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The aim of the current study is to investigate the influence of human capital dimensions on knowledge hiding behaviour of public sector employees. A simple random sampling technique was used, and data were collected through a survey from 336 individuals working in different companies within the Italian public sector. The results show that, in most cases, the influence of human capital dimensions on knowledge hiding behaviour was significant. Furthermore, these findings contribute to identifying and highlighting how gender also plays a significant role in the way people hide their knowledge. The work is novel in the context of investigating the factors that may influence knowledge hiding behaviour in the public sector and seeks to contribute to the development of knowledge risks strand and, more generally, to the research on knowledge management in public sector organisations. It also encourages managers to consider the potentially harmful effects of this practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When intellectual capital is built "from the scratch" in an effort to move a society's situation to a sustainable status, there is often a need for a catalyst that triggers the endeavor. The "trigger", in the case that is reported in this paper, was the installation of a new college in a rural community in Northern Ghana where heretofore, no comprehensive tertiary education had been available. The college established an outreach program which was destined to provide the community with increased opportunities for improving the overall social and economic well-being. This creates an outer circle of engagement through accessing government officials, local businesses, community councils, health workers, traditional leaders (tribal chiefs), religious leaders and heads of NGOs on topics like labor relations, conflict resolution, sustainability management, social responsibility, cultural diversity, and social inclusiveness. At the onset, the members of the community contributed their traditional views on these topics and how this would combine with knowledge brought in through the new college. Since rural communities in Africa have a very intimate and intense relation to nature, good hands-on skills and an abundance of indigenous wisdom, it was felt that this combination would result in a rich body of knowledge and competencies. Ultimately, a valuable base would be developed from this knowledge for an inventory of intellectual capital that can be transferred to generations of descendants. At the heart of this endeavor was the Center for Cross Cultural Ethics and Sustainable Development, an institution created by the college, to move these efforts forward. There are two perspectives which make this case relevant for new developments in knowledge management: One is the issue of what has been called the "fourth mission" of educational institutions (Trencher et al. 2013), moving the institutions to co-creating sustainability by collaborating with government, industry and civil society to advance sustainable transformation in their environment. The other is that when two bodies of knowledge co-exist, the question arises how this co-existence should be approached. This case embeds a variety of systems-thinking constructs. Which would be the best way to combine indigenous wisdom with new knowledge brought in by the college's academicians and outside practitioners? How can a balance be coalesced between community needs that must often be satisfied short-term and needs for which long-term solutions are required? How can self-organization and relationality be conjoined? How can intellectual capital from both the traditional and the newly acquired skills and knowledge be generated in the community? The paper reflects on both the knowledge management and the systems-thinking interpretations of the case. community) and processes self-reference and other-reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to maintain a business competitive advantage managers have to make continuous efforts aimed at either introducing new or developing the existing products and processes. Many enterprises implement the so-called project-oriented approach. The enterprises following such an approach are referred to as project-oriented organizations. A project and an organization cannot exist without people. Human capital is developed in the process of HR function fulfillment (R&S, training, HR appraisal, remuneration and HR flow). In every enterprise, which implements the projectoriented approach and uses the matrix structure, HR function takes a two-way course: in an organization-wide perspective (general HR function) and within the framework of a particular project (HR function in projects). The objective of the article is to answer the following research questions: Q1: What kind of gaps occur in the area of HR function internal consistency within the analyzed organizations? Q2: What is the desired role of HR practitioners in project-oriented organizations? The article presents the results of empirical studies carried out in 2014 and 2015 in 100 project-oriented organizations. The surveyed organizations present higher general HR function consistency than the HR function in projects. Moreover, some gaps in consistency between both HR function courses were indicated. The obtained results of empirical studies provide knowledge about the specificity of project-oriented organizations and the desired role of HR practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this empirical research study is test the relationship between strategic intent (mission, vision and goals) intellectual capital (i.e. human capital, structural capital, relational capital), and business performance targeting the sample of CKOs of 30 technology firms in the United States. A research instrument was developed from prior research and used to survey 30 CKO, CIO and VP of Knowledge Management executives from a random sample by CKO, CIO and VP of Knowledge Management title. The research approach was a correlation/multiple regression. Strong statistical support was found for the hypothesized relationships. Research limitations/implications -The sampling was a convenience sample and may not represent all CKOs in all industries. Practical implications - Intellectual capital measurement