Global Knowledge-based Economy Research Articles

Cambodia’s aspirations to become a knowledge-based society: Challenges and recommendations

Cambodia aspires to become a knowledge-based society to remain relevant in the context of the global knowledge-based economy. However, it remains uncertain how this aspiration can be realized considering the low quality of the country’s education system. Drawing on secondary sources, this article aims to shed light on Cambodia’s aspirations for a knowledge-based society. The article begins by defining the term “knowledge-based society” before providing an overview of the Cambodian education system and discussing key challenges that limit Cambodia’s ability to realize its vision to become a knowledge society. Key challenges were related to low higher education enrollment, a shortage of educational staff with doctoral degrees, a weak innovation capacity, and other critical challenges such as low academic salaries, a lack of clear academic career pathways, limited research funding, and limited knowledge about research. The article provides a set of recommendations that concerned stakeholders should consider to improve the quality of the Cambodian education system and support the country to achieve its goal in developing into a knowledge-based society. It concludes with suggestions for future research to generate new knowledge about Cambodia—a context underrepresented in international literature.

Academic mobility from a big data perspective

AbstractUnderstanding the careers and movements of highly skilled people plays an ever-increasing role in today’s global knowledge-based economy. Researchers and academics are sources of innovation and development for governments and institutions. Our study uses scientific-related data to track careers evolution and Researchers’ movements over time. To this end, we define the Yearly Degree of Collaborations Index, which measures the annual tendency of researchers to collaborate intra-nationally, and two scores to measure the mobility in and out of countries, as well as their balance.

Telework: What is impact on the Algerian employee?

In a knowledge-based global economy, where technological progress has become the crucial link for achieving economic development, many Algerian institutions inevitability faced of the developing of their managing methods of work based on the integration of information and communication technologies (ICT). The telework is one of the growing patterns in this context it has been widely used in recent years as a new conception of work and jobs, especially during the pandemic that afflicted many countries, including Algeria. However, adopting this method of organizing work raises many problems related to its effects, especially on the individual level, namely on the employee’s quality of life, which is what the current study tries to answer. In order to do so, the writings and the basics related to telework were reviewed and discussed in the first part. While the second part was devoted to presenting the methodological framework used at field level. Based on a quantitative approach that included 142 employees from various sectors of activity, the results of the research included in the third part revealed that telework gives employees flexibility and independence in organizing their work schedule. It also contributes to reducing expenses related to the budget for transportation, meals, and childcare. In addition, telework enables employees to reorganize their social time (work time, family time) and thus, better match work and private activities, as well as reduce exhaustion resulting from various movements. It constitutes an opportunity to rest and reorganize, which in turn helps to raise productivity, according to most of the employees questioned. However, this does not negate the fact that this working method produces some undesirable effects, which are often perceived as negative consequences, as the results revealed the telework may be a source of social isolation and extension of working hours. Furthermore, the flexibility that telework gives to employees in organizing and managing working hours may lead to irregular schedules, which would blur the boundaries between family and professional lifestyle.

Building Intercultural Competences for Students Who Study Abroad

People do not always match one’s prior expectations, and people from countries different from one’s own often do not conform to our stereotypical expectations. This is no less true for students who choose to study abroad as part of their degree programmes. While students may be interculturally competent in one context, they may be considerably less so in another. A single semester exchange can expose them to a wide array of encounters for which they are unprepared, both at their host universities and in their destination countries.
 There is much discussion about how best to help intercultural learning in the context of mobility. This paper draws on findings from third-level incoming and outgoing student mobilities over a four-year period. The purpose is to highlight insights into the cognitive and emotive challenges, motivations, and reflections that students experience before, during, and after studying abroad. Developing and implementing an online platform for intercultural training will enable future exchange students to prepare and engage actively in all three phases of this journey. It is expected that active and voluntary participation and engagement in suchtraining will help to promote students´ plurilingual and intercultural competences as well as trigger personal and professional growth. This has the potential to be a win-win experience not just for the individual student but also for their subsequent career journey when navigating a knowledge-based global economy.

