The collaboration and the sharing of knowledge in local innovation systems, networks or clusters
The first research axis gathers works on the topic of local innovation
systems, business networks and clusters, and the collaboration among firms;
among other dimensions, research projects are underway on the issue of
proximity (organizational, relational or geographical in particular) as
the factor that can promote collaboration and the sharing of knowledge.
Professor Diane-Gabrielle Tremblay participates in the Canadian research
network named Innovation Systems Research Network. The research is part
of the major initiatives Program of the Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council (SSHRC) and the network is directed by professor D. Wolfe
of Toronto University. Professor Tremblay , in collaboration with another
professor of the institution, Pr. Denis Robichaud, has undertaken a research
on local innovation systems in the sector of information technologies
(IT) and multimedia. Along with two colleagues from University of Québec
in Montreal (UQAM), she has also undertaken research on the economic and
industrial reconversion of Montreal ; the research has been financed since
1996 by three SSHRC grants and one Québec FQRSC grant and the team
works under the name of Collective research team on the economic, social
and territorial innovations (Collectif de recherche sur les innovations
économiques, sociales et territoriales -CRIEST). The research concerns
the re-conversion of urban territories to knowledge economies and the
role of technological and social innovations within this context. Many
case studies and publications have been produced over the years (see bibliography
under Fontan, Klein and Tremblay). In the research still in progress,
Professor Diane-Gabrielle Tremblay seeks to highlight the role of the
collaboration and the sharing of knowledge in the development of technological,
social innovations or of products as well as the role of organizational
or territorial proximity in the collaboration and the sharing of information
and knowledge. The theories relating to innovating “milieux”,
clusters, local innovation systems, among others, are analyzed by the
research team.
About ten professors of the Télé-université are
also interested in the communities of practice or in the collective intelligent
learning and, along with Richard Hotte, Olga Marino, Mario Poirier and
Denis Robichaud, Diane-Gabrielle Tremblay leads a new research on learning
and training in the sectors of commerce, tourism and hotels; the research
is financed by Emploi-Québec (the Québec Employment Department).
Here are some questions that the researchers will look into within this
axis of research:
- How does the development of practices of inter-organization collaboration
influence the creation of businesses, of clusters or local innovation
systems networks?
- How does sharing of knowledge in the context of local innovation
systems, networks or clusters function ? what are the conditions of
success and factors that explain failures ?
- What are the factors that promote the collaboration and the sharing
of knowledge (organizational or territorial proximity; homogeneity or
heterogeneity of organizations in terms of "culture" and the
actors in terms of sex, age, ethnic group possibly, or other factors)?
- Is it possible to identify some practices that are more favorable
to these subjects (best practices)? Can these be reproduced or not in
other contexts ?
- What are the impacts of these practices from the point of view of
the different concerned actors (employees, management, work colleagues,
family, etc.) , and what are the impacts in terms of employment forms,
employment security, learning, collective competency development, socio-economic
development, etc ?
- What public policies can contribute to innovation, innovative “milieux”
and socio-economic development of local communities ?
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Collaboration and learning in various contexts of organizational
and technological change within organizations
The second axis affects various dimensions related to the organization
of work as well as the development and the sharing of knowledge in the
knowledge economy. It is interested in the collaboration and the sharing
of knowledge in the context of the new work and employment forms such
as telework, self-employed using IT devices, new nomadic careers, team
work or again communities of practice within organizations, and communities
based on computer networks. Some research has been done on the issue of
the knowledge economy and the business-education collaborations (SSHRC
education-training network, 1996-2001; SSHRC, 1997-2000; strategic SSHRC
on the knowledge economy, 2000-2003 with the Centre interuniversitaire
de recherche sur la science et la technologie - CIRST), on the collaboration
within sectoral committees (SSHRC, 1998-2001), on the collaboration and
the development of competences in the multimedia sector (Tele-learning,
2000-2003), on research networks as a community of practice (Tele-learning,
2000-2002).
Another research in which professor Tremblay takes part is done in collaboration
with the Francophone research center on the computerization of organizations
(Centre francophone pour l’informatisation des organisations : CEFRIO,
2001-2003). It is interested in issues of virtual communities of practice,
the preconditions for development, the challenges, the impacts of these
communities for individuals and organizations. based on the virtual practitioners
communities of about twenty organizations. A research on tele-work (its
advantages, disadvantages, challenges and impacts) was also completed
in collaboration with the CEFRIO (1999-2001). Many publications have resulted
from this research (see: www.cefrio.qc.ca and the bibliography at the
end of this presentation)
The Bell-Téluq-Enap Chair on technology and work organization (www.teluq.uquebec.ca/chairebell),
created in 2001 and co-directed by Diane-Gabrielle Tremblay (Téluq)
and Yves-Chantal Gagnon (Enap), will also be associated with some of the
works of Canada Research Chair, since it has interest in similar issues.
Within this axis, the researchers will discuss the following questions:
- How to develop the new forms of organization of work, such as team
work, tele-work, distance autonomous work, virtual communities of practice,
ensuring positive impacts for workers as well as businesses and communities
?
- What are the factors that promote the adoption of these new forms
of organization of work and what are the technologies that support them?
- How to develop the practices of collaboration, sharing of knowledge
and learning in the context of these new forms of organizations?
- What are the factors which support the emergence of these practices
of collaboration and sharing of knowledge (homogeneity or heterogeneity
of the actors in terms of sex, age, ethnic group possibly)?
- Is it possible to identify some exemplary practices or favorable more
to these subjects (best practices)? Can these be reproduced or not ?
How ? Why ?
- What are the impacts of these practices on various actors (employees,
superiors, work colleagues, family, etc), in particular in terms of
qualification, autonomy, collaboration with others, collaborative learning,
development of competencies, job satisfaction, working times and social
times, etc.?
- What public policies could support learning and transfer of expertise
in the context of an ageing society ?
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The articulation between personal life and professional life or work-life
balance
The third research axis is centered on the articulation between personal
life and professional life, which some call work-life balance, this being
seen as a major element of the socio-organizational challenges of the
knowledge economy.
Diane-Gabrielle Tremblay has received several grants (SSHRC, FQRSC,
French Ministry of Labour - DARES) on the topic and published extensively
on this issue. Her research results have been presented in many scientific
conferences and publications, and are also used extensively in government
circles and ministries of Labour and Family in Québec, Canada and
France.
For almost two decades, professor Tremblay has been at the forefront
of research on working time and social times, as well as work-life balance.
The research lead to identifying the difficulties and the aspirations
of parents in employment, while identifying the measures offered by organizations
for the improvement of the articulation between professional life and
personal life. New forms of organization of work such as tele-work and
self-employed work raise also the question of their effect on the organization
of personal life and possible interference with family life. Ongoing research
will look into various forms of employment and work-family articulation,
and address the issue of their impact on equity in employment for men
and women.
Some of the questions addressed under this research theme are the following:
- How can work-life balance be attained in the context of new forms
of work which often present challenges for the articulation between
employment and family ?
- What are the factors that favor the adoption of measures which facilitate
new forms of articulation between personal life and professional life?
Are these always favorable to women or do they present hidden costs
in terms of careers ?
- Is it possible to identify some practices that are favorable to work-life
balance for men as well as for women, and what are their effects on
the performance of organizations ?
- What are the impacts of these practices on different actors (employees,
superiors, work colleagues, family, etc), in particular in terms of
satisfaction, quality of life, working time, social times, creativity,
autonomy, collaboration with others, learning, development of competences,
etc?
- What public policies could support work-life balance ?
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