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1 – 10 of over 26000Andreas N. Andreou and Nick Bontis
The paper seeks to develop a business model that shows the impact of operational knowledge assets on intellectual capital (IC) components and business performance and use the…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper seeks to develop a business model that shows the impact of operational knowledge assets on intellectual capital (IC) components and business performance and use the model to show how knowledge assets can be prioritized in driving resource allocation decisions.
Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative data were collected from 84 high‐tech federal contractors in the Washington DC metro area. Respondents in the target population were middle‐level and operations managers of business sectors holding positions as presidents, vice‐presidents, directors, engineering managers, operations managers, and analysts. Partial least squares (PLS) analysis was performed to develop a structural model between operational knowledge assets and IC components that maximizes explained variance for business performance. Operational assets were specified as formative constructs and IC and business performance were specified as reflective constructs.
Findings
A parsimonious conceptually sound model with significant measured variables and path coefficients was developed that explains almost 40 percent of the variance in business performance. The model shows both the interrelationships between the IC components that drive performance and the operational assets as levers for each IC component, respectively.
Research limitations/implications
The scope of the study was focused on the high‐tech federal contractors in the USA. However, the model can be applied and tested in different industry sectors. This would provide evidence of the different operational knowledge assets used as levers in different industry sectors.
Practical implications
Senior executives and chief financial officers in particular are constantly challenged with making the optimum investment decisions given their budget constraints. The model offers a tool for developing and evaluating different resource allocation decisions based on an organization's strategic intent. In addition, the model can be useful in evaluating merger and acquisition decisions. In evaluating target companies the model can be used to identify the core capabilities or competency areas that the target company is leveraging and assess the impact or integration potential for the acquiring company.
Originality/value
This is the first study in the field of IC that has adopted the use of formative indicators in specifying operational knowledge asset constructs. Previous research has focused on developing models with the use of proxy measures as reflective indicators. Therefore the emphasis so far has been on scale development. The use of formative items in this study fills both the business need and theory gap to understand better the causal relationships that exist between work and knowledge assets.
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The purpose of this paper is to propose a new multidisciplinary knowledge management (KM) model for the service sector and to explore its applicability through pilot test…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a new multidisciplinary knowledge management (KM) model for the service sector and to explore its applicability through pilot test research.
Design/methodology/approach
Construction and testing of a knowledge-based strategic model for the service industry (maturity level of knowledge usage in service organizations model – MAKUSO model). A questionnaire addressed to senior managers was developed using variables grouped into four KM constructs relating to: human and market capital, processes that facilitate KM and antecedents that contribute toward creating a total and unique service experience.
Findings
The Spearman rank order correlations results confirmed the positive effects of leveraged knowledge assets, such as human and market capital, on company performance. The outcome of a principal component analysis indicated that KM needs to be considered at a strategic level to develop processes that encourage a knowledge-based strategy approach; thus the MAKUSO model was found to be a useful framework in support of this approach.
Research limitations/implications
The research was limited by its exploratory nature. Use of random sampling right across the board was restrictive as was the small sample size.
Practical implications
Effective use of knowledge assets creates the supportive context that enables service managers to develop unique capabilities. This context becomes conducive to service experience authenticity and thus increases customer satisfaction. The findings imply that social networking is a key driver for the effective leveraging of knowledge assets. What appears to be more important is the generation and sharing of new knowledge and less the identification, measurement and warehousing of knowledge already owned by the company. Effective KM is facilitated by “lessons learned”, especially when these are taken into account in planning.
Originality/value
The model presented in this study addresses theoretical and empirical gaps in the area of services KM. Its novelty lies in its multidisciplinary and organic approach. The survey findings of the model’s application across a range of service companies provides useful insights on KM implications and raises valuable research questions for a future research agenda in services management.
