Managing effective knowledge acquisition in outsourcing alliances: A suppliers perspective

Knowledge Acquisition has historically been a bottleneck in the development of knowledge based systems. While efficient and powerful techniques have been developed for knowledge representation and processing, transferring knowledge from the problem domain into the knowledge base is characterized by the inordinate effort required by knowledge engineers; a lack of any substantial automation of the knowledge acquisition process; and in particular, the difficulty and undue complexity of the knowledge acquisition interfaces for many knowledge based systems. This paper proposes a Natural Language Interface or Front-End as a means of effective knowledge acquisition for knowledge based systems. This would have the advantage of transferring the burden of knowledge acquisition from the user to the system, while providing ease of natural language interaction to the user. By constraining such a front-end to use within limited problem domains, many of the difficulties associated with natural language processing may be avoided, while reaping the benefits of more effective knowledge acquisition. It is also recognized that the knowledge acquisition activity is one that possesses expertise of itself, and using a knowledge acquisition expert system in parallel to this front-end will likely offer further advantages in the development of part or wholly-automated knowledge acquisition.

Based on organizational learning theory and cooperative relationship theory, the influencing mechanism of relational mechanisms on firms' innovation performance is explored. The results show that relational mechanisms and knowledge acquisition have significantly positive correlation. Knowledge acquisition positively affects knowledge dissemination. Absorptive capacity moderates the effect of knowledge acquisition on knowledge dissemination. Knowledge acquisition and knowledge dissemination promote firm's innovation performance.

A firm's collaborative context can represent an important source of knowledge for sustaining its entrepreneurial outcomes. Drawing on entrepreneurship and resource-based view literature, we study how the acquisition of knowledge from inter-firm ties affects the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and performance, distinguishing between two types of knowledge, market and technological, and between two types of entrepreneurial orientation, radical and incremental. The results of the study on a sample of 203 Spanish small businesses from the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector suggest that knowledge acquisition plays different roles, depending on the type of entrepreneurial orientation developed and also on the type of knowledge exchanged. In particular, market and technological knowledge acquisition positively moderate only the relationship between radical entrepreneurial orientation and performance, while in the case of incremental entrepreneurial orientation we find only a direct positive influence of market knowledge acquisition on performance.

Much of today’s organizational knowledge still exists outside of formal information repositories and often only in people’s heads. While organizations are eager to capture this knowledge, existing acquisition methods are not up to the task. Neither traditional artificial intelligence-based approaches nor more recent, less-structured knowledge management techniques have overcome the knowledge acquisition challenges. This article investigates knowledge acquisition bottlenecks and proposes the use of collaborative, conversational knowledge management to remove them. The article demonstrates the opportunity for more effective knowledge acquisition through the application of the principles of Bazaar style, open-source development. The article introduces wikis as software that enables this type of knowledge acquisition. It empirically analyzes the Wikipedia to produce evidence for the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Much of today’s organizational knowledge still exists outside of formal information repositories and often only in people’s heads. While organizations are eager to capture this knowledge, existing acquisition methods are not up to the task. Neither traditional artificial intelligence-based approaches nor more recent, less-structured knowledge management techniques have overcome the knowledge acquisition challenges. This article investigates knowledge acquisition bottlenecks and proposes the use of collaborative, conversational knowledge management to remove them. The article demonstrates the opportunity for more effective knowledge acquisition through the application of the principles of Bazaar style, open-source development. The article introduces wikis as software that enables this type of knowledge acquisition. It empirically analyzes the Wikipedia to produce evidence for the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach.Request access from your librarian to read this chapter's full text.

