This book contributes to an improved understanding of knowledge-intensive business services and knowledge management issues. It offers a complex overview of literature devoted to these topics and introduces the concept of ‘knowledge flows’, which constitutes a missing link in the previous knowledge management theories. The book provides a detailed analysis of knowledge flows, with their types, relations and factors influencing...

The paper analyses the activity of research for “innovation knowledge”—here defined as knowledge that can lead to the introduction of service innovations—by Knowledge-Intensive Business Services (KIBS) companies. It proposes a classification of the possible search approaches adopted by those companies based on two dimensions: the pro-activity of search efforts and the source primarily used. Such classification is then discussed...

Purpose: Knowledge risks are increasingly becoming a great challenge to a variety of organizations. At the same time, academic research on such types of risks, their consequences, and potential ways of overcoming them is still scarce and fragmented. To fill this gap, the paper aims to find out do companies manage their knowledge risks, what are the possible knowledge risks they face and have they observed an increase of knowledge...

Purpose – The paper analyzes the patterns of research of “innovation knowledge” (i.e. knowledge that can result in introducing innovations in the company that can be observed in KIBS (Knowledge-Intensive Business Services) companies. Particularly, it identifies and classifies the possible approaches adopted by companies on the basis of two dimensions: the intensity/proactivity of search efforts, and the source primarily used. Design/methodology/approach...

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to perform a preliminary analysis concerning the detection and examination of two possible opposite approaches to KM planning which will be referred to as deliberate and emergent KM strategies. The goal is to enhance our understanding of the variety of features KM strategies possess and, accordingly, to formulate categorisations that are in line with such characteristics. Design/methodology/approach...