Knowledge-intensive business services in time of crisis: the coronavirus pandemic

foresight ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-153
Author(s):  
Ian Douglas Miles ◽  
Veronika Belousova ◽  
Nikolay Chichkanov ◽  
Zhaklin Krayushkina
Keyword(s):  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Business Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Intensive Business Services ◽  
Knowledge Infrastructure ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
Travel Restrictions ◽  
Media Reports ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Climate Crisis

Purpose Knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) firms focus on applying their expert knowledge to help solve the business problems of their clients: these clients confronted major new problems due to the COVID-19 pandemic and policy measures such as social distancing and travel restrictions, designed to reduce the rapid spread of the illness. Many KIBS were reliant upon extensive contact with clients, and within teams working on projects; they found their practices disrupted. This study aims to examine how KIBS are evolving to cope with both the sets of changes: those in their own operations, and those involving the emerging business problems of clients. Design/methodology/approach The main data sources are material contained in websites of a sample of leading firms in a range of KIBS sectors, and in media reports and other documentation of efforts to confront the pandemic. Findings The results indicate considerable efforts in KIBS to address emerging client problems, as well as to adapt their own practices. Their substantial role in confronting the pandemic and associated business difficulties has implications for future crises. KIBS are likely to be important players in shaping responses not only to future pandemics but also to the looming climate crisis. Originality/value The study demonstrates the growing role of KIBS and their “second knowledge infrastructure” in modern economies, exemplified by their role in the context of an emerging crisis.

Productivity dispersion in the Italian knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) industry: a multilevel analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Domenico Campisi ◽  
Paolo Mancuso ◽  
Stefano Luigi Mastrodonato ◽  
Donato Morea
Keyword(s):  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Productivity Index ◽  
Data Envelopment ◽  
Business Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Intensive Business Services ◽  
Multifactor Productivity ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Business Sectors

PurposeThis paper aims to provide an analysis of the productivity evolution of a sample of 18,459 knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) firms operating in Italy over the period 2012–2018. The interaction between productivity heterogeneity firm localization and firm sector of business are also analyzed.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical setting is based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) to measure the multifactor productivity index (MPI) and on the multilevel models to investigate if the source of productivity heterogeneity among the Italian KIBS are due to the geographic location and/or to the specific business sectors in which firms operate. Data have been gathered from the AIDA database, which contains financial data of all Italian firms.FindingsThe empirical results show that MPI heterogeneity in the Italian KIBS firms' is sensitive to the regional context in which firms operate to the specific KIBS sector and above all at the interactions arising between region and sector.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to identify the source of productivity dispersion in the Italian KIBS.

scholarly journals The Impact of the Coronacrisis on KIBS Sector

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-18
Author(s):  
Ian Miles ◽  
◽  
Veronika Belousova ◽  
Nikolay Chichkanov ◽  
Zhaklin Krayushkina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Business Services ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Knowledge Intensive Business Services ◽  
Regulatory Frameworks ◽  
The Face ◽  
Working Practices ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Problem Solvers ◽  
Climate Crisis ◽  
The Impact

Knowledge-Intensive Business Services (KIBS) are problem-solvers for other organizations. The coronacrisis affects KIBS directly, but also means that their clients are confronting new problems. How are KIBS addressing these two sets of challenges? This paper draws on material available in the trade and industry press, on official reports and statistics, and the early academic studies addressing these themes. We find that KIBS have been active (alongside other organizations) in providing a substantial range of services aimed at helping their clients (and others) deal with various contingencies thrown up by the crisis. Not least among these is the need to conform to shifting regulatory frameworks, and requirements for longer-term resilience. KIBS themselves have had to adapt their working practices considerably, to reduce face-to-face interaction with clients and within teams collaborating on projects. Adaptation is easier for those whose tasks that are relatively standardized and codified, and it remains to be seen how far a shift to such activities - and away from the traditional office-based venues of activity - is retained as firms recover from the crisis. KIBS are liable to play an important role in this recovery from the crisis, and policymakers can mobilize their services. Some KIBS are liable to be critical for rendering economies more resilient in the face of future pandemics and we argue that these firms are also important for confronting the mounting climate crisis.

