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Knowledge and its Economic Characteristics - A Conceptual Clarification

Author

Listed:
  • Ulrich Witt

    (Max Planck Institute of Economics Jena, Evolutionary Economics Unit)

  • Tom Broekel

    (Max Planck Institute of Economics Jena, Evolutionary Economics Unit)

  • Thomas Brenner

    (Max Planck Institute of Economics Jena, Evolutionary Economics Unit)

Abstract

This paper discusses several features of knowledge that are often considered crucial for characterizing the economic significance of knowledge: whether it is overtly accessible or tacit, whether it can be or is encoded or not, and whether it has public or private good character. It is argued that all these features depend similarly on the state of the knowledge technology, i.e. on how knowledge can be acquired, stored, used, and communicated. The different characteristics and the relationships between them are shown to correspond to different specifications of the technology, specifications that are not always made explicit in the literature.

Suggested Citation

  • Ulrich Witt & Tom Broekel & Thomas Brenner, 2007. "Knowledge and its Economic Characteristics - A Conceptual Clarification," Jena Economics Research Papers 2007-013, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    • Handle: RePEc:jrp:jrpwrp:2007-013
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ulrich Witt & Christian Zellner, 2009. "How firm organizations adapt to secure a sustained knowledge transfer," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(7), pages 647-661.
    2. Marcel Bednarz & Tom Broekel, 2019. "The relationship of policy induced R&D networks and inter-regional knowledge diffusion," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 29(5), pages 1459-1481, November.
    3. Enachi Mihaela, 2009. "The Knowledge – As Production Factor," Studies and Scientific Researches. Economics Edition, "Vasile Alecsandri" University of Bacau, Faculty of Economic Sciences, issue 14.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    knowledge; knowledge technology; tacitness; ouvertness; public goods; intellectual property rights;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital

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