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This paper presents and analyses the dynamics of the development of knowledge ecosystem, putting more emphasis on interorganisational context, such as industrial clusters or "geographical concentrations of interconnected companies, specialised suppliers, service providers, companies in related industries and associated institutions (trade / industry associations, universities, educational institutions) that compete but also cooperate" (Porter 2000). This paper contributes to scientific efforts to minimise the gap of research on organisational entities whose development reflects the essence of an ecosystem - a network of interacting actors, which compete and cooperate in order to create and apply new knowledge on the grounds of self-organisation. This paper, following a dynamic approach to the development of knowledge ecosystems, analyses four development stages, the preconditions behind the viability of knowledge ecosystems and their interconnections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contexts of higher learning, students must be supported effectively in developing their knowledge, skills, and competencies. Thus, faculty members (incl. lecturers and administrators) are faced with the management task to organize and align innovative teaching and learning formats. As we know from research, the use of knowledge visualization is both a facilitating tool for cognitive processing and learning itself, and for strategic decision-making processes within organizations. However, the literature on the types of (IT-enabled) knowledge visualization for learning in higher education contexts is highly fragmented and dispersed and includes different branches for researchers and practitioners. This makes it difficult to achieve an overview and find systematic and consistent visual approaches along students' learning paths. By highlighting the role of knowledge visualization to support organizing innovative teaching and learning, we provide a systematic, structured overview of such approaches. The goal of this paper is thus to structure the field of knowledge visualization for lifelong and university-based learning based on seminal papers. For this purpose, we present a segmentation approach with six areas to analyse the role of knowledge visualization for learning in higher education contexts, namely: Visualizing Learning Offers (e.g., Curriculum Visualization Tools), Visual Learning Environments (e.g., Metaverse), Learning Content Visualization (e.g., Visual Variation Patterns), Visual Techniques for Learning (e.g., Concept Mapping), Visual Learning Analytics (e.g., Learner Dashboards), and Visualizing Learning Outcomes (e.g., Digital Course Badges). Based on systemizing key concepts, our paper concludes with promising future research avenues for each of the six areas, as well as for the domain of knowledge visualization for higher learning itself. We conclude with specific ideas how the area of visualizing learning offers can act as a spearhead for empirical research (and practice transfer) in the knowledge visualization domain. This should help practitioners and researchers from higher education contexts who consider lifelong learning as knowledge management task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how knowledge and related resources has permeated scholasticism and an intellectual capital (IC)-based view of the firm, and it has gained increasing weight in contemporary management literature. Manifold impacts of IC on organizational performance have been widely evidenced with management mechanisms for various IC dimensions to be found in most established organizations. As research is a strongly path-dependent activity, it seems natural that IC research may lean on classical frameworks and conceptualizations from prior decades. However, this consideration may be problematic, since large-scale changes in companies' operating environments, such as digitalization, a crisis in sustainability, as well as reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic through remote-working initiatives. Consequently, call for new knowledge resources comes into play naturally. In this paper, an argument is made that the normative approaches for conceptualizing IC and its performance relevance must be updated. Further, we suggest that the new post-pandemic world of enterprise calls for novel understandings relevant to IC. To spur new thinking that offers a way forward, a theoretical model is proposed for a revised understanding of IC and its role in organizational viability. Important new issues are examined as related to various IC elements. The paper contributes to IC research by constructing a revised model of IC useful for generating topical research models suitable for development and testing in future theoretical and empirical studies. A set of potential research questions is outlined to guide additional research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local ICT firms can play an important role in creation of innovations which could support a smart city concept realization in a city. The topic of the paper is to present details of local ICT firms' perspective on cooperation with city government for production of innovations important in a smart city concept realization. There is a research gap in up-todate studies concerning such a topic. Motivation of the author in preparing the paper was to make a step forward to fill this research gap through realizing the article's main objective which was to answer the following question: 'What is the perspective of local ICT firms and what are their expectations in the mentioned cooperation to result in production of innovations useful for the city?' An additional question was 'What is the attitude of local ICT firms towards inviting big international leaders in smart city projects for cooperation in the ICT industry?' Critical research of the paper is first of all of empirical and qualitative nature. A review of the current international literature was of preliminary nature. The review was carried out in respect of a smart sustainable city, ICT innovations and public management, ICT innovations and their sustainability. The study concentrated on the case of the Polish city of Częstochowa. