Due to the small size and to the high level of labour division, small firms in Industrial Districts need to establish horizontal and vertical cooperative relationships (Camuffo and Grandinetti, 2011; Malberg and Maskell, 1999) in order to share and combine complementary knowledge assets. Whilst the network approach (Granovetter 1985; Powell, 1991) has greatly contributed to the understanding of knowledge exchange processes in IDs and of their influence on performances, research on small firms’ networks has mostly assumed the network structure as a given. According to this gap, the purpose of the paper is to answer to the following research questions: is knowledge complementariness among firms in an industrial district a sufficient condition to let supply networks to emerge? What is the effect of relational embeddedness in determining the structural properties of these networks? We adopt an approach grounded on complexity science and consider the Industrial District as a Complex Adaptive System (Holland, 2002). The methodology used in the research is the agent-based simulation. We present an agent-based model of a stylized ID and build on it a virtual laboratory in which we perform generative experiments (Epstein and Axtell, 1996), in order to answer to the above research questions. In the literature on firms’ networks, topological works study how specific network structure influence the intensity of knowledge flows among a network’s firms. Our perspective is dual to the topological one: by not assuming that links among firms are pre-existent our objective is to generate the network topology with the help of an agent-based computational laboratory. Our contribution would be on different aspects: 1) we would explore how knowledge exchange processes can generate the emergence of network structures; 2) we analyse this topic in the context of small firms’ clusters, taking into account the crucial role that social characteristics of these systems play in shaping the phenomenon of network emergence; 3) the paper aims at contributing to the literature stream of dynamic emergence and evolution of supply networks, with a specific focus on the impact of collaborative strategies of agents on the emergent structures of networks. Main results of simulation experiments show that for every experimental set a stable network of links emerges among firms of the simulated ID. In addition, through the generative experiments we are able to identify certain conditions under which the emerged networks exhibit a hub&spoke structure. The model here proposed is not a case-based model, but an ideal-typical computational model, aimed at exploring and identifying a micro-macro relationship that could be applied to a class of empirical cases. As a consequence, the present research does not request, at this stage, a strict relation between the model and the empirical reality. The simulation is devoted to produce research hypotheses to be tested further using traditional methodologies. As this empirical validation process will be completed, the computational laboratory that has been presented in this paper could be used as a tool to support policy analysis e policy making decision processes.

To sustain growth in turbulent environments SMEs face major challenges due to their limited human, organizational and financial resources and capabilities. How to reconcile learning and growth to sustain competitive advantage of SMEs in turbulent environments is a vital but widely unsolved question in theory and practice. Based on a three year action research project with 124 SMEs in Germany drivers and obstacles of growth have been identified and the methodology “Learning to grow” has been developed and successfully applied in further learning networks of SMEs in Germany, Spain , Argentina, Brazil and Peru. This methodology puts in evidence the effectiveness of project based learning to sustain and develop growth capabilities of SMEs. Aligning learning of teams with business challenges creates measurable short or mid-term results as well enhances organizational capabilities to sustain growth. Evaluations carried-out demonstrate that the learning projects let to significant business results (for example conquering new markets, adding new services to products, improving processes, productivity and quality) as well as enhancing organisational capabilities amongst which are improved team work, better problem solving, enhanced communication , freeing of owners or managers from daily routine tasks, development of leadership capabilities of middle managers, entrepreneurial thinking of employees.
Keywords – SMEs, growth, turbulent environment, project learning, dynamic capabilities