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As we have entered into the twenty-first century, the economy has undergone a great transformation. The economy has literally become weightless. In the weightless economy, the…
Abstract
As we have entered into the twenty-first century, the economy has undergone a great transformation. The economy has literally become weightless. In the weightless economy, the emphasis has shifted from machines, materials, and other physical resources to information and knowledge. Information and knowledge are the thermonuclear competitive weapons nowadays. More and more economic activity has become invisible and intangible. The focal point in the new economy has shifted from exploration of physical objects to exploration of knowledge-based resources and their efficient and effective management. In the last decade of the twentieth century, almost unnoticed revolution in the corporate world took place: the transition from industrial capitalism, where business was based on tangible physical assets, to a new economy, where the production of goods and services and value creation in general depends and relies on invisible intangible assets. The primary objective of the present study is to build a theoretical construct in the field of evolution of knowledge asset with a view to exploration of the concept of knowledge asset and the need for its management in modern-day life. It further aims to investigate through an empirical study the qualitative disclosure of knowledge assets in terms of selected attributes for the Indian Pharmaceutical and IT Industries based on their annual reports. Content Analysis technique has been used to analyze the degree of disclosure of knowledge assets in terms of attributes.
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Besides applying knowledge in own products and services, firms increasingly exploit their knowledge assets externally, e.g. by means of licensing out technology. The aim of this…
Abstract
Purpose
Besides applying knowledge in own products and services, firms increasingly exploit their knowledge assets externally, e.g. by means of licensing out technology. The aim of this paper is to help firms achieve strategic fit in the keep‐or‐sell issue, which results from potential external knowledge exploitation.
Design/methodology/approach
The keep‐or‐sell decision refers to the issue whether to commercialize knowledge assets externally in addition to exploiting them inside the organization. Because of the high opportunities and risks of externally leveraging knowledge, the keep‐or‐sell decision constitutes a major area of conflict between strategies at different levels, particularly knowledge vs product strategies, corporate vs business unit strategies and R&D vs marketing strategies. After detailing the keep‐or‐sell decision, the paper conceptually explores how firms may respond to potential conflicts in the keep‐or‐sell decision by achieving strategic fit.
Findings
The paper identifies, in particular, three major characteristics of a firm's strategic approach, i.e. coordination, centralization, and collaboration, which may help firms achieve strategic fit in the keep‐or‐sell issue.
Originality/value
The keep‐or‐sell decision is a unique arena for studying hierarchical strategies and strategic fit. As a result, this paper has major implications for research into strategic fit, hierarchical strategies, knowledge management and open innovation. Achieving fit across a firm's different strategies in the keep‐or‐sell issue is essential for firm performance in a knowledge‐based economy.
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Andreas N. Andreou, Annie Green and Michael Stankosky
The paper seeks to develop a list of operational knowledge assets as antecedents to a validated common taxonomy of intangible strategic value drivers.
Abstract
Purpose
The paper seeks to develop a list of operational knowledge assets as antecedents to a validated common taxonomy of intangible strategic value drivers.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative data from focus groups was collected to validate a theory‐based list. The list contains the value generation activities (i.e. performance focus areas) and their respective critical success factors emerging from the interaction of eight validated intangible value drivers. Two primary questions were addressed at the focus groups: What performance focus areas does the organization need to focus on?; and What knowledge do employees need to leverage within each focus area? Data were analyzed using template analysis. Structural equation modeling using PLS was performed to develop a theory about the impact of the list of operational knowledge assets on intellectual capital and business performance measures.
Findings
A validated list of knowledge assets called the list of operational knowledge assets (LOKA) was developed comprising 31 categories (i.e. critical success factors) grouped into seven value generating activities (i.e. performance focus areas). The thematic dimensions of each category surface internal views of a business that define the strategic and operational value drivers that are aligned with organizational performance.
Research limitations/implications
The list is not an exhaustive one but rather a template that can be adapted based on the industry investigated. The scope of the study was focused on the high‐tech federal contractors in the USA. Therefore the results and related models of this study are generic in nature. Future research could focus applying the study on different environments (i.e. organizational, cultural, type of knowledge workers) and compare results.
