Title: Appropriability strategy in assessing future business development. Case: wireless communication technology

Authors: Pia Hurmelinna, Jukka Bergman, Ari Jantunen

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, Lappeenranta University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, FIN-53851 Lappeenranta, Finland. ' Department of Business Administration, Lappeenranta University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, FIN-53851 Lappeenranta, Finland. ' Department of Business Administration, Lappeenranta University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, FIN-53851 Lappeenranta, Finland

Abstract: Companies need abilities to sense and seize new opportunities as well as to reconfigure and protect knowledge assets, competences, complementary assets and technologies in order to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. Utilising the scenario process where sharing existing knowledge enhances recognising new possibilities, finding and creating future-oriented knowledge assets can be notably improved. This process produces both tacit and explicit knowledge. Since competitive advantage can only be achieved by using hard-to-imitate scarce assets, creating barriers for imitation becomes essential, especially when codified knowledge is considered. Thus, taking appropriability strategies into account from the very beginning of the scenario process is an essential part of using and creating the dynamic capabilities for the companies participating in the process. In this study, the combination of the scenario process and appropriability strategies is examined in the field of wireless communication technology, and it is illustrated by a case example of varying partners forming a knowledge network.

Keywords: scenario process; appropriability strategy; innovation; knowledge network; knowledge sharing; sustainable competitive advantage; wireless communications; knowledge management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLIC.2004.005072

International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital, 2004 Vol.1 No.2, pp.225 - 238

Published online: 25 Aug 2004 *

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