Identify barriers to small business in Canada and propose policies to sustain growth due to three key reasons: (a) small businesses are the driver of economic growth, forming 87% of Canada’s total businesses and 25% of total value of export goods worth $68 billion, (b) they sustain the Canadian economy with the highest growth in export value by 20% in the last decade when big firms declined by 20%, and (c) their growth is impeded by Canada’s slipping rank in global competitiveness from top 10 to 14h in the last two years. As the performance of small firms is influenced by the nation’s global competitiveness, the author proposes an approach to identifying the barriers by replicating and validating the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual survey of 16 business barriers in over 140 nations, reported in the WEF’s global competitiveness reports. The WEF’s sample comprises an average of 98 firms per nation of unspecified
firm size. This research samples 316 small firms to identify the rankings and relevance of the 16 barriers and match them against Canada’s 12 pillars of global competitiveness to develop policies that promote small business growth and sustainability. This methodology puts in evidence for the first time the validation of the WEF’s 16 barriers to business, not tested anywhere previously but critically important among small firms, the economic spine of a nation. The top five barriers were found uniquely different from WEF’s rankings: tax rates, tax regulations, access to financing, Poor Work Ethic and restrictive labour regulations. Chi-square and independent sample tests found respective significant associations and differences between barriers and business categories, provinces and data collection methods, which further help highlight the respective barriers specific to each demographic variable. The outcomes of the research provide implications for focusing resources in dismantling barriers by type of business, employee size and province, and strengthening weak pillars in global competitiveness to sustain long-term growth for small firms. Abiding by the United Nation’s Principles for Responsible Management, this research helps build a model of knowledge management for decision makers to monitor and analyse relevant data sources, design and implement policies to promote 60 small business sustainability. This research will provide the stimulus among academic scholars, industry captains and government leaders to collaborate for a better economic future and a more globally competitive nation.
Keywords – small business, barriers, sustainability, knowledge management, policies.

Purpose – The main purpose of the research is to increase our understanding of the factors which affect innovativeness of successors in smaller family firms (SFF) and what is the role of the founder in strengthening (deterioration) of successors’ innovativeness. Design/methodology/approach – We research which factors affect – supportive or dampening – innovativeness of the next generation, and as well, if the innovation potential of the founder can be transferred to the next generation. Especially we study effect of knowledge transfer on innovativeness of successors. Therefore, the research questions are: Why and how transfer of experiential knowledge and routine knowledge of founders affects innovativeness of successors? Why and how academic knowledge on the field of entrepreneurship affect innovativeness of successors? Why and how external working experiences affect innovativeness of successors? We adopted a qualitative empirical research approach – using multiple-case study research method where replication logic was possible. Originality/value – The originality and the value of the paper lies in the identification of factors affecting successors’ innovativeness; we limit our research on those factors which are tightly linked to the knowledge and knowledge transfer during a succession process.
Practical implications – The empirical findings will have practical implications for key stakeholders in the SFF succession process and provide basis for a broader empirical research.
Keywords – Smaller Family Firms, Founders, Successors, Innovativeness, Knowledge Transfer.

Purpose – This paper introduces initial insights into how Mediolanum Asset Management Limited (MAML), an innovative and expanding Italian asset manager based in Ireland, relies on a knowledge-based organisational structure fostering innovation in order to generate a sustainable competitive advantage. Knowledge-based SMEs such as MAML face a recurring challenge in the highly competitive asset management industry: they rely heavily on their staff expertise in order to generate innovation while trying to downplay at the same time their dependency on their human assets. The company fosters innovation while resting on KM practices and IC to build a social and organisational capital. Design/methodology/approach – Primary and secondary data are gathered from observation, documentation and semi-structured interviews and provide the material on which this study is based. Knowledge management and intellectual capital theoretical lenses are elicited for the critical analysis and interpretation of the results. Originality/value – This paper based on empirical evidence demonstrates how intellectual capital stocks and knowledge management practices are actually approached and implemented in order to create value through innovation-led processes. To our knowledge, MAML constitutes a rare case of a SME in the asset management industry that is positively and consciously concerned with managing and capturing intellectual capital so thoroughly. Practical implications – This paper provides interesting and valuable insights to other small asset managers on how they can employ intellectual capital and knowledge management practices as an alternative way to generate an innovation-led sustainable competitive advantage while reducing at the same time their dependence on human assets.
Keywords – Knowledge Management, Intellectual Capital, Innovation, Asset Management, Ireland

