A study on Exchange of Information and Knowledge among Professionals

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K03714
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Public finance/Public economy
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: Murakami Yukiko 早稲田大学, 政治経済学術院, 教授 (80222339)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 知識ネットワーク / 知識交換 / 能力開発 / 不完全情報 / 研究者 / 医師

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study targeted researchers and medical doctors and analyzed the mechanism through which specialized knowledge and job information diffuse from the perspectives of their professional behavior and personal networks. Based on data collected from approximately 1500 researchers and medical doctors, the importance of personal networks in knowledge dissemination and uneven distribution was measured. In addition, the use and effects of personal networks on knowledge exchange and diffusion were found to depend on characteristics of the knowledge and information transferred, physical and institutional distance and strength of relationships between actors in the personal networks, the systems in professional communities, and individuals’ mobility experiences.

Free Research Field

労働経済学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

研究者と医師は専門職の中でも特に高度な知識を必要とし、彼らのパフォーマンスが社会に与える影響が大きいことから、不断に知識の吸収や能力開発を行うことが望ましい職業である。売買されるのでもなく、政策的に提供されるのでもない知識・情報が、専門職の間で自発的に伝達・交換される範囲とその範囲に影響を与える要因を明らかにすることにより、本研究は専門職の適材適所の配置、キャリアや人的資本の形成、知識の新結合としてのイノベーションに関して、学術的研究に貢献し、かつ、実務面で重要な示唆や提言を与える意義がある。