In this work the methodical features of the use of information and communication technologies during the course of higher mathematics students of technical specialties students who are studying at the shorter term of training are researched. The use of blended learning technology is proposed, which is to combine traditional face-to-face learning with computer-mediated activity. In the work, the following features of the methodology of the use of information and communication technologies, related to the specifics of learning in a shorter term are determined.Part of the course is common to educational institutions of different levels. It is suggested to use the basic electronic notes for a concise repetition of the corresponding basic sections of higher mathematics. The contents of the notes are clearly consistent with the work programs of the two educational institutions. Electronic methodological materials should include examples of solving typical tasks. In the part of the examples, the explanation is opened step by step after the additional user command. The student is able to independently conduct each stage of the decision, checking with an electronic manual.The new training materials are grouped into short themed blocks and contain an automatic links to reference materials. In each section some of tasks have a professional orientation. Students with shorter term training have additional professional knowledge. It simplifies the processing of tasks whose content is associated with other disciplines.In knowledge control, a combination of test tasks with a computer rewrite of responses with open-ended tasks is required. The teacher checks the open-type task and carry out a short examine. The current student results for each of them are determined on a 100-point scale. This allows you to visually reflect the dynamics of the results of each particular student.The paper also identifies certain disadvantages associated with the use of information technology in the learning process. These include, in particular, the considerable expenses of the teacher at the stage of development and testing of teaching materials and the need for a high level of self-control of students in the use of ICT.

Research summaryInternational alliances facilitate learning among firms by providing access to knowledge embedded in different countries, yet we do not know how the partnering firms' distinct national contexts shape their learning in alliances. This study brings together research on learning in alliances and research on national innovation systems to examine how innovation policies in the respective home countries of the focal firms and their partners can increase the effectiveness of knowledge acquisition in alliances. Our analyses indicate that supply‐side innovation policies in the focal firms' home countries and demand‐side policies in their partners' home countries increase the focal firms' knowledge acquisition from their partners.Managerial summaryFirms engaging in alliances should consider their national innovation system as a strategic resource they can leverage not only to improve their own knowledge sourcing but also to become a more attractive partner in international alliances, potentially opening opportunities for engaging in reciprocal knowledge exchange. Managers can expect more learning opportunities when allying with foreign partners from countries with innovation policies that stimulate public technology purchasing or encourage public–private R&D collaboration. In turn, managers of firms from countries with innovation policies that provide funding and talent for R&D can capitalize on these resources to improve their firms' knowledge acquisition from foreign partners.

In this essay, I critically review the 2006 JIBS Decade Award article by Lyles and Salk ‘Knowledge acquisition from foreign parents in international joint ventures (IJVs): An empirical examination in the Hungarian context’. This article develops theoretical arguments and empirically tests a two-stage research question: (1) What are the organizational characteristics and structural mechanisms between IJV parents that influence knowledge acquisition from the foreign parent, and (2) what is the relationship between knowledge acquisition and performance in Hungarian IJVs? The most important contribution is the focus on both the antecedents and the consequences of knowledge acquisition in IJVs. I also discuss subsequent research that draws heavily on the conceptual or empirical findings of the 2006 JIBS Decade Award paper. I conclude by suggesting areas of future research in the field of knowledge transfer, organizational learning and international strategic alliances.

The relevance of design thinking and cognition to the development of pedagogical approaches in the architectural electronic design studio is presented and discussed. In this approach we emphasize and demonstrate the role of the acquisition of explicit knowledge in design. The acquisition of knowledge is achieved through the explication of cognitive structures and strategies of design thinking. The explication process is implemented in a computational medium which supports the learning process as well as the potential re-use of the knowledge.

Statistical learning of novel graphotactic constraints in children and adults

This paper highlights some connections between dialogical interaction and knowledge acquisition in group settings. In learners’ quest to develop communicative competence and self-identity or social identity and acquire knowledge, dialogical interaction is applied to three contexts of knowledge-acquiring process where learners’ identity, learners’ mindset, learners’ rapport, learners’ communicative competence and learners’ knowledge are involved. Simply speaking, learners in collaborative contexts tend to share existing knowledge to generate potential knowledge; learners in competitive contexts are inclined to build knowledge, learners in cohesive contexts just use knowledge as a tool to organize knowledge. However, it is contended that dialogues are supposed to be explicitly regarded as part of the knowledge-acquiring process. There is a tendency to enable more effective knowledge acquisition through communicative talk, especially dialogues, in the interactive contexts with scaffoldings, tutoring or even intervention.