Knowledge intensive business services: innovation and occupations

foresight ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Douglas Miles ◽  
Veronika Belousova ◽  
Nikolay Chichkanov
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Work Organisation ◽  
Business Services ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Intensive Business Services ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Innovation Patterns

Purpose The literature on knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) shows them to be major innovators; this is confirmed with recent data, which the authors use to examine the various types of innovation that KIBS undertake. The implications for employment and work in highly innovative industries are important topics for analysis, not least because we are in a period where dramatic claims are being made as to the implications of new technologies for professional occupations. Thus, this paper aims to address major debates and conclusions concerning innovation patterns in KIBS and the evolving structures of professional and other work in these industries. Design/methodology/approach This essay combines literature review with presentation and discussion of statistics that throw light on the patterns of innovation that characterise KIBS. The authors also consider data that concern trends in the organisation of work in these industries; while the focus is mainly on KIBS firms, they also pay some attention to KIBS-like work in other sectors. Even though KIBS are distinctive industries in modern economies, these analyses can be related to more general studies of, and forecasts about, changes in work organisation. Findings The authors show that innovation patterns and employment structures vary substantially across different types of KIBS, with the distinction between technological, professional and creative KIBS proving to be useful for capturing these differences. The authors are also able to demonstrate important long- and medium-term trends in the structure and activities of the KIBS industries. In particular, data clearly demonstrate the increasing share of professional as against associate and clerical workers in most KIBS. Evidence also suggests that polarisation trends across the economy are mirrored, and in some cases amplified, in KIBS. The future prospects for employment in KIBS, and for professional work in particular, are seen to involve multiple factors, which together may bring about substantial change. Research limitations/implications The study involves literature review and industry-level statistical analysis. Future work would benefit from firm-level analysis and validation and explication of results via consultation with practitioners and users of KIBS. Some puzzling variations across countries and sectors will need to be explored with national and sectoral experts. Practical implications Research into KIBS activities, and their future, should make more use of the extensive statistics on employment and other structural features of the industries that have become available in recent years. KIBS firms and practitioners will need to take account of the forces for change that are liable to restructure their activities. Originality/value The literature on KIBS has been concentrated on a rather narrow range of issues, while analysis of the current contributions and future development of the industries requires attention to a wider range of topics. This paper suggests how these topics may be investigated and their implications explored and presents results of enquiries along these lines.

Factors of successful client co-production in knowledge-intensive business services

Kybernetes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-164
Author(s):  
Malgorzata Zieba ◽  
Paweł Kończyński
Keyword(s):  
Production Process ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Successful Outcome ◽  
Business Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Intensive Business Services ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Firm Cooperation ◽  
Knowledge Intensive

Purpose This paper aims to explore the topic of client co-production in knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). The paper first sketches a theoretical background and reviews previous studies on factors affecting successful client co-production in such companies and then examines these factors via case study research among a small KIBS company and its five customers. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on an in-depth analysis of literature devoted to client co-production in KIBS firms and on the results of case studies analysis. The authors explore theoretically and empirically the perception of factors behind a successful client co-production process of a KIBS company from the point of view of both customers and service provider. The examination resulted in the clarification of what a successful client-KIBS firm cooperation should look like and what kind of actions KIBS firms should undertake to provide it. Findings As the analysis shows, to perceive client-KIBS firm cooperation as successful, customers desire on hand immediate effects that would justify and compensate their time and money investments (e.g. new clients or brand recognition) and on the other hand, some of them desire positive changes in longer-term, which tangible form is associated with the newly obtained knowledge and more importantly, freshly developed and written strategy. Among the factors that influence the co-production process one can list teamwork, trust, communication and knowledge flows. Research limitations/implications Research results are limited to one KIBS company operating in Poland and its five customers. As such, they are not conclusive for the whole KIBS sector. The findings of both literature review and case study analysis indicate that there are several outcomes that are expected from the point of view of a KIBS customer when selecting the service of a KIBS company. The paper examines important aspect of service co-production and provides practical guidelines how cooperation between KIBS firms and their customers should look like. Practical implications The paper examines the relationship between a client and a KIBS company and explores the factors influencing the successful outcome of this relation. The paper provides guidelines on how this type of relation should be handled by managers or owners of KIBS firms. Originality/value The paper contributes to the literature on KIBS firms, especially in the scarce area of practical mechanics of their cooperation with customers. The paper also suggests further research possibilities in this area.

