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.

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.

Q-Bot, the Quarantine Robot: Joint-media engagement between children and adults about quarantine living experiences

2020 ◽  
Vol 121 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 401-409
Author(s):  
Sonia Tiwari
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Media Design ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Cdc Guidelines ◽  
Open Coding ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Information about the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine can be challenging to communicate to children. The purpose of this study is to understand how a children’s eBook can help facilitate conversations between children, families and educators about the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach A children’s eBook Q-Bot: The Quarantine Robot was shared by the researcher with parents and teachers through social media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter). The story provides information (based on CDC guidelines) on the best health and hygiene practices to avoid catching the virus, while also drawing attention to the hardworking people who are helping us through this experience. Data was collected as public comments on the eBook. Secondary data included other children’s eBooks available on the same theme and their public reviews. Findings Through open coding of comments, the researcher found that the children’s eBook helped in facilitation of discussion between children, parents and teachers; around the pandemic’s effects on health and hygiene practices; and remote learning experiences. A content analysis of other children’s books on this theme revealed a set of guidelines for designing helpful eBooks for pandemic quarantine situations in general. Research limitations/implications Education, media and health researchers may find this study helpful in understanding the potential of children’s eBooks as probes, prompts or communication tools. Practical implications Experts in pandemic-related issues, educators, illustrators and authors may find this study helpful in understanding guidelines for creating educational children’s eBooks for similar situations in the future. Originality/value Both theoretical and practical values are addressed through this study, as it provides helpful literature from past research, offers new insights from current study and guidelines for future work in narrative media design for the pandemic and other similar situations.

scholarly journals Guarantees used in refundable financing of innovation in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Cunha Schmidt ◽  
Micheline Gaia Hoffmann
Keyword(s):  
Financial Institutions ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Innovation Ecosystem ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Access To Credit ◽  
Regional Bank ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
The One ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Despite the increasing availability of financing programs for innovation, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) often find it difficult to access credit for their projects. Among the reasons, the lack of the types of guarantees required by financial institutions stands out. Focused on this problem, in 2013, the Regional Bank for the Development of the Extreme South (BRDE) created a policy to stimulate innovation, making the required guarantees for financing operations of innovative companies more flexible: the BRDE Inova Program. This paper aims to analyze the guarantees used in the bank operations since the beginning of the program. Design/methodology/approach In the first stage of the research, the authors identified the guarantees used in each of the signed contracts, through a documentary survey. Next, semi-structured interviews showed the perceptions of the players involved in the innovation ecosystem of the state of Santa Catarina, regarding aspects related to the guarantees. Specifically, the authors investigated the following elements: strengths and limitations of the programs regarding access to credit for innovation; adequacy of existing guarantee mechanisms. To strengthen the conclusions, they used triangulated data collection in different stages. Findings The results showed that, on the one hand, the initiative helped BRDE to consolidate itself as the main financing agent of innovation in MSMEs; on the other hand, the need for traditional guarantees still plays a significant role for innovative MSMEs to access credit. Originality/value In addition to practical implications for the bank and other financing agents’ policies, this paper contributes to fill a gap in the literature on guarantee systems applied to the specificities of knowledge-intensive MSMEs.

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.

A neural observer for sensorless speed control of servomotors

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 1668-1678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenq-Ruey Horng ◽  
Ming-Shyan Wang ◽  
Tai-Rung Lai ◽  
Sergiu Berinde
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Neural Networks ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Computation Time ◽  
Elman Neural Network ◽  
Content Type ◽  
On Line ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Neural Speed

Purpose – Extensive efforts have been conducted on the elimination of position sensors in servomotor control. The purpose of this paper is to aim at estimating the servomotor speed without using position sensors and the knowledge of its parameters by artificial neural networks (ANNs). Design/methodology/approach – A neural speed observer based on the Elman neural network (NN) structure takes only motor voltages and currents as inputs. Findings – After offline NNs training, the observer is incorporated into a DSP-based drive and sensorless control is achieved. Research limitations/implications – Future work will consider to reduce the computation time for NNs training and to adaptively tune parameters on line. Practical implications – The experimental results of the proposed method are presented to show the effectiveness. Originality/value – This paper achieves sensorless servomotor control by ANNs which are seldom studied.