Purpose – The competitive edge is to great extent connected to the development and use of knowledge based economy (KBE), and in particular to innovation being the result of the knowledge. The aim of the paper was to present relationships between the selected knowledge components (relevant to innovation implementation) as well as between innovations and changes of business models. These relationships are shown both in terms of theoretical – cognitive and empirical aspect in the enterprises applying innovations. The research problem concerned the identification of business model elements changes caused by the implemented innovations. Design/methodology/approach – Creating and implementing innovations in the enterprise is possible by the use of knowledge. The research hypothesis concerned the impact of innovation on the change of business models. The basic survey was carried out in the form of an enhanced diagnostic survey which attracted 150 intentionally selected Polish enterprises, belonging to SME sector. The structural analysis of the business model is based on the concept of ” The new age of innovation.” Prahalad C. K, M. S, Krishnan, by modifying it to the research needs. Originality/value – This research focused on two important issues of the knowledgebased and innovation -based management. The first of these is the importance of particular elements of company knowledge (both knowledge about potential business and environment) for creating and deploying innovation. Another important issue of the research was to assess the changes in business models under the influence of implemented changes The research results underline a significant importance of innovations (as an important element and stimulus of KBE) not only for a strategically management of enterprises, but also for the dynamics of their business models. Practical implications – The outcomes of the application of the research show that companies have implemented various kinds of innovations. Presentation of the nature and relationship between knowledge components, innovation and modern business models represent an important knowledge and tips for both the entrepreneurs wanting to implement such innovations and for organizations that decide about financial support of innovation at SME. The results of the tests should contribute to understanding of the importance of innovation related to gaining competitive edge and encourage companies to use modern business models that are able to create and implement innovations.
Keywords – Innovation, Knowledge Based Economy (KBE), business models, small and medium enterprises (SMEs)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a theoretically grounded model for incorporating reflective practice into the competence assessment process for measuring human capital in organizations. The literature on knowledge capital and intellectual assets contains many tools to identify, assess, and plan critical strategic knowledge resources. This paper responds to the need for determining how an assessment can activate and drive the knowledge processes, i.e., generating and sharing knowledge. We propose that reflective practice can be considered as a primary enabler for developing, structuring, and organizing knowledge resources and optimizing their use. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents an explorative single-case study based on a conceptual analysis of reflective practice in organizations and the potential of reflection to further develop the existing competence assessment practices. A process model for Reflective Competence Assessment (RCA) is built and tested in a case organization. The concluding analysis enables an investigation of the gap between theoretical intentions and practical realization. The RCA process consisted of the following five parts: incorporating four necessary dimensions of reflective practice, activating reflective capacity, engaging in reflective dialogue, experimenting, and building on reflective control. The competence areas assessed included multi-professional collaboration, sharing of knowing, partner collaboration, and the meta-competence of reflective practice. Originality/value – The main contribution of this study is the RCA model for incorporating reflective practice into the process of competence assessment. The literature on reflective practice offers very little guidance for researchers or practitioners developing reflective practices as part of everyday work. Based on the four necessary elements of reflective practice, an ordinary competence assessment can be created to evaluate and actively develop the selected strategically critical competencies. The case example further explores the possibility of utilizing measurement tools in a reflective manner to activate and explore the learning process attached to measuring. Practical implications – The RCA process model is a measurement tool that evaluates critical knowledge assets while simultaneously functioning as a reflective practice itself. As a practical case description, this paper offers management practitioners and human resource development professionals a model for implementing competence assessment in a reflective manner to measure and also construct new know-how. The study also offers argumentation for considering reflective practice as a primary tool for braking away from routine thinking and extending competencies. In addition, it provides a concrete tool for arranging measurement and evaluation in a manner that activates and revives learning and renewal.
Keywords – Reflective competence assessment, business-critical competences, reflective practice, management control

Purpose – This article aims to investigate the relationship between performance management systems (PMS) and knowledge in a service organization. A PMS could be defined as a control framework which attempts to ensure that certain ends are achieved and particular means are used to attain these ends (Broadbent and Laughlin, 2009: 293). The basic idea is to consider the PMS in the organization as an important process in order to go deeper on the level and quality of know-how of the member of the organization. Typically performance systems are used as a tool to plan and to coordinate activities and workers. Notwithstanding there is a key dimension related to the possibility of interpreting PMSs not just as an information box, but as an opportunity to reflect on what is going on and why inside the organization (in terms of performance and activities). Design/methodology/approach – Franco-Santos et al. (2010) point out that, although it is possible to design, maintain and use a PMS without organizational learning occurring, such an outcome is extremely unlikely: in fact, one of the primary effects during the system design is improved knowledge of the organization. In according to Ferreira and Otley framework (2009), we want to address these research questions: what type of use is made of information and of the various control mechanisms in place? Our studies relies on a single case study. We selected a service organization which could provide a consistent, differentiated and information rich setting for studying the phenomenon under scrutiny. Originality/value – This paper would like to propose new lens in order to interpret PMSs, overcoming the positivist/functionalist paradigm characterized by a focus on the causes-effect relationships, statistical testing, and linear thinking (Latham et al., 2005). Practical implications –This paper would like to offer a critical perspective (Micheli and Neely, 2010) regarding the use of traditional managerial tools in a service organizations, pointing out how the principles of efficiency and effectiveness risk to remain vague in their applications and overlooking the issue of knowledge.
Keywords –performance management systems, knowledge