scholarly journals Evolving value propositions in knowledge-intensive business services

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 1153-1164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eija-Liisa Heikka ◽  
Satu Nätti
Keyword(s):  
Customer Relationships ◽  
Customer Relationship ◽  
Value Proposition ◽  
Business Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Intensive Business Services ◽  
Comprehensive Picture ◽  
Value Propositions ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Context Specific

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore what value dimensions and related value components are highlighted in the value proposition of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS), both at the relationship and project levels, how value propositions can differ between new and established customer relationships, and finally what is characteristic to the evolution of value proposition in the KIBS context. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a comparative, qualitative multiple case study method. Findings The aim is to offer a comprehensive picture of the variety of value components in KIBS relationships, likewise, how the nature and composition of value proposition changes as a relationship evolves from conducting a single project toward a more established customer relationship. Individual experts seem to possess a crucial role in that development. Originality/value This study contributes theoretically by providing insights into the current literature on core dimensions and components of value propositions in this specific context, and differences there can be between new and established customer relationships. The study also offers much-needed, context-specific knowledge of knowledge-intensive services for managers. Empirically, these findings reflect the perspectives of both the service provider and four of its customers, ensuring a multi-sided description of the phenomenon.

scholarly journals Knowledge-intensive business services and innovation performance in Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Bonomi Santos
Keyword(s):  
Innovation System ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Business Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Intensive Business Services ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Innovation Outcomes ◽  
Analyze Data

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the way different economic sectors in Brazil use knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) and explore which features of KIBS use are associated with better innovation outcomes. Design/methodology/approach Clusters and regression analyses were used to analyze data from the national innovation survey (PINTEC) from 2014. Findings The results show that most of the 55 sectors of the Brazilian economy studied make little use of KIBS, but industries in which firms that interact with KIBS providers also have better innovation performance and offer more innovative offerings. The relationship with higher education institutions and research institutes proved particularly relevant, while the interaction with consultancy firms seems to be a strategy that leaves firms “stuck in the middle”. Originality/value The outcomes confirm the arguments of the literature that the use of KIBS has positive outcomes for customer firms. More importantly, however, the paper complements the existing literature by showing that the type of KIBS used in each country is relevant to understand firms’ innovation performance. The outcomes can guide firms and public policy initiatives oriented at the articulation of the national innovation system.

KNOWLEDGE-INTENSIVE BUSINESS SERVICES AS CO-PRODUCERS OF INNOVATION

2000 ◽  
Vol 04 (04) ◽  
pp. 491-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
PIM DEN HERTOG
Keyword(s):  
Innovation Policy ◽  
Exchange Process ◽  
Knowledge Flows ◽  
Business Services ◽  
Knowledge Intensive Business Services ◽  
Knowledge Infrastructure ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Services Innovation ◽  
Innovation Processes ◽  
Forms Of Knowledge