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with managers of six ICT l ocal firms or units located in C zęstochowa. The findings of the paper include a set of expectations of local ICT firms useful for city governments in planning cooperation with ICT firms for innovations. In analyzing the perspective of local ICT firms an important element was their attitude towards inviting big international leaders in the ICT industry in smart city for cooperation by the city government. The boundaries of the paper of the above nature limited its scope to the perspective of local ICT firms leaving outside e.g. the analysis of the city government perspective. In the future, the studies should be developed on: creating a comprehensive model of strategic planning of the cooperation between city government and ICT firms for Smart City sustainable innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People obtain knowledge from different sources, depending on the issues that they wish to analyze or resolve. In this paper, the authors examine the sources of knowledge on cryptocurrencies that can be useful for young people. The authors used a survey questionnaire to collect empirical data. The sample consisted of students from Polish universities representing the population that is particularly interested in new technologies and solutions emerging on the market, as exemplified by cryptocurrencies. The purpose of this paper is to find an answer to the main research question: What sources of knowledge about cryptocurrencies have students used? Two criteria were taken into account, namely the respondents' gender and the location of the universities where they studied. The general results showed that students choose modern, preferably well-known sources of knowledge about cryptocurrencies such as popular information websites and social media as well as information provided by their family and friends. The gender analysis showed that the main differences concern the sources of knowledge on cryptocurrencies: popular information websites were chosen more often by men, whereas television and radio were used more frequently by females. Regarding the location of the university, our findings showed that the approach of students to sources of knowledge tends to be similar, regardless of whether they study in Warsaw or Katowice. A difference was found for only one variable, i.e., family and friends. Thus, family and friends were a source of knowledge that students from Warsaw used more frequently than those from Katowice. It may indicate that metropolitan students are more sociable or family-minded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufacturing companies seeking to be competitive in the market must, in particular, accomplish time saving through precisely planned production processes. One of the main routes to reaching higher production efficiency is Lean Manufacturing (LM) by way of the methods and tools that it brings. However, the key to successful implementation of LM is the employees' approach to knowledge sharing, an essential component for continuous improvement. This paper is an empirical study whose purpose is to answer the following question: Is knowledge sharing more widely adopted (and if so, how exactly) by companies who have implemented Lean Manufacturing, compared to those who have not? As a result of literature studies, six types of knowledge sharing were identified, related to the way knowledge is shared (formal and informal knowledge sharing), knowledge sharing strategies (codification and personalization strategies) and the scope of knowledge that the company focuses on in its core business (broad and deep knowledge). The relation between the use of LM and knowledge sharing types was examined based on a questionnaire survey conducted among 219 small, medium and large manufacturing enterprises operating in North-West Poland. The data analysis was performed using the ANOVA and post hoc tests. The results demonstrated a significant correlation between the companies' use of the Lean Manufacturing concept and certain types of knowledge sharing. In particular, it was observed that, compared to the other companies, the companies showing wider use of LM practiced formal ways of knowledge sharing, used the knowledge codification strategy, and were more focused on development and dissemination of broad rather than specialized knowledge. The results also demonstrated that the knowledge sharing approach adopted by the companies was largely determined by other approaches and management methods. It also means that the processes related to knowledge sharing are components of Lean Manufacturing solutions applied in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to perform a semantic analysis of the knowledge dynamics concept and to propose a framework for the semantic clusters used in knowledge management. Knowledge is an abstract term without correspondence with any physical object. Knowledge can be understood through metaphorical thinking. Metaphors used in explaining knowledge contribute to its spectrum of meanings today and the difficulty of finding a unique definition. Among the most frequently used metaphors are those based on an object, a stock, an iceberg, a flow, a process, and energy. The concept of knowledge dynamics follows the same pattern, and its interpretation depends on the researcher's experience and the metaphor used. That explains why we find so many different interpretations for such a critical concept in knowledge management theory and practice. The aim of the present research is to perform a semantic analysis of the multiple meanings assigned to knowledge dynamics and to propose a framework for the semantic clusters. The research is based on a qualitative analysis of the literature, the theory of metaphorical thinking, and the theory of semantic clustering. We take as reference the well-defined meanings of the dynamics concept from physics and thermodynamics. In physics, dynamics means motion in space or change in time. In thermodynamics, dynamics means transformation from one state to another state or from one field into another field of a given variable. Our analysis findings can be instrumental in a better understanding of the knowledge dynamics concept and adequate utilization in practice. Many researchers use, for instance, the meaning of flow for both the concept of knowledge and that of knowledge dynamics without a correct understanding of the fluid mechanics laws. That leads to misinterpretations in their research models and empirical research. The originality of this paper comes from the semantic clustering analysis and the proposed framework used and an interdisciplinary approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the problem of the significance of knowledge management in contemporary enterprises. The timeliness of research problems in relation to this issue is confirmed by a comprehensive literature review. The article attempts to define individual knowledge management models and to define the essence of knowledge management in enterprises. These considerations have been extended with innovation which is crucial for 21st century companies. The publication covers empirical research of selected high-tech companies. This sector has been selected due to a noticeable lack of studies in this area. The research method used in the empirical part of the paper is a case study. Two high-tech companies operating in the IT industry have been selected. It has been essential to distinguish the criteria for selecting high-tech companies in the study. The objective of the conducted comparative analysis has been to examine what knowledge management model is used by the specified enterprises and what concept of innovation they have selected. The results of the conducted analyses indicate that enterprises take similar actions. Most of all, this is conditioned by the specificity of the sector and industry in which they operate. The subject matter of the publication is important and up to date, it covers two fundamental components of the operation of contemporary enterprises since both knowledge management and innovation constitute a constantly expanded scientific issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper contributes to the debate on the future of social innovation (SI). The aim of the research was to determine the influence of the subsidy market leader on the valuation of IS by organizations participating in the PROO and NEWFIO competitions. The Stackenberg leadership model was used for this purpose. The research has shown that organisations applying for grants, in most cases, follow the leader, regardless of the competition that sets the price (maximum grant value) for SI. In the futere, use of game theory to describe the role of a leader allows for the strengthening and better adjustment of competition offers to future social and technological challenges, e.i. "Green Deal" for Industry 5.