Purpose – This research paper is addressing the difficulties of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary knowledge transfer in respect of urban textures and furthermore the impact of knowledge, about surroundings and environment, on sustainable and holistic growth. In order to channel resources and set the focus at the right place at the right time, one important key factor is understanding and therefore decoding the transforming urban structures. Generating a base for an interdisciplinary dialogue about the potentials, risks and possibilities of the existing urban structure and its development between business organizations, public authorities and organizations is one purpose of this paper. Design/methodology/approach – It is the approach to contribute to the well-established discussion about urban textures and its complex structure connecting to correlating research topics, not only for the benefit of the community of architects and urban planners in research and practice but also for the larger target group of experts from other research fields and practices. Originality/value – Are the known tools of Knowledge Architecture, knowledge transfer and knowledge management adequate to generate and transfer the necessary knowledge of complex urban structures? Do we need to rethink, question or expand those described methods in order to meet the transdisciplinary requirements by not only transforming but also translating knowledge for diverse, heterogeneous recipients in order to be applicable in research as well as in practice? Having the effect of the increasing globalization in mind the importance of accessible, understandable knowledge gains significance in order to follow the approach of supporting a sustainable and holistic growth on multiple levels. Practical implications – Bridging the still existing gap between architecture and urban planning on one hand and non-architectural disciplines and professions on the other hand is a second aim of research. Hence it is a necessity to transform the knowledge about
urban structures into a more universal accessible language. The identification and establishment of existing interdisciplinary knowledge transfer tools, in order to make possible recommendations. Spheres of influences for various fields of expertise might be discovered and identified. This is possible only by translating the respected expert knowledge and offering this processed, transformed knowledge to an audience of various disciplines.
Keywords – Urbanism, Transdisciplinarity, Sustainable Urban Growth, Knowledge Transfer, Innovation

Purpose – The paper reports on a doctoral thesis at the professorship of Knowledge Architecture, an emerging scientific field at TU Dresden (Dresden University of Technology). This paper is going to focus on the meaning of creativity and its use in knowledge management. Problem description / Background – Today’s society and work transforms into “knowledge society” and “knowledge work”. Inventive developers and managers are required in each field in order to answer ever more complex tasks and to create innovation. Yet, there is not much knowledge application of scientific results on the relationship of the innovation process and the term creativity into manager’s daily life. Experiment / Approach – There is a vast body of literature dealing with the term creativity. Though a clear definition of creativity and its application in terms of knowledge- and innovation-management is still absent. This paper is focusing on the main aspects of creativity defined in the literature and is introducing an architectural perspective into the discussion. The found literature is contrasted with first-hand experiences from technology and science clusters, industry-university cooperation, and other work experiences. Investigations, experiences and experiments by researchers of Knowledge Architecture form the basis for hypotheses about creative processes. Findings / Practical implications – The process of generating ideas and innovation is complex and escapes simple description. Creativity is one of the most important variables in the innovation process, not only in its early stages. Creativity seems to be a significant success factor. Hence, future knowledge work has to be supported in two directions. Firstly: towards a theoretical discourse on the role of creativity due to knowledge- and idea-generation. Secondly: towards practical applications and translation of ideas, e.g. from architecture and design sciences towards management.
Keywords – Creativity, Knowledge, Ideas, Management, Idea-generation, Criteria

