DOCTORAL THESIS SUMARY

The influence of organizational culture, knowledge management and 
technological capital on scientific production. Application to research groups 
which belong to universities in Colombia.

Author: Gladys Elena Rueda Barrios
Director: Manuel Rodenes Adam

This doctoral research aims to analyze the influence of organizational culture, knowledge 
management and technological capital on scientific production of research groups 
affiliated to universities in Colombia. 

The study has a descriptive, exploratory and co-relational nature. Descriptive analysis 
includes characterization of research groups in Colombia from data obtained in 
application of the instrument. Exploratory and correlational analysis was conducted based 
on factor analysis, regression analysis, path analysis, cluster analysis, discriminant 
analysis, and structural analysis.

The document consists of two main sections. In the first section, there are six chapters, 
the first of which contains the problem statement, research objectives and thesis 
structure. From second to fifth chapter, theoretical framework of every main variable is 
developed from the review of scientific literature which is the foundation of the 
theoretical model of this study: organizational culture (Hofstede, 1999; Clark , 1999; 
Leydner and Kayworth, 2006; Moncaleano, 2002; Rueda, 2006), knowledge management 
(Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995; Alavi and Leidner, 1999, Good et al. 2003; Jaimes et al. 
2005; Gaviria et al. 2007; Meroņo, 2005), technological capital (Bueno et al. 2003; Gil, 
2003; Meroņo, 2005), and scientific production (Spinak, 1998, Korhonen et al. 2001; 
Avital and Collopy , 2001; Bermeo, 2007; Manjarres, 2009). Chapter six presents a 
characterization of scientific research and production in Colombia taking into account 
information published by institutions such as Colciencias, the Ministry of Education and 
the American Network of Science and Technology Indicators.

In the second section, a methodological and statistical work for this research is 
developed. Chapter seven presents the research model, hypotheses and indicators based 
on theoretical and empirical models. Chapter eight shows the methodological design of 
empirical work and sample characterization with 223 research groups from universities in 
Colombia all of which took part on that event through an instrument applied in person in 
Bucaramanga city. This online instrument was sent to major cities in 22 provinces of the 
country together with an email invitation to each research group leader.

Chapter nine presents the results of descriptive and inferential statistical analysis allowing 
sample description (univariate analysis); correlation between variables and its grouping 
(bivariate analysis, reliability analysis and factor analysis), hypotheses testing (regression 
analysis and path analysis), grouping and sample discrimination in clusters (cluster and 
discriminant analysis) and correlation between independent variables (structural analysis).

Results obtained through regression analysis and path analysis show that organization 
culture, the process of outsourcing knowledge management, technological resources and 
research time as a motivational dimension, are part of technological capital, and relate 
directly in a positive and significant way with results of scientific production; there is also 
a strong positive and significant relationship between independent variables, among 
which entrepreneurial culture, internalization, R&D resources, R&D personnel, and the 
use of ICT, are included. The variable that best distinguishes the grouping of research 
groups in three clusters is research time. Finally, chapter ten contains theoretical and 
empirical findings regarding this research.

Keywords: Organizational culture, knowledge management, technological capital, scientific 
production, research groups in Colombia.