Age structure of the workforce, Adoption of new technologies, ICT and knowledge-intensive services, J14, L26, O31,

Recent Internet technologies and web-based applications, such as social software, are being increasingly applied in firms. Social software can be employed for knowledge management and for external communication enabling access to internal and external knowledge. Knowledge in turn constitutes one of the main inputs to service innovation. Hence, social software has the potential to support service innovation. Using data from 505 German Information-and Communication Technology (ICT)and knowledge-intensive service firms, this is the first paper which empirically analyses the question whether the use of social software applications triggers innovation. Thereby, it refers to a knowledge production function in which social software use constitutes the knowledge sourcing activity. The results reveal that there is a positive relationship between social software and service innovation. Since this result is robust when controlling for former innovative activities and the previous propensity to adopt new technologies and to change processes, the analysis suggests that the causality runs from social software to innovation. JEL-classification: O31, O33, M10

Die Dis cus si on Pape rs die nen einer mög lichst schnel len Ver brei tung von neue ren For schungs arbei ten des ZEW. Die Bei trä ge lie gen in allei ni ger Ver ant wor tung der Auto ren und stel len nicht not wen di ger wei se die Mei nung des ZEW dar.Dis cus si on Papers are inten ded to make results of ZEW research prompt ly avai la ble to other eco no mists in order to encou ra ge dis cus si on and sug gesti ons for revi si ons. The aut hors are sole ly respon si ble for the con tents which do not neces sa ri ly repre sent the opi ni on of the ZEW.Download this ZEW Discussion Paper from our ftp server:ftp://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp09046.pdf Non-Technical SummarySocial software serves in particular the communication, cooperation and information sharing between individuals and includes applications like blogs, wikis or online communities. Common to all of these applications is that they are web-based and self-organising. Social software interlinks users and their knowledge and pursues the open content principle. Thereby, it has different potentials of use, e.g. in the knowledge management. Due to its application in the knowledge management where it creates knowledge transparency and new knowledge and, moreover, supports knowledge exchange via faster access to information, more efficient communication and appropriate tagging and linking, social software has the potential for supporting the innovative capability of firms.As a theoretical framework, this study employs a knowledge production function, explaining the production of new knowledge by the use of specific input factors. In this knowledge production function, often referred to as innovation production function, the application of social software constitutes the knowledge sourcing activity. Furthermore, this study tries to identify whether there is a difference between the impact of knowledge sourcing activity focusing on external knowledge and focusing on internal knowledge.Using data from 505 German Information-and Communication Technology (ICT) and knowledge-intensive service firms, this paper finds that firms which use social software are more likely to innovate. Taking into account former innovative activities of the firm and its previous propensity to adopt new technologies and to change processes, the analysis suggests a causality between social software use and innovation that runs from social software to service innovation. The analysis reveals no robust results on the impact of knowledge sourcing activity focusing on external knowledge and on internal knowledge and thus allows no statement on different impacts of social software use according to its application purpose. and knowledge-intensive service firms, this is the first paper which empirically analyses the question whether the use of social software applications triggers innovation. Das Wichtigste in KürzeThereby, it refers to a knowledge production function in which social software use constitutes the knowledge sourcing activity. The results reveal that there is a positive relation...

Die Dis cus si on Pape rs die nen einer mög lichst schnel len Ver brei tung von neue ren For schungs arbei ten des ZEW. Die Bei trä ge lie gen in allei ni ger Ver ant wor tung der Auto ren und stel len nicht not wen di ger wei se die Mei nung des ZEW dar.Dis cus si on Papers are inten ded to make results of ZEW research prompt ly avai la ble to other eco no mists in order to encou ra ge dis cus si on and sug gesti ons for revi si ons. The aut hors are sole ly respon si ble for the con tents which do not neces sa ri ly repre sent the opi ni on of the ZEW.Download this ZEW Discussion Paper from our ftp server:ftp://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp08129.pdf This paper provides empirical evidence on the question whether firms' IT-enabled labour productivity is affected by the age structure of the workforce. Therefore, we take a micro-perspective by analysing firm-level data from German manufacturing and services industries. We find that workers older than 49 are not significantly less productive than prime age workers between 30 and 49, whereas workers younger than 30 are significantly less productive than prime age workers. Older workers using a computer are significantly more productive than older non-computer users. Moreover, we find that the significantly positive relationship between labour productivity and IT intensity is not affected by the proportion of older workers. Non-Technical SummaryIn a further step, we take account of the fact that companies might employ only the best or most productive older workers while less productive employees leave the labour market either actively or passively via early retirement programmes, for instance. However, the previously found result that the percentage of older workers is not significantly related to labour productivity is supported. December 2008Abstract The paper provides empirical evidence for the question whether firms' ITenabled labour productivity is affected by the age structure of the workforce.We apply a production function approach with heterogenous labour to firmlevel data from German manufacturing and services industries. We find that workers older than 49 are not significantly less productive than prime age workers, whereas workers younger than 30 are significantly less productive than prime age workers. Older workers using a computer are significantly more productive than older non-computer users. The positive and significant relationship between labour productivity and IT intensity is not affected by the proportion of older workers.JEL-classification: J14, J24, O33

Die Dis cus si on Pape rs die nen einer mög lichst schnel len Ver brei tung von neue ren For schungs arbei ten des ZEW. Die Bei trä ge lie gen in allei ni ger Ver ant wor tung der Auto ren und stel len nicht not wen di ger wei se die Mei nung des ZEW dar.Dis cus si on Papers are inten ded to make results of ZEW research prompt ly avai la ble to other eco no mists in order to encou ra ge dis cus si on and sug gesti ons for revi si ons. The aut hors are sole ly respon si ble for the con tents which do not neces sa ri ly repre sent the opi ni on of the ZEW.Download this ZEW Discussion Paper from our ftp server:ftp://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp07050.pdf Non-technical SummaryIn the face of the demographic development, characterized by an increasing life expectancy and a simultaneous decrease in birthrates, the age structure of the working population is observably changing. The employment rate of individuals between 55 and 64 years has increased particularly in the last five years. In the EU-25 the employment rate of this age group has increased by 5. Following the literature on the so called age-biased technological change in manufacturing sectors, this paper finds that also in the ICT and knowledge intensive services sector the age structure of the workforce is negatively related to the probability of adopting new or significantly improved technologies and software. Firms with a higher share of employees being younger than 30 years are more likely to adopt new technologies than firms with a higher share of 40 to 55 year-old workers. Furthermore, the results reveal that the older the workforce the less likely is the adoption of new technologies or software.Previous studies find a complementary relationship between the use of ICT and modern human resource practices. Furthermore, there is some empirical evidence for the manufacturing sector, that the share of older workers is lower in firms with applied innovative workplace practices.Related to these findings the combined impact of the age structure of the workforce and changes in the workplace organization on the probability of adopting new technologies is analyzed. The results show that a specific age structure of the workforce should be accompanied by appropriate workplace organization. Part of the firms that flattened their hierarchies, enhanced their teamwork and exhibit a higher share of younger workers are less likely to adopt new or significantly improved technologies. By contrast some of the firms that changed their workplace organization and have a higher share of older employees are more likely to adopt new technologies. Older Workers and the Adoption of New TechnologiesJenny Meyer * August 2007Abstract: For the first time data of German ICT and knowledge intensive service providers are used to analyze the relation between the age structure of the workforce and the probability of adopting new technologies. The results show that firms with a higher share of younger employees are more likely to adopt new technologies and the older the workforce the less like...