Purpose – Reputational capital is part of a company’s intellectual capital. Communications has been defined as main vehicle for managing reputational capital. The term communications can mean part of managerial work, referring to the communicational capacity an organization has as a whole, whereas communications conducted by a professional function forms a set of clearly distinguishable practices which can be studied. The purpose of the research is to 1) look into the communications processes and practices through which the best performing publicly listed companies strive to manage their reputational capital and 2) test whether this correlates with better reputation, performance and better financial result
The link between performance and financial result has been proven many times, and so has the link between reputation and financial result. The impact of communication practices on reputation or performance has been harder to prove and is therefore the focus of this work. Design/Methodology/Approach – The project will start with a quantitative analysis of appr. 100 public Finnish companies, comparing their long-time (10 years or less) data on financial performance with semantic analysis on the content of the publicity they have gained during the same period. In measuring organizational performance one or several of these measures will be used: market value vs. book-keeping value, revenue growth, share price, ROA. Some 10-15 firms that show the best positive correlation are identified and approached with a survey exploring in their corporate communications processes and practices. The survey is complemented with individual interviews and collection of communication documents from the companies. Performance measures for the companies are set by external and internal standards.
Originality/Value – Present IC research is strongly rooted in either management consultancy or accounting. The issue of reputation or brand management in a dynamic sense seldom appears in IC literature. Communications and marketing research again has focused on the correlation of brand image on consumer behavior or corporate value. There is strong evidence on these correlations, but what is missing is a genuine integration of IC management and communications research. However, now that we have moved into the knowledge-intensive business era of ours and gone through the explosive development of the internet, the concept of external reputation has gained a relevance never seen before, and reputational capital has to be taken seriously due to its huge impact on corporate performance and monetary outcomes, such as share price and market value. Practical implications – The aim is to produce a work that combines academic intellectual capital research and communications research, and at the same time offers new tools for business executives and for the communications industry to manage reputation and be able to measure its monetary impact. The study should produce knowledge that allows practitioners to make better decisions and improve the effectiveness of their work. The aim is to hold a dynamic perspective, approaching the issue from a reputational capital management perspective. The author will try to seek best practices and solutions to business executives’ everyday problems – namely how to manage your reputation as far as it is possible.
Keywords – reputation, reputational capital, communications, intellectual capital

Previous research regarding intangible assets and their possible influence over the effectiveness encourages governments to change their perspectives towards the assessment of economic effectiveness. Tangible assets such as equipment, plant, office buildings are no longer considered as competitive resources contributing towards long lasting competitive sustainability (Benevene and Cortini, 2010; FĂDUR, 2013). Thereafter intangible assets are becoming the drivers of a long lasting competitive advantage in economy (Suriñach and Moreno, 2012; Mackevičius and Jarmalaite, 2011; Fadur etc., 2013; Goodridge etc., 2013). Countries, such as United Kingdom, Japan and the United States, have already exceeded the investments in the intangible assets as a share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)compared to the investments in tangibles (Corado et al, 2013; Goodridge, 2013). In July 31, 2013 the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis adopted a policy where Research and Development (R&D) were categorized as an investment on the government’s books rather than an expense (BEA, 2013). Corado et al (2012) argues that capitalizing intangible assets changes the perspective of the indicators that account for economic effectiveness. Chua and Goh (2009) pointed out, that gaining and sustaining the competitive advantage for an economy, one has to identify main components of the intangibles, invest accordingly and capture the return from these investments. Many studies have concluded that investments in intangible assets increase future output and consumption for the entire economy (COINVEST, 2013; INNODRIVE, 2013, INTAN Invest, 2011). According to Corado et al (2012) the key point again is whether an increase in intangibles yields returns at some point in the future in the form of higher production efficiency and improved product quality. Webster and Jensen (2006) argues, that certain intangible assets do not meet the characteristics associated with the investment. They are not identifiable, non-rival, sometimes they are not even assessable, therefore quantitative assessment on the returns of the investments of the intangible assets might be challenging. Intangible asset policy in Lithuania follows traditional accounting principles, where most of the intangibles are excluded from the government books. Statistics department provides certain macro level data such as investments into R&D. Konstatinos et all (2013) defended, that the size of the investment in R&D is not enough to get a grasp of the intangible asset essence and impact in the economy. According to the study carried out in France, the investment into R&D starting 1995 up to 2010 has increased by 1,9 percent, although the investments into other intangible assets such as human capital, knowledge, networks etc. has followed the increase from 7,4 percent up to 10,6 (OECD, 2013). Such data implies that intangible assets other than R&D are more substantial to our economies, therefore, it is important to identify those assets, asses the investment accordingly and measure the impact of these investments on the economic effectiveness. Purpose –The objective of this paper is to investigate intangible investments in Lithuania and assess their impact on the economic effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach – Analysis and review of scientific literature, and data statistical analysis. Originality/value – The present study represents a step forward in the understanding of the impacts of intangible assets on economy effectiveness in Lithuania, which still follows traditional accounting practice. The study was performed at the macro level using adaptive model proposed by Corado (2012), where intangible assets are categorized as computerized information, economic competencies and innovative property. The model was adjusted to the available data. The results show the investment level of the intangibles as well as the association with the economic effectiveness of the state. Practical implications –Knowledge based economy requires innovative methods to assess its effectiveness. Lithuania’s policies regarding intangible assets follows traditional theories, therefore it is very important to identify the level of intangible investments, not recorded in the accounting books and define it’s impact on the economical effectiveness and this will add value to the current status and contribute to a better assessment. Such study provides a benchmark possibility, which would be useful for Lithuania’s potential.
Keywords – Intangible assets, economic effectiveness, intangible asset assessment, intangible investment