There is no ideal class, but there are many ways to make teaching more interesting and better, putting an emphasis on the student as the main subject in the teaching process. No form of teaching work is perfect, it is very important not to keep the same principle of work and combine teaching and working methods according to the teaching unit (lesson) and class. Electronic social networks support independent learning management, learning through interactive communication, cooperation, knowledge creation and creation of a learning chain of interested and active actors. The Internet relocates the learning process from schools to cafes and other private environments, according to the principle of mobile classrooms. However, at present time of distance learning, due to the COVID-19 pandemic current situation, the student is allowed to be able to plan both the time and place for learning, following its own interests and using the electronic media. In that way, students easily and quickly become more independent for self-education process and preparation for lifelong learning, which becomes a lifestyle in new technological conditions. New information society challenges many dimensions of the traditional functioning of the education system. What is indisputable is the role and importance of education, both for the survival and development of society and individuals. Modern technologies have radically changed the physiognomy of modern society, needs and the way of meeting needs, and standards in all levels of social life. There is a constant need for a new education policy and strategy. New technologies create new work organization, the need for new occupations and educational backgrounds. Many problems in the society arise precisely in the field of education. The problem of educational efficiency, unclear competencies acquired through simple reproduction of existing educational profiles, without new educational competencies for the completely new occupations, the traditional way of education, with reproduction of learned, without clear vision of usefulness and usability of knowledge, are just some of the manifest forms of crisis society-education. The application of new educational technology is a requirement of the new education strategy, from which is being expected to increase the efficiency of educational and learning process. A society that is unprepared to implement modern technological achievements is doomed to stagnation, as well as to numerous conflicts and marginalization. On the other hand, investing in education, modernizing the premises in education, content and educational technology, has a reciprocal impact on the development of society. In the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the information age proved to be appropriate and much needed by proving to be adequate to change traditional notions about matter, space, time, energy, and even about education. In these conditions, the role of teachers, schools, education, the nature of learning, and the methodology of teaching has changed. The new living conditions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic have fundamentally changed the way teaching, business, entertainment, war technology, and educational technology. Educational technology consists of knowledge and achievements in various scientific fields: pedagogy, didactics, methodology, psychology, cybernetics, communication, etc. In these conditions, teaching methodology must rely on modern educational technology, on a systematic and organized process of applying modern techniques and technology in improving the quality of the teaching process in the field of efficiency, optimality, applicability and acquisition of knowledge. Knowledge, use and application of modern information technologies, in these conditions, is the content of modern literacy and cultural pattern. All of these are challenges for the methodology in teaching social sciences and humanities. The methodology of teaching social sciences and humanities is, more than the methodology of any other science field, facing important challenges. All the changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in society and life, through the teaching social sciences and humanities, should be approximated, explained, and interpreted in a way that will not distance these sciences from high school students, who will not create a repulsive attitude, "bogy" incomprehensible reading, as boring classes to be avoided. Precisely through the use of the possibilities of modern technologies, the teaching work should be refreshed, innovated and activated, so that the knowledge is updated both in the content and in the teaching-methodological sense. Finally, our hypothesis set at the beginning of this theoretical study is confirmed, modern forms of work and innovative approaches in the educational process are the future of the educational process. Expert authors agree that there are no good results without the application of educational technology, new methods and forms of work in the teaching process. Developed societies have long used this method and we can say that this is one of the reasons for their development and progress. However, appreciating all the above, the recommendation and conclusion of this paper is that with the use of new benefits and advantages in teaching, as well as the current need for distance learning, which is only feasible due to the COVID-19 pandemic, do not forget to use traditional teaching style as reliable support for performing and adequately placing educational tasks today and in the future. Spoken word is in any case an irreplaceable variant to which we should return according to the social crisis caused by the mentioned problems.