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In discussions on the creation of trust in enterprises, the subject of the significance of intangible values in terms of its stimulation is increasingly undertaken. One of these is that of organizational trust which strengthens the level of cooperation between the employees and employee teams within the enterprise, which in turn is favourable towards the creation of knowledge. Trust aids the transfer of information that is necessary for the creation of knowledge. Hence, this may constitute a key attribute in its creation, which in turn, increases the opportunities for the enterprise to gain a competitive advantage on the market. The problematic issues of the ties between organizational trust and the creation of knowledge is a relatively rare subject matter for research analysis. The authors of this paper intend to fill the gap in this field and present the findings of empirical research into the role of organizational trust in terms of creating knowledge that favours innovativeness in enterprises. The assumption that trust influences the creation of knowledge and innovativeness in enterprises made it possible to formulate the research objective, which was to examine the impact of the dimensions of organizational trust (horizontal, vertical and institutional trust) on the creation of knowledge and innovativeness of employees. The assumed goal was executed owing to the application of the survey method. Empirical research was conducted on 179 enterprises from the list of the 500 largest enterprises in Poland. As a result of the research, significant statistical ties were discovered between the types of organizational trust and the process of creating knowledge. The positive impact of organizational trust on innovativeness in the analysed enterprises was indicated. The research findings acquired indicate the significant role of trust in terms of stimulating the processes of creating knowledge and innovativeness in large enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyse the phenomenon of intangibles using empirical data from six different perspectives. Following the model of (Tomé 2011a), the perspectives are the following: knowledge management (KM), Intellectual Capital (IC), Human Resource Development (HRD), Traditional Management (TM), Economics (EC) and Social Policy (SP). The study is relevant because those six ways of analysing intangibles have strong and different theoretical backgrounds and are present in the public discourse and in the everyday life. Tomé and Loureiro (2014), showed that in the literature KM, HRD and Economics are linked, as are IC and Traditional Management, Social Policy being something like an outsider. But no study empirical or statistical study was done yet and the intention of this paper is to begin that effort. We use a methodology of searching the most important databases for studies and statistics on the six perspectives. We end up with a polyhedric description of the reality of intangibles which in our opinion is much richer than any of the single perspectives, for much of their valuable worth, put together. The implication of the study is that even in practice it is rather obvious that the six perspectives exist; for scientists this calls for more mergers between the analysis and less silos; for practitioners this implies more reflection and a holistic view of intangibles in companies. The limitation of the paper is that we did not test the model in companies but this is the next step we intend to do with the research, and the questionnaire based on Tomé and Loureiro (2012) that should be online in July 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rewards, both extrinsic and intrinsic, are often used to encourage and facilitate knowledge sharing within organizations. Research, however, demonstrates the limited effect of extrinsic rewards, because knowledge sharing depends much on individual's attitudes, willingness and ability to contribute his or her knowledge or to absorb it from others. Thus, intrinsic rewards that are associated with the individual's internal feelings (e.g., enjoyment and satisfaction with the process itself, achieved results or the content of the task) have more positive effect on encouraging knowledge sharing than extrinsic one. Prior research has acknowledged the importance of intrinsic reward for knowledge sharing. However, the types of intrinsic rewards associated with knowledge sharing were not yet analysed in detail. This paper provides a theoretical model that identifies the relationship between intrinsic rewards and knowledge sharing behaviour. The paper also focuses on the types of intrinsic rewards that foster knowledge sharing within organizations. The study is based on the review of the newest empirical studies in the field of rewarding, motivating, and recognizing of employees that had found a significant positive impact of intrinsic rewards on knowledge sharing behaviour. Understanding intrinsic rewards for knowledge sharing may be helpful to managers in developing strategies to encourage more effective knowledge sharing within organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to present how a competitive organizational strategy can be performed based upon the emotional knowledge of its workers. Highly criticized in the economic environment, emotions enclose an extraordinary potential for defining competitive advantage and customer loyalty. A perfume gets sold not only because of its flagrance, but also based upon the emotional display that it encompasses (e.g. love, joy or energy). A similar situation is encountered when talking about the service industry where those intangible trades satisfy even the most pretentious needs. Standard operations can no longer define a qualitative service. Nowadays, customers pretend higher rights to courtesy, friendliness or joy than employees do. An empirical study was conducted over 304 respondents in five Romanian organizations from a twofold perspective over emotional knowledge. The subjects expressed their opinions from a dual point of view: job and customer requirements. Their answerers were collected from September to December 2011, with the help of a quantitative research instrument - the questionnaire. Results confirmed that employees who experience frequent customer interactions in the service industry uphold their emotional prerequisites even when they shift roles to being customers. Such opinions are labelling the transfer of emotional knowledge and embody the premises for an effective organizational strategy. The interaction between a service supplier and a client can further be described with the help of the 'emotional labour' theory that points up the