There has been a great deal of discussion on the knowledge economy, but much of this has been more a matter of rhetoric than serious analysis. This book is a pioneering effort to address this gap, using a range of methods and investigating knowledge-intensive service activities (KISA) in many different sectors. The expert contributors highlight the changes that are occurring in the labour force and the organisation of work, as well as in the competences and combinations of knowledge demanded in contemporary occupations. They provide corporate managers and policymakers with much needed data and analysis regarding the implications of knowledge-intensive service systems and the skills required for innovation within these sectors. By exploring these systems in both traditional and services industries, the editors point to important areas of action for improving business practices and human capital development that are key for business and employment development. This unique book deploys rich empirical material that will help put KISA onto the map for researchers, policymakers, policy analysts and practitioners across many disciplines and professions including human resources, training and skills development, and procurement. Providing in-depth and theoretically informed studies, whilst drawing on cases from many sectors and countries, this compendium will prove essential for students of business management and human resource management.
Contents: 1. Knowledge Intensive Service Activities: Integrating Knowledge for Innovation PART I: TRADITIONAL INDUSTRIES 2. Roles of KISA in Aquaculture in Norway Heidi Aslesen 3. The Role of KISA in Basic Agro-food Processes Innovation: The Case of Orange Packers in Eastern Spain Jose Albors-Garrigos 4. KISA Utilisation in Resource Intensive Industries: The Case of Mining in Australia Cristina Martinez-Fernandez 5. KISA Role in Traditional Manufacturing Industries: The Case of Ceramic Tiles in Spain Jose Albors-Garrigos, Jose Luis Herva-Olivers and Patricia Marquez Rodriguez PART II: SERVICE INDUSTIES 6. The Role of KISA in a Public Service: The Case of Entrepreneurial Home-based Care for Elderly in Norway Marianne Broch 7. KISA Role in Western High-technology Industries: The Case of Software in Australia and Ireland Laura Martinez Solano and Cristina Martinez-Fernandez 8. The Use of KISA in the Public Sector Ian Miles 9. The New Green Deal and KISA: A Global and Australian Perspective Tavis Potts 10. Venture Capitalists as Knowledge Intensive Service Activity Providers Samantha Sharp PART III: STRATEGIC POLICY IMPLICATIONS 11. Implications for Skills, Employment and Management Ian Miles and Cristina Martinez-Fernandez