The Management Of Enterprise Knowledge Innovation

During the past several decades, knowledge has become the most important productive forceand has deeply changed the economy of both China and the other countries. Knowledge is not onlythe key factor to improve a country's productive force and competitive power, but also plays animportant role in the cells of national economy—corporations. Relentless competitive pressureinduced by the globalization of trade, far-reaching deregulation, and technological changes forcedcompanies in the last two decades to increasingly rely on continuous innovation for survival andgrowth. Being the lifeline of corporations, knowledge innovation is the source of the corecompetence and sustained competitive edge. This dissertation deals with the problem of knowledgeinnovation and its management. It summarizes some of the more recent work in this research field,discusses the process and regularities of knowledge innovation activities, considers those factorsinfluencing that process, and sets up a theoretic research structure of knowledge innovationmanagement.It is, therefore, hardly surprising that in recent years knowledge innovation has captured anincreasing niche in the mushrooming management literature, both popular and academic. Thisdissertation begins with the previous documents relating to this topic and finds that most of themhave focused on the problem of knowledge management, while neglecting the research ofknowledge innovation. In fact, because knowledge innovation has its distinctive laws, itsmanagement is different from general knowledge management. As we have put it, knowledgeinnovation is the source of the core competence and sustained competitive edge of companies, so itis surely necessary to give a special look to knowledge innovation management.Secondly, this dissertation studies the identities and regularity of knowledge activities duringthe process of knowledge innovation by dividing it into four parts. That is, the generation, theaccumulation, the dissemination, and the application of corporation knowledge. In every part of thisinnovation process, knowledge innovation activity has its identities. Whether a company'sknowledge activities are successful mainly depends on how it can manage its knowledge innovationprocess.Then, this dissertation investigates the critical success factors, which influence the process ofknowledge innovation. Resource influencing factor includes human resources, information systems,and financial resources. As the carrier of the knowledge innovation, human resources become the core factors of the process of knowledge innovation. The activities of knowledge innovation alsodemand risky investments, so financial management has much more duty of controlling them.Knowledge sharing and information communication on which knowledge innovation is basedcannot do without the support of information technology. Corporations have to set up perfectinformation systems in order to offer fluent information stream.Organizational influencing factor is composed of organizational structure and organizationalculture. Knowledge innovation is also made up of a whole range of soft issues that involvesfostering an environment in which knowledge and information are shared and new knowledge iscreated. Flexible organizational structure and learning-oriented organizational culture are vital toinformation sharing, because they can offer enough chances for people to communicate efficiently.Furthermore, companies that intend to create value must emphasize not only internalcollaboration, but knowledge sharing with suppliers, partners and customers as well. Thatconstitutes the environmental influencing factor. Many companies have realized the growing role ofcustomer knowledge and relationship in the success of the enterprise. Cooperation among differentcorporations has also been used as a tool to achieve their knowledge objectives. Corporations caninsert an indirect effect on knowledge innovation process through managing all the factorsconcerned.Based on the above analyses, this dissertation finally sets up a theoretic research structure ofknowledge innovation management. The structure comprehensively covers the individuals'knowledge innovation, the collectives' knowledge innovation, and the leadership of knowledgeinnovation. Individuals' knowledge innovation, the result of individuals' studies, is the source ofenterprises' knowledge innovation. Collectives' knowledge innovation, the result of collectives'studies, is the key to enterprises' knowledge innovation. So enterprises should take a series ofactions to incentive individuals' knowledge innovation and organize collectives' knowledgeinnovation. The leadership of chief knowledge officers is one of the most important respects ofknowledge innovation management. Their task is to make knowledge available at "the point andmoment of need".In a word, this dissertation has established a research structure of knowledge innovationmanagement through a theoretic analyses and this structure is expected to direct the concreteknowledge innovation activities and business management of Chinese corporations.