Download or read book Technological Communities and the Diffusion of Knowledge (Classic Reprint) written by Michael A. Rappa and published by . This book was released on 2015-08-05 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Technological Communities and the Diffusion of Knowledge Understanding the external acquisition of technological knowledge has become an important theme for many students of the management of technology and R&D. A number of recent trends in R&D warrant this attention; namely, the increasing scale, intensity and specialization of research; the internationalization of R&D; the growing number of inter-organizational research links and ventures; and the potential impact of computer communication networks and information technology on the conduct of research activities (Williams and Gibson, 1990). As a consequence, the location of research is becoming increasingly "fluid," both in an operational and organizational sense, as research contacts and administrative boundaries expand from localized research systems to national and international networks (Howells, 1990). Generic technological knowledge is becoming easily accessible to nations and to companies that make the needed investments in science and engineering capabilities. Well-trained engineers and scientists will know roughly the same things and will communicate with each other regardless of where they are located (Baumol, 1990; Nelson, 1990a). About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.