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Proceedings of the 3rd European Conference on Intellectual Capital

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B<strong>on</strong>gani Ngwenya<br />

late adopters resp<strong>on</strong>d to framing and interpreting adopti<strong>on</strong> decisi<strong>on</strong> situati<strong>on</strong>s as opportunities versus<br />

threats. Thus <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> rati<strong>on</strong>ale and motivati<strong>on</strong> for undertaking this research and c<strong>on</strong>tributing to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> body <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

knowledge <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> rethinking <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> classic instituti<strong>on</strong>al, framing and diffusi<strong>on</strong> model, to suggest strategic<br />

innovati<strong>on</strong> and knowledge management model or framework that emerging technologies and<br />

ec<strong>on</strong>omies like Zimbabwe could adopt to suit <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir social, political and ec<strong>on</strong>omic c<strong>on</strong>text.<br />

In <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> order <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> author first examines some insights from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> literature and<br />

c<strong>on</strong>ceptual framework. Following <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> discussi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>ceptual framework, a discussi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this<br />

empirical investigati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> framing and interpreting adopti<strong>on</strong> decisi<strong>on</strong> situati<strong>on</strong>s based <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

interpretivist research c<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong>s used in this paper is d<strong>on</strong>e. The research methodology is outlined,<br />

followed by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> analysis <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> data, and discussi<strong>on</strong>. Finally, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>s are drawn. As a result <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

this investigati<strong>on</strong>, a strategic innovati<strong>on</strong> and knowledge management framework or model that can be<br />

feasible in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> emerging technologies and ec<strong>on</strong>omies, and takes into account <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> social, political and<br />

ec<strong>on</strong>omic c<strong>on</strong>text <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se emerging technologies and ec<strong>on</strong>omies could be developed following<br />

fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r research in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> future.<br />

2. Insights from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> literature and c<strong>on</strong>ceptual framework<br />

Innovati<strong>on</strong> stands out as <strong>on</strong>e excellent objective <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> management activity in general, and knowledge<br />

management specifically (Ruggles and Little, 1997). The two experts in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir research fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r suggest<br />

that, or examine innovati<strong>on</strong> as <strong>on</strong>e end to which knowledge management can be applied. Pimentel<br />

and Campos (2008) suggest that creativity and innovati<strong>on</strong> is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> key to survival and pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>itability in a<br />

rapidly evolving, complex and competitive global business envir<strong>on</strong>ment. Technology is integral to<br />

virtually every facet <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> business. It plays pivotal role in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> development, manufacture and delivery <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

innovative products and services to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> market. Effective management <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> innovati<strong>on</strong>, product design<br />

and development is important for technology leadership. Thus, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> alignment <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> intellectual property<br />

strategy with innovati<strong>on</strong> and business strategy is challenging and yet critical for bottom line growth.<br />

Knowledge management comprises a range <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> strategies and practices used in an organizati<strong>on</strong> to<br />

identify, create, represent, distribute, and enable adopti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> insights and experiences. Such insights<br />

and experiences comprise knowledge, ei<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r embodied in individuals or embedded in organizati<strong>on</strong>al<br />

processes or practices (N<strong>on</strong>aka, 1991). Many large companies and n<strong>on</strong>-pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>it organizati<strong>on</strong>s have<br />

resources dedicated to internal knowledge management efforts, <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten as part <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir business<br />

strategy, informati<strong>on</strong> technology, or human resources management departments (Addicott, McGivern<br />

and Ferlie, 2006). Knowledge management efforts typically focus <strong>on</strong> organizati<strong>on</strong>al objectives such as<br />

improved performance, competitive advantage, innovati<strong>on</strong>, creativity, development, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> sharing <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

less<strong>on</strong>s learned, integrati<strong>on</strong> and c<strong>on</strong>tinuous improvement <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> organizati<strong>on</strong>. Knowledge<br />

management efforts can help individuals and groups to share valuable organizati<strong>on</strong>al insights, to<br />

reduce redundant work, to avoid reinventing <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> wheel per se, to reduce training time for new<br />

employees, and retain intellectual capital (McAdam and McCreedy, 2000; Thomps<strong>on</strong> and<br />

Walsham,2004). The efficient operati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a firm requires c<strong>on</strong>gruence between <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> firm’s product and<br />

knowledge domains (Grant, 1996), a str<strong>on</strong>g innovative knowledge base can increase a firm’s rent<br />

generati<strong>on</strong> potential by streng<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ning its ability to take advantage <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> opportunities in product markets<br />

(Gopalkrishnan, 2000). Also, innovati<strong>on</strong> in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> form <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a unique and superior combinati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> firm<br />

resources may introduce ‘creative destructi<strong>on</strong>’ to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> competitive landscape and bring c<strong>on</strong>siderable<br />

benefits to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> innovative firm (Schumpeter, 1934). Innovati<strong>on</strong> can thus be a fundamental force that<br />

drives a firm’s exploitati<strong>on</strong> in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> marketplace, resulting in positive ec<strong>on</strong>omic performance for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> firm<br />

(Griliches, 1990; Hall, 2000).<br />

Usually, intensive investment in Research and Development can help a firm maintain an ample stock<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> innovative knowledge assets, which are <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten traceable, at least in part, through <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> firm’s patenting<br />

history (Hoetker and Agarwal, 2007). Although rival firms may imitate certain codifiable but<br />

n<strong>on</strong>patented innovative outputs, <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten much <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a firm’s innovative knowledge can be ‘isolating<br />

mechanism’ deterring rivals from appropriating ec<strong>on</strong>omic returns through imitati<strong>on</strong> (Mah<strong>on</strong>ey and<br />

Pandian, 1992; Rumelt, 1984). Also, a c<strong>on</strong>tinuous focus <strong>on</strong> accumulating innovative knowledge<br />

assets increases a firm’s absorptive capacity, putting it in a better positi<strong>on</strong> to transform strategic<br />

inputs into valuable products or services (Cohen and Levinthal, 1990; Kor and Mah<strong>on</strong>ey, 2005). The<br />

outcome <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> innovative knowledge can also prove difficult for o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r firms to imitate. Apart from<br />

protective mechanisms such as copyrights and patents, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> idiosyncratic features <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a firm make<br />

replicati<strong>on</strong> difficulty if o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r firms do not have access to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> asset c<strong>on</strong>figurati<strong>on</strong> to which <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> innovative<br />

knowledge was applied (Helfat, 1994; Alchian and Demsetz, 1972; McGrath et al., 1996). In line with<br />

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