This book examines how the norms, culture, and practices of the socio-economic Nordic model give them a competitive edge in globalized production chains. Using the Norwegian automotive industry - one of the most globalized industries in the world - as the empirical foundation of the book, it examines the strengths, tensions, and challenges the Norwegian work organization style meets in this particular business environment. It explores the current indicators of competitiveness, innovation, scientific excellence, and well-being as compared with the US, UK, EU, Japan, and elsewhere to address the hotly debated question of how institutions and culture contribute to or inhibit certain forms of work organization, learning, and economic performance. Integrating action research, organization studies, and learning and innovation economics, this book provides a more precise understanding of how institutions and cultures at a macro level shape learning practices in a competitive industry.

The key message of this book is that heterogeneity should be seen as an intrinsic and indispensable element of knowledge systems. The authors address the concept of heterogeneity in a multi-disciplinary fashion, including perspectives from evolutionary economics and innovation system studies, and relate this approach to existing theories in a broad range of fields. This book postulates that one approach to such a re-conceptualization is what we call the 'Mode 3' system consisting of 'Innovation Networks' and 'Knowledge Clusters' for knowledge creation, diffusion and use. This is a multi-layered, multi-modal, multi-nodal and multi-lateral system, encompassing complementary and mutually reinforcing innovation networks and knowledge clusters consisting of human and intellectual capital, shaped by social capital and underpinned by financial capital. Diversity in the Knowledge Economy and Society will appeal to academics and researchers of innovation and science, knowledge management and economics.

This book examines how the norms, culture, and practices of the socio-economic Nordic model give them a competitive edge in globalized production chains. Using the Norwegian automotive industry - one of the most globalized industries in the world - as the empirical foundation of the book, it examines the strengths, tensions, and challenges the Norwegian work organization style meets in this particular business environment. It explores the current indicators of competitiveness, innovation, scientific excellence, and well-being as compared with the US, UK, EU, Japan, and elsewhere to address the hotly debated question of how institutions and culture contribute to or inhibit certain forms of work organization, learning, and economic performance. Integrating action research, organization studies, and learning and innovation economics, this book provides a more precise understanding of how institutions and cultures at a macro level shape learning practices in a competitive industry.