The purpose of this study is to describe, analyze and understand how a company keep ambidexterity and knowledge dynamics onboard during change and growth through defining, evolving and defending the vision of working smarter, greener and safer. The research questions are: Q1: How does ambidexterity manifest itself at the micro level? Q2: What kinds of hurdles exist when the noticeable conditions for ambidexterity are elevated from an individual to an organizational knowledge level? The answer to Q1 is that dividing the responsibilities for exploration and exploitation activities to separate managers are of importance, and that the individual power of these managers will impact the trajectory of the company. The answer to Q2 is that the main concern moving from an individual to an organizational knowledge level is how to organize and energize exploitation activities. Methodology. This is a case study using the Norwegian Olympic Shipping as a case. We gave the management group of 22 an executive one third of a Master of Management program in 2013 and we got through this program access to all needed primary and secondary sources about the company itself and about their branch of business. All the participants worked with a project assignment analyzing different subjects for the practical realization of the company’s strategy for the period 2014-2020. The project assignments included proposals for improvements and implementations and we will follow up this in august 2014. The case represents an action based methodological paradigm. Practical implications. This is an exploration of how a company has kept the ambidexterity and knowledge dynamics in a long period growing from a small shipping company to a medium sized shipping company on its way to become a large global shipping company. The entrepreneurial spirit is kept in the shipping company through empowerment, engagement, participation around the agreed upon vision to become greener, smarter and safer. The top-down control work in a dialectical relationship with bottom-up and the company can then take well care of their long term practice of working at the edge of their business.
Keywords – Knowledge Capabilities, Knowledge Dynamics, Exploitation, Exploration, Ambidexterity

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review extant research on outsourcing and knowledge competences to establish our understanding and to identify gaps justifying further research activities.
Design/methodology/approach – The study consists of a systematic review of refereed empirical articles on outsourcing and knowledge competences. In order to get access to the articles we used two scientific databases: ProQuest and Web of Science. As keywords we decided to use multiple keyword combinations. We only included peer reviewed articles published in English. Twelve papers were identified and analysed in the paper. Originality/value –This methodology proofs evidence that there is a small number of papers addressing outsourcing and its consequences for KM sustainability. Practical implications – The outcomes of this study can assist researchers, managers and consultants to better understand the link between outsourcing and the sustainability of KM. This can be useful for managers in particular as more specific measures can be derived.
Keywords – Outsourcing, Knowledge management, Knowledge competence, Systematic review

Purpose – To explore the conceptual links between Green Human Resources Management and Strategic Sustainable Development with the focus on knowledge management practices. The question explored is “In what ways can human resources management tools, processes and practices help to support employee participation in ecoinnovation birth and at the same time be strategically moving an organisation towards sustainability?” Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a literature review approach. An overview of the contemporary state-of-the-art employee participation practices in the context of knowledge management is presented. Possible future integration of knowledge management tools within the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development is being proposed. Originality/value – The strategic aspect of human resources management and sustainability constitutes a joint connection. Scholars have been currently exploring the environmental management issues integration within the human resources research field. Knowledge management practices such as suggestion programmes or problem solving circles are one of the main measures used in continuous improvement efforts in companies. But little is known on how to use these tools strategically when dealing with environmental issues. Practical implications – Environmental knowledge and values are reported to be predictors of employee environmental behaviours. The workers wide participation increases the business performance by sharing the knowledge of all workers within an organisation. Designing knowledge management processes in a way that will ensure the innovation tools and actions are aligned with a viable sustainability strategy can bring stronger employee engagement and better environmental performance.
Keywords – corporate sustainability, strategic knowledge management, environmental management, employee participation, FSSD

