2011 Awards for Excellence

Citation

(2012), "2011 Awards for Excellence", International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 32 No. 1/2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijssp.2012.03132baa.001

2011 Awards for Excellence

Article Type: 2011 Awards for Excellence From: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Volume 32, Issue 1/2

The following article was selected for this year’s Outstanding Paper Award for International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy

“Network resources and knowledge alliances: sociological perspectives on inter-firm networks as innovation facilitators”

Robert HugginsCentre for International Competitiveness, Cardiff School of Management, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, UK

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical framework to distinguish different forms of network resource that govern knowledge-based alliances and facilitate innovation.

Design/methodology/approach -- The paper seeks to build theory through a critical analysis of the relevant literature.

Findings -- The paper draws on the notion of network resources to better understand those assets firms have at their disposal to facilitate knowledge-based interactions and relationships that catalyze innovation. It seeks to integrate the concept of social capital, which the paper argues largely concerns resources related to the social relations and networks held by those individuals within a particular firm. As a means of describing and identifying network resources that are more strategically held by the firm as a whole, the paper introduces the concept of network capital. Network capital is defined as consisting of investments in calculative relations by firms through which they gain access to knowledge to enhance expected economic returns. Therefore, the paper argues that it is possible to make a distinction between the two types of network resource: network capital and social capital.

Research limitations/implications -- Making a distinction between network capital and social capital is relevant to both scholars and decision-makers as it provides a framework for analyzing the underlying complexity of inter-firm networks and variability across a range of dimensions, conditions and contingencies. It also provides a framework for evaluating which networks a firm can or cannot manage and invest into meet its requirements.

Originality/value -- The paper develops a new and more refined framework for analyzing and evaluating knowledge-based alliances and innovation-driven networks between firms and other actors.

Keywords: Innovation, Deductive databases, Social factors, Knowledge management

www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/01443331011072271

This article originally appeared in Volume 30 Number 9/10, 2010, pp. 515-531, International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy

The following articles were selected for this year’s Highly Commended Award

“Barriers to outsourcing domestic chores in dual-earner households”

Jan Windebank

This article originally appeared in Volume 30 Numbers 7/8, 2010, International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy

“The recontextualization of commercialization: the shifting discourse of an R&D unit”

Theodora Asimakou and Cliff Oswick

This article originally appeared in Volume 30 Numbers 5/6, 2010, International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy

“Economic inequality and poverty: where do we go from here?”

Noel Smith

This article originally appeared in Volume 30 Numbers 3/4, 2010, International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy

Outstanding Reviewer

Dr Peter Rodgers, University of Sheffield, UK