EFL Learning and Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia: A Critical Perspective

Vision 2030 is a key economic transformation plan for Saudi Arabia conceived in 2016. It envisions the shift from oil to a knowledge-based global economy. Along with this historical event, Saudi Arabia undergoes another historic transformation, i.e., the strategic growth of EFL learning in the domain of education in the second decade of the twenty-first century. Since economy and education go hand in hand, scholars wonder whether EFL learning induces Saudi Vision 2030 or vice versa. The relation between them is causal by nature, but the order of effect is inexplicit. If Saudi Vision 2030 motivates EFL learning, then its present situation is inadequate for the fulfillment of the Vision. If not, then how the inadequate EFL competency of Saudi student can contributes to the visionary transformation of Saudi Arabia. Hence, the problem is an essential concern in academic understanding since its resolution redefines both EFL learning and Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia. The study uses qualitative research on the existing scholarly books and articles on EFL learning and Saudi Vision 2030 to understand the causal order of these phenomena, to illustrate the present condition and explain interrelation of EFL Learning and Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia.

Розвиток експорту наукомістких послуг як каталізатор інноваційної діяльності

At the present stage, the knowledge-intensive services sector is one of the key drivers of the global knowledge-based economy. Knowledge-intensive services cover a wide range of market, financial, high-tech, social and other services based on the knowledge and experience of highly qualified specialists. This type of services acts as a catalyst for innovation activities of organizations based on an organic combination of production processes, research and development activities and consumer needs. Based on the study of a wide range of literary sources on the problems of innovation, innovation activities, knowledge-intensive services the concept of "knowledge-intensive services" was clarified, under which it is proposed to understand a wide range of services that are based on the knowledge of highly qualified professionals and acting as a catalyst for innovation activities of organizations based on an organic combination of production, science and consumers. The results of the analysis of foreign and domestic trends in the export of knowledge-intensive services allow to assert that Ukraine has a significant human resource potential, the implementation of which can provide high volumes of provision of knowledge-intensive services. The positive dynamics of development of knowledge-intensive services export by Ukraine indicates that our country has real prospects to become a successful innovation region in the near future. After all, it has been proven that one of the key catalysts of innovation activity is the services that are based on the knowledge of highly qualified specialists and allow to combine production processes, scientific activity and consumer needs. Thanks to the opportunity to increase exports of knowledge-intensive services, there will be a chance to expand the shares of foreign markets and thus ensure the progressive development of the national economy. Taking into account all the above-mentioned, the actual task for today is the formation and use of tools to stimulate exports of knowledge-intensive services by domestic business entities to enhance innovation activity. This task should be implemented at all levels of the national economy, which will allow obtaining a synergistic effect in this area. Thus, the level model of development of export of knowledge-intensive services as a catalyst for innovation activity was improved. The proposed model organically combines and systematizes the priority objectives of development of the export of knowledge-intensive services, key stakeholders to be involved in the development of export of knowledge-intensive services in Ukraine, the priority ways, vectors and tools of development of the export of knowledge-intensive services, as well as the expected results of the impact of development of export of knowledge-intensive services at the macro-, meso- and micro-levels of the national economy. In addition, the level model of development of export of knowledge-intensive services as a catalyst for innovation activity represents the mechanism of relationships between all structural elements, which allows to achieve a synergistic effect in the development of export of knowledge-intensive services of Ukraine.

Contributions of Design Thinking in Inter and Transdisciplinary Communication, Research & Co-work Environment for Complex Problem Solving

Design, as research process, management strategy or problem-solving methodology, is nowadays embedded on organizational structures, social demands and in human interaction and experiences. Involves digital & analogue technologies, requires immersion in complex problems and systems, since the stage of identifying problems, constraints and consequently needs and opportunities, with constant feedback that prompts multidisciplinary team's cooperation looping, from gathering data, to ideation, model and prototype, analysis, and synthesis, evaluate and test, experiment, thus presenting solutions. This cybernetic loop research process stimulates and feeds itself of feedbacks gained also from Inter and Transdisciplinary Communication, that stimulates new knowledge [7], in Research & Development + Innovation (R&D+I). This exploratory research approaches a Project-Based Methodology known as Design Thinking (DT), considering four models: Stanford d. School - 5 Step Design Thinking; Design Council - Double Diamond; IDEO Human-Centered Design, 3I's model (Inspiration, Ideation, Implementation); and Katja Tschimmel - Evolution 6*, and the Creative Techniques used in these methodologies. The present deductive research tries to explain correlations between its use in academia/business/social environments, as a transdisciplinary communication approach, to complex problem resolution, embedding Design Thinking methodologies in applied research. * "R&D is increasingly viewed as an input to innovation in the context of the overall efforts made in a knowledge-based global economy." pp.3 [9] "2.9. The term R&D covers three types of activity: basic research, applied research and experimental development. … Applied research is original investigation undertaken to acquire new knowledge. It is, however, directed primarily towards a specific, practical aim or objective." pp.45 [9]

