Provocative and reflective, this volume on the notion of knowledge and innovation in the business industry provides readers with a holistic approach to the subject of 'knowledge'.

Structuring their arguments around four case studies of innovation within four entirely different contexts, Hakansson and Waluszewski invite the business-minded reader to consider the costs of adopting new knowledge and innovation within a business setting.

This book:

• questions the long-held assumption that new knowledge and innovation are universally advantageous
• follows the tremor of an innovation as new knowledge reverberates through, or is dampened by the larger economic community - including cultural structures, the industrial standards and the foundational assumptions that rule a particular economic domain
• focuses in particular on the interfaces where the innovative agent connects to its customers, suppliers and competitors.

An ideal reference source for postgraduate students taking advanced courses in science and technology studies, innovation management, industrial marketing and purchasing, technological development and innovation systems.

In this book, the story of how IKEA and its paper producers struggled to solve the problem of creating environmentally friendly paper constitutes the foundation of a discussion of technological development. Through a detailed analysis of the case-study, the authors demonstrate the necessity of including social, technological and economical factors when dealing with such issues.
Focusing on the interactive aspects of commercial and technological development, they examine how new solutions are developed and shaped in relation to the different companies and organizations involved. They investigate resources in terms of how they are related and built into other resources through historical and contemporary interaction processes. Their overall emphasis is on dealing with the issue of how different, closely and distantly related companies and organizations are affected when resources are developed.


eBook available with sample pages: 0203217535

Technical innovation in industry is regarded by many people as the best way of making industry more profitable. A great deal of energy and time is being expended by businessmen and by governments discussing how best to bring about technical innovation. This book, which was first published in 1987, argues that all concerned with technical innovation should bear in mind the importance of 'networks'. 'Networks' are defined as the web of contacts which exist between suppliers, customers, and producers in industry. Drawing on extensive original research, the book discusses the need for co-ordinating technical research and development with suppliers and customers and examines in detail how this should best be done. This book is ideal for students of business and economics.

Technical innovation in industry is regarded by many people as the best way of making industry more profitable. A great deal of energy and time is being expended by businessmen and by governments discussing how best to bring about technical innovation. This book, which was first published in 1987, argues that all concerned with technical innovation should bear in mind the importance of 'networks'. 'Networks' are defined as the web of contacts which exist between suppliers, customers, and producers in industry. Drawing on extensive original research, the book discusses the need for co-ordinating technical research and development with suppliers and customers and examines in detail how this should best be done. This book is ideal for students of business and economics.

Accounting in Networks is the first book that in a comprehensive way covers the emerging issue of accounting and control in horizontal relations across legally independent organizations. During the last 20 years, organisations have shown an increased interest in collaborations that cross company boundaries. New organisational forms, such as alliances, partnerships, joint ventures, outsourcing and networks have received increased attention. This development has pushed management accounting researchers into examining the lateral effects of accounting. This book examines these lateral effects on accounting, and creates a comprehensive summary of what has been achieved so far and what interesting developments will occur in the coming ten years. The book covers a variety of inter-organizational settings - dyads, networks, joint ventures, public sector - and the roles of accounting therein. It also deals with specific inter-organizational accounting techniques - customer accounting, target costing and open book accounting - which companies use to manage in a world of inter-organizational relationships and networks. The book also covers different theoretical perspectives - transactional cost economics, the industrial-network approach, actor-network theory, institutional theory - on accounting in networks. Each chapter focus on a specific angle of accounting in networks, assess theoretical and empirical evidence, summarize the current position/debate and discuss promising avenues for future research.

Provocative and reflective, this volume on the notion of knowledge and innovation in the business industry provides readers with a holistic approach to the subject of 'knowledge'. Structuring their arguments around four case studies of innovation within four entirely different contexts, Hakansson and Waluszewski invite the business-minded reader to consider the costs of adopting new knowledge and innovation within a business setting. This book: questions the long-held assumption that new knowledge and innovation are universally advantageous follows the tremor of an innovation as new knowledge reverberates through, or is dampened by the larger economic community - including cultural structures, the industrial standards and the foundational assumptions that rule a particular economic domain focuses in particular on the interfaces where the innovative agent connects to its customers, suppliers and competitors. An ideal reference source for postgraduate students taking advanced courses in science and technology studies, innovation management, industrial marketing and purchasing, technological development and innovation systems.

Accounting in Networks is the first book that in a comprehensive way covers the emerging issue of accounting and control in horizontal relations across legally independent organizations. During the last 20 years, organisations have shown an increased interest in collaborations that cross company boundaries. New organisational forms, such as alliances, partnerships, joint ventures, outsourcing and networks have received increased attention. This development has pushed management accounting researchers into examining the lateral effects of accounting. This book examines these lateral effects on accounting, and creates a comprehensive summary of what has been achieved so far and what interesting developments will occur in the coming ten years.

The book covers a variety of inter-organizational settings - dyads, networks, joint ventures, public sector - and the roles of accounting therein. It also deals with specific inter-organizational accounting techniques - customer accounting, target costing and open book accounting - which companies use to manage in a world of inter-organizational relationships and networks. The book also covers different theoretical perspectives - transactional cost economics, the industrial-network approach, actor-network theory, institutional theory - on accounting in networks. Each chapter focus on a specific angle of accounting in networks, assess theoretical and empirical evidence, summarize the current position/debate and discuss promising avenues for future research.

Successful innovation is a true challenge and especially when today's companies are intertwined in close inter-organisational relationships and networks with e.g. customers and suppliers. Research has indicated that accounting can play important roles in such innovation processes, but there is little in-depth systematic knowledge about this issue. Accounting, Innovation and Inter-Organisational Relationships gathers leading researchers from all around the world to argue for the importance of more systematic knowledge about accounting, innovation and inter-organisational relationships. Accounting, Innovation and Inter-Organisational Relationships thus becomes an important source for researchers and practitioners interested in accounting and inter-organisational relationships as well as the related disciplines of management, marketing, innovation and strategy.

Efficient technological strategy is an increasingly important element in industrial profitability. An understanding of networks - the formal and informal web of contacts between suppliers, producers and customers - is vital to the application of such strategy. In this book, first published in 1989, Hakan Hakansson brings together theory and practice to provide the first comprehensive and detailed study of technological development in companies, and the associated interactions with other companies and organizations. This book is ideal for students of business.

The interactive dimension is crucial for the development and growth companies and of the economy. In management, creating and appropriating value depends on relating your business to other businesses. When developing strategy, innovating, marketing, purchasing or accounting there is the need to handle the local specific interdependencies in business relationships that characterize the interactive world. That implies a conception of the task and priorities of management and the critical managerial skills that is only partly acknowledged in the contemporary management theory. This book provides empirical insights into the often hidden interactive aspects of the contemporary business world. It offers a novel perspective and theoretical and methodological tools for analysis of interactive aspects related to topics such as management, strategy, purchasing, marketing and accounting as well as issues related to economic and regional policies including public purchasing and the role of ownership.

Efficient technological strategy is an increasingly important element in industrial profitability. An understanding of networks - the formal and informal web of contacts between suppliers, producers and customers - is vital to the application of such strategy. In this book, first published in 1989, Hakan Hakansson brings together theory and practice to provide the first comprehensive and detailed study of technological development in companies, and the associated interactions with other companies and organizations. This book is ideal for students of business.