08. Raportit ja kirjat / Reports and Books
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Yliopiston yksiköissä toteutettujen hankkeiden väli- ja loppuraportteja sekä tieteellisiä kirjoja / Interim and final reports from projects carried out within the university's units, also scientific books
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Browsing 08. Raportit ja kirjat / Reports and Books by Degree programme/Major subject "Work psychology and leadership"
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Item Production, development and innovation in inter-firm networks(Helsinki University of Technology, 2008) Smedlund, Anssi; Toivonen, Marja; Dosentti; Department of Industrial Engineering and Management; Tuotantotalouden laitos; Faculty of Information and Natural Sciences; Informaatio- ja luonnontieteiden tiedekunta; Järvenpää, Eila; Prof.Inter-firm network relationships, knowledge intensiveness and regional competitiveness are fashionable subjects in management science today because of globalization, advancement in IT and firms' increasing focus on their core competencies. There is a need for clarifying the models and concepts to make sense of the phenomena of inter-firm network dynamics. A model of three typical network types is built in this study. The network types are labeled as production network, development network and innovation network. The model is based on the concept of three knowledge environments of an organization by Ståhle. The objective of the study is to find out how Ståhle's concept of mechanic, organic and dynamic knowledge environments are related to the inter-firm networks in a region, and what are the roles of brokering intermediary organizations in inter-firm networks. The study consists of four individual papers that concentrate on different aspects of inter-firm networks and the roles of brokering organizations in them. In the first two papers, the three-dimensional model of networks is put to action in describing the tangible and intangible flows in a cluster of small firms. In the third paper the roles of the intermediaries are described according to the model. In the fourth paper the roles of a certain type of an intermediary organization, knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) are defined accordingly. The findings of the study suggest that firms use inter-firm network relationships as strategic assets in order to benefit from them in their businesses. Production, development and innovation networks constitute basic tasks that a firm needs to engage in order to survive. According to the case study presented here, it was possible to discern these three networks in a regional cluster of small firms. It was found out that each of the networks has their unique functioning logic and effectiveness criteria. It was also found out that the regional intermediary organizations and KIBS are important actors to facilitate the network dynamics in a region. In this study, it is argued that Ståhle's concept of mechanic, organic and dynamic knowledge environments can be used as a background framework in the context of inter-firm networks. However, according to the case study, Ståhle's dynamic knowledge environment is not as chaotic in inter-firm networks as Ståhle claims. Based on the organization theory literature reviewed in the introduction part of the study, it can be suggested that Ståhle's dynamic knowledge environment is often a transient phenomenon: its role is to be utilized as a vehicle for transformation when an organization is converted from a mechanic, exploitation mode towards an organic, exploration mode without external pressure. This study contributes to the field of Knowledge Management, and especially its Finnish line of thought. Practically, this study helps managers to think about their inter-firm network relationships differently, and states that there is no one right way to arrange network relationships. Instead, managers of organizations and decision makers in regions will have to consider innovation functions, production functions, and development functions separately.