The virtual microscope has been employed as an adjunct tool to teach optical microscopy for histology learning in medical schools. However, there is no reliable evidence in the literature that virtual and optical microscopy impacts students’ learning. This study focuses on comparing two different methods in learning histology in Universiti Sains Malaysia, namely virtual microscopy and optical microscopy, with regard to medical students’ knowledge acquisition and satisfaction levels. A total number of 120 medical students, consisting of 53 first-year and 67 second-year students, were recruited. The students were divided into virtual microscopy and optical microscopy groups. During the one-day intervention, all students attended a pre-requisite lecture on “Histology of the Eye”, a slide demonstration and a hands-on session using a designated microscope. Students’ knowledge acquisition was evaluated through a pre- and post-practical evaluation and their satisfaction level on learning histology using respective learning tools was measured. The study revealed that the optical and virtual microscopy groups showed significant improvement from the pre- to post-practical tests scores with p < 0.001, respectively. However, the mean increment was higher in virtual microscopy (38.51%) than in optical microscopy (35.08%). Furthermore, the virtual microscopy group had a significantly higher satisfaction score towards the learning tool than the optical microscopy group, p = 0.008. The knowledge acquisition of the virtual microscopy group was equal to the optical microscopy group as they were shown to have a similar improvement in the test scores, comprehension level and learning ability. However, students were nonetheless satisfied with the usage of virtual microscopy as a learning tool.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine the role that knowledge acquisition (KA) plays in creating product innovation flexibility (PIF) in SMEs. The paper also examines two of the factors of the KA process: relationship quality (RQ); and information capability (IC).Design/methodology/approach– The survey data were checked for common method variance, validity, and reliability. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothetical framework and path analysis was used to test mediation effects.Findings– Results show that for SMEs, KA mediates the effect of RQ on PIF, and that KA partially mediates the relationship between IC and PIF.Research limitations/implications– The study focusses on only one step in the knowledge management process – KA. Additional research into the role that IC plays on PIF is also called for. Additional empirical study is needed to identify contingency factors, both within and outside the firm.Practical implications– These findings provide important insights for SME supply chain managers to understand the roles that the quality of relationship with their suppliers and how information is managed across boundaries can impact their ability to achieve flexible production innovation. An effective external KA process facilitates transformation of high-quality supplier relationship and IC into innovation flexibility.Social implications– The study suggests that the concept of social capital should be emphasized in knowledge-based research on SMEs.Originality/value– This study fills a gap in supply chain management research on the role of KA on PIF by being one of the first to empirically examine this effect in SMEs.

Actuality of the conducted research is practically oriented character. Without the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the field of higher education, it is impossible to carry out qualitative training of specialists in engineering, the results of which are necessary for the implementation of a national strategy for modernizing the economy and forming a progressive state of European type. Formulation of the task - the specificity of the use of ICT in the system of higher education has not been studied sufficiently. ICT form a complex environment, which includes a lot of information objects and the links between them. It can be argued that the structural and functional analysis of the use of ICT in higher education is the basis of the theoretical justification in the formation of technical professionalism of future engineers. ICTs form a complex system, which includes not only technical and software-hardware capabilities, but also psycho-pedagogical, organizational, methodological. Without taking into account all of these components, as well as the needs of the subjects of the educational process, the use of ICT tools (especially centralized) may be accompanied by risks and negatively affect the quality of high education. An analysis of recent research and publications-is actively exploring the experience of using ICT in high school, it is possible to distinguish the work of foreign specialists D. Stevenson, G. Reinhold, E. Wenger, S. Papierta, I. Zakharova, E. Patarakina, A. Khutorskogo, E. Polat The founders of this scientific direction in our country were M. I. Zhaldak, Y. I.Mashbits. The recent significant increase in the number of studies, the subject of which was the use of information and communication technologies in the educational process. Tsitemi in Ukraine is dedicated to the study of such scholars as V. Yu. Bykov, Ya.V. Bulakhova, O.M. Bondarenko, V.F. Zabolotny, G.O. Kozlakova, O. Moiko, O. Naumenko, Yu.Burovitskaya, I. Stavyts'ka, O.P. Pinchuk, O.V. Shestopal and others. Selection of unexplored parts of the general problem. The use of information technologies in the educational process is the foundation of innovative development of the educational system. The rapid development of ICT provides not only significant pace of innovative progress, but also requires the definition (limitation) of information resources that guarantee the quality of learning, the choice of techniques that are in line with the general strategy for the formation of professional competences. Therefore, the problem of choosing an approach to the process of learning with the use of ICTs remains one of the main tasks of education. Research methods. In theory and practice, the study of the application of information and communication technologies (ICT) in high school uses empirical methods of collecting and analyzing information based on the results of the survey of 120 students. Presenting main material. The essence of professionalism of future specialists of the technical direction is revealed. The scientific point of view on the professionalism of the engineer is presented. The peculiarities of formation of the basis of technical professionalism of future engineers in the process of studying at a higher school are theoretically grounded. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of the results of empirical researches of this problem is presented. The practical significance of the research topic is that the innovative approaches to the training of specialists in engineering specialties are differentiated, which differentiate in the educational concepts of teaching in higher educational institutions of European countries