collaborate? A Study of the Value of Innovation from a Sectoral Perspective," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 7(1), pages 43-79, March.
    18. Guofeng Shi & Zhiyun Ma & Jiao Feng & Fujin Zhu & Xu Bai & Bingxiu Gui, 2020. "The impact of knowledge transfer performance on the artificial intelligence industry innovation network: An empirical study of Chinese firms," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(5), pages 1-22, May.
    19. Ming-Chang Lee & To Chang, 2007. "Linking knowledge management and innovation management in e-business," International Journal of Innovation and Learning, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 4(2), pages 145-159.
    20. Joseph Evans Agolla, 2018. "Human Capital in the Smart Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 Revolution," Chapters, in: Antonella Petrillo & Raffaele Cioffi & Fabio De Felice (ed.), Digital Transformation in Smart Manufacturing, IntechOpen.
    21. Escribano, Alvaro & Fosfuri, Andrea & Tribó, Josep A., 2009. "Managing external knowledge flows: The moderating role of absorptive capacity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 96-105, February.
    22. Dominique Lepore & Francesca Spigarelli, 2020. "Integrating Industry 4.0 plans into regional innovation strategies," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 35(5), pages 496-510, August.
    23. Ingunn Elvekrok & Nina Veflen & Etty R. Nilsen & Anne H. Gausdal, 2018. "Firm innovation benefits from regional triple-helix networks," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(9), pages 1214-1224, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ziqing Xie & Dickson K. W. Chiu & Kevin K. W. Ho, 2024. "The Role of Social Media as Aids for Accounting Education and Knowledge Sharing: Learning Effectiveness and Knowledge Management Perspectives in Mainland China," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(1), pages 2628-2655, March.
    2. Giacomoni Gilbert, 2024. "The Need for Products Interchangeability: An Unsolved Problem of Semantic Conflicts No Product Definition System Can Support Perfectly," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(2), pages 7672-7701, June.
    3. Bhandari, Krishna Raj & Zámborský, Peter & Ranta, Mikko & Salo, Jari, 2023. "Digitalization, internationalization, and firm performance: A resource-orchestration perspective on new OLI advantages," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(4).
    4. Vinay Surendra Yadav & Abhijit Majumdar, 2024. "What impedes digital twin from revolutionizing agro-food supply chain? Analysis of barriers and strategy development for mitigation," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 711-727, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Antonio Carlos Campos & Luís Lopes & Carlos Carreira, 2024. "Spatial Autocorrelation of Exports and R&D Expenditures in Portugal," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(2), pages 8632-8653, June.
    2. Zheng, Lu & Ulrich, Klaus & Sendra-García, Javier, 2021. "Qualitative comparative analysis: Configurational paths to innovation performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 83-93.
    3. Jessica García-Terán & Annika Skoglund, 2019. "A Processual Approach for the Quadruple Helix Model: the Case of a Regional Project in Uppsala," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 10(3), pages 1272-1296, September.
    4. Haji Ali Beigi, Maryam, 2021. "Organizational innovation: Interactive role of external knowledge strategies and market dynamisms," Ilmenau Economics Discussion Papers 159, Ilmenau University of Technology, Institute of Economics.
    5. María Jesús Rosado-García & Renata Kubus & Ramón Argüelles-Bustillo & María Jesús García-García, 2021. "A New European Bauhaus for a Culture of Transversality and Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-22, October.
    6. König, Jonas & Suwala, Lech & Delargy, Colin, 2020. "Helix Models of Innovation and Sustainable Development Goals," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, pages 1-15.
    7. Mennens, Kars & van Gils, Anita & Odekerken - Schröder, Gaby & Letterie, Wilko, 2016. "Exploring Antecedents of Service Innovation Excellence in Manufacturing SMEs," Research Memorandum 025, Maastricht University, Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE).
    8. Jianyu Zhao & Yining Huang & Xi Xi & Shanshan Wang, 2021. "How knowledge heterogeneity influences business model design: mediating effects of strategic learning and bricolage," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 889-919, June.
    9. Qiu, Shumin & Liu, Xielin & Gao, Taishan, 2017. "Do emerging countries prefer local knowledge or distant knowledge? Spillover effect of university collaborations on local firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(7), pages 1299-1311.
    10. Burcharth, Ana Luiza Lara de Araújo & Lettl, Christopher & Ulhøi, John Parm, 2015. "Extending organizational antecedents of absorptive capacity: Organizational characteristics that encourage experimentation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 90(PA), pages 269-284.
    11. Francesco Campanella & Maria Rosaria Della Peruta & Stefano Bresciani & Luca Dezi, 2017. "Quadruple Helix and firms’ performance: an empirical verification in Europe," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 267-284, April.
    12. Camisón, César & Forés, Beatriz, 2011. "Knowledge creation and absorptive capacity: The effect of intra-district shared competences," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 66-86, March.
    13. Rajat Khanna & Isin Guler, 2022. "Degree assortativity in collaboration networks and invention performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(7), pages 1402-1430, July.
    14. Feng Zhang & Guohua Jiang, 2019. "Combination of Complementary Technological Knowledge to Generate “Hard to Imitate” Technologies," Journal of Information & Knowledge Management (JIKM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 18(02), pages 1-24, June.
    15. Frank Rijnsoever & Leon Welle & Sjoerd Bakker, 2014. "Credibility and legitimacy in policy-driven innovation networks: resource dependencies and expectations in Dutch electric vehicle subsidies," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 39(4), pages 635-661, August.
    16. Noriko Yoda & Kenichi Kuwashima, 2020. "Triple Helix of University–Industry–Government Relations in Japan: Transitions of Collaborations and Interactions," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 11(3), pages 1120-1144, September.
    17. Peter Björk, 2014. "The DNA of Tourism Service Innovation: A Quadruple Helix Approach," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 5(1), pages 181-202, March.
    18. Brennecke, Julia & Rank, Olaf, 2017. "The firm’s knowledge network and the transfer of advice among corporate inventors—A multilevel network study," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(4), pages 768-783.
    19. Xue Wang, 2018. "The Effect Of Inbound Open Innovation On Firm Performance In Japanese Manufacturing Firms: Comparative Study Between Research Centre And Business Unit," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 22(07), pages 1-35, October.
    20. Wadhwa, Anu & Phelps, Corey & Kotha, Suresh, 2016. "Corporate venture capital portfolios and firm innovation," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 95-112.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jknowl:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1007_s13132-021-00750-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.