In the unfolding knowledge-based economy, services do matter. But while they are increasingly seen to play a pivotal role in innovation processes, there has been little systematic analysis of this role. This essay presents a four-dimensional model of (services) innovation, that points to the significance of such non-technological factors in innovation as new service concepts, client interfaces and service delivery system. The various roles of service firms in innovation processes are mapped out by identifying five basic service innovation patterns. This framework is used to make an analysis of the role played by knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) in innovation. KIBS are seen to function as facilitator, carrier or source of innovation, and through their almost symbiotic relationship with client firms, some KIBS function as co-producers of innovation. It is further argued that, in addition to discrete and tangible forms of knowledge exchange, process-oriented and intangible forms of knowledge flows are crucial in such relationships. KIBS are hypothesised to be gradually developing into a "second knowledge infrastructure" in addition to the formal (public) "first knowledge infrastructure", though there is likelihood of cross-national variations in the spill-over effects from services innovation in and through KIBS, and in the degree to which KIBS are integrated with other economic activities. Finally, some implications for innovation management and innovation policy are discussed.

scholarly journals Knowledge intensive business services: ambiguities and continuities

foresight ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Douglas Miles ◽  
Veronika Belousova ◽  
Nikolay Chichkanov
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Innovation Systems ◽  
Business Services ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Intensive Business Services ◽  
Explicit Consideration ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The substantial growth in literature on knowledge-intensive business services (KIBSs) has thrown light on their contributions to innovation and innovation systems. This paper is the first of a set that examines major debates and conclusions to have emerged from this growing body of evidence. Design/methodology/approach This is a review essay, which also presents relevant statistics. It addresses definitional issues and controversies, and sets out basic trends and characteristics of the KIBS industries. The focus is mainly on KIBS firms, though the production of similar services in other types of organisation is also considered. Findings Many of the conclusions of an earlier (2005) review in this journal remain valid, though difficulties in capturing these activities in official statistics mean that there are many issues that demand closer inspection. Understanding the role and future prospects of KIBS will also require looking beyond the literature that focuses just on KIBS industries. Research limitations/implications This study involves literature review and statistical analysis. Future work would benefit from involvement of practitioners and users of KIBS. Practical implications More explicit consideration of KIBS in statistical frameworks is still required, and novel approaches to data conceptualisation and production should be explored. Originality/value The growing literature on KIBS, and its implications for understanding the roles and future development of the firms and their relationships to innovation systems, requires systematic analysis. Available statistics have been brought together, and this paper also reflects critically on the trajectories of research on these topics.

Innovation and co-creation in knowledge intensive business services: the Spinner model

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 909-923
Author(s):  
Ronnie Figueiredo ◽  
João J.M. Ferreira ◽  
Rogério Guerra Silveira ◽  
Alvaro Teixeira Villarinho
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Theoretical Point ◽  
Business Services ◽  
Study Objective ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Intensive Business Services ◽  
Knowledge Transfers ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Innovation Processes

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the propensity for innovation and co-creation in service companies in receipt of knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) type services through their intensive incorporation of knowledge.Design/methodology/approachIn order to achieve this study objective, the authors first carried out a literature review in order to specify the scope of the construct; second, the authors applied a survey based on the “Spinner model”; third, the authors undertook research on KIBS clients and restricted the results to this population sample; and fourth, based on the validated and applied models deriving from the base construct, the authors presented the results obtained.FindingsThis concludes that the “Spinner” model is valid for explaining the propensity for innovation and co-creation in companies receiving KIBS. The results demonstrate evidence of innovation processes as a result of the intensive application of knowledge associated with co-creation and knowledge transfers.Research limitations/implicationsThis provides managers with a better understanding of the barriers that may obstruct the implementation of co-creation and knowledge transfers. Hence, the variables analysed may guide managers in defining and planning innovation strategies. Furthermore, this enables each company receiving such services to validate them and establish indices for the innovation propensity of specialist (knowledge intensive) service providers within the framework of benchmarking exercises.Originality/valueThis study sets out a new means of analysing the propensity for innovation and the co-creation of knowledge by companies making recourse to knowledge intensive services. From the theoretical point of view, this defines a new construct and a means of classification for companies supplying services designed for their propensity for innovation and co-creation. From the practical perspective, this study provides the companies subject to research with the opportunity to perceive their respective position in relation to other companies. In addition to this, ranking companies in such a way may drive the need to develop new knowledge for future co-creation and innovation processes.

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