Knowledge Creation and Knowledge Diffusion In Technology Evolution
Forthcoming in The Theory of Technology Evolution, Chapter 7
9 Pages Posted: 23 Jan 2019
Date Written: January 9, 2019
Abstract
Humans, in a technological community, interact with each other every day, by exchanging technical information on production and markets, based upon their store of knowledge and memories.
New knowledge in technological evolution seems analogous to food, or energy, which gets “eaten” in the Lotka-Volterra biological setting.
In the biological metaphor, the boundary-spanners are seeking food in the form of market and technical knowledge in their environment.
Translating to the biological metaphor, if the boundary-spanner gets back to her firm, and if the firm “imitates” the best production practices of other firms, the firm is “adapting” to the new knowledge in the environment.
In other words, what happens when the boundary-spanner gets back with knowledge is that the senior executives at the firm may begin “imagining” a new reality of how a new product, or new production technique, may fit into the firm’s future market.
Keywords: tacit knowledge, codified knowledge, knowledge creation, knowledge diffusion,
JEL Classification: O33
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation