What Should SMEs do to Succeed in Today's Knowledge-Based Economy?

Author(s):  
Sushil K. Sharma ◽  
Nilmini Wickramasinghe ◽  
Jatinder N.D. Gupta

The shift to a knowledge-based economy results largely from developments in information and communications technologies. Knowledge-based economies offer huge opportunities for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop entirely new high-value products and services, add value to existing products and services, reduce costs, develop new export markets, and add value to existing activities. Implicit promises include access to world markets, low-cost entry into new markets, and the ability to gain efficiencies in business processes. However, these promises may be illusory for most SMEs. Technological, organizational, and marketing hurdles are also making it more difficult for SMEs to succeed in knowledge-based economies. This chapter identifies those major factors that are hindering the success of SMEs in knowledge-based economies. The chapter then goes on to suggest a set of guidelines to make SMEs succeed in this new knowledge-based society.

Leonardo ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 311-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Verzola

The author provides examples of low-cost information and communications technologies (ICTs) and suggests five major strategies for their low-cost deployment in developing countries: (1) appropriate technology, (2) free/open software, (3) compulsory licensing, (4) pay-per-use public stations and (5) community/public ownership of ICT infrastructure. Aside from the problems of affordability and universal access, the author identifies the Internet's built-in biases for (1) English, (2) subsidizing globalization, (3) automation and (4) the technofix, and explores the implications of these biases. The challenge is not only to design affordable and accessible technologies or to redesign technologies to be consistent with our deeply held values, but also to make ourselves less technology dependent.


Author(s):  
Nurten Polat Dede

The changes brought about by trends such as globalization, technological developments, and knowledge-based economy, and the speed of these changes are forcing the enterprises to create more innovative ways of doing business and business processes. This rapid change has also affected and altered human resources departments' way of business. In this chapter, the changes in human resources management functions and applications with the effect of technology during this time have been explained. In addition, the electronic human resources management process and its applications, which have been more important as a result of developed human resources technology, are examined and presented in this chapter.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lejla Turulja ◽  
Nijaz Bajgorić

AbstractBackground:Companies can improve their business performance, increase revenues and reduce costs by enhancing their information technology (IT) capability. On the other side, there is an increasing importance of human resource management (HRM) practices related to IT utilization, which are important for the business performance of a company in the rapidly changing knowledge-based economy.Objectives:The objective of this paper is to analyze the relations among IT capability, HRM capability and the firm’s performance outcomes.Methods/Approach:The paper uses survey data and Structural Equation Modeling to analyze the relationships among IT capability, HRM capability and firms’ performance.Results:This paper reveals that IT capability to some extent determines firms’ business performance but it plays more important role in enhancing HRM capability. In addition, HRM capability significantly impacts business performance.Conclusions:The findings indicate that managers should not focus on allocating resources only for IT investments. In order to achieve better business performances, these technologies need to be used to support all business processes including HRM activities.


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 1545-1551
Author(s):  
Svetlana Trajković

The ability to manage knowledge becomes an increasingly important strategic activity in today's so-called. knowledge economy. To prioritize the preservation and improvement of intellectual capital, creating and disseminating knowledge within a modern organization, is becoming an increasingly decisive factor in achieving and maintaining its competitive advantage. The only viable advantage of a modern organization comes from what the company knows and how effectively is used what it knows and how quickly it acquires and uses new knowledge. There is a positive relationship between the intellectual capital and the performance of an organization. Intellectual capital is in correlation with the organization's future performance, and the growth rate of intellectual capital is in a positive relationship with the organization's performance, while the contribution of intellectual capital to improving the organization's performance varies, and is the result of strategic management of the organization itself. In this context, only the learning organization, which is constantly looking for new, innovated and / or enhanced knowledge in the field of activity, has the conditions, chances and opportunities to move forward in the real world. In the modern world, the world of a knowledge-based economy, a competitive advantage that is sustainable on the narrow paths, can only be achieved if the organization takes a lasting commitment to learn, invest in people and their intellectual potential, to support the need of people to continuously explore, learn and accept new, more complete and applicable knowledge. Regarding this, investing in the intellectual capital in the short term may be a significant cost to the organization, but in the long run, any investment in the development of intellectual capital - new knowledge - both scientific, general theoretical, and practically applicable will have a multiplier positive effect on the future business of the organization. The experience of organizations from the world of work has unambiguously confirmed this. Namely, companies that base their business on exactly human cognitive and scientific potentials have the advantage, that is, the world's leading companies are in terms of profit. First of all, these are companies in the field of low-tech technologies, and they are not quite necessary because they are notorious. But, from the experience of such organizations, they can and / or have to learn all the organizations they intend to succeed in a modern, very turbulent business environment. This is especially important for those organizations that intend to be leaders in an area or branch of business. Today, leadership is not realized solely on the basis of the number of pieces produced by a product or on the basis of the number of transactions with the environment, on the contrary, the leader is the organization of work that is imposed as an organization where the intellectual, and parallel with it, also the human capital prevails. Because, it is known, also in practice, that only when people feel in a certain organization friendly, only then do they give their maximum contribution. Only in conditions of complete freedom, some seemingly lucid ideas become "full of hits" in realizing and meeting the needs of the market and people who market it.