is of primary interest for senior executives of a cross section of firms in the USA and this sample is a basis for a larger study. Originality/value - The research reported is the first to investigate the issue of intellectual capital from a cross section of CKOs and other knowledge titled executives in the USA and the first to study directly the intellectual capital issue from the CKO viewpoint which is from the strategic intent perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate intellectual capital (IC) drivers that may influence Italian consumers' decision to participate in value co-creation (VCC) activities with firms. Given the exploratory nature of the research, after a review of the relevant literature, we conducted a survey among Italian consumers to see if IC principal sub-dimensions (i.e. Relational Capital, Human Capital and Structural Capital) played a role in triggering VCC processes. Using a Principal Component Analysis (PCA), we analyzed 270 usable questionnaires finding that, in order to decide to co-create value with firms, IC sub-dimensions actually play a critical role. Our findings showed that the motivations (i.e., IC components) that influence Italian consumers' decision to participate in value co-creation activities with firms are quite homogeneous and similar both for those who already participated in past in these activities as well for those who never participated. The study has several managerial implications as well as limitations. In fact, the survey has been conducted only among Italian consumers and therefore the research should be extended by a geographically standpoint. Moreover, the research analyzed only the demand-side, while it would be certainly useful to know the point of view of companies also adopting other research methods (e.g., in-depth interviews). This study provides to practitioners important suggestions and warnings about the importance of the development of IC sub-dimensions to (co-)create value with external actors and consequently suggests the importance of adopting a "open" approach towards consumers to establish an effective and interactive relationship with them. The study fills a gap in the literature, since there are not so many references in literature for a deep understanding of the concrete relationship between IC and VCC. In addition, to our best knowledge this paper is the first that explore IC-related issues from a marketing perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the plethora of IC reporting frameworks proposed by scholars and practitioners, their adoption is still not widespread in practice. In other words, IC seems to be more preached than practiced (Dumay, 2009, Chiucchi, 2013b, Lönnqvist et al., 2009). As a consequence, various studies have examined which are the levers and the obstacles that can influence the adoption, use and diffusion of IC reporting practices (Dumay, 2012, Lönnqvist et al., 2009, Catasús et al., 2007, Catasús and Gröjer, 2006, Chiucchi and Montemari, 2016, Giuliani et al., 2016). Levers and barriers can be related to the technical-objective side of IC, i.e. how IC is measured and managed, or to its organizational-subjective side, i.e. who measures and manages IC (Chiucchi et al., 2016). While there are some studies that aim to understand the technical sides (Giuliani, 2016, Giuliani, 2014, Giuliani et al., 2016, Dumay and Rooney, 2011, Catasús et al., 2007, Catasús and Gröjer, 2006), the subjective side of IC appears to be underinvestigated (Chaminade and Roberts, 2003, Chiucchi, 2013a, Chiucchi, 2013b). Moving from these considerations, the aim of this study is to examine the roles played by the "project sponsor" (PS) and the "project leader" (PL) in the design and implementation process of an IC reporting project. In order to achieve this aim the results of an exploratory field study (Roslender and Hart, 2003, Lillis and Mundy, 2005) referred to Italian companies that adopted an IC report will be presented. Our study adds to IC literature by showing, from a practice-based perspective, the roles played by the PSs and of the PLs in different organizations and how they are determinant in the decision to undertake these projects, in their accomplishment, prosecution and abandonment. In particular, it emerges that PSs and PLs have a relevant role in the IC sensegiving and sensemaking processes: their specialization influence the way IC is perceived within the company and the fate of the IC report, i.e. in determining the success or the failure of the IC projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modelling Organizational Knowledge Dynamics (OKD) is important in developing knowledge strategies within the framework of strategic management. We present in this paper a new perspective on modelling OKD based on the dynamic equilibrium equation of the organizational knowledge, and on using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The dynamic equilibrium equation is considered for a time interval ΔT, and contains the following terms: the level of total organizational knowledge variation ΔK, the knowledge creation variation ΔC, the knowledge acquisition variation ΔA, and the knowledge loss variation ΔL. Since each of these terms has a different relative importance in the organizational knowledge balance, it is necessary to find a way of evaluating their weighting factors. For this purpose we use the AHP mathematical model developed by Saaty for the managerial decision making. AHP requires a structuring of the field of knowledge, and we considered a structure composed of three levels: (1) the goal level - increasing the level of organizational knowledge; (2) the strategies level - the strategy for increasing knowledge creation (S1), the strategy for increasing acquisition of new knowledge (S2), and the strategy for reducing knowledge loss (S3); (3) the activities level - hiring new valuable human resources (A1), developing training programs (A2), creating a performing motivation of employees (A3), and purchasing books, journals, software programs, and other information materials (A4). This structured model of AHP has been applied as an empirical research within a large company. We sent questionnaire to a number of 500 employees, and received valid answers from 173 respondents. The AHP method is based on paired comparisons of strategies with respect to the