TY - JOUR
T1 - The coevolution of firms and their knowledge environment
T2 - insights from the pharmaceutical industry
AU - Santos, Filipe M.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2003/9
Y1 - 2003/9
N2 - What are the most effective learning strategies for firms given the characteristics of their knowledge environment? This paper addresses this question by documenting the major changes in the knowledge environment of the pharmaceutical industry, with a particular emphasis on the period since the emergence of biotechnology, and discussing the related changes in the learning strategies of established pharmaceutical firms. Both the historical analysis and a review of the empirical research on organizational learning and knowledge transfer reveal a strong emphasis of firms on external learning through interfirm collaborations and sourcing of external knowledge. This learning strategy seems to be driven by the speed, uncertainty, and dispersion of knowledge developments in the industry. Studying the connections between the knowledge environment and the effectiveness of organizational learning processes is important to understand organizational change and adaptation, and is an area of research that deserves further attention.
AB - What are the most effective learning strategies for firms given the characteristics of their knowledge environment? This paper addresses this question by documenting the major changes in the knowledge environment of the pharmaceutical industry, with a particular emphasis on the period since the emergence of biotechnology, and discussing the related changes in the learning strategies of established pharmaceutical firms. Both the historical analysis and a review of the empirical research on organizational learning and knowledge transfer reveal a strong emphasis of firms on external learning through interfirm collaborations and sourcing of external knowledge. This learning strategy seems to be driven by the speed, uncertainty, and dispersion of knowledge developments in the industry. Studying the connections between the knowledge environment and the effectiveness of organizational learning processes is important to understand organizational change and adaptation, and is an area of research that deserves further attention.
KW - Coevolution
KW - Interfirm collaborations
KW - Knowledge environment
KW - Knowledge transfer
KW - Organizational learning
KW - Pharmaceutical industry
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0042068212&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0040-1625(03)00031-3
DO - 10.1016/S0040-1625(03)00031-3
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0042068212
SN - 0040-1625
VL - 70
SP - 687
EP - 715
JO - Technological Forecasting and Social Change
JF - Technological Forecasting and Social Change
IS - 7
ER -