Business Commons^™

Pro-Socially Motivated Knowledge Hiding In Innovation Teams, Rachel Hilliard, James English, Maébh Coleman

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No abstract provided.

Financing Early Stage Cleantech Firms, Sean O'Reilly, Ciarán Mac An Bhaird, Damien Cassells

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T HE report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [47] highlighted the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strive for decarbonization in order to restrict global warming. The Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change, has a vision of accelerating technology development and transfer [92] in order to reduce harmful carbon emissions. The development of new and innovative disruptive technologies to ameliorate and reverse the harmful effects of carbon emissions is emphasized by governments and international agencies [6], [53], [59], [102]. Large incumbent firms are well resourced to conduct this research and development (R&D), although …

A Practice Perspective On Knowledge, Learning And Innovation – Insights From An Eu Network Of Small Food Producers, Clare Rigg, Paul Coughlan, Denise O'Leary, David Coughlan

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Drawing on insider research with a three-year EU network created to support innovation in geographically marginalized traditional food companies, this paper makes three contributions to discussions of innovation in small and micro-firms. First, we shift focus away from conceiving of knowledge as a discrete entity, and of knowledge sharing, transfer and exchange as the passing of objects. Applying a practice perspective that conceptualizes innovation as situated in the everyday activities of organizing, learning and working, we extend open innovation ideas and identify three distinct sets of knowledge-creating practices that small and micro-firm actors in this network context engage in as …

Conducting And Analysing Semi-Structured Interviews: A Study Of Open Innovation In Food Firms In Ireland., Anushree Priyadarshini

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This case study examines the use of semi-structured interviews that I used in my PhD research as a method to explore open innovation in food firms in Ireland. Literature in the field highlights that exploring innovation and the extent to which firms are open and collaborative with people outside of their organizations in conducting innovation requires detailed understanding of the concept in its natural settings. To interpret or make sense of the phenomena in terms of the meaning managers bring to it, I conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with managers in Ireland’s largest indigenous industry, the food and beverage sector. Demonstrating …

Subsidiary Innovation:A Phenomenon Under Threat?, Marty Reilly, Pamela Sharkey Scott

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Rarely are the linkages between theory and practice as apparent as those between the strategic renewal literature and current structural transformations being realised within many multinationals (MNCs). Strategic renewal promotes the transformation of capabilities, structural models and organisational reform. Similarly, we can see similarly how many MNC organisations, cognizant of both global and technological change are championing these key tenets in choosing a new path, and shifting from networks of mini-replica subsidiaries towards more task-driven, integrated systems of activities. The advance of this transactional approach to operations is driven by an aim to create greater efficiencies, eliminate duplication of efforts …

Consumer Awareness In The Adoption Of Microgeneration Technologies: An Empirical Investigation In The Republic Of Ireland, Marius Claudy, Claus Michelsen, Aidan O'Driscoll, Michael Mullen

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Despite major policy and marketing efforts, the uptake of microgeneration technologies in most European countries remains low. Whereas most academic studies and policy reports aim to identify the underlying reasons why people buy these new technologies, they often fail to assess the general level of consumer awareness. The process of adopting an innovation, however, shows that awareness is a prerequisite which needs to be understood before adoption can be addressed. This paper takes a closer look at awareness of microgeneration and presents the results from a nationally representative study conducted in the Republic of Ireland. Findings from logistic regressions clearly …

Ict Innovation Diffusion In Small Logistics Service Providers: An Empirical Survey, Pietro Evangelista, Edward Sweeney, Claudia-Maria Wagner

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For companies competing in highly dynamic markets, innovation is considered a fundamental component of a successful business as it allows companies to sustain profit margins, sales growth and reduce competitors’ pressures. Information and communication technology (ICT) is essential innovation enablers especially in service companies. The focus of the paper is on the analysis of the role of ICT in innovation processes of small third-party logistics service providers (3PLs). On the basis of quantitative evidence emerging from a recent survey carried out on the Italian 3PL market, the paper analyses how ICT is used to support innovation and the factors the …

Giving It Away : Free Technology Transfer To The Irish Sme Sector, Peter Kavanagh, Andy Maguire, James J. Casey

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One of Europe’s major weaknesses lies in its inferiority in terms of transforming the results of technological research and skills into innovations and competitive advantages. (European Commission, 1995, p. 8.)

Technology transfer is a key aspect of economic development and research administration. These concerns are shared equally between academia and industry on both sides of the Atlantic. As technology is developed at a greater rate, concerns about the technology transfer will heighten. This article focuses on technology transfer in Ireland, particularly in the SME (Small and Medium size Enterprises, under 250 employees) sector. As the main Lisbon Objective has not …

Facilitators And Inhibitors Of Supply Chain Innovation-Prospects For Supply Chain Managment In The Irish Grocery Sector, Joan Keegan, Edmund O'Callaghan, Mary Wilcox

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Supply chain management is one of the most significant strategic challenges currently facing the Irish grocery sector. The UK grocery market with its emphasis on composite deliveries via regional distribution centres is extremely sophisticated; the Irish grocery sector, however, is in the embryonic stage of implementing central distribution. The potential to develop innovative supply chain systems is mediated by both national logistic-related variables and company characteristics. In addition to competitor activity and market forces, drivers and inhibitors such as economic growth, consumer preferences, the regulatory environment and physical and technological infrastructure influence the evolution of supply chain systems. This paper …

Perceived Barriers To Innovation In Small To Mediume Enterprises (Smes), Thomas Cooney

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Innovation is crucial to the successful development of small to medium-sized enterprises- and SMEs themselves are key to the continuing growth of the economy. Yet the owner/managers of many SMEs perceive the existence of many barriers to innovation. Whether such obstacles are real or merely perceived makes little difference to the strategic management and marketing practice of these firms. To illustrate this problem, this article reports both quantitative and qualitative research about barriers to innovation in smaller firms. A postal survey of 375 owner/managers who empoly fewer than 50 people indicated these managers' views and concerns about a range of …