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E-government development varies across countries. This study aims to examine the impact of national culture on e-government development across 78 countries. The dimensions of national culture are power distance, individualism, masculinity, long-term orientation, uncertainty avoidance, and indulgence. The paper also examines the role of GDP per capita on e-government development. The result shows that individualism and long-term orientation are positively related to e-government development, whereas power distance is negatively related to e-government development. Also, GDP per capita is found to be significantly impacting e-government development. Multi-level interaction effect of GDP per capita and culture on e-government development is discussed. The paper outlines the implications of results and strategies to design culturally acceptable e-government policies. The paper argues that growth in economic prosperity cannot guarantee e-government development, and national culture must be included in a holistic discussion of the development. [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]

This paper aims at shedding a new and different light over a very big problem that actually is being felt by the European Society and by the world at large: namely the difficulties the EU is having, since adopting the EURO as a currency in 2002, with its own management of macroeconomic policies, and with its own forecasts over growth. We follow Sveiby (2012) analysis as a methodology. According to that author, radical innovation generates incompetence due to inability in adjusting to the environment. The incompetence materializes itself in wrong predictions by otherwise and formerly competent and acknowledged experts. Sveiby 2012, dissects the case of the financial crisis of 2007-8, as a case in which radical innovation in the financial markets produced massive managerial incompetence with huge economic and social consequences. By the same token we assume that the Eurozone became a case of incompetence at the level of macroeconomic management. We show evidence of that incompetence because we compare the predictions before the Euro and with the Euro and analyze the impact the Euro entrance add in the correctness of the experts' predictions. Furthermore we say that experts should take into account that macroeconomic restrictions posed by the Eurozone regulations deeply affect the economy of the more divergent Eurozone Member States. Moreover, the effect of the regulations has not been rightly accounted. The miscalculation generates mistakes in prediction of policy impacts. Those mistakes have major negative effects in the life of ordinary citizens. Therefore we believe that if ones assumes, as we do, and prove, that the Eurozone has currently a problem of managerial incompetence, the finding might have huge economic, social, and political effects The paper is original because we sincerely don't know (and believe it is not our fault) of any study that analyzes the problem of the current Macroeconomic crisis in the EU as a problem of incompetence. Finally we believe the study could and should developed in a multidisciplinary and multi-country book. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the increased application of information and communication technologies in the public sector, the amount of data being produced and processed by the public sector has been constantly growing during the past years. As these data can also be useful for the general public and the corporate sector, current initiatives attempt to make these data publicly available. Recent work on this topic has shown that publishing of public sector data potentially raises several issues regarding data integrity and authenticity. These issues render the implementation of solutions based on trusted and reliable public sector data difficult. However, recent work has proposed electronic signatures in general and editable electronic signatures in particular as adequate means to address these issues. While a variety of editable signature schemes has been introduced in literature, their capabilities to assure the integrity and authenticity of published public sector data has not been assessed so far. This renders a concrete implementation of solutions based on editable signatures impossible. To overcome this problem, this paper identifies and discusses legal, organisational, and technical requirements that need to be met by editable signature schemes when applied to public sector data to be published. Afterwards, different existing editable signature schemes are examined and discussed in more detail. Based on the previously identified requirements, the different editable signature schemes are then assessed in detail. The conducted assessment reveals that blank digital signatures, which are a novel approach representing a subset of editable signature schemes, are especially suited to meet the predefined requirements. The results obtained from the conducted survey served as input and basis for the implementation of solutions based on trusted and reliable public sector data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the distinctive features of narrative inquiry, reviews how narrative has been taken up in a range of disciplinary areas, and argues for the use of a narrative approach to the study of social processes in marketing organisation. An illustration is provided of narrative analysis of an exemplar case with the aim of surfacing tacit knowledge and drawing lessons from practice on a successful collaborative branding activity. A series of practices, including accounting, justifying and empathising are identified as important in the development of this emergent branding project. The findings resonate with Boje's (1991) contention that being able to perform stories is an underrated yet important management skill that can assist organisation members to make sense of what is going on and to effect change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A business case is in many organisations perceived as a valuable instrument for the justification and evaluation of information technology (IT) investments. This attention from practice has been ascertained by academic scholars, resulting in a growing number of publications in both top academic and practitioner journals since 1999. However, much knowledge on business case research is scattered throughout literature and a clear definition of what actually constitutes a business case is still