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to elucidate that parliaments are seeking legitimacy as accountable and sustainable democratic institutions by managing new technologies and knowledge to design an e-parliament where stakeholders use information and communication technologies to perform more effectively their core functions of lawmaking, representation, and oversight. Design/methodology/approach – Parliaments under increasing pressure to revisit their concept of sustainability may select different approach to policymaking and lawmaking connecting citizens to knowledge and information in the policy process. Organizations seeking greater legitimacy than better performance tend to conform to the expectations of the key stakeholders. Managing and sharing knowledge and information can help to face uncertainty and environmental complexity as the fundamental problem for organizations such as parliaments This study is based on archival and qualitative data drawn by literature review about the use of knowledge management systems and internet technologies of information and communication within parliamentary institutions. Originality/value – Technology has made possible greater access to the policy process enhancing quality of democratic governance if citizens are better informed and included in decision making processes. ICTs offer different scenarios to representative democracy leading parliamentary institutions to sustain public trust to survive in their current forms to cope with distrust and disengagement of people feeling unheard by politicians. Practical implications – Parliaments embracing new technologies coherently with international standards and best practices may select different choices in order to use new technologies, managing knowledge and information in order to develop their internal workings engaging citizens in the public policy process.
Keywords – e-parliament, social sustainability, knowledge and information management.

Purpose – For decades, Vietnamese universities have been criticized for producing low quality training and research outputs. This study tries to investigate the influence of organisational culture, leadership style, human resource practices, technology support and job characteristics on the knowledge sharing behaviour of academic and administrative staff in Vietnamese universities. Findings from this study are expected to help university management understand better the enabling factors of knowledge sharing behaviour in universities and therefore can develop relevant policies to promote knowledge sharing among lecturers/researchers to advance the quality of teaching and research activities in universities. Design/methodology/approach – Six research hypotheses related to the relationships between culture, leadership style, HR practices, technology support, job demands and knowledge sharing behaviour were formulated in this study. To test the hypotheses, the authors developed the measures based on the works of previous researchers as well as on their own reflections. The sample used for this study consists of 123 lecturers and supporting staffs working in ten universities in Hanoi. A multiple regression was applied to investigate the relationships between the six independent variables and the dependent variable (knowledge sharing behaviour). Age, job category, position, gender, working experiences were used as control variables in the regression analysis. Originality/value – This study reveals some interesting results related to the nonsignificant association between culture, reward and the knowledge sharing behaviour of individuals in university context. This unexpected finding is however consistent with the results of some studies in the existing literature which also failed to prove the influence of culture and reward on knowledge sharing. The role of leadership style and IT support on the knowledge sharing behaviour of individuals in organisations is confirmed by this study, however when only lecturers are considered as research sample, leadership style loses importance in terms of its influence on knowledge sharing behaviour. Practical implications – Findings from this study suggest that job demands; training and development; and technology support are the strongest drivers for the knowledge sharing behaviour of lecturers in universities. University management should therefore pay due attention to these aspects to promote knowledge sharing among lecturers/researchers, thus enhancing the “intelligence” of the university. For example, by providing lecturers with regular training opportunities and access to a strong IT system/knowledge base of the university, the later will demonstrate a stronger knowledge sharing behaviour.
Keywords – Knowledge sharing behaviour, Culture, Leadership, HR practices, Technology

Purpose – Nowadays, knowledge sharing has become a strategic source of gaining and preserving competitive advantage and collaboration between universities (centers of science) and research organizations (centers for practice). So, knowledge sharing between different organizations, is the cause of their retain in today’s competitive environment and providing the necessary platforms and infrastructure is must in this process. Accordingly, the purpose of the present study is to investigate the technical and infrastructural factors that influence knowledge sharing process in medical universities and research centers in Iran, and then identify the most effective platforms, methods and channels of inter- and intra knowledge sharing. Design/methodology/approach – The method of this paper is mixed and applied research (a combination of library and Delphi method) that was conducted in 2013. The study population considered of the faculty members of medical universities and research centres in Iran which by use of stratified sampling 423 samples selected. According to the statistical results around 17 percent of professors considered the organizational structure as acceptable. There was also a sharing of knowledge and experience of faculties in the 48/2 percent somewhat faculty teaching and research within their organization more than other organizations. From the view of faculties, conferences and forums, with an average rank of 4/93 and personnel exchanges with the average 4/24 are the most effective ways of sharing. Originality/value – A few attempts have been made to investigate success factors for inter- and intra-organizational knowledge sharing empirically or even theoretically, but this is the first of its kind that provides role of infrastructures for the knowledge sharing in medical science collaborations. It serves as a useful starting point for those interested in knowledge management. So, it can serve as a roadmap of significant knowledge sharing research for researchers, designers, and managers considering their options for fostering knowledge management. Practical implications – The outcomes of the application will provide empirical basis for planning and implementing knowledge sharing mechanisms.
Keywords – Knowledge Management, Knowledge Sharing, Information Technology, Faculty Members, University