difference between felt and displayed emotions at work. In fact, this concept illustrates the effort that an employee has to make in order to create a feeling of courtesy, happiness or even friendliness. A company can further benefit from a greater use of emotional knowledge in order to create a 'Glad to Help' organizational culture which may improve the perceived quality of its services. Such a strategy may be projected by enabling emotions with an exchange value through knowledge and labour. The supreme competitive advantage in such industries gets shaped with a strategy based upon tailored services where employees are required to perform an organizational role as customers raise their expectations over a service delivery. Based upon an empirical research that studied dual opinions of how a service should be provided, this paper suggests that an effective strategy for a customer orientated culture is to transfer emotional knowledge from employees to clients and vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to determine the relationship among two intangible assets. Specifically, we studied the relationship between organizational learning and corporate reputation because both have similar properties which suggest the existence of a strong positive association. Organizational learning is a critical infrastructure that supports the strategy formulation and implementation systems of a company where corporate reputation is a key element, relying on the perceptions of stakeholders about the behaviour of the company. Consequently, organizational learning has a positive effect on corporate reputation. An empirical study was done for the Spanish accounting audit firm in 2010, because professional service firms seem to be more sensitive to organizational learning and corporate reputation, and to the attitude of employees (mainly managers). Auditing is a labour-intensive service, where the managers and employees are important actors in the interaction with customers and, therefore, in the development of organizational learning and the configuration of the firm's corporate reputation. This paper also analyzes the influence of organizational learning and corporate reputation on financial performance, because both are intangible assets through which firms can achieve competitive advantage. Subsequently, a regression analysis confirms that organizational learning activities have a positive and significant effect on some dimensions of corporate reputation, differentiating its major influence on internal and/or external dimensions. As well as this, the direct and indirect effects among organizational learning, corporate reputation and financial performance of the firm are tested through a structural equations model. The results exhibit the positive and direct influence of corporate reputation on financial performance and the positive and indirect effect (through corporate reputation) of organizational learning on that firm's results. Therefore, this study serves as an important contribution to the literature by examining and identifying the positive relation between organizational learning activities and corporate reputation, testing their direct and indirect effect on business results, in particular on financial performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on an empirical study of the launch of an information and communication technology [ICT] system for the main Public Safety Agencies [PSA] in Sweden, this paper combines concepts from knowledge management [KM] with naturalistic decision-making [NDM] to gain a greater understanding of problems in the implementation and adoption phase of the new system. The launch has been experienced as being much slower than was originally envisaged by all the organizations involved and the system will not cover its own costs in the near future. Implementation and adoption also required extra, unplanned, resources to develop processes for collaboration and joint work by and between the organizations. In the public safety and emergency response sector, the need for communication and co-operation between the organizations involved is regarded mostly as self-evident by both the organizations involved and external organizations. To make co-operation within and between the different organizations more efficient, a new radio communication system is being introduced in Sweden. Adoption and use are presented as being the prerogative of the user organizations. In an earlier paper we identified several problems, i.e. 'knowledge barriers' that prevented or slowed down adoption and thus the launch process (Sunesson and Heldal, 2010). This paper takes a further step to gain a deeper understanding of what these knowledge barriers mean by using terms from knowledge management [KM] combined with concepts and frameworks from NDM. NDM provides a promising framework to understand these situations, since the situation in which the system will be used can be related to understanding technologies in complex environments, i.e. solving ill-defined problems under time pressure and with high stakes combined with uncertain outcomes. By analysing a set of five categories of knowledge barriers through concepts from the NDM framework, such as 'sensemaking', 'situation awareness', and 'mental models', this paper strives to increase understanding of the obstacles that need to be overcome when launching large-scale ICT systems for parties with specific needs and requirements. The main benefit of using knowledge management models is to provide a good overview of the launch process, emphasizing relevant problem areas. The advantage of examining these problem areas more deeply by means of concepts and frameworks from NDM can be found in the possibility of acquiring a deeper understanding and providing suggestions to overcome the identified problems for users, launchers and influencers. This paper makes both practical and theoretical contributions. Practical contributions exemplify how important mutual understanding is to co-operation and in doing so a more coherent mental model on which to build co-operation. The theoretical contribution takes the form of suggestions to improve our understanding of the benefits of combining KM models with frameworks and concepts from NDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Handling information and ever growing knowledge bases are still key tasks of the information society. Many organisations deplore that co-workers invest much time into search and handling of information. Information visualisation methods and tools can help to prepare and visually represent abstract information to amplify cognition. However, a more widespread adoption of visualisation tools for information seeking is still missing. Geovisualisation, a sub domain of information visualisation, is concerned with geospatial maps as visual representations of information. With the evolution of the WWW, geospatial maps are now easy to implement and because of a more intuitive representation easy to understand. There is a high benefit potential for organisations, due to that 80% of organisational data possess spatial characteristics and can be linked and displayed on geospatial maps. Thus, research objective is to measure utility of geospatial maps for information seeking. This paper presents a state-of-the-art