Management aspects of ensuring competitiveness of innovative enterprises

The global knowledge-based economy is driven by innovation which is the leading force of competitiveness, growth, and profitability. The rapid changes in the requirements of consumer needs, as well as those in the technological field are drivers for disruptive and incremental innovations, which can be considered as new or improved products, processes, technologies, and managerial decisions (or a combination thereof), that have been introduced on the market or brought into use by the firm. The paper aims to systematize the key elements and factors that influence the competitiveness of innovation-active enterprises. According to international statistical guidelines and recommendations, an innovation-active firm can be defined as a company that is engaged in one or more activities to develop or implement new or improved products or business processes for an intended use. Based on a literature review, the definition of the competitiveness of an innovation-active firm as an economic category is proposed, as well as the main dimensions and prerequisites for effective management of competitive capacity of innovation-active enterprises are highlighted, that should be primarily taken into account from a management decision-making viewpoint to embed the innovation development principles into business practice in order to improve the organizational performance and strengthen the competitiveness of a company in a fast-changing business environment. As a result of the study, through an integrated approach a descriptive overview of the key components of an innovation-active firms competitive capacity is presented, namely the innovation, the organizational, the managerial, the information, and the marketing capacity.

Knowledge Sharing Enablers in Small Business Networks

In an increasingly knowledge-based global economy, social capital and knowledge sharing, particularly amongst small business, have become critical sources of competitive advantage, but how can such knowledge sharing be enabled? The objective of this research was to explore the effect of knowledge sharing enablers on knowledge sharing in female small business networks. This research addresses the call for research into the antecedents of social capital. Specifically, Trust, Social Identity, Social Media Usage and Shared Goals were included in the conceptual model for the study. Together these social capital enablers were found to be significant predictors of knowledge sharing behaviour although unique contributions varied. The research contributes to the growing body of literature on the dimensions of social capital and how they affect knowledge management, and is of use to practitioners involved in supporting female entrepreneurial networks.

Integrative Transfer of Learning Model and Implications for Higher Education

Transfer of knowledge, skills, and experience is critical in an increasingly competitive knowledge-based global economy. Research indicates major issues relating to transfer of learning, including (a) the complex nature of transfer, (b) the multiple variables affecting transfer, and (c) the limited knowledge of instructional methodologies for facilitating transfer across disciplines and learning environments. An integrative literature review was conducted to analyze the conceptualizations of transfer of learning across disciplines, as well as to examine the traditional and contemporary models along with taxonomies of transfer. This article proposes a new Integrative Transfer of Learning (ITL) model that aggregates four broad transfer dimensions, specifically (a) task, (b) personal, (c) context, and (d) pedagogical dimensions. This ITL model provides a comprehensive conceptual framework for researchers, instructors, and instructional designers interested in transfer of learning across learning environments, including online, blended, and onsite, for preparing a diverse higher education student population for a complex and advancing workforce.

Promoting Aesthetical Values to Education

With a pressure on schools to meet the requirements of a knowledge-based global economy, human development, critical thinking and imagination seem to be given lower priority. This article argues for including the aesthetic dimension in teaching as a way to foster human development. While aesthetic subjects are cut, there is a growing interest in aesthetic methods through which students are expected to use their knowledge in new and creative ways. However, there is a tension involved in combining innovative and creative thinking with the objectives model, in which education is broken down into measurable targets. Including more than what is measurable is important to encourage students to not only copy what they are told, but to become creative and able to find their own solutions in the future. The aesthetic dimension might support independent thinking and imagination, crucial qualities in a democracy and for developing a future that we cannot yet see. Aesthetics’ is here understood in a broad sense and not limited to certain subjects. A main concern in the article is how to include aesthetics in academic subjects. Every subject has elements of emotions, intuition and interpretation and might make use of symbolic forms. The aesthetical involves knowledge that is gained through the senses and that appeals to emotions. An aesthetic approach might contribute to interest and meaning, preconditions for learning that transforms the individual. It might open up for unrealised knowledge and unexpected outcomes. Furthermore, the approach might contribute to a good life. The argumentation in the article will build on theory as well as on empirical research from upper secondary school.

