Little is heard these days of gatekeepers — those who take it upon themselves to find and acquire information outside their own organisations. They appear to be still alive and well. This paper is based on a survey of 125 UK managers with an interest in information on new materials. It examines their information gathering and distribution, distinguishing their behaviour from that of most other employees, and from that of key employees, both of whom also bring in information. By relating the gatekeeper's behaviour to the nature of information, it is possible to understand something of the role he plays in innovation, and something of the difficulty organisations experience accommodating such behaviour.
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2017, Research Policy Show abstractNavigate Down Through interviews and a large-scale survey of R&D scientists and engineers, this paper explores individuals’ attempts to absorb external knowledge, focusing on their efforts to identify and assimilate external knowledge and promote its utilization. Extant research does not explicitly address whether individuals should better specialize in certain absorption efforts or rather work as generalists dedicated to a range of efforts. We suggest that assimilation efforts increase the value of individuals’ efforts at external search and at promoting the utilization of external knowledge, which culminates in two main absorption roles that can help individuals achieve greater innovation performance. We argue that gatekeepers who combine external search with assimilation effort help to achieve innovation by contributing to building potential absorptive capacity, while shepherds who combine assimilation with utilization effort aid innovation by building realized absorptive capacity. We find support for these predictions and discuss the implications for research and managerial practice in open innovation. 2017, Research Policy Citation Excerpt : They seize an important position in the evolutionary technology network, acting in the manner of problem-solving consultants and serving an indispensable role with high centrality in the network of technology ties (Shumsky and Pinker, 2003). Indeed, a significant characteristic of gatekeepers is their social networking abilities (Macdonald and Williams, 1994). Much of their expertise lies in knowing which people are reputable and proficient in specific fields, both inside and outside their firm, and in being able to quickly and effectively access, validate, and disseminate information through web-based channels (Whelan et al., 2010). Show abstractNavigate Down R&D project teams concerned with efficiency under limited resources must cohesively coordinate cooperation, interactions, and the exchange of ideas to sustain innovation. This research investigated the management of social networks, technology ties, and gatekeeper functionality from a networking perspective and examined their contribution to R&D performance, which was evaluated using data envelopment analysis. This study verified the relationships by using data from the Taiwan National Telecommunication Program, which coordinates more than 100 R&D teams in pursuing next-generation broadband technologies. The results regarding these relationships varied. The density of social networking and the outward- and novel-oriented gatekeeper functionality of a project team was found to significantly promote its R&D performance, whereas the density of technology ties exhibits no significance. Accordingly, this paper presents strategic implications for the management of projects, team interorganizational linkages, and governmental subsidy policies, and discusses the networking activities of R&D teams at the project level. 2015, Technological Forecasting and Social Change Citation Excerpt : The process often involves a synthesis of prior and new knowledge and the key role which gatekeepers play is essentially one of matching and connecting these knowledge sets. They act as agents arranging and rearranging known and novel information to create a new and potentially advantageous pattern [64]. But while Allen [62] and others have identified the important position which gatekeepers have in the organizational structure and in internal knowledge flows we recommend that it is also important to analyze how the gatekeeper himself/herself recognizes and creates or matches patterns in technology identification and evaluation. Show abstractNavigate Down Foresight activities around technology selection have become increasingly important in an ‘open innovation’ environment in which both the range of potential technologies and the rate at which they are changing have been rapidly expanding. A variety of methods have been developed to support and improve the technological scanning process but the success of corporate foresight activities depends initially and heavily on the quality of information processing at the ‘front end of innovation’. Since this information activity involves individual members of the organization it is important to examine the general cognitive and intuitive abilities of these individuals. In order to enrich existing knowledge in this context, this paper explores the technology identification and evaluation process from a psychological standpoint, looking in particular at the concept of cognitive prototypes and intuition of technological gatekeepers. The findings of this study show that technological gatekeepers possess specific cognitive prototype models and thinking patterns, which exert an influence on identification and evaluation of technologies and that the number of features a thinking pattern contains is correlated with the number of years spent in a position in the organization as technological gatekeeper. Our exploration of the role of intuition also highlighted a discrepancy between the individual and the organization. While it is perceived on an individual level as a valuable tool, it is seen by technological gatekeepers as inappropriate on an organizational level. As a result, gut feeling is not always acknowledged or communicated within the organization in the technology identification and evaluation. 2015, International Journal of Information Management Citation Excerpt : Allen and Cohen (1969) identified two ways of acquiring external information: consulting knowledgeable people outside the lab or through reading the scientific literature, finding some gatekeepers relied more on the literature, others on external contacts while for Brown and Utterback (1985) external communication sources included: attending symposia, papers presented, papers published, periodical read, contact outside the lab. Technical information was imported into the firm by gatekeepers through oral rather than written material (Allan, 1977; De Meyer, 1985; MacDonald & Williams, 1994). Behaviours that distinguish gatekeepers as outlined by Klobas and McGill (1995) were: their library use, attendance at conferences, electronic information resource use, and participation in user-group activities. Show abstractNavigate Down The role played by gatekeepers who acquire external technical knowledge, translate that knowledge so as to contextualise it for their companies needs and disseminate it to key organisational personnel is of increasing importance and value to firms. This study uses a single case study to extend the existing literature on technological gatekeepers through helping to fill two theoretical gaps. Firstly, by examining how gatekeepers operate in a new functional area: a technical hardware and software product support department. Secondly, by focusing on a site where corporate information systems and repositories were used to support gatekeeping activities. This focus on new organisational and systems contexts enabled the development of new categorisations within each phase of gatekeeping activity, resulting in a revised model of gatekeeper behaviour. Two new and distinct modes of knowledge acquisition were identified: reactive acquisition to solve immediate problems and proactive acquisition that was related to emerging technologies. Whether knowledge had been validated or was provisional was identified as a new concept to be considered during the acquisition phase. The systems focus enabled a number of new forms of knowledge translation and dissemination to be categorised. Rationalised translation involved clarifying and elaborating on translations held in the corporate repository while tiered translations enabled versions of translations to be electronically available to different levels of users. While interpersonal dissemination was present the increasing reliance on information systems for dissemination diminished the traditional need for gatekeepers to expended time and energy developing social networks. 2015, Journal of Business Research Show abstractNavigate Down Despite innovation's importance in firm strategy and competitiveness, most innovation research fails to examine some important questions relating to innovation. This study focuses on two innovation management issues: Identification of determinants of the innovation management process and the implications of these determinants for firm innovation performance. Building on Tidd and Bessant's (2009) conceptual model, this study examines innovation capacity constructs within innovation management structures. 2014, Revista Europea de Direccion y Economia de la Empresa Citation Excerpt : Recently, researchers have especially emphasised the role of company characteristics and the actual factors that lead them to innovating (Hwang, 2004; Lemon & Sahota, 2004; Tidd & Bessant, 2009). Some studies maintain that the appearance of new ideas, fundamental to company innovation capacities, inherently depends on the creation of new knowledge (Cohen & Levinthal, 1990; Koc & Ceylan, 2007; Macdonald & Williams, 1994). In accordance with the importance of creating new ideas, there is correspondingly new relevance attributed to their correct transmission and utilisation inside companies alongside how such ideas might be shared and applied to leverage innovation (Monge, Cozzens, & Contractor, 1992; Tidd & Bessant, 2009). Show abstractNavigate Down In this paper, a study is made of the effects of local and cross-border cooperation between small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) on company innovation and performance. In line with previous works, it is maintained that cooperation positively impacts on company performance and innovation levels, while also finding that this effect is likely to be moderated by just how the firm conceives its cooperation configuration. A bivariate linear model was used to test a a sample of 61 Portuguese and Spanish cross-border SMEs. The results confirm that cooperation is positively associated with company performance and innovation results. However, the cooperation configuration reveals different characteristics. It is conclude that co-operation with suppliers and qualified human resources are determining factors of local co-operation. In contrast, innovation related activities are crucial to cross-border cooperative activities. Overall, a contribution is made to the existing local and cross-border co-operation literature by demonstrating how SMEs may leverage increasing returns when able to combine innovation and cooperation. En este trabajo, se estudian los efectos de la cooperación local y transfronteriza entre las pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYME) sobre la innovación y el desempeño de la empresa. En línea con anteriores trabajos, mantenemos que la cooperación tiene un impacto positivo sobre el desempeño de la empresa y los niveles de innovación al mismo tiempo se constata que este efecto es probable que sea moderado por el modo cómo la empresa concibe su configuración de cooperación. Tomando una muestra de 61 PYME transfronterizas de Portugal y España, analizamos empíricamente un modelo lineal de dos variables. Nuestros resultados confirman que la cooperación se asocia positivamente con los resultados de desempeño de la empresa y de innovación. Sin embargo, la configuración de la cooperación muestra características diferentes. Llegamos a la conclusión de que la cooperación con los proveedores y recursos humanos calificados son determinantes para la cooperación local. Por el contrario, las actividades relacionadas con la innovación son fundamentales para las actividades de cooperación transfronteriza. En general, contribuimos a la literatura de cooperación local y transfronteriza existente al demostrar cómo las PYME pueden aprovechar los rendimientos crecientes, cuando sean capaz de combinar la innovación y la cooperación.Cited by (69)
Arrow Up and RightView all citing articles on ScopusMaking a marriage of materials: The role of gatekeepers and shepherds in the absorption of external knowledge and innovation performance
Social networks, technology ties, and gatekeeper functionality: Implications for the performance management of R&D projects
Thinking patterns and gut feeling in technology identification and evaluation
Developing new categories of knowledge acquisition, translation and dissemination by technological gatekeepers
Drivers of innovation strategies: Testing the Tidd and Bessant (2009) model
Local and cross-border SME cooperation: Effects on innovation and performance
Research article Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Volume 52, 2015, pp. 221-283 Show abstractNavigate Down For over three decades, the need for closure (NFC) construct has played a pivotal role in research programs addressing the motivational underpinnings of knowledge formation, judgment and decision making, and social and group cognition. In recent years, NFC research has entered a new phase with notable developments in both fundamental and applied research. The substantial progress in the domain of basic NFC research pertains to investigators’ renewed interest in NFC's essentials, including its motivational nature, its role in the mobilization of task investment, the interplay between closure needs and abilities with implications for the measurement of NFC, its relation to cognitive depletion, its effects on memory phenomena, and its genetic and neural correlates. The second major development pertains to efforts to expand NFC research from the lab environment to real-world settings, including work on NFC effects on groups and organizations, its influence on the development and counteraction of prejudice, and its role in violent extremism. In this chapter, both developmental trends are discussed, highlighting their contributions to an advanced understanding of the motivational underpinnings of human cognition and behavior. Research article Atherosclerosis, Volume 248, 2016, pp. 97-109 Show abstractNavigate Down The vascular endothelium is an interface between the blood stream and the vessel wall. Changes in this single cell layer of the artery wall are believed of primary importance in the pathogenesis of vascular disease/atherosclerosis. The endothelium responds to humoral, neural and especially hemodynamic stimuli and regulates platelet function, inflammatory responses, vascular smooth muscle cell growth and migration, in addition to modulating vascular tone by synthesizing and releasing vasoactive substances. Compromised endothelial function contributes to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease; endothelial ‘dysfunction’ is associated with risk factors, correlates with disease progression, and predicts cardiovascular events. Therapies for atherosclerosis have been developed, therefore, that are directed towards improving endothelial function. Research articleRecommended articles (6)
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Lawyers: Gatekeepers of the sovereign debt market?
