Now showing 1 - 10 of 13
  • Publication
    Lessons learned in intellectual capital management in Germany between 2000 and 2020 - History, applications, outlook
    ( 2021)
    Bornemann, Manfred
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    Alwert, Kay
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    Purpose This article reports on the background, the conceptual ideas and the lessons learned from over more than 20 years of IC Statements and Management with a country focus on Germany and some international developments. It calls for an integrated management approach for IC and offers case study evidence on how to accomplish this quest. Design/methodology/approach Report on the German initiative ""Intellectual Capital Statement made in Germany"" (ICS m.i.G.). A brief review of the literature describes the background and theoretical foundation of the German IC method. A short description of the method is followed by four detailed case studies to illustrate long-term impact of IC management in very different organizations. A discussion of Lessons Learned from more than 200 implementations and an outlook on current and future developments finalizes the article. Findings IC Statements made in Germany (ICS m.i.G.) was successful in providing a framework to systematically identify IC, evaluate the status quo of IC relative to the strategic requirements, visualize interdependencies of IC, business processes and business results as well as to connect IC reporting with internal management routines and external communication. However, ICS is not an insulated method but delivers the maximum benefit when integrated with strategy development, strategy implementation, business process optimization accompanied by change management routines. Strong ties to human resource management, information technology departments, quality management, research and development teams as well as business operations as the core of an organization help to yield the most for ICS m.i.G. Over time, the focus of managing IC changes and maturity leads to deutero learning. Practical implications ICS m.i.G. proved easy to apply, cost efficient for SMEs, larger corporations and networks. It helps to better accomplish their objectives and to adjust their business models. The guidelines in German and English as well as a software application released were downloaded more than 100,000 times. A certification process based on a three-tier training module is available and was successfully completed by more than 400 practitioners. ICS m.i.G. is supporting current standards of knowledge management, such as ISO 9001, ISO 30401 or DIN SPEC PAS 91443 and therefore will most likely have a continuing impact on knowledge-based value creation. Originality/value This paper reports lessons learned from the country-wide IC initiative in Germany over the last 20 years initiated and supported by the authors. Several elements of the method have been published over time, but so far no comprehensive view on Lessons Learned had been published.
  • Publication
    Integrated strategy development based on intangibles
    The development towards a knowledge-based economy has already progressed so far that intangible resources already have, in many cases, a greater influence on business success than classical material production factors. In the context of the digital economy, this challenge becomes even more important as competitive differentials on a globalized market will increasingly rely on intangible features rather than ""hard"" product functionality or price only. The method ""Integrated Strategy Development"" (ISD) aims at enabling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to design strategies for the development of their business model, systematically integrating the necessary qualitative aspects of intangible assets to meet the needs of the knowledge-based and digital economy. The ISD model has been tested and used in various application contexts where it has proven to be of practical benefit in the strategy definition and the respective implementation planning and monitoring in European SMEs from various business sectors. Incremental adaptations of the method were used in further application contexts including the strategic planning and evaluation of applied research institutes in Brazil. The article concludes with further application and development potential of the ISD method for the digital economy.
  • Publication
    Inter‐organizational network management in an innovation context: Combining ego and whole network perspective
    ( 2016)
    Cap, Jan-Patrick
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    Blaich, Erik
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    Raesfeld, Ariane von
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    Harms, Rainer
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    Although there is growing interest into the research field of inter-organizational innovation networks, few attempts have been made to develop systematic methods for the active management of such networks. This is especially true for approaches combining the view of single actors and the network as a whole. In response to this gap, this research presents a new method for the management of inter-organizational networks that can help to increase innovation outcome. The introduced approach accomplishes two goals. Firstly, it provides guidance for the measurement of the current collaboration status of a network, its optimal future collaboration status and the gap between them. Secondly, it provides systematics for the development of clear network management strategies for each network actor for closing this collaboration gap. As a result, better exploitation of existing collaboration potential is expected to increase innovation output. The method builds upon work by Kohl et al. (2015) who approached network management on a whole network level providing a solution for the management of entire networks and Ojasalo (2004) who suggested a network management method taking the perspective of a single network actor on the so called ego level. The novelty value of the presented method lies in the demonstration of how these different levels of network management can be combined. The two levels of analysis are linked through reliance on the same data set. The developed method is demonstrated through a case study. The analysis builds upon a questionnaire asking network actors for an estimation of the current collaboration status and a future collaboration potential amongst them. Social network analysis software was used to calculate network measures such as the level of density and to visualize the network graphically. As a result customized strategies for improving collaboration within the investigated network are presented.
  • Publication
    Wissensbilanz - Made in Germany
    (PRpetuum, 2013)
    Alwert, Kay
    ;
    Bornemann, Manfred
    ;
  • Publication
    Strategy development based on intangibles in SMEs - an integrated approach
    ( 2013) ;
    Mertins, Kai
    The approach in this paper is based on the principles of action research and rapid prototyping. The paper shows the current status of a 'bottom-up' research process dedicated to continuously developing and improving management instruments that suit the requirements of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): pragmatic, easy-to-use and generating direct practical benefit. As a result, this paper links the concept of intangibles to the practical strategy development process in SMEs. The integration shown concerns several challenges: (1) Integrate the internal and external perspective on intangibles, and, by that, link the