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The Knowledge Economy/Society: The Latest Example of “Measurement Without Theory”?

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Abstract

The world has embraced a set of concepts (knowledge driven growth) which are seen as the ‘core of future growth and wellbeing’ without any commonly agreed notion of what they are, how they might be measured, and crucially therefore, how they actually do (or might) affect economic growth and social wellbeing. The theory of how the mechanism works lacks important detail.

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  • Les Oxley & David Thorns & Paul Walker & Hong Wang, 2008. "The Knowledge Economy/Society: The Latest Example of “Measurement Without Theory”?," Working Papers in Economics 08/03, University of Canterbury, Department of Economics and Finance.
  • Handle: RePEc:cbt:econwp:08/03
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    1. Romer, Paul M, 1986. "Increasing Returns and Long-run Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(5), pages 1002-1037, October.
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    10. Kenneth Carlaw & Les Oxley & Paul Walker & David Thorns & Michael Nuth, 2006. "Beyond The Hype: Intellectual Property And The Knowledge Society/Knowledge Economy," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(4), pages 633-690, September.
    11. Cowan, Robin & David, Paul A & Foray, Dominique, 2000. "The Explicit Economics of Knowledge Codification and Tacitness," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press, vol. 9(2), pages 211-253, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Alexandra Luciana Gu??, 2015. "An analysis of factors that influence organizational learning: The case of higher education institutions," Proceedings of International Academic Conferences 1003387, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.
    2. Paul Walker, 2010. "The (Non)Theory Of The Knowledge Firm," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 57(1), pages 1-32, February.
    3. Alexandra Luciana Guta, 2012. "The Learning Organization – An Answer To The Challenges Of The Actual Business Environment?," CES Working Papers, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 4(3), pages 340-355, September.
    4. repec:jes:wpaper:y:2012:v:4:p:340-355 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Alexandra Luciana GUȚĂ, 2018. "Organizational learning: cognitive and behavioural changes and implications in higher education institutions," CES Working Papers, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 10(2), pages 198-212, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Knowledge Economy; Knowledge Society; Human Capital; Theory of the Firm;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D8 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty
    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure
    • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives

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