K. S. Pang (2013)

Extra Notes for Knowledge Economics (Chapter 1)

Education and Training are a form of learning in which the knowledge, skills, and

habits of a group of people are transferred from one generation to the next through

teaching, training, or research. Education frequently takes place under the guidance of

others, but may also be autodidactic. Any experience that has a formative effect on the

way one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational. Education is commonly

divided into stages such as preschool, primary school, secondary school and then

college, university or apprenticeship.

Knowledge transfer is the practical problem of transferring knowledge from one part

of the organization to another. Like knowledge management, knowledge transfer

seeks to organize, create, capture or distribute knowledge and ensure its availability

for future users. It is considered to be more than just a communication problem. If it

were merely that, then a memorandum, an e-mail or a meeting would accomplish the

knowledge transfer. Knowledge transfer is more complex because knowledge resides

in organizational members, tools, tasks, and their sub-networks and much knowledge

in organizations is tacit or hard to articulate.

Technology Transfer also called Technology Commercialization, is the process of

transferring skills, knowledge, technologies, methods of manufacturing, samples of

manufacturing and facilities among governments or universities and other institutions

to ensure that scientific and technological developments are accessible to a wider

range of users who can then further develop and exploit the technology into new

products, processes, applications, materials or services. It is closely related to

knowledge transfer.

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K. S. Pang (2013)

Diffusion of Innovations is a theory that seeks to explain how, why, and at what rate

new ideas and technology spread through cultures. Everett Rogers, a professor of

communication studies, he says that diffusion is the process by which an innovation is

communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social

system. The origins of the diffusion of innovations theory are varied and span

multiple disciplines. The theory consists of four main elements that influence the

spread of a new idea: the innovation, communication channels, time, and a social

system. This process relies heavily on human capital. The innovation must be widely

adopted in order to self-sustain. The categories of adopters are: innovators, early

adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards.

Innovator: They would try new ideas at some risks.

Early Adopters: They are opinion leaders in their communities and adopt new ideas early.

Early Majority: They adopt the new ideas before the average person.

Late Majority: They adopt new ideas only after a majority of people have tried it.

Laggards: Suspicious of changes and adopt the new ideas only when it has become something in the tradition bound.

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