Balancing Exploration and Exploitation by Creating Organizational Think TanksSpringer Science & Business Media, 29.08.2008 - 143 Seiten Key for successful knowledge management is a balance between exploration and exploitation. Exploration means the generation of new knowledge in non-targeted search processes, while exploitation denotes the use of existing knowledge in targeted exploitation processes. The relationship between the two processes is one of fundamental tension; this poses a challenge to organisations which seek to make their knowledge management effective. There is a danger that exploration is neglected in favour of exploitation. This results in an organisation which lacks innovation capability. In order to prevent this, an idea has been put forward for debate in recent knowledge management research called ambidexterity, which means the simultaneous and balanced pursuing of both exploration and exploitation activities. In the following work, Tatjana-Xenia Puhan further develops this idea masterfully, by concluding that ambidexterity need not necessarily be implemented in one single organisation but can also be realised in a network of associated organisations. This approach, which she terms interorganizational ambidexterity is based on co-specialisation: one organisation is devoted solely to exploration, while associated organisations focus on their core competences in exploitation. Ms. Puhan additionally draws on the concept of the think tank. Think tanks play an increasingly important role in society: as a source of ideas, in an advisory capacity and sometimes even as devil’s advocate for the purposes of injecting new momentum to current debate in society, business and science. |
Inhalt
1 | |
The summarized framework of the paper | 10 |
Problems and concepts of RD alignment | 11 |
The scope of ambidextrous organizations | 31 |
Single domain mutual exclusivity of exploration and exploitation | 40 |
Shifting think tanks from the macro to a mesolevel | 45 |
RD Management System | 57 |
Interorganizational networks between market and hierarchy | 73 |
Organizational think tank concept | 87 |
Critical issues of the organizational think tank approach | 95 |
Knowledge governance | 102 |
Conclusion | 115 |
Häufige Begriffe und Wortgruppen
able absorptive capacity addition advantageous alignment alliances already ambidexterity appears applied assure avoid balancing becomes Braml carried chapter companies competitive concept concerning considered context continuous contribute cooperation costs create creation critical decision discussed effects efficient engineer especially existing exploitation trade-off exploration and exploitation explorative activities fact finally findings firms framework frequently function governance highly idea implementation important individual industry innovation inside integration interesting interorganizational issues joint knowledge knowledge transfer lead learning long-term mainly March means mutual occur organization organizational think tank outcomes particular partnering firms performance political positive possible potential presented problems processes profit projects proposed radical realized reasons relationship requirements result risk seems senior settings sharing situation social societal solution solving Source strategic structures success suggest tacit technologies think tank approach transfer units ventures