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Comportamento Organizacional e Gestão

versão impressa ISSN 0872-9662

Comport. Organ. Gest. v.14 n.2 Lisboa out. 2008

 

25 years of knowledge creation processes in pharmaceutical contemporary trends

 

Alexander Kofinas 1

Irina Saur-Amaral 2

 

1 Manchester Metropolitan University, Business Information Technology Group, Graduate School of Business

2 Universidade de Aveiro, Departamento de Economia, Gestão e Engenharia Industrial

 

Abstract. The pharmaceutical industry is knowledge and research-intensive. Due to technological, socio-political and organisational changes there has been a continuous evolution in the knowledge base utilized to achieve and maintain competitive advantages in this global industry. There is a gap in analysing the linkages and effects of those changes on knowledge creation processes associated with pharmaceutical R&D activities. Our paper looks to fill this gap. We built on an idiosyncratic research approach – the systematic literature review – and looked to unearth current trends affecting knowledge creation in international/global pharmaceutical R&D. We reviewed scientific papers published between 1980 and 2005. Key findings include promising trends in pharmaceutical innovation and human resource management, and their potential implications on current R&D practices within the pharmaceutical industry, from managerial and policy-making perspectives.

Key words: Knowledge creation, pharmaceutical industry, systematic review, global R&D.

 

Resumo. A indústria farmacêutica baseia-se na utilização intensiva de conhecimento e na investigação e desenvolvimento de novos medicamentos. Devido às mudanças tecnológicas, sociopolíticas e organizacionais, a base de conhecimento utilizada para conquistar e manter as vantagens competitivas tem estado a evoluir constantemente. Existe uma lacuna na análise das relações e dos efeitos daquelas mudanças nos processos de criação de conhecimento associados às actividades farmacêuticas de I&D. O nosso artigo procura colmatar esta mesma lacuna. Recorremos a uma abordagem original de investigação – a revisão sistemática da literatura – e procurámos identificar as tendências que afectam actualmente a criação de conhecimento nas actividades de I&D internacional/global. Considerámos na revisão artigos científicos publicados entre 1980 e 2005. Os principais resultados incluem as tendências promissoras na inovação farmacêutica e na gestão de recursos humanos, e as suas potenciais implicações nas práticas actuais de I&D na indústria farmacêutica, considerando as perspectivas da gestão e da governação.

Palavras-chave: Criação de conhecimento, indústria farmacêutica, revisão sistemática da literatura, I&D global.

 

Full text only available in PDF format.

Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.

 

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Address: Manchester Metropolitan University Business Scholl, Aytoun Campus Manchester, M1 3GH, United Kingdom. E-mail: a.kofinas@mmu.ac.uk