Shifting Sands Whilst Sifting for Profits: Evolving Patterns of Firm Size and Performance in the U.S. Economy

Research Summary: Firm size has long been recognized as a source of competitive advantage. However, the disruptions arising from the knowledge-based global economy are decoupling the link between firm size and profitability. We demonstrate in this article, the structural shifts and evolving patterns in the U.S. industrial economy by capturing the emerging disconnect in the relationships between firm size, growth, and financial performance across multiple industries with a long-range COMPUSTAT panel data. We highlight the emerging challenges to the field of management from the paradigm shifts occurring due to the disruptive technologies, broadening global competition, dynamic consumer trends, and volatile financial markets for the past three decades. We further discuss the implications for corporate strategy, governance, and organization. Managerial Implications: Although it has been a well-established notion that large organizations with more capital and assets will enjoy the advantages of high profitability, in recent times, the large firms are increasingly experiencing the financial crisis. The widening gap between firm size, capital structure and, profitability for the past three decades implies increased risk to long-term investors. The trodden path of mergers and acquisitions for quick growth, consolidation, or diversification is not translating into long-term shareholder value. Given the disruptive technologies, shortened product life cycles, and continuously changing industry structures, firms’ growth strategy must incorporate the agility, speed, and responsiveness. Firms need to build trust-driven, symbiotic, and dis-aggregated form of organization and reconfigure the value chain to reduce both coordination cost and investment risk.

Urban infrastructure development in a global knowledge-based economy

The challenge of globalization process is the emergence of “new economy” in which the knowledge-based economy is of great importance. The factor of the knowledge-based economy is growing under the influence of scientific and technological revolution and involvement in globalization. The article analyzes the relationship of changingtechnological paradigms of social-economic development with sustainable development of urban infrastructure. The challengesof the Sixth (according to the classification of S. Yu. Glaziev)paradigm of the technological revolution with widespread introduction of digitalizationare specified. Up-to-date aspects of management of urban infrastructure development with use of “Smart City” advanced intellectual information technologies are considered. The study provides a reinterpretation of modern methods of management of urban infrastructure development in connection with the emergence of digital information and communication technologies. Knowledge management, including human capital assets management, representing the creative potential of people, plays an important role for “smart management”. It is proved that intellectual resources have greater value and competitive advantages than material resources. It is justified that with the development of globalization and digitalization of society, sustainable development of urban infrastructure is based on the use of knowledge-based capital.

Universities in the National Innovation Systems: Emerging Innovation Landscapes in Asia-Pacific

Historically, universities and institutions of higher learning have gone through three academic revolutions, namely, teaching, research, and innovation. Universities and Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in the last two decades have come to occupy an important part in the national innovation systems (NIS), which is a complex of ‘all important economic, social, political, organizational, institutional and other factors that influence the development, diffusion and use of innovations’. From a broader perspective, universities, together with public Research and Development (R&D) labs and science agencies, public policies (on industry, research, innovation and higher education, etc.) and business enterprises are now considered as important actors in the NIS of Asia-Pacific economies. The rise of Asia in the global knowledge-based economy from mid-1990s is closely associated with the rise of knowledge institutions of higher learning and scientific research output. Every Asia-Pacific country embraced and introduced policies relating to innovation in varying forms. Consultancy and collaborative links with industry being traditional forms of engagement, new policy and institutional measures in technology transfer and innovation to engage with society and business enterprises are gaining prominence. Policies for incubation, start-ups, and spin-offs, technology transfer offices (TTOs), and science and technology parks have gained tremendous prominence in leading Asia-Pacific universities. Different national innovation systems in the Asia-Pacific region have given rise to varying roles of universities. Whilst universities in Southeast Asian countries and India continue to play a traditional role of teaching and generating human capital, there are countries such as Singapore, China, Taiwan, and Japan, wherein universities are being transformed as entrepreneurial universities. Science and innovation policies in these countries have orchestrated the goal direction of universities as frontiers of innovation. Universities in Australia and New Zealand have so far been quite successful in marketing higher education to neighboring Asian countries. They have in recent years begun to embark on innovation and commercialization of research. The paper focuses on South East Asia and draws some comparison with more dynamic university ecosystems in East Asia. In doing so, the paper brings into focus the emerging innovation landscapes across the region.

Struggles over Legitimate Science

In several countries, national governments have implemented science policy reforms to elevate research excellence and to promote managerialist principles with an aim to gain success in the global knowledge-based economy. This qualitative study explores discursive responses to the current science policy reforms in Finnish and Swedish sociology. Drawing on a Bourdieusian perspective and a two-country research context, the research scrutinises the dynamics between the field of sociology and science policy paying particular attention to how the science policy ideals on excellence appear in the internal discursive struggles surrounding legitimate science among professors of sociology, who are conceived as a scientific elite. The results show that the excellence ideals are met in various, conflicting ways in sociology. Furthermore, there are national differences as Finnish sociology expresses more compliance towards science policy reforms than its Swedish counterpart, which seems more able to distance itself from these ideals and cherish traditional academic values. These findings evince that although science policy trends are becoming increasingly global, national university traditions and political cultures entail a slightly different national shape to seemingly similar reforms, which again, shapes the way the science policy incentives are made sense of at the grassroots level of academia, even within this particular discipline.