Practical implications
The paper could improve managers' understanding of the human capital drivers on performance and thus facilitate better resource allocation on human capital management practices, technology investments, process improvements and business intelligence functions.
Originality/value
The list of operational knowledge assets presents a first attempt in addressing the lack of understanding of the knowledge assets that managers need to leverage at the lowest level of operational granularity.
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Knowledge assets and performance improvement have recently emerged as important and interacting research areas in company business management. The purpose of this research is to…
Abstract
Purpose
Knowledge assets and performance improvement have recently emerged as important and interacting research areas in company business management. The purpose of this research is to highlight the role and relevance of knowledge assets as critical factors for improving the performances of a new product development (NPD) process.
Design/methodology/approach
Interpreting the NPD as a knowledge‐based process, the paper presents three case studies which provide empirical evidence of the impact on performance of the assessment and management of the knowledge assets at the basis of NPD process.
Findings
The outcomes of the research is a set of managerial implications, useful in order to drive managers towards the design and implementation of knowledge assets management initiatives aimed to support the improvement of the NPD performances.
Originality/value
Through an integration of the results of the inductive research, based on multiple case studies, with the main findings taken from a literature review, the paper addresses managerial implications for improving NPD process performances by developing knowledge asset value drivers.
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Ronald D. Freeze and Uday Kulkarni
The purpose of this paper is to show that separate sources of knowledge are identified, described and clearly defined as organizational intangible knowledge assets. These…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to show that separate sources of knowledge are identified, described and clearly defined as organizational intangible knowledge assets. These knowledge assets are referred to as knowledge capabilities (KCs). knowledge management (KM) is utilized to leverage these assets with a view to systematic improvement in the process of achieving increased firm performance.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper knowledge capabilities are described in terms of their knowledge life cycle, tacit/implicit/explicit nature of knowledge, technology and organizational processes that encompass a firm's human capital identified as knowledge workers.
Findings
The paper finds that five knowledge capability are presented and described as expertise, lessons learned, policies and procedures, data and knowledge documents.
Research limitations/implications
The paper shows that knowledge assets can be measured and improved in order to investigate causal relationships with identified measures of performance.
Practical implications
The paper shows that by explicitly describing these knowledge assets, the KM activities within organizations can more effectively leverage knowledge and improve performance.
Originality/value
The paper sees that by drawing from both resource based and organizational learning literature, a knowledge management framework is presented to describe distinctly separate sources of knowledge within organizations. These knowledge sources are constructed as knowledge capabilities that can allow the assessment of organizational knowledge assets.
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Gregoris Mentzas, Dimitris Apostolou, Ronald Young and Andreas Abecker
Two main approaches to knowledge management (KM) have been followed by early adopters of the principle: the process‐centred approach, that mainly treats KM as a social…
Abstract
Two main approaches to knowledge management (KM) have been followed by early adopters of the principle: the process‐centred approach, that mainly treats KM as a social communication process; and the product‐centred approach, that focuses on knowledge artefacts, their creation, storage and reuse in computer‐based corporate memories. This distinction is evident not only in KM implementations in companies, but also in supporting methodologies and tools. This paper presents the Know‐Net solution that aims to innovatively fuse the process‐centred approach with the product‐centred approach by developing a knowledge asset‐centric design. The Know‐Net solution includes a theoretical framework, a corporate transformation and measurement method and a software tool.
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Brian McBreen, John Silson and Denise Bedford
This chapter fills a significant gap in the intelligence literature and the knowledge sciences literature by aligning definitions and characterizations of knowledge capital as an…
Abstract
Chapter Summary
This chapter fills a significant gap in the intelligence literature and the knowledge sciences literature by aligning definitions and characterizations of knowledge capital as an essential intelligence source. The chapter also explains how knowledge capital might be leveraged in each of the four capabilities. The chapter presents a well-researched characterization of knowledge capital drawing from international scholars and practitioners’ work. The value of human capital, structural capital, and relational capital in intelligence work is explored.