International Review of Law and Economics, Volume 38, Supplement, 2014, pp. 150-168
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The claim that lawyers act as gatekeepers or certifiers in financial transactions is widely discussed in the legal literature. There has, however, been little empirical examination of the claim. We test the hypothesis that law firms have replaced investment banks as the gatekeepers of the market for sovereign debt. Our results suggest that hiring outside law firms sends a negative signal to the market regarding the pending issuance; a finding that is inconsistent with the thesis that outside law firms primarily play a certification role in the sovereign debt market.
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We draw on gatekeeping theory to explore the individual and routine-level criticisms that entrepreneurship experimentalists receive during the review process. Using a multi-study approach, we categorize common gatekeeping themes and present illustrative critiques derived from a unique sample of decision letters and a supplemental survey of entrepreneurship editors. In combination, we extend gatekeeping theory by considering how it applies to the scholarly domain, contribute to the literature by exploring an alternative theoretical explanation as to why entrepreneurship experiments might fail to survive the review process, and finally, provide contextualized recommendations for authors and reviewers of experimental research.
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The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Volume 103, Issue 4, 2017, pp. 1285-1291
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Limited literature has examined characteristics of infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) who remain hospitalized during the interstage period. We described their epidemiologic characteristics, in-hospital outcomes, and identified risk factors that predict the need for superior cavopulmonary anastomosis (SCPA) during the same hospitalization.
This retrospective multicenter database analysis included infants with HLHS who underwent stage 1 palliation from 2004 through 2013.
Among 5374 infants with HLHS, 314 (5.8%) underwent SCPA during the same hospitalization as stage 1 palliation. They had a higher incidence of baseline comorbidities, complications, and interventions than infants who were discharged. Despite an overall increase in need for SCPA in the same hospitalization across different eras, there was no significant statistical difference in mortality in the two groups in the same era. Septicemia, necrotizing enterocolitis, modified Blalock-Taussig shunt, cardiac catheterization, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, gastrostomy tube, and antiarrhythmic agents were independently associated with increased odds of undergoing SCPA during the same hospitalization. Patients undergoing right ventricle to pulmonary artery shunt were less likely to remain hospitalized until stage 2 palliation. Nonsurvivors in the SCPA group had greater need for interventions and worse intensive care unit outcomes.
Infants with HLHS who remain hospitalized after stage 1 until their stage 2 palliation differ significantly from infants who were discharged. Several clinical characteristics, comorbidities, and need for interventions are associated with the likelihood for undergoing stage 2 palliation during the same hospitalization. Timely identification and intervention of adjustable causes of heart failure may improve outcomes.
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Materials Chemistry and Physics, Volume 181, 2016, pp. 409-414
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In this article we present the results of our investigations of reduction of graphene oxide overprints, deposited by ink-jet method, by hydrobromic acid. Our study presents impact of different parameters of reduction, such as a temperature and time of the process on the chemical composition and electrical conductivity of the resulting material – reduced graphene oxide. Our results show the outstanding potential of this method for use in the production of flexible and elastic electronics and indicate the optimal parameters of reduction, which allow producing the optimal product.
Most of this research was funded by the Programme on Information and Communication Technologies (PICT) through the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex. The authors are grateful for assistance received from Martin Wardrop at the DTI (now with DITAC in Australia), from Gill Money at the Design Council, and from those who had sought information through the Materials Matter programme and found themselves supplying information for this study. They are also grateful to Marta Rosario for her dedication and patience in working with the resulting data, and to Robin Mansell, Don Lamberton and Tom Mandeville for their helpful comments on drafts. Remaining mistakes and omissions, of course, are the authors' responsibility.