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In the last decades, there has been an increasing interest on knowledge in the business realm. Japanese scholar Ikujiro Nonaka was among the main theoretical and practical contributors to knowledge creation in organizations, as well as a promoter of including practical reason in the research of business topics such as decision-making, knowledge management, ethics and leadership. In his theory, a Western classical tradition, namely the virtue of phronesis, is combined with the Japanese notion of Ba (context-based learning), to explain the way people engage in communities of practice as opportunities for learning. This paper describes his theory of knowledge creation, pointing to phronetic leadership skills as essential drivers of knowledge creation in organizations, in light of the Western classical tradition. Finally, it discusses the scope and limits of Nonaka's contribution, as well as some challenges it posits in order to make the business realm a true space for learning and human flourishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to analyze the mediating effect of Absorptive Capacity (AC) in the relationship between Information Technology Capabilities (ITC) and Organizational Performance, particularly financial performance (FP) and non-financial performance (NFP). The hypothesis model was tested on a sample of manufacturing and service companies, for which a structural equation by the least squares method was used. As for the results it was found that there is a total mediation of AC in the relationship between ITC and FP, and a partial one between ITC and NFP. In conclusion, to achieve the ITC impact on business results, its articulation is needed with soft organizational skills such as AC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the behavior of high-tech firms, located in technological parks of the Basque Country, concerning the management of knowledge, the kind of strategic alliances they enter, and the effect of such behavior on their performance. The paper is theoretically supported by the resource--based approach (RBA) and the different views on strategic alliances and knowledge management (KM) reviewed and included in the references section. The field work included interviewing more than 66 managers and later work consisted in carrying out statistical analysis on different variables identified. Different tests prove that intangible assets related to human capital (I+D instruction and experience) contribute to the growth of business, that firms tend to enter formal I+D alliances with universities and technological centers rather than other firms, and that these agreements also contribute to the growth of firm business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship being apparent between dynamic capabilities and knowledge management is being looked into in this paper on the basis of their application to new technology-based companies (NTBC), and bearing in mind issues such as high complexity and fast knowledge generation taking place in a dynamic and uncertain setting. This research has been conducted at the NTBC, located at the Madrid Scientiic Park (MSP) and at the Leganés Technological and Scientiic Park, both of them located in the Madrid Community area in Spain. According to test results, the exploration and exploitation processes, together with organizational ambidexterity, are having a rather meaningful impact on the NTBC's own dynamic capabilities to effectively manage knowledge, both currently available and being generated, allowing these companies to properly adapting themselves to the setting in which they are operating and thus, ensuring that enhanced returns are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizational Learning (OL) is currently broadly acknowledged as a strategic resource for improving organizational competitiveness and, since the beginning of the 1990s, it has constituted one of the topics of research with most projection in the discipline strategic management. Under that premise, this paper proposes studying the OL concept. To do so, it first analyzes the different schools of thought defined in OL. Next, it identifies and defines each one of the dimensions essential to OL. Then, it proceeds with the empirical aspects, analyzing the data from the obtained sample. Results reveal that the limits between the management school of thought and the learning process school of thought are not as clear cut as the conceptual experts for each school advocate. The above conclusion is drawn based on the component management being more preponderant in the learning process school of thought than the importance the theory had first granted it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relation between organizational learning and the organization's performance has been theoretically documented but more empirical research is needed to contrast possible associations between these variables. That is what motivated this paper that starts out with the theoretical assumption that organizational learning is a dynamic capability as explained in the theory of resources and capabilities that assumes that an organization's performance is a social construct measured by yield perceptions. Empirical contrasting was done in 45 middle-sized and large companies, using an explanatory-type quantitative design. Multivariate methods were used, such as variance analysis (Anova), cluster analysis, and main component analysis. The results gave evidence that enable accepting the hypothesis that the learning capability influences the organization's performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]