INTEGRATION OF INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL AND INNOVATION IN SMEs’ PERFORMANCE: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Businesses or organizations are persistently searching for the most effective methods in order to stay competitive in the global market. In this research paper, literature and models of related innovation factors integration with the intellectual capital are adopted in proposing an extended model for the analyzing the human innovation capability in measuring the SMEs performance. SMEs are expected to shift their current practice into the global knowledge-based economy with the presence of liberalisation intervention. A discussion on the innovation factors and intellectual capital integration on SMEs performance with liberalisation intervention is presented and conceptual framework and model are proposed.

National internationalisation of higher education policy in Singapore and Japan: context and competition

This cross-case analysis explores national level internationalisation of higher education (IoHE) policies in Singapore and Japan. Through comparison of the state level internationalisation strategies, this paper aims to highlight how each country’s unique policy environment impacts their approach to IoHE. The analysis suggests that despite the differing national circumstances and ultimate approaches to internationalisation, both states use it primarily as a means to stay competitive in the twenty-first century global knowledge-based economy. This suggests that while IoHE does build bridges between nations, institutions, and individuals within and between regions, within these cases it is being driven by nationally-centred rationales. While some criticize a competition orientation in IoHE, even with such rationales it may still serve to drive greater collaboration and integration among East Asian higher education systems.

CLUSTER STRATEGIES IN RUSSIA AND FRANCE: COMMON OBJECTIVES, SPECIFIC PATHS

Clusters and cluster strategies are considered as pivotal elements of our global knowledgebased economies. The paper focuses on the Russian and French cases. The two countries have a lot of similarities, important resources in research and development, in technology, a top-down tradition on public policy. They face the same challenges; the necessity to deepen knowledge-based processes to foster innovation, to improve the relations between research and industries, between research institutions, large firms and SMEs. The paper analyses the cluster strategies implemented in the two countries, which display common objectives but specific paths.

Flanders Ahead, Wallonia Behind (But Catching Up): Reconstructing Communities Through Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy Making

Drawing on a documentary analysis of two socioeconomic policy programs, one Flemish (“Vlaanderen in Actie”), the other Walloon (“Marshall Plans”), and a discourse analysis of how these programs are received in one Flemish and one Francophone quality newspaper, this article illustrates how Flanders and Wallonia both seek to become top-performing knowledge-based economies (KBEs). The article discerns a number of discursive repertoires, such as “Catching up,” which policy actors draw on to legitimize or question the transformation of Flanders and Wallonia into KBEs. The “Catching up” repertoire places Flanders resolutely ahead of Wallonia in the global race toward knowledge, excellence, and growth, but suggests that Wallonia may, in due course, overtake Flanders as a top competitive region. Given the expectations and fears that “Catching up” evokes among Flemish and Walloon policy actors, the repertoire serves these actors as a flexible discursive resource to make sense of, and shape, their collective futures and their regional identities. The article’s findings underline the simultaneity of, and the interplay between, globalizing forces and particularizing tendencies, as Flanders and Wallonia develop with a global KBE in region-specific ways.

Knowledge Management for Development: Rethinking the Trends of Knowledge Management Research in South Africa

In the knowledge-based economy, there is a growing realisation among policy makers that knowledge assets, besides the tangible assets of financial capital and local infrastructure, are the prime creators of wealth. Given the developmental challenges facing South Africa and contemporary global societies, it is clear that Knowledge Management (KM) should not only be seen as a tool for organisational effectiveness, but also as a developmental strategy for nations and societies. As South Africa is developing policies and strategies to overcome its developmental challenges and also to remain competitive in the new global knowledge-based economy, the question that ought to be answered is: To what extend does research on KM address developmental issues in South Africa? This paper adopts a quantitative approach using bibliometric analysis to investigate the extent of research on KM on developmental targets in South Africa. A bibliometric study was conducted using four EBSCO-hosted databases to extract relevant data. It was noted that there has been continued growth in the number of KM publications in South Africa focusing on a variety of subject areas; limited researcher attention has been paid to KM for development (KM4D) and most of the research on KM4D addresses quality education and infrastructure, unemployment and economic growth. The study advocates for the need for academic institutions and research organisations to devote considerable attention to research that enhances the application and integration of the effectiveness of KM in South Africa's development as the country strives to achieve its development goals.