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Knowledge Management What Can Organizational Economics Contribute?

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  • Nicolaj J. Foss
  • Volker Mahnke

Abstract

Knowledge management has emerged as a very successful organization practice and has been extensively treated in a large body of academic work. Surprisingly, however, organizational economics (i.e., transaction cost economics, agency theory, team theory and property rights theory) has played no role in the development of knowledge management. We argue that organizational economics insights can further the theory and practice of knowledge management in several ways. Specifically, we apply notions of contracting, team production, complementaries, hold-up, etc. to knowledge management issues (i.e., creating and integration knowledge, rewarding knowledge workers, etc.) , and derive refutable implications that are novel to the knowledge management field from our discussion.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicolaj J. Foss & Volker Mahnke, 2003. "Knowledge Management What Can Organizational Economics Contribute?," DRUID Working Papers 03-02, DRUID, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Industrial Economics and Strategy/Aalborg University, Department of Business Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:aal:abbswp:03-02
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nicolai J. Foss, 1996. "Firms, Incomplete Contracts and Organizational Learning," DRUID Working Papers 96-2, DRUID, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Industrial Economics and Strategy/Aalborg University, Department of Business Studies.
    2. Peter Maskell, 1996. "Localised Low-tech Learning in the Furniture Industry," DRUID Working Papers 96-11, DRUID, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Industrial Economics and Strategy/Aalborg University, Department of Business Studies.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Simon Gaechter & Georg von Krogh & Stefan Haefliger, 2006. "Private-Collective Innovation and the Fragility of Knowledge Sharing," Discussion Papers 2006-21, The Centre for Decision Research and Experimental Economics, School of Economics, University of Nottingham.
    2. Gächter, Simon & von Krogh, Georg & Haefliger, Stefan, 2010. "Initiating private-collective innovation: The fragility of knowledge sharing," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 893-906, September.
    3. Liu, Min-Shi, 2012. "Impact of knowledge incentive mechanisms on individual knowledge creation behavior—An empirical study for Taiwanese R&D professionals," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 442-450.
    4. Henk W. Volberda & Nicolai J. Foss & Marjorie A. Lyles, 2010. "PERSPECTIVE---Absorbing the Concept of Absorptive Capacity: How to Realize Its Potential in the Organization Field," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(4), pages 931-951, August.
    5. Huang, Tai-Yuan & Hu, Jer-San & Chen, Kuo-Chia, 2008. "The influence of market and product knowledge resource embeddedness on the international mergers of advertising agencies: The case-study approach," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(5), pages 587-599, October.
    6. Nicolai J. Foss, 2006. "The Emerging Knowledge Governance Approach Challenges and Characteristics," DRUID Working Papers 06-10, DRUID, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Industrial Economics and Strategy/Aalborg University, Department of Business Studies.
    7. José G. Vargas Hernández & Mohammad Reza Noruzi, 2010. "The Study of Three Organizational Enigmas; Organizational Economy, Organizational Business and Organizational Skills," Acta Universitatis Danubius. OEconomica, Danubius University of Galati, issue 1(1), pages 68-87, March.
    8. Mahnke, Volker & Verzin, Markus, 2004. "Knowledge Management Systems Design," Working Papers 2004-17, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Informatics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Transaction costs; organizational economics;

    JEL classification:

    • M12 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation
    • L14 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Transactional Relationships; Contracts and Reputation

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