in measuring information visualisation utility by means of a structured literature review. The review examines 33 empirical papers and shows an absence of theoretical models and influencing factors as a basis for in-depth utility analysis. Furthermore, the review identifies marginal analysis of geospatial maps for information seeking. In order to gain more insight into user seeking behaviour and requirements a pilot think aloud test and a survey was conducted. Thereto, 16 participants had to perform a web based real estate search. The results indicate that there is a need for geospatial map as tool for information seeking within spatial contexts. The next step for future research is to conduct laboratory experiments based on these findings to analyse utility. Implications of this research are to make evident statements for using geospatial maps for information seeking and to validate the used theoretical model for utility measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents partial results from the first empirical study of KM in SMEs of Vietnam. A preliminary survey had revealed that KM is an important issue for SMEs in Vietnam. It also identified the main motivation for SMEs to implement KM-related activities (the search for solutions to a chronic shortage of competent employees) as well as the two probable main causes for this shortage: (1) the departure of employees from SMEs and/or (2) remaining employees not learning how to work effectively. Using statistical analysis and fuzzy methodology, this paper formally verifies whether the inferences from the preliminary study really hold for the general population of Vietnamese SMEs, and from there proposes obvious actions to be taken to solve the shortage of competent employees. The findings presented in this paper help us understand more about the operations of SMEs in developing countries and suggest a feasible approach to initiate KM for SMEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution in technology and social behavior, which is happening nowadays, is changing traditional ways of managing knowledge. An example of this evolution is represented by buzz network strategies (BNS). Originally developed in the field of marketing, these strategies refer to the interaction of consumers and users of a product or service in order to amplify the marketing message and create a word-of-mouth effect. Nowadays the original marketing usage is changing and companies are creating new solutions for managing the knowledge that this word-of-mouth is generating with a substantial impact on traditional knowledge management (KM) practice. We have conducted an empirical analysis in the field of BNS using a case-study, the "kids' space". This project consists of an alliance of several Italian companies with the aim of creating a web 2.0 solution where consumers, architects, designers, inventors and other experts can talk about products and services for children. A qualitative approach was used throughout several semi- structured interviews with 10 managers involved in the project. Focusing on these lines of research, the aim of this exploratory paper is to: (i) identify a theoretical framework of knowledge management process that could be used in empirical analysis; (ii) recognize how buzz strategies are affecting the traditional knowledge management process in participating companies. The theoretical implications of this paper are to create better assimilation of network buzz strategies and to recognize how these strategies could affect traditional Knowledge Management Process. The managerial implications of this paper are to assist managers in developing BNS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managing a diverse multigenerational workforce of ageing experts and young talented entrants is becoming a challenge for organisations. Current research acknowledges that experience and expertise will walk out the door with the retiring workforce and little replaced with new entrants coming into the organisations who have little or no experience. This leaves organisations in a susceptible position. One key challenge facing organisations today is to manage the knowledge and talent for sustained competitive performance and innovation in this workforce shift. Innovation is crucial for economic performance globally. Drucker (1985) as quoted by Tidd et al (2005) identified demographic change as one of the common sources of opportunities in managing innovation. Was Drucker (1985) really seeding waves of thinking that the new organisational order to continue to sustain and innovate, an organisation has to manage knowledge towards innovation of a diverse workforce? Can experts really help? Or do the novices consider them to be a hindrance?. This paper focuses by questioning: Is an expert's knowledge and expertise, especially those veteran experts, critical in idea generation and creativity towards innovation or more of a hindrance? There is clearly a lack of scholarly and empirical work in linking knowledge management and innovation. Furthermore there is definitely lack of studies focussing on experts, talents and experience contribution in the innovation process. This conceptual paper attempts to conceptualize a knowledge exchange and barrier model within a typified innovation process. It takes the view that knowledge is valued resource and the perspectives and experiences of young talents versus veteran experts on working together to generate creative ideas and ultimately start up innovative projects in an organisation can be challenging. The expert's knowledge and experience in applying to an organisation's innovation process looks at tacit exchange and barriers of a case organisation in Australia. This paper may benefit two primary groups - researchers and academics who are interested in the link between innovation process and knowledge management. Secondly it may benefit managers in an organisation to understand better as to how to manage knowledge for idea generation and creativity and sustain innovation with a multigenerational workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the issue of adoption and use of Knowledge Management (KM) practices by Knowledge-Intensive Business Services (KIBS) companies, i.e. private companies whose job consists of collecting, generating, analysing, and distributing knowledge with the purpose of developing customized services or solutions to satisfy the needs of business clients. KIBS companies rely on highly educated professionals, experts on specific technical disciplines or functional domains, and supply knowledge-based services. Knowledge is their major resource that allows developing new competencies and constitutes a precondition for the delivery of new services. This is the reason why the issue of KM applied to KIBS should have a central relevance for scholars and practitioners. Nevertheless, the research on this topic is still scarce. Furthermore, one would expect that KIBS firms accurately manage their knowledge base, also by means of formal practices, but the (few) empirical studies indicate that KIBS companies often lack systematic methods for managing their knowledge. Consequently, there is the need to analyse the issue of KM in KIBS more thoroughly. In light of this, the paper discusses the findings of a survey involving 