missing. Therefore, the present paper aims to understand and integrate the current state of research on business cases in an attempt to realise two objectives with clear contributions. First, we tackle the problem of scattered knowledge by organising fragmented knowledge into a newly developed Business Case Research Framework that clearly structures the study field into six dimensions. Second, we identify what constitutes a business case and provide a clear definition to resolve the misunderstanding among scholars. A systematic literature review methodology is performed in a selection of top academic and practitioner journals. Based on the literature findings, we observe that the application of business cases is useful in a broad range of investment contexts. We also find sufficient argumentation that using a business case continuously throughout an entire investment life cycle can increase the investment success rate, that a richer set of information (rather than only financial numbers) should be included in a business case and that stakeholder inclusion is important when developing and using business cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intellectual capital has become a key element of the knowledge economy. Their management is a factor that influences the competitive advantage of companies. The main objective of this paper is to present a methodology (ICM - Intellectual Capital Model) that allows the audit of intellectual capital management in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). From the conducted research, it can be concluded that the model is technically robust and determines that the management of intellectual capital is likely to be audited and certified in order to control the quality and dynamism of the knowledge generated and allowing the partner organizations (customers, suppliers and enders) to estimate the innovation capacity and verify the conformity of their management parameters, compared with a reference standard. Indeed, the results of surveys also show that the proposed model forms the basis of a credible accreditation system for intellectual capital management in the majority of Portuguese SMEs. This paper also contributes to enhance the discussion around the value of organizations intangible assets and therefore to change the current concepts of economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses issues related to the confusion surrounding conceptual understanding of tacit knowledge and its transferability in organization's realm from an original perspective. Lately, at every level: country, industry and organization, attention to knowledge has intensified due to the realization that in "post-capitalist society" (Drucker, 1993) knowledge is increasingly replacing traditional driving forces of economy: labor, capital and natural resources as the primary factor in economic growth. Knowledge use is now considered as imperative in all aspects of an organization. In literature there exist various typologies of knowledge, however, in organizational science most common classifications of knowledge include two general types: tacit and explicit. This paper brings clarity to the concept of tacit knowledge, nexus between tacit and explicit knowledge and effects of advances in technologies on the codification capability of tacit knowledge. It argues that many types of tacit knowledge that were considered as inexplicable just recently thanks to new technologies have become transferable. Drawing examples from knowledge science literature the author questions the rigid belief of some scholars in ineffability of tacit knowledge. The author also claims that organizations need to reassess their knowledge related strategy, particularly, in relation to tacit knowledge if they would like to develop sustainable competitive advantage from effective knowledge use. Findings: The author shows how new technologies are changing our perception of tacit knowledge and why it is time for organizations to reevaluate their knowledge strategy. Originality/Value: By showing a clear correlation between technological advancement and tacit knowledge transformability the paper contributes to the theoretical understanding of tacit knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nickel mining commenced in New Caledonia in 1868 and continues to be the major business activity of that region. Traditionally the mining sector has polarized New Caledonian society via a complex mix of economic, cultural and environmental issues. In 1999 the New Caledonian and French governments initiated a future-focused program of "rééquilibrage" or rebalancing of opportunities for the New Caledonian indigenous Kanak people. "Rééquilibrage" aims to create a new identity for all New Caledonians - an identity that builds upon the multicultural mix of modern New Caledonia. A critical component of this rebalancing is the commencement of a major new world-class nickel mining venture at Koniambo (in the Kanak Northern Province) in 2014 and this venture is majority Kanak owned and operated. The literature confirms that no published review of how New Caledonians view this venture has been completed since its opening. Such a review is important because New Caledonians must vote on 4/11/2018 on the issue of independence from France. Discourses are ways of representing the world - the processes, relations and structures of the social world, that is, the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of people. This research centres upon the contemporary social beliefs, i.e. the social discourses that circulate in relation to the Koniambo project. The investigation of these discourses must ensure that all stake-holder voices are represented accurately, that the investigation is not simply a one-dimensional "cost/benefit analysis", and that the amplitude of the voice does not dictate its relative importance within the overall discourse ensemble. This research fits within sociology, and within this domain, the research uses the following empirical investigative approaches: actor-network theory, historiography and critical discourse analysis (for core data analysis). Actor-network theory facilitates the identification of stakeholder relationships within New Caledonian society, regardless of how subtle or transient the relationships may be. In this sense, actor-network theory produces a maximised intersection of the Koniambo project across New Caledonian social life. Historiography provides the vital context that describes the social structures and social practices in which social beliefs are formed and constantly evolve. It is not possible to fully describe these beliefs unless we have a comprehensive, longitudinal appreciation of this overall context. Finally, critical discourse analysis is utilised to unpack fully the beliefs that are identified. Discourse analysis utilises the results from the historiography and actor-network theory research components to unpack the expressed opinions and beliefs and even policies that link stakeholder entities. In this manner the project results will be most representative of the current discourses concerning a flagship project of "rééquilibrage". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the information age, the gap between the developed and developing countries increased due to the ease of access to new technologies and the usage of information and communications technology (ICT). The first step in promoting e-Government is conducting the e-Readiness assessment. E-Readiness is defined as the degree to which a community is prepared to participate in the information age (networked world). It is measured by assessing a community's relative advancement in the areas that are most critical for ICT adoption and the most important applications of ICT. E-Readiness assessment is meant to guide development efforts by providing benchmarks for comparison and gauging progress. It can also be a vital tool for judging the impact of ICT, to replace wild claims and anecdotal evidence about the role of ICT in development with concrete data for comparison. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the e-Readiness assessment models and to investigate the perceptions towards the IT environment in some public organisations in the State of Kuwait. Three main variables (human skills, infrastructure and connectivity) have been used. These variables were derived using the terms suggested by Harvard CID and APEC models. The results show that less than half (46.57%) of the participants agreed that their organisations have adequate and appropriate connectivity, infrastructure and IT human skills to implement the electronic government systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is obvious from the study of literature that university-industry (U-I) relationships and their subsequent knowledge transfers are topics of high political, economical, managerial and academic interest. Indeed, technological knowledge is seen as a major source of long-term economic growth and its transfer to the firm is critical since it acts as a significant innovation factor. In order to access this knowledge, a portfolio of sourcing strategies is available to the firm: knowledge creation through internal RandD departments, knowledge sharing with suppliers or market relationships, and also transfer from knowledge institutions such as public and private research centres. In this paper, we recognISe that University is a central source of knowledge but we question the general belief that knowledge is per se flowing between private and academic sphere through the conduct of University-Industry relationships. As a result, this paper presents our literature analysis concerning this research topic and explores one particular mean of inter-organisational knowledge transfer, namely the University-Industry collaborative research project. We present findings from an exploratory study, which aims at examining knowledge flows and collaborative behaviours at stake in such research projects. This interview survey has been realised with respondents actively involved in Belgian university-industry (U-I) interactions and provides qualitative data analysed through the theoretical framework of organisational knowledge creation developed by Nonaka and Takeuchi. We found evidence supporting the existence of a knowledge spiral as a dynamic for the whole projects and identified some knowledge-based limits to the reconciliation process between university's interests and company's needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service sectors, like local governments, offer various services to assist and develop communities and, as such, society at large. Therefore the interaction between people, knowledge, and technology play a vital role in attaining high service quality, economic development, and growth. Knowledge management (KM) techniques and tools can be applied in local government systems to improve service delivery and create service excellence. In addition a social identity theory perspective could give an indication of how local government officials categorise themselves in their social environment and as a salient group influence KM management and -sharing. The main objective of this paper was to investigate the extent to which social identity theory influences knowledge management and sharing in a South African local government institution. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were used to obtain data from 22 government officials. The findings highlight some of the issues interlinking KM with selfcategorisation, group identity, and local government service delivery improvement, giving a framework for adopting KM in local government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of intellectual capital (IC) has often not been taken up as much as the proponents of IC may have wished. As Dumay (2012) outlines, there are barriers to implementing IC in organizations, and as academics and practitioners we need to overcome these barriers. We propose one way to do this is by providing reflective narratives of the journey the authors have taken as a successful IC practitioner and a successful IC academic. Based on constructivist learning theory (Chiucchi, 2013a) we offer a staged model of IC development (Guthrie et al., 2012) outlining how we went through similar stages in personally understanding and deploying IC. To do this, Mary Adams and John Dumay trace their IC learning journey in three stages of intuition, control and value creation. This paper contributes to the IC literature by providing an understanding of the growth a person may need to take in order to become an IC Missionary, rather than merely an IC preacher (Dumay, 2013, p. 8). If this can be achieved, we can provide a forum for open conversations about the concept of IC and the tools available so we can empower people and organizations to experience and collaborate to develop their own IC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we show that it is possible to measure the development and management of knowledge in a