The firm as a function of deals

2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 311-332
Author(s):  
Demetri Kantarelis
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Random Variable ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Global Knowledge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Theoretical Paper ◽  
Verbal Arguments ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to attempt a justification as to why a profit-making firm may be viewed as a function of its nucleus expertise and a risky portfolio of deals. Design/methodology/approach – This is a theoretical paper relying on mathematics, graphs and verbal arguments to describe concepts. Findings – A profit-making firm can gain even more if it reduces the risk of its portfolio of deals. In its effort to reduce such a risk, the firm needs to know each deal’s profit share and be able to estimate each dealing partner’s reliability (a random variable). Research limitations/implications – The proposed hypotheses are not empirically tested, an exercise left to future work. Practical implications – Pragmatically, a profit-making firm may be viewed as a function of its strategic nucleus and its strategic federation. The firm may increase its gains by minimizing deals’ risk through a portfolio of deals diversification. The more the firm considers factors such as mediation, optimal commitments and the like, the more effective and efficient becomes the management of the portfolio of deals. Social implications – As explained through examples and illustrations, viewing the firm as a function of deals benefits the parties in such deals as well as other stakeholders (community, region, nation, etc), e.g. less costly deals contribute to more profit and more growth. Originality/value – A profit-making firm is viewed as an entity that manages a risky portfolio of promisor- and promisee-type deals. The ideas in this paper may be of value to today’s global, knowledge-based, outsourcing/insourcing firms which may find it increasingly difficult to rely on conventional contracts.

Investor relations measurement: an industry survey

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew W. Ragas ◽  
Alexander V. Laskin ◽  
Matthew Brusch
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Share Price ◽  
Investor Relations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Assessment ◽  
Program Success ◽  
Measurement And Evaluation ◽  
Relationship Assessment ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Publicly-held companies collectively allocate tens of millions of dollars each year to investor relations, yet little research has been conducted into how investor relations officers (IROs) try to determine the effectiveness of this investment. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the above issues. Design/methodology/approach – This exploratory study is based on a survey (n=384) of IROs who are members of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI), the world's largest professional investor relations association. Findings – Respondents strongly rebuked using share price as a valid measure of investor relations performance. A factor analysis revealed that IROs use four factors to measure program success (listed in order of stated importance): first, international C-suite assessment; second, relationship assessment; third, outreach assessment; and fourth, external assessment. IROs at large-cap companies place significantly more importance on both C-suite assessment and relationship assessment than their peers at small-caps. Research limitations/implications – These results may not be generalizable to IROs who are non-NIRI members or investor relations consultants. Cross-cultural studies on this topic are needed. Practical implications – The evaluative factors that emerged in this study may be used by IROs to develop and refine their evaluation metrics relative to their peers. Originality/value – This is one of the first and largest studies to specifically examine program measurement and evaluation in the context of investor relations. These findings help set the stage for future work in this area.

High-skilled newcomers’ identity: learners or experts?

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunn Elisabeth Søreide
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Identity Work ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Learning Potential ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learner Identity ◽  
Job Transitions ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Point Of Departure ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the negotiation of learner and worker identities in a group of high-skilled newcomers who participate in an introductory and mentoring programme. Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the interdependence of learning, work and identity and a constructivist approach to identity as a point of departure. The design is qualitative with semi-structured interviews as the main source of data. Findings – For the learning potential in introductory programmes to be fulfilled, all parties involved must recognise a need for learning. This is especially important in organisations that are knowledge intensive and that demand highly skilled and competent workers, as negotiations of learner identity might be more demanding for this group of employees. Research limitations/implications – The current paper is situated in a specific organisational and national context, and only pays attention to some of the negotiations between expert and learner identities that are relevant if induction programmes and initiatives should be experienced as positive. Connections between identity work, learning and job performance for this group of workers should consequently be empirically investigated by a variety of methods and within several organisational and national contexts. Practical implications – The paper shows that it is vital for organisers and leaders to be sensitive to the significance that the identity work has for learning, when they plan, execute and evaluate induction programmes and initiatives for high-skilled and competent workers. Originality/value – The facilitation of job transitions and induction for high-skilled and experienced workers is underresearched, and the paper shows how identity and learning is closely connected for this group of employees.

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