471 KIBS located in North-Eastern Italy and operating in three different subsectors: ICT Services, Design and Communication, Professional Services. In particular, the study: a) analyses how internal knowledge is handled by the surveyed companies; b) investigates the main sources of external knowledge the companies make use of; c) examines the relationship between the way KIBS companies manage their knowledge assets and the kind of service they supply. The outcomes of the investigation may have important implications both from an academic and a managerial viewpoint. Especially, as regards the latter, it can provide KIBS firms with food for though concerning the use of appropriate KM approaches for sustaining their business activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concepts of knowledge management and business reengineering have grown in the last decade and lead between other things to an increasing interest in enhancing organizational performances. Despite numerous empirical research into knowledge management (KM) and business reengineering (BR) in industries such as automobile, pharmaceuticals, consulting service industry, little is known about the KM and BR practices in the cosmetics industry from Romania. This paper is based on exploratory literature review of different approaches regarding the KM and BR practices in organizations in general. The paper also presents the preliminary results of an online survey conducted at 10 cosmetic companies from Romania. The results are part of a doctoral research which aims to identify specific management practices inside Romanian organizations. The field of BR and KM is diverse and involves a series of theoretical and methodological approaches, thus the primary objective of the paper was to present relevant literature review in order to obtain a sound understanding of the link between the two concepts. The cosmetics industry in Romania is dominated by multinationals which operate in a highly competitive environment, which is mainly driven by creativity and innovation. The findings so far show that both BR and KM are recognized and practiced in the Romanian cosmetics industry. The results of the paper should be useful first for cosmetics companies, but also for organizations in general. Academics interested in knowledge management and business reengineering could also use the results of this paper for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no common method for developing KMS in organizations; practice is dominated by proprietary and ad hoc approaches and is often oriented towards information systems development. Currently KMS development (KMSD) omits the creation of KM cultures in unique organizational contexts, how to 'operationalize' knowledge, and how to support KMS with appropriate technologies. The paper provides practical insights via explanatory elements of a guide for a principled and useful KMSD approach, one which is adaptable for the complex situations of constantly and unpredictably changing environments and specific settings and needs of organizations. The guide's concepts and approach have emerged from and been validated in practice by an inquiry into a number of problems experienced by particular organizations. For practitioners the paper presents insights into how to develop KMS that address organizational needs. For scholars our guide to a KMSD approach addresses calls in the literature for empirical research into the deployment of KMS and the role of IT in supporting KMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why do people share their knowledge? Who and what inspires them to do it especially within organizations in Central-Eastern European countries? The authors, at the University of Pannonia, Department of Management in Hungary, have conducted an empirical survey, which has investigated the characteristic features of knowledge sharing of managers, working under top managers at medium- and large sized enterprises. Beyond studies focusing mainly on the regions of the USA, Japan and Western Europe, there is barely any research work focusing on knowledge sharing in Central-Eastern Europe. This increases the importance of this research. The aim of the research was to reveal the factors which affect the maturity of knowledge sharing of these managers and to measure the role of these managers in the maturity of knowledge sharing. Before showing the initial results of our survey which was conducted before the beginning of and during the economic crisis, our paper first presents the growing importance of knowledge sharing in these days by giving a brief description of knowledge and knowledge sharing. The central part of this paper makes an attempt to compare the results of two assumed influencing factors of our survey, and their effect on the maturity of knowledge sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under organisational theories, knowledge management is the organisational capacity to develop, innovate and enhance competitiveness. From this perspective, knowledge management is a management context in which knowledge is used. The main issue is the creation of an environment in which the development, acquisition and dissemination of new knowledge can be fostered and nurtured using organisational tools explicitly designed for that purpose. From the perspective of organisations, knowledge resides in documents, routines, procedures, practices and norms. However, above all, knowledge is reflected in the organisational development of new products and services, in taking decisions regarding customers and in the formulation of strategies. Such knowledge is the result of the dissemination of knowledge by individual organisational structures. Hospitality is an activity-based service sector in which information and knowledge are fundamental in order to develop realistic strategies and business plans. This paper thus presents an analytical model and several preliminary results of an investigation called "Organisational Knowledge Management in Tourism Organisations". This study investigates how tourism organisations in the Algarve region of Portugal manage knowledge by observing how they create, retain, share and use it. This empirical research is based on three case studies of hotels that use documental research, interviews and questionnaires as well as the analytic model introduced herein. The latter identifies the different stages of knowledge management (acquisition / knowledge creation and retention / storage and transfer / sharing and use) and the management practices that facilitate it (strategic management, organisational culture, structure and work processes, human resources policies, information systems and communication, measuring results and relationships with the environment outside the organisation). As far as is possible, we have taken into account the multifaceted characteristics of knowledge management and its practical significance. The two major axes of the model do not exist in isolation. Rather, they complement each other and are essential for a comprehensive approach to knowledge management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are more vulnerable to globalization and rapid technological change, due to their lack of resources and liabilities of size, age and connectedness. In this context, SMEs' absorptive