Research On The Process And Performance Of Organic Knowledge Integration

The sustained competitive advantage is built on knowlede growth or innovation in the knolwedge-based view. Knowledge integration is the core mechanism of knowledge innovation. The capability of knowledge integration has become the key variable of enterprises'growth in the dynamic environment. Presently, researchers focus on the machinasm of knowledge integration process, but their process models does not explain how knowledge will grow through integration and there are few empirical studies to confrim these models. Furthermore, empirical studies on performance of knowledge integration are absent. In order to fill the gap of the theory of knowledge integration and offer an operational framework for enterprises'integration practice, this dissertation will do a further research on process and performance of knwoledge integration.With literature research,case study and empirical study, the paper does a further research on process and performance of organic knowledge integration. The main results of this research are listed as follow:Firstly, this dissertation has put forward the definiton of organic knowledge integration. Knowledge is different from physical resources and it has got the biological characteristics. The essence of organic knowledge integration is to build interconnected relationship between different knowledge, and it is a non-linear and organic process. There is significant difference between organic and mechanical integration. The organic characteristics of knowledge integration have also been put forward, which includes the coherency of organic and logical harmony characteristc of knowledge, the coherency of inertia and fusion of knowledge, can being integrated among different knowledge, and the organic characteristic of integration process. Basing on the organic charateristic of knowledge integration, enterprises will lower the risk and achieve more success when they implement knowledge integration in practice.Secondly, the process of organic knowledge integration is consisted of five stages, which are being stimulated, knowledge gene cognition, knowledge convening, organic knowledge reconfiguration and knowledge diffusion. The stage of being stimulated is the motivation of knowledge integration. Knowledge cognition and knowledge convening are the prerequisite, while the organic knowledge reconfiguration and knowledge diffusion are the kernel stages. The stage of being stimulated is the result of building interconnected relationship between stimulus and knowledge embodied in enterprises. However, the interconnected relationship is ambiguous. The stage of knowledge gene cogniton is to build further interconnected relationship between stimulus and knowledge embodied in enterprises, which offers clear direction for knowledge integration. The stage of knowledge convening is performed by studying, which makes external knowledge more absorptive. The essence of knowledge convening is to build interconnected relationship between external knowledge and knowledge embodied in enterprises. The stages of organic knowledge reconfiguration and knowledge diffusion are to build effective interconnected relationship between different knowledge ultimately. The model of organic knowledge integration shows the organic characteristics.Finally, the effect of influencing process factors to the efficiency of knowledge integration is shown in the model of effect path with SEM method. Specifictly, the efficiency of knowledge integration is mainly influenced by promotion mechanism, which includes Ba, Incentive mechanism, knowledge media and internal environment of enterprises. Though the flexibility of knowledge integration does not influence the efficiency directly, it positively influences the efficency through promotion mechanism. The capability of cognition positively and significantly influences the efficiency through flexibility and promotion mechanism. The scope of knowledge integration and the capability of knowledge convening do not influence efficiency.