UCC Library and UCC researchers have made this item openly available. Please let us know how this has helped you. Thanks! Title An investigation of innovation and knowledge creation in virtual worlds Author(s) O'Riordan, Niamh Publication date 2011-11 Original citation O Riordan, N. 2011. An investigation of innovation and knowledge creation in virtual worlds. PhD Thesis, University College Cork. Type of publication Doctoral thesis Link to publisher's http://library.ucc.ie/record=b2029843~S0 version Access to the full text of the published version may require a subscription. Rights © 2011, Niamh O Riordan http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ Item downloaded http://hdl.handle.net/10468/899 from Downloaded on 2021-10-10T11:13:40Z UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS An investigation of innovation and knowledge creation in virtual worlds Niamh O Riordan BA, HDip (Comp. Sci.), MBS A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the National University of Ireland, Cork Supervisors: Prof. Frédéric Adam and Dr. Philip O’Reilly November, 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of contents ............................................................................................................................................................ i List of tables ................................................................................................................................................................... v List of figures ................................................................................................................................................................. vi Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................................. viii Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................................... x 1 PRESENTATION OF THE RESEARCH STUDY ............................................................ 1 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ......................................................................................... 1 1.2 INTRODUCING VIRTUAL WORLDS .................................................................................... 4 1.3 INNOVATION AND KNOWLEDGE CREATION IN VIRTUAL WORLDS .................................... 6 1.4 OPERATIONALISING THE RESEARCH ................................................................................ 7 1.5 STRUCTURE OF THE CHAPTERS ........................................................................................ 8 2 INTRODUCING VIRTUAL WORLDS ............................................................................ 13 2.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 13 2.2 VIRTUAL WORLDS: ORIGINS, CLASSIFICATIONS AND DEFINITIONS ................................ 15 2.2.1 The origins of virtual worlds ................................................................................... 15 2.2.2 Classifying virtual worlds: technical and usage-based differences ........................ 20 2.2.2.1 Focusing on usage-based classifications: examining game orientation ....................... 21 2.2.3 Defining virtual worlds ........................................................................................... 23 2.2.3.1 Virtual worlds are online environments ...................................................................... 23 2.2.3.2 Virtual worlds are interactive ...................................................................................... 25 2.2.3.3 Virtual worlds are immersive ...................................................................................... 26 2.2.3.4 Synthesising a new definition of virtual worlds .......................................................... 27 2.3 ESTABLISHING A RESEARCH AGENDA FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF VIRTUAL WORLDS ... 29 2.3.1 Virtual worlds research: an overview ..................................................................... 29 2.3.2 Exploring the potential of virtual worlds ................................................................ 33 2.3.2.1 Virtual worlds affect communication and collaboration ............................................. 33 2.3.2.2 Virtual worlds affect creativity and innovation ........................................................... 35 2.3.2.3 Virtual worlds affect knowledge creation ................................................................... 37 2.4 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................ 40 3 KNOWLEDGE CREATION IN VIRTUAL WORLDS .................................................. 41 3.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 41 3.2 DEFINING AND CLASSIFYING INNOVATION .................................................................... 43 3.2.1 Defining and classifying innovation as newness ..................................................... 43 3.2.1.1 Defining innovation in terms of newness .................................................................... 43 3.2.1.2 Classifying innovation in terms of newness ................................................................ 44 3.2.1.3 Innovation-as-creativity: a possible solution? ............................................................. 46 3.2.2 Defining innovation in terms of invention ............................................................... 47 3.2.3 Defining innovation in terms of knowledge ............................................................. 49 3.2.4 Defining innovation for the purposes of this study .................................................. 51 3.3 MANAGING INNOVATION .............................................................................................. 53 3.3.1 Individuals and innovation ...................................................................................... 53 3.3.2 Groups and innovation ............................................................................................ 55 3.3.3 Organisations and innovation ................................................................................. 57 3.3.4 The diffusion of innovations .................................................................................... 60 3.4 INNOVATION: THE EMERGENCE OF A KNOWLEDGE-BASED VIEW ................................... 61 3.4.1 Innovation: the role of the Internet.......................................................................... 63 3.4.2 Recombinant innovation .......................................................................................... 63 i 3.4.3 The emergence of new perspectives on innovation .................................................. 64 3.4.4 The knowledge-based view of innovation ................................................................ 66 3.5 KNOWLEDGE THROUGH THE AGES ................................................................................ 68 3.5.1 Knowledge through the lens of Western philosophy ................................................ 68 3.5.1.1 Knowledge for the ancient Greeks .............................................................................. 69 3.5.1.2 Knowledge in Renaissance and Enlightenment thought ............................................. 71 3.5.1.3 Knowledge in twentieth century philosophy ............................................................... 74 3.5.2 Knowledge through the lens of knowledge management ......................................... 76 3.5.2.1 Characterising knowledge ........................................................................................... 76 3.5.2.2 Classifying knowledge ................................................................................................ 81 3.6 CREATING KNOWLEDGE: GETTING TO THE CORE OF INNOVATION AND KNOWLEDGE .... 87 3.6.1 Recognizing the importance of knowledge creation for innovation ........................ 88 3.6.2 Conceptualisations of knowledge creation in literature .......................................... 90 3.6.2.1 Knowledge creation as spiral knowledge conversion process (‘SECI’) ...................... 91 3.6.2.2 Knowledge creation as a process of extending knowledge stocks .............................. 94 3.6.2.3 Knowledge creation as a social and interpretive process ............................................ 95 3.6.2.4 Critiquing extant conceptualisations of knowledge creation ....................................... 96 3.6.2.5 Critiquing the SECI model of knowledge creation ..................................................... 97 3.6.3 Synthesising a new characterisation of knowledge creation ................................... 98 3.6.3.1 Knowledge creation versus learning ......................................................................... 100 3.6.3.2 Knowledge creation versus sense making ................................................................. 101 3.6.3.3 Knowledge creation versus knowledge assimilation ................................................. 102 3.6.3.4 Knowledge creation versus knowledge acquisition .................................................. 102 3.7 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION ..................................................................................... 103 4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................