capacity allows them access to and dissemination of knowledge and plays a key role in their ability to explore and exploit opportunities in their environment. Absorptive capacity studies have been focused on large companies, neglecting SMEs and companies belonging to traditional manufacturing and service sectors. Empirical studies on absorptive capacity are residual in the whole body of investigation. These studies should focus on the service sector which is becoming more important in economies and is built on information and knowledge. In order to fill the previous gaps, the main research objectives of this paper are: (i) to identify and categorize factors which SMEs can adopt to assess absorptive capacity in different sectors (ii) to measure the influence of firms' characteristics on absorptive capacity. The target population was Portuguese SMEs. 4.534 firms were contacted by email. Data collection was made in June and September 2011 through an online questionnaire. A total of 260 usable completed questionnaires were returned, yielding a response rate of 5.73%. Four factors were found to explain absorptive capacity in SMEs: (i) knowledge of the firm based on competition; (ii) knowledge of the firm based on the value chain; (iii) knowledge conversion; and (iv) knowledge application. We have confirmed the influence of size on all absorptive capacity factors, and the influence of sector of activity and exports on the knowledge conversion factor. As a general conclusion we may say that Portuguese SMEs are engaged in knowledge management practices, favouring learning processes based on the experience of, and knowledge transfer to employees and knowledge absorption from employees, reflecting the importance given by SMEs to the tacit nature of knowledge. Several implications are also presented [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper provides an empirical assessment for the dependence of academic organizations' productivity measured quantitatively on the transaction expenses on scientific activity. The establishment of a stable institutional structure is shown to allow the transaction cost minimization, which in turn boosts the publication activity and academic mobility of academic institutions when spent to promote scientific publications and participation of young researchers in conferences [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) have been challenging for organizations. Over the years, many solutions have been developed to overcome various barriers guided by domain experts. This paper presents an empirical study, focusing on a strong retrospective character by collecting exploratory use of Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) intelligence fragments from a wide range of stakeholders within an organization. The results were categorized to identify stylistic features of their substantial likeness for design principles towards KMS Development (KMSD). The purpose of the study is to contribute to the literature of PKM in KM in order to understand clearly the KMSD context and relationships. The research aimed to generate new insights into the complexity conditions (engineering) of KMS for resurgence of effective quality to help take KMS towards the next step breakthroughs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the capitalist society brought into light new challenges, as the system behind showed flaws among which crisis have a major impact. However, crisies are a normal phenomenon as history proves and, as assumed by some scientists, they have a statistical component. Having as a start point the Kondratiev theory of economic cycles, this paper aims to identify the elements that play a key-role in an economic crisis, namely in a financial crisis, and especially to quantify the knowledge management contribution. It is in our intention to underline the close link between knowledge management and financial markets. Without an efficient framework in which to operate the consequences are dramatic therefore a presentation of the neoclasic view of growth is done, focusing mostly on the Cambridge Controversies, in order to show the weaknesses to the current mainstream model. A thorough literature is carried on. The concept of knowledge is presented from the modern perspective in order to understand its real meaning. Also, knowledge management is evaluated as a resourceful factor in the re-launching economies process. The empirical study uses the recent data and information available with regard to the most recent financial crisis that still affects several parts of the world, among which Europe. The main indicator chosen is the evolution of the R&D and human resources expenditures as they are reflected in the overall knowledge strategy for the business sector. The results of our work, the influence of knowledge management over the financial crisis, must be interpreted in the more general background of the European economy, as it is hoped that it represents a brick for a long term action plan against negative economic impact of a crisis [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, companies have opened up their innovation activities to users through the establishment of online crowdsourcing communities - firm-hosted customer co-innovation and value co-creation platforms; which stands for an important strategy, known as open innovation. However, we identify two research gaps exist: first, knowledge sharing literature emphasizes macro-level (organizational level), and pays relatively less attention to micro-level (individual level); secondly, online community research focuses mainly on the importance of motivation as a driver of behavior. Therefore in this paper we develop a conceptual framework that draws on the micro-foundations perspective to consider an integrated set of motivation, opportunity and ability (MOA) that drive users to share knowledge in the crowdsourcing community. Based on theoretical background of knowledge sharing in online communities, we put forward a theoretical framework to explain the relationship between MOA and knowledge sharing for further empirical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents and describes a new pragmatism orientation technique for identifying and measuring knowledge management to grow an organisation. The technique brings together Dilip Bhatt KM components. The empirical study presents results, a Kiviat diagram, highlights the principal significance for comparison alignment between two KM models (Non-IT and IT connections) using Composite Features Diagramming methodology. This method illustrates an abundance characteristics component results in visual qualitative technique that also enables conducted quantitative evaluation to fundamentally analyse, measure and transform an organisation success level retrospectively. It studies these links in a Healthcare organisation context, where KM is a strategic concern. Finally, further recommendation is subsequently addressed for future exploration works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to describe a PhD research work in progress, which empirically determines organizational learning processes in University-Industry Research Cooperation (UI). Since knowledge is considered to be the most valuable resource of an organization, the management of knowledge