The Evolution of Knowledge Economics through the Course of Time: An Analysis of the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS) Minitrack

Abstract

Since its inception in 2012, the Minitrack on Knowledge Economics at the Hawaii InternationalConference on System Sciences (HICSS) has attracted an increasing amount of high-quality contribution. The combination of adequate marketing measures and being a topic that is continuously gaining importance led to the current standing of the HICSS Minitrack. In this paper, we analyze the content and methodology of the accepted submissions. Further on, upcoming research questions are raised. The main purpose of this work is to present the current status of the research on Knowledge Economics while also offering other scholars a solid foundation for future research projects.

The Six Pillars of Knowledge Economics

“…Knowledge Economics concerns the financial impact of knowledge creation, modification, distribution and use [7]. By analyzing business models of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) vendors, Brockmann found that knowledge can be monetized by offering customization of the standard systems.…”

“…Since 2012, the mini-track co-chairs have created a one-page description of the papers [2][3][4][5][6]. Moreover, in 2014 they conducted and published an analysis of seven papers published in HISSS proceedings in years 2012 and 2013 [7].…”

“…The expression Knowledge Economics contains two terms, knowledge and economics [7], and it is related to the generation of knowledge outputs of commercial value as depicted in Figure 1.…”

Demand-oriented Competency Development in a Manufacturing Context: The Relevance of Process and Knowledge Modeling

“…Especially, the financial aspects of the identification, acquisition, creation, preservation, or distribution of competences are just like non-negligible [36] as the creation and usage of auxiliary materials such as qualification matrices, staffing algorithms, or competency profiles. On the other hand, an efficient handling of employees, their knowledge and their competencies leads to potential financial benefits [32] based on increasing the efficiency, effectiveness, or value of processes, services, or products. Hence, the organizational usage of such auxiliary material seems beneficial, if properly applied and executed.…”

“…Knowledge economics is a field of rising interest in the area of knowledge management [32] throughout developed, transition, emerging, and developing countries [40] and deals with the financial impact of knowledge creation, modification, distribution and use [31]. This economical consideration of knowledge management also penetrates related disciplines such as competence management [33], human resource management [34,35], or process management [38].…”