Purpose – In today’s society, knowledge is the most important capital and it is difficult to control. Knowledge is increasingly obtained outside the company. Social networks have taken the lead because they allow the exchange of information in real time. The aim of this study is to determine if the exchange of knowledge in the professional social network LinkedIn group for Java affects the overall knowledge gain for professional work, depending on the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, regional affiliation and professional requirements, further motivation and frequency of use of the network and the way they perceive the amount of their knowledge. Design/methodology/approach–Research is performed as follows: the survey was designed and performed on LinkedIn, the biggest global professional network, among participants of Java programming language professionals. We collected N=448 valid questionnaires from the respondents from India 37.7%, 30.9% from North America, 18.6% from Europe and other regions (12.8%), that properly represent the whole population of these group members. Data analysis (descriptive statistics) and data mining was performed. Data mining models by applying knowledge trees and linear regression were made and gave more insight into patterns. Originality/value–This research represents the most comprehensive research of knowledge sharing in professional social networks, because others have focused only on particular subgroups of variables covered here. We have conducted research, for the first time, on the gains obtained by knowledge sharing between professionals, while additional value is provided by identification of the most important factors in this process. Research provides an insight into how global processes of knowledge sharing work in the professional social network, how processes are affected by the socio-demographic data. Research has given an answer to the question of who has the highest benefit from this process. Practical implications–Technical skills and culture of knowledge sharing of Java technology groups on the LinkedIn social networks is a pioneering process that will be developed for other professionals in future decades. The participants’ region had very little influence on the benefits gained, so these networks contribute to globalization. Gains are influenced by the intensity of use and the quality of knowledge, giving directions to the social networks service providers. Satisfaction with certain services on this professional network, compared with the satisfaction with other (non-professional) social networks is lower, which indicates the potential of this domain and need for development and research.
Keywords–knowledge management, professional social networks, knowledge sharing and knowledge gain.

Purpose Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world subject to strong innovations in the last years essentially due to globalization and availability of new ICTs. In a tourism destination operate autonomous entities whose business is related to the sector and whose aim is the tourism destination growth. We introduce the Collaborative Network Organization (CNO) model to reach both competitiveness for the destination and sustainable development for the territory and local operators. In particular, we propose: – a model to highlight forms of collaboration in the tourism sector; – a characterization of supporting ICT services and mobile applications. Design/methodology/approach – After identified two kinds of short term CNOs in a Tourism Destination: the TEE -Tourism Extended Enterprise, and the TVO – Tourism Virtual Organization, we use a methodology made of 3 steps: – Characterization of the CNOs in a TBE: the TEE and TVO models; – modelling the coalition’s types that can be recognized within a CNO on the basis of the different levels of integration among members – characterization of the ICTs that support each coalition type, with a focus on different functional classes of networking information services and mobile applications that are currently adopted in a CNOs
Originality/value – Scholars approach the issue of collaboration in tourism from different points of view: social benefits and sustainable development (Graci, 2013; Jamal and Stronza, 2009), organizational supports for collaboration (March & Wilkinson, 2009), characteristics of ICTs tools (Buhalis & Law, 2008; Zach et al., 2008; Ndou & Petti, 2007). The originality of this study consists in composing different perspectives in literature to propose an original framework to characterize forms of CNOs in tourism, taking into account the effects of ICT in reengineering the sector. Practical implications – First results of the study highlights the importance of setting CNOs within a tourism destination in order both to answer to the new demand of personalized tourism, and to give local tourism players an opportunity to reach economy of scale, competitiveness and sustainable development in the effort to overcome limits of touristic organization’s size and contrast big players power. The original framework we propose aims to support the operationalization of the collaboration concept in the tourism sector and the setting up of CNOs in a tourism destination at different level of collaboration
Keywords – Tourism breeding environment, Collaborative Networks, Tourism Extended Enterprise, Tourism Virtual Organization, ICT.