has become a central issue in the scientific as well as in the practical field. For industrial companies, one promising source of new knowledge creation is the research cooperation with universities. But still the preservation and transfer of (tacit) knowledge is a major challenge for organizations. Since project work is commonly applied in UI research cooperation, the documentation of tacit knowledge and the transfer of procedural knowledge to other parts of the organization are considered as essential steps towards a learning organization. While research projects bear a high learning potential for individuals and the whole organization, the practical realization of this idea is not fully accomplished yet. One reason is the unanswered question of how to design project work of UI cooperations in a reflexive manner for the purpose of organizational learning. Therefore the research question can be formulated as follows: How should project work in UI research cooperation be designed to foster organizational learning? To answer this research question the author refers to various theoretical fields of research (organizational learning, knowledge management, project management). Since social interaction is considered to be an essential part in project work and tacit knowledge transfer, a qualitative research approach in form of a single case study seems to be adequate. Object of determination will be the institutionalized program of an industry organization which undertakes diverse research and development projects in cooperation with several universities in Germany. In conducting interviews with participants from both organizations and in observing the generation, use and transfer of the project knowledge, the author develops a model of reflexive project work, which can be seen as an advanced version of actual project management in regards of a sustainable use of organizational knowledge. Research results will offer interesting insights into the design of cooperative UI research projects. Implications derived from the research may be useful for scientists in the field of knowledge management and project management as well as to practitioners like project managers or consultants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge management is becoming the most relevant and challenging issue of company's strategy implementation in the new economy. Intellectual capital identification and evaluation is one of the most important issues in knowledge management. Our study focuses on the evaluating intellectual capital methods that allow finding out the most efficient way of intellectual capital management, including investment decision making. We suppose that the potential effectiveness of intellectual capital resources varies depending on a company size, industry and country. The majority of the relevant researches are based on resource- and value-based approaches that separately analyze the intellectual capital from a certain point of view, limiting the number of problems at concurrence of these concepts. Therefore, to solve problems of intellectual capital evaluation we integrate two approaches that are relevant for studying the companies' and industries' behavior. We seek to integrate two approaches to answer following questions: ∎ Is there a close relationship between an intellectual capital quality and a company performance: a creation and destruction of the enterprise value due to intellectual capital employed? ∎ What are the external and internal factors affecting this relationship? (country, industry, company size, market dynamics, etc.) ∎ Is there a certain complementarity of the intellectual capital separate components (human, institutional and market resources)? Despite the large empirical background the intellectual capital management issues fundamentally are not well studied. The purpose of this research is the development of cost-effectiveness tools for analyzing the company's intellectual resources. Several statistical methods should be provided for the empirical issues of this research, including common cross-sectional and panel data analysis. The data base collected for this purpose will consist of financial and economic indicators underlying the intellectual capital evaluation, for example, strategic performance indicators (EVA, FGV, Q-Tobin). It should be emphasized, that a number of required data are quite specific and hardly observed. Thus, the data base of this research founds on the annual statistical and financial reports including the description of some qualitative characteristics of analyzed companies and industries: total labor productivity, staff education level, customer loyalty, product range, R&D expenditures, participation in business associations, co-operative innovation projects, localization and specialization coefficients, and others. This paper is devoted to the research problem identification and motivation and also presents some empirical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to understand how the interaction between knowledge management, organizational culture and ethics occur, focusing on the potential tensions between personal and collective knowledge in learning organizations. These tensions are reflected upon ethical and social dilemmas which are often neglected by managers and produce unexpected impacts into the organizational strategy. Therefore, this contribution is divided into two main sections: knowledge management (levels, dimensions, and ethical issues/social dilemmas); empirical procedures (methodological design, data collection methods, and empirical outcomes). However, in order to promote a reliable argument, this manuscript will shed some light about the underlying topics. Knowledge management (KM) can be characterized as the acquisition and utilization of resources to generate a milieu in which information is available to all, allowing individuals to obtain, share and employ that information to increase their own knowledge and apply their knowledge for organizational benefit. Despite this consideration, KM as a strategy encompasses two antagonistic levels of analysis: personal knowledge management (PKM) and organizational knowledge management (OKM), leading to potential tensions. Moreover, the "knowledge continuum process" is synchronized throughout organizational culture, technology, and ethics. As a result, it is fundamental to approach the ethical issues (free access to organizational knowledge, autonomy, dignity, privacy, intellectual property, fair compensation), and social dilemmas (organizational trust) that literature claims. Moving forward, this research project unites descriptive and explanatory assumptions through an interpretative and critical epistemological study. Additionally, an embedded multiple-case study with grounded theory (multi-method) will be under scrutiny. Nevertheless, the complex and sensitive nature of the research imposes challenges regarding data collection methods (interviews and questionnaires), leading to protocol fine-tune in order to improve the level of confidence. In spite of these constraints, the empirical outcomes clearly demonstrate that a wide range of ethical issues and social dilemmas occur within organizational contexts, which managers do not recognize or neglect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]