Temporary colocation and collaborative discovery: Who confers at conferences
Temporary colocation and collaborative discovery: Who confers at conferences
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DOI：
10.1002/smj.3062
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发表时间：
2019-08-05
影响因子：
8.3
通讯作者：
Freeman, Richard B.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Chai, Sen;Freeman, Richard B.
研究摘要 知识的流动与邻近性密切相关。虽然大量研究表明，长期地理位置邻近会影响工作行为，但人们对会议等短期同地办公的影响知之甚少。使用戈登研究会议的参与者数据，我们估计了双重差异和工具变量模型，这表明之前没有会议内合作的与会者更有可能与其他与会者合作，而之前与其他与会者合作过的研究人员更有可能继续合作。我们还发现，资历较浅、距离会议地点较近、并且之前已与会议建立联系的研究人员可以从跨组织的临时托管中获得更多协作效益。因此，参加会议会改变合作的建立。管理总结 经理们面临着具有长期战略影响的重要决策，包括办公室、工厂和研发中心的选址，以及如何在公司内部布置工作空间以加强知识溢出和协作。然而，永久接近可能很困难，有时甚至不可能实现。克服知识溢出和联系形成中的距离劣势的一种潜在方法是通过临时托管活动，将来自遥远地点的个人聚集在临时邻近的环境中。我们发现，跨组织边界参加临时托管活动的个人随后更有可能相互协作。因此，企业管理者应该承诺大量资金让员工参与这些活动，以影响后续的研发活动方向。
Research Summary The flow of knowledge is closely linked to proximity. While extensive works show that long-term geographic proximity affects work behavior, little is known about the effect of short-term colocation, such as conferences. Using participant data at Gordon Research Conferences, we estimate difference-in-differences and instrumental variable models, which show that attendees who have no prior within-conference collaborations are more likely to collaborate with other attendees, and that the researchers who have worked previously with other attendees are more likely to continue their collaborations. We also find that researchers who are junior, are located closer to the conference venue, and have established prior ties to the conference draw more collaborative benefits from temporary colocation across organizations. Thus, going to a conference alters the creation of collaborations. Managerial Summary Managers face important decisions with long-term strategic ramifications regarding where to locate offices, plants, and R&D centers, as well as how to lay out workspaces inside the firm to enhance knowledge spillover and collaboration. Permanent proximity, however, may be difficult and sometimes impossible to attain. One potential way of overcoming the distance disadvantage in knowledge spillover and tie formation is through temporary colocation events that bring together individuals from distant locations in an environment of temporary proximity. We find that individuals who attend temporary colocation events across organizational boundaries are more likely to collaborate with one another subsequently. Hence, managers of firms should pledge substantial funds for employees to participate in these events so as to impact the subsequent direction of R&D activities.