The purpose of this paper is to tackle the problem of societal knowledge management from the perspective of critical management research. The focus is on national intellectual…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to tackle the problem of societal knowledge management from the perspective of critical management research. The focus is on national intellectual capital analysis as part of societal knowledge management. First, the aim is to identify the dominant discourse that governs the discussion around national intellectual capital and its measurement. Second, the aim is to explore the prospects for an alternative conceptualisation and to propose a heuristic tool through which it is possible to approach national intellectual capital and its measurement in a critical, informed and analytic way.
Design/methodology/approach
The study takes a critical standpoint and leans loosely on the methodology of critical discourse analysis by Norman Fairclough.
Findings
The paper argues for the emancipation of national intellectual capital from the orthodoxy that relates it to economic growth, quantitative measurement, objectivity and universality towards a discourse that regards the value of national intellectual capital and its analysis more broadly, recognising the contextual and subjective nature of national intellectual capital.
Research limitations/implications
The conceptual analysis provides a basis for further empirical assessment of national intellectual capital.
Societal implications
The paper offers a critical conceptual lens through which to approach societal knowledge management. The constructed heuristic tool for analysing national intellectual capital can serve as a basis for strategic knowledge‐based development.
Originality/value
The paper offers a critical reflection of intellectual capital on the national/societal level and a starting point for critical societal knowledge management.
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Henna Salonius and Jonna Käpylä
The aim of the paper is to explore the requirements of knowledge‐based management in the regional development network of the Tampere region in Finland.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the paper is to explore the requirements of knowledge‐based management in the regional development network of the Tampere region in Finland.
Design/methodology/approach
The requirements of knowledge‐based management are analysed on the basis of the perceptions of the regional developers interviewed (n=13) and by using the extended SECI model and intellectual capital framework as analytical tools.
Findings
Different regions benefit from different knowledge‐based management activities according to their performance in the cycle of the extended SECI model and the intellectual capital available among the regional developers. When the knowledge‐based management requirements of a regional development network are identified by applying these two frameworks, more appropriate investments (e.g. for ICT infrastructure) and development activities can be made.
Research limitations/implications
The perspectives of knowledge creation (i.e. the extended SECI model) and intellectual capital provide one approach for evaluating the call for knowledge‐based management of regional development. Other perspectives are also expected to be valuable as the understanding of regional knowledge‐based management in different contexts is enhanced.
Originality/value
The study contributes by proposing and applying a method for evaluating the requirements of regional knowledge‐based management.
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Jonna Käpylä, Aki Jääskeläinen and Antti Lönnqvist
This paper aims to identify future challenges for productivity research.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify future challenges for productivity research.
Design/methodology/approach
The research was explorative and qualitative by nature. It was carried out using two approaches: literature review and empirical analysis based on 38 interviews. All the interviewees were well‐known Finnish productivity experts, including both practitioners and academics. Literature review included a systematic examination of a selected set of international productivity articles, Finnish doctoral dissertations, research reports and studies related to productivity projects.
Findings
The paper offers a view of the current status of the productivity research field, especially from the Finnish perspective. The key productivity challenges as well as research themes and questions, which were seen relevant in the light of these challenges, are presented. In addition, some recommendations for how to go forward in the productivity research are brought out.
Research limitations/implications
The paper is limited to a Finnish point of view, and further research is needed to examine whether these findings apply also to other countries. There is a vast amount of existing productivity research available and, for practical reasons, the literature review focuses only on selected materials.
Practical implications
By bringing out productivity‐related opportunities and challenges, the paper creates understanding about the applicable means to improve productivity in the future.
Originality/value
The paper helps researchers to develop productivity research forwards to grab at future opportunities and challenges.
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Jonna Käpylä, Paula Kujansivu and Antti Lönnqvist
The paper concerns the research problem of how to analyse the performance of a knowledge society as a whole, and in particular, of how to analyse national intellectual capital…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper concerns the research problem of how to analyse the performance of a knowledge society as a whole, and in particular, of how to analyse national intellectual capital. The paper aims to build a conceptual foundation for national intellectual capital performance, and based on this, to construct a multidimensional measurement system for Finland and to investigate its usefulness.
Design/methodology/approach
The framework and measurement system of national intellectual capital performance is constructed on the basis of the intellectual capital and knowledge management research literature. The illustration of the measurement system is carried out using empirical data from various institutions.
Findings
The paper argues for the strategic, dialogic and societal measurement of national intellectual capital.
Research limitations/implication
There was neither an exact purpose of measurement nor a detailed strategy for the knowledge society to aim at. Because of this, the measurement system serves as an illustrative example that provides a starting point for more in‐depth case studies on national intellectual capital.
Practical implications
This paper is targeted at policymakers and government officials concerned with questions related to national knowledge‐based development. The framework and measurement system constructed can serve as a basis for the strategic measurement of knowledge societies.
Originality/value
The paper shows how to apply the concept of national intellectual capital performance to analyse knowledge society. The approach proposed takes into account the strategic nature of national intellectual capital that has been ignored in earlier studies.
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Karim Moustaghfir and Giovanni Schiuma
This introduction paper to the special issue on “The twenty‐first century knowledge‐based value drivers of innovation and sustainable development” aims to focus on such…
Abstract
Purpose
This introduction paper to the special issue on “The twenty‐first century knowledge‐based value drivers of innovation and sustainable development” aims to focus on such relationships between knowledge, learning, capabilities, innovation and competitive advantage in different forms of organization: businesses, clusters and regions. The purpose is to point out the conceptual pillars and contribute to the ongoing debate on: how knowledge assets impact organizational performance, what are the characteristics of such value‐generating processes, what factors affect the process of building organizational capabilities and distinctive competences, and how organizations translate specific capabilities into sustainable competitive advantages.
Design/methodology/approach
The article is based on a thorough analysis of the management literature addressing the nature, role and relevance of knowledge, organizational capabilities, learning and knowledge management for organization competitiveness. The conceptual background sets the foundations for a better understanding of the strategic importance of knowledge‐based value drivers for innovation and sustainable organizational value creation.
Findings
As knowledge management is establishing itself as a research discipline, it is fundamental to define the conceptual pillars grounding the application of knowledge management initiatives for innovation and business performance improvements. This paper provides a framework summarizing the key assumptions at the basis of understanding the strategic relevance of knowledge‐based value drivers for growth and competitiveness.
Research limitations/implications
In addressing some of the questions posed, this article provides some implications for future research that build on different perspectives and emphasize the importance of adopting multi‐disciplinary approaches to disentangle the complexities of how organizations convert knowledge resources to a long‐lasting competitive advantage.
Originality/value
This editorial presents the key conceptual pillars explicating the role of knowledge resources as building blocks of organizational capabilities and how firms can develop and maintain their competences by promoting and nurturing learning processes. The value of this paper is the definition of a conceptual framework outlining the relationships between knowledge management, organizational capabilities, organizational learning and competitiveness.