Upham, SP; Rosenkopf, L; Ungar, LH. 2010. Innovating knowledge communities An analysis of group collaboration and competition in science and technology. SCIENTOMETRICS 83 (2): 525-554

[Eugene Garfield]

Upham, SP; Rosenkopf, L; Ungar, LH. 2010. Innovating knowledge communities 
An analysis of group collaboration and competition in science and technology. 
SCIENTOMETRICS 83 (2): 525-554.

Author Full Name(s): Upham, S. Phineas; Rosenkopf, Lori; Ungar, Lyle H.
Language: English
Document Type: Article

Author Keywords: Knowledge communities; Innovation; Dynamic clustering
KeyWords Plus: RESOURCE-BASED VIEW; COMBINED COCITATION; MARKET 
ORIENTATION; CITATION PATTERNS; WORD ANALYSIS; SEARCH; NETWORKS; 
BIOTECHNOLOGY; CONSTRUCTION; ISOMORPHISM

Abstract: A useful level of analysis for the study of innovation may be what we 
call "knowledge communities''-intellectually cohesive, organic inter-
organizational forms. Formal organizations like firms are excellent at promoting 
cooperation, but knowledge communities are superior at fostering collaboration-
the most important process in innovation. Rather than focusing on what 
encourages performance in formal organizations, we study what characteristics 
encourage aggregate superior performance in informal knowledge communities 
in computer science. Specifically, we explore the way knowledge communities 
both draw on past knowledge, as seen in citations, and use rhetoric, as found 
in writing, to seek a basis for differential success. We find that when using 
knowledge successful knowledge communities draw from a broad range of 
sources and are extremely flexible in changing and adapting. In marked 
contrast, when using rhetoric successful knowledge communities tend to use 
very similar vocabularies and language that does not move or adapt over time 
and is not unique or esoteric compared to the vocabulary of other communities. 
A better understanding of how inter-organizational collaborative network 
structures encourage innovation is important to understanding what drives 
innovation and how to promote it.

Addresses: [Upham, S. Phineas; Rosenkopf, Lori] Univ Penn, Wharton Sch, 
Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA; [Ungar, Lyle H.] Univ Penn, CIS Dept, Philadelphia, 
PA 19104 USA
Reprint Address: Upham, SP, Univ Penn, Wharton Sch, Philadelphia, PA 19104 
USA.
E-mail Address: uphams at wharton.upenn.edu; rosenkopf at wharton.upenn.edu; 
ungar at cis.upenn.edu

ISSN: 0138-9130
DOI: 10.1007/s11192-009-0102-2
URL Full Text: http://www.springerlink.com/content/67qm5238xv387658/