The article determines a significant importance of knowledge management as a key technology for the development of an enterprise in an innovative knowledge-based economy. The main features of the enterprise development as an open dynamic system are systematized and characteristics of the knowledge economy and innovative economy are determined. Following the above characteristics it is proved that the formation of an innovative economy is impossible without new knowledge and its commercialization, and the basis of the knowledge economy are innovations in various fields of activity. The given types of economies should be further considered not as separate concepts, but as integral components of the innovative knowledge-based economy. The theoretical approaches to the definition of the essence of knowledge management at the enterprise are systematized and their interrelation with the innovation process and innovative development is shown through the creation of new knowledge, increasing the efficiency of innovation development and the formation of innovative abilities of the innovatively active employees. The goals, tasks, functions, principles, stages, methods and methods of knowledge management in innovative knowledge-based economy are considered. The typology of contradictions in the innovative activity of the enterprise is given; the essence of economic, information, technological, organizational, psychological, structural and social contradictions is revealed. Technologies of knowledge management that contribute to eliminating contradictions and innovative development of the enterprise are defined. It is substantiated that different types of contradictions in the innovative activity of an enterprise can be eliminated by means of knowledge management technologies, which, as a result, causes qualitative changes at the enterprise. As the key signs of development are qualitative changes and elimination of contradictions, the use of knowledge management in the conditions of an innovative knowledge-based economy will contribute to the development of the enterprise.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Chun Kwong Han

Developing countries in Asia are in the process of transitioning from a production economy to a knowledge-based economy. Various new knowledge and information communications technology mega-projects are being designed and executed at the international, national, state and industry levels to sustain competitiveness. The structures and processes by which these so-called “knowledge super corridors” are developed and implemented are complex economic-social-political decisions. The author develops an enhanced framework from critical theory, whereby the critical practice lens provides an iterative reflexive process, firstly by developing knowledge for understanding from structuration theory. Secondly, the author provides a critique of underpinning assumptions and presumptions whereby the constraining conditions of the status quo and emancipation become knowable and explicit, that is, knowledge for evaluation. Thirdly, the knowledge for action generated will enable the decision makers to re-create, re-define, re-design, re-imagine, re-invent and re-vision pragmatic, doable and implementable programs to transform a developing country into a k-economy. The author illustrates the value of the enhanced model using two case studies concerned with formulating and implementing a k-economy blueprint and developing a knowledge portal in emerging k-economies in Southeast Asia.


Author(s):  
John S. Edwards

Knowledge has been a subject of interest and inquiry for thousands of years since at least the time of the ancient Greeks, and no doubt even before that. “What is knowledge” continues to be an important topic of discussion in philosophy. More recently, interest in managing knowledge has grown in step with the perception that increasingly we live in a knowledge-based economy. Drucker (1969) is usually credited as being the first to popularize the knowledge-based economy concept by linking the importance of knowledge with rapid technological change in Drucker (1969). Karl Wiig coined the term knowledge management (hereafter KM) for a NATO seminar in 1986, and its popularity took off following the publication of Nonaka and Takeuchi’s book “The Knowledge Creating Company” (Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995). Knowledge creation is in fact just one of many activities involved in KM. Others include sharing, retaining, refining, and using knowledge. There are many such lists of activities (Holsapple & Joshi, 2000; Probst, Raub, & Romhardt, 1999; Skyrme, 1999; Wiig, De Hoog, & Van der Spek, 1997). Both academic and practical interest in KM has continued to increase throughout the last decade. In this article, first the different types of knowledge are outlined, then comes a discussion of various routes by which knowledge management can be implemented, advocating a process-based route. An explanation follows of how people, processes, and technology need to fit together for effective KM, and some examples of this route in use are given. Finally, there is a look towards the future.


