How to learn from the outside? In this post I will give the theoretical perspective.

In the past weeks I have combined my four-stage model of Knowledge Identification, Knowledge Interpretation, Knowledge Transfer and Knowledge Application with a model from Rodney McAdam (prof. in Innovation Management), which described how technology and market knowledge can be incorporated effectively with the goal of innovating.

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The process of outside - inside learning is pictured in four stages.

1. It starts with knowledge identification, where knowledge is created via a top-down (Distributed Cognition) and a bottom up (Social Constructionism) approach. Via those two mechanisms a company is able to identify the knowledge, by that creating a taxonomy of knowledge. This taxonomy exists of both internal and external knowledge sources with market and technology knowledge.
2. This taxonomy is evaluated in the stage of knowledge interpretation, where the knowledge is linked to the business goals, and given meaning from the receiving business point of view. Alignment within the receiving company with the business goals is mostly done via senior-management involvement. Senior-management involvement is seen as critical for innovation success
3. The third stage is knowledge transfer, this is where the acquired knowledge is transferred to the organisation. With the creation and making available of new sources of knowledge the company creates innovation opportunities. However, with the creation of new opportunities the status quo within organisations is challenged. This causes filters as resistance / stumbling blocks for innovation. Various writers have given mechanisms for efficient knowledge transfer, giving recognition to the type of knowledge vs the intensity of knowledge transfer tools (Lazarova 2005)
4. The fourth stage is knowledge application. McAdam (2006) is using idea generation as key word. I think the term knowledge application can be seen as synonym for idea generation, because in applying the acquired and accessed knowledge companies generate ideas for innovation. Vital here is the communication structure to disseminate and distribute the knowledge across the organisation and the process to initiate and collect upcoming innovations.

The arrows on the left hand side of the image indicate that the four stages are not part of a linear, but an iterative process. It is possible to jump back and forth in the stages. The (open)arrows in the model are indicators of innovation opportunities.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 27th, 2006 at 10:25 am and is filed under Theory Building blocks, Outside-Inside Learning. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.