LIUC Papers n. 85, aprile 2001 - Economia e Impresa, 28

Codified-tacit and general-specific knowledge in the division of labour among firms. A study of the software industry.

Rosa Grimaldi, Salvatore Torrisi

Note biografiche dell'autore  Rosa Grimaldi

Svolge attività di ricerca al CIEG, presso l’università di Bologna. Ha conseguito un Master in Science (MSc) in Technology and Innovation Management allo SPRU, presso la Sussex University a Brighton. I suoi interessi di ricerca comprendono la gestione dell’innovazione tecnologica, imprenditorialità e creazione di nuove imprese.

Salvatore Torrisi

E’ Professore Associato di ‘Economia e Gestione delle Imprese’ all’Università di Camerino e insegna ‘Economia Industriale’ all’Università Cattaneo di Castellanza. Si occupa di economia e gestione dell'innovazione, di crescita e di internazionalizzazione delle imprese. Studia da diversi anni l'evoluzione dei settori ad alta tecnologia.

(70 Kb)

Sommario

This paper addresses the organisation and codification of knowledge in the software industry. It analyses various economic incentives to codification, including the need to improve the productivity and quality of software production processes and to access inter-firm collaborations. The paper examines the experience of four Italian software firms specialised in software packages and services. It compares their capabilities, the main sources of tacit knowledge, their specific incentives to invest in knowledge codification, their usage of formal software development methodologies and quality control systems. Finally, the paper analyses two distinct technological collaborations that two of these firms have recently established.

Abstract

This paper addresses the organisation and codification of knowledge in the software industry. It analyses various economic incentives to codification, including the need to improve the productivity and quality of software production processes and to access inter-firm collaborations. The paper examines the experience of four Italian software firms specialised in software packages and services. It compares their capabilities, the main sources of tacit knowledge, their specific incentives to invest in knowledge codification, their usage of formal software development methodologies and quality control systems. Finally, the paper analyses two distinct technological collaborations that two of these firms have recently established.