Author(s):  
Bhishna Bajracharya ◽  
Janelle Allison

With the recent trends towards knowledge-based urban development and networked society, information and communications technologies have increasingly played important roles in the daily lives of people for social interaction, learning, information and recreation. This research is an exploratory study on how information and communications technologies have been adopted in master planned communities of South East Queensland, Australia. It examines the four roles of information and communications technologies in the master planned communities: (1) teleworking; (2) creating a sense of community; (3) promoting integrated office and businesses; and (4) developing learning communities. More recent master planned communities in South East Queensland such as Varsity Lakes, North Lakes and Greater Springfield have integrated information and communications technologies for activities such as community internet portals, local business development, and for use in community learning centers and education facilities. There is a potential to attract knowledge workers in master planned communities through the inclusion of cultural amenities, information and communications technologies and learning infrastructure. It is important that information and communications technologies and learning infrastructure not only benefit the housing estate but also the surrounding region thus putting a foundation for a knowledge-based urban region.


2011 ◽  
pp. 86-100
Author(s):  
Mayumi Hori ◽  
Masakazu Ohashi

In this chapter, we discuss XML Web services, which integrates different systems and applications into one comprehensive system. XML Web services connects different entities such as corporations, governmental bodies, and nonprofit organizations, enabling the adaptive collaboration work (ACW) which is essential to promptly meet the increasingly diverse needs and kaleidoscopic changes in the economy. ACW is critical in the ubiquitous society where constant improvement of business processes and cooperation and collaboration with both existing and new systems are required. We propose the advanced application of XML Web services based on the ACW would enable a variety of organizations to collaborate with each other on the Internet and ultimately increase their productivity and efficiency. XML Web services effectively strengthens business management as it enables organizations to share personnel information across the board, therefore, organizations can unify management of their human resources. In the ubiquitous society, whether it is public or private, organizations need to develop and cultivate human resources capable of planning integrative strategy with information and communications technologies (ICT), designing and developing systems, managing hardware and software, and operating/maintaining systems.XML Web services based on the ACW gives suggestions on tactical solutions for these emerging agendas.


Author(s):  
Karim A. Remtulla

This chapter discusses the cultural paradigm of ‘commodified knowledges’ in the workplace. This cultural paradigm is the second of two paradigms discussed in this book that shape socio-culturally insensitive, technological artefactual approaches to workplace e-learning research and study. Subsequently, this paradigm also socially reshapes workplace e-leaning historicity for workplace adult education and training, resulting in socio-cultural impacts on the workforce. ‘The knowledge-based economy’ as a concept of the global age comes from the various schools of thought. Each of the theories forwarded by these schools of thought continues to influence knowledge-based economic policy today, whether in regards to information-based societies; knowledge products; knowledge workers; or, technological innovations. These are the global policies that afford commodified knowledges their priority in the (knowledge-based) workplace. Organizations specifically concerned with knowledge governance, now invest in practices better known as ‘knowledge management’. Organizational apparatuses such as strategic priorities, value chains, and business processes, all become appropriated towards the materialization and reification of knowledge as an economic commodity for the benefit of the workplace. ‘Business process reengineering’ continues to have impact on the workplace as both a mandate and method for knowledge management towards the commodification of knowledge in the workplace. Workplace e-learning for workplace adult education and training now becomes another means for commodified knowledges through continuously reengineered knowledge management apparatuses. For workplace e-learning, adherence to the belief in the primacy of commodified knowledges leads to two workplace e-learning scenarios: (a) dehumanizing ideologies (see Chapter 9); and, (b) social integration (see Chapter 10).


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