country using indicators of intellectual capital that consider non visible assets not included in Gross Domestic Product. Using this idea, we obtained a measure of the intellectual capital for 72 countries selected in accordance with the information available for 2000, 2005 and 2008. These measures allows us to verify the hypothesis that knowledge acts as a divergent factor of wealth, that is, that rich countries are richer in knowledge and manage it more efficiently than poor countries. Thus, in a global economy, intellectual capital circulates in the opposite direction to development, that is, from poor to rich countries. In this sense, economic growth in developing countries displays a stronger relationship with intellectual capital. We show how national intellectual capital anticipated the economic crisis before GDP, as real GDP averages increase in all the years considered, whereas national intellectual capital decreased in last year analysed. Moreover, we used a data panel model with common coefficients to emphasize the most influential factor in the recession in order to ascertain the areas where governments must act to overcome a crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author adopts the premise that technological innovation, a critical factor in the long-term economic growth of any country, can only function successfully within a social environment that provides relevant knowledge and information inputs into the innovative process. This is dependent on the efficient transfer and communication of knowledge and information which in turn relates to the amount and quality of interaction among scientists and technologists. These factors prompted a research project that used social network analysis techniques to investigate knowledge exchange and to map the knowledge network structure and communication practices of a group of scientists engaged with crystallographic research. This paper is based on this research project. The findings provide clear evidence of a strong social network structure among crystallographers in South Africa. A core nucleus of prominent, well connected and interrelated crystallographers constituted the central network of scientists that provided the main impetus to keep the network active. This eminent group of crystallographers were not only approached far more frequently for information and advice than any of their colleagues, but they also frequently initiated interpersonal and formal information communication acts. It was clear that this core group had achieved a standard of excellence in their work, were highly productive; very visible in their professional community and they generally played a pivotal role in the social network. They generally maintained a high professional profile in the crystallography community and within the general field of science, published profusely, and generally emerged as the archetypal sociometric stars in their field. It is thus clear that high productivity, professional involvement, innovation capacity and network connectivity are intricately interwoven. The crystallographers' work environment and concomitant work structure clearly affected network interaction. Working in a group structure stimulated network interaction, professional activity and productivity. A further benefit was that the leaders of these groups generally assumed gatekeeper roles that facilitated networking and ensured the importation and interpretation of new information and knowledge. It was clear that social networks operate more effectively in areas, such as Gauteng, where a sufficient number of scientists were amassed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the case of events such as fundamental regulatory reforms or radical technological advances, firms have to undertake discontinuous or dynamic learning. Such learning involves the generation of new capacity through the acquisition of new knowledge and the combination of it with the firm's existing accumulated knowledge. In developing countries the challenge for firms to develop new competencies through dynamic learning is more complex due to political and economic complexities. This paper discusses the limitations of existing frameworks for analysing the process aspect of transformation and proposes a theoretical framework with which to explore dynamic learning in firms from developing countries. The proposed theoretical framework is based on a constructivist approach to organisational knowledge and uses the concept of absorptive capacity. The responses of large pharmaceutical firms to biotechnological change are used to illustrate the areas under investigation. The theoretical framework is used to explore the responses of Indian pharmaceutical firms to changes in patent law required by that country's accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The cases show that the theoretical framework is comprehensive and useful for exploring firm level knowledge processes within firms from developing countries. However a broader analysis of firm-level learning in developing countries should include an analysis of the institutional environment as this plays an important role in creating environment for firm based learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A community e-portal facilitates dynamic (developing), value (financial and non-financial), constellation (collaborative networks), which supports community integration and economic growth. The OECD has identified that social cohesion rather than narrow economic gain is the most significant outcome for societies where all citizens, through learning and the transfer of knowledge, skills and attitudes, leads to becoming more effective and proactive participants in civil and economic processes. In this work, action research facilitated design, development, and implementation of a community-portal dynamic-value constellation to support networked value chains, community, and local government connectivity. The research gives insights through working closely with stakeholders. The research domain represents a novel value creation model, incorporating technologies and solutions in the context of virtual enterprises, partnerships and joint ventures and other market-driven value constellations, where partners dynamically come together in response to or in anticipation of new market opportunities. Such constellations, however, bring with them significant operational and logistical challenges, about which there has been very little prior knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]