goal of increasing the level organizational knowledge, and then on paired comparisons of activities with respect to each strategy we defined. These paired comparisons yield matrices that lead to systems of eigenvalue equations whose solutions compose the vector of priorities for strategies, and for activities with respect to each strategy. Values of the vector of priorities for strategies are the weighting factors for the equilibrium equation components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a rapidly changing world evidenced by a transition from industrial to knowledge economy, India's progressing knowledge sector has attracted the attention of the entire globe. The future drivers of any economy will no longer be capital, land or equipment; but the people and their knowledge. Indian corporate sector, now, is in search of a new paradigm in accounting, which would enable it to record its new journey from financial capital to intellectual capital. With this background in mind, the study of 15 leading Indian Information Technology companies, considered to be highly knowledge intensive, is undertaken in order to find out the disclosure level of recording and reporting of intellectual capital by these companies. An effort has been made in this paper to identify the meaning and significance of intellectual capital and to evaluate the prevailing practices of recording and reporting of intellectual capital by the Information Technology sector in India by using the content analysis method. The results of the study demonstrate that intellectual capital reporting in the Indian Information Technology companies are almost negligible and it is evident that intellectual capital reporting has not received any preference or priority for the mentors of the Indian corporations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the case for conceptualising firms as 'connected temporary coalitions' that are able to respond to the challenges of and adapt to, changing environments: in particular, to build, exploit and determine the value of Intellectual Capital (human, structural and relational) enabling different trajectories of renewal and growth in the long term. The paper adopts the perspectives of theoretical pluralism to identify distinctive viewpoints regarding the theory of the firm and the dynamic nature of knowledge. The study draws on four areas of theory: (a) the institutionalist ideas of New Regionalism in economic geography - in particular the conceptualisation of firms as temporary, dynamic, place-based coalitions; (b) the structural contingency model of organisation theory coupled with ideas from the knowledge based theory of the firm in exploring changes over time in business activity; (c) evolutionary economics and the perspective it offers on emergent developments, change and time; and (d) knowledge management thinking, and the perspective it provides on intellectual capital and its contribution to firm dynamics, drawing on ideas on social interaction, social practices, social contexts, and the impacts of power and control. The paper extends our understanding of the processes and dynamics operating in and around temporary coalitions, the shifting and reconfiguring of knowledge assets and the role of dynamic capabilities. In addition, the paper challenges earlier concepts of intellectual capital as being embedded in business clusters. The paper argues that, collectively, the coalitions of people that comprise firms deploy their knowledge assets through different forms of organisational arrangement to achieve temporary equilibrium in order to commercialise knowledge, achieve renewal and generate growth. This perspective on the firm has significant policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interorganizational and social relationships can be seen as part of the intellectual capital of a firm. Existing frameworks of intellectual capital, however, fail to address how relationships should be managed to generate more intellectual capital. Drawing on the interaction approach and the fields of intellectual capital and knowledge management, this paper develops a framework for managing relationships. The framework is illustrated with a case study. It is also noted that firms can improve relationship management and thus generate more intellectual capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging as one of the most important corporate assets, there is evidence that, in some developed countries, the impact of knowledge capital in the GDP now surpasses the fixed capital. This paper uses quantitative data to broadly qualify the impact of the two main building blocks in the knowledge management integration process: information and communication technologies (ICT) and Education. The data analysis suggests that by providing efficient network platforms, knowledge can be captured, transformed and disseminated to individuals, groups and organisations. Investment in ICT seems to enable to connect people and support knowledge sharing and interpersonal interaction and therefore facilitate knowledge management processes and strategies. A case-study of Portugal is used to illustrate the conclusions drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the biological behaviour of a tree and its growth system, this paper proposes a model of valuation of the Intellectual Capital of an organization based on a variation of the classical Lotka-Volterra equations system. The proposed model explains the growth of an organization as a consequence of its Intellectual Capital (increment of the surface of the roots), its Knowledge (the consumption of nutritious) and its Learning (fertility of the floor). And based on the proposed model, an example with real data is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on an exploration of continuity management (CM) in a large Irish semi-state organisation in transition. Drawing on interviews with ten of the senior management team, findings are presented in terms of intellectual capital, replacement strategy, information sources, knowledge transfer to successors, tacit knowledge, CM systems, and barriers to CM implementation. There is a clear consensus in favour of introducing a CM system--but also clear recognition of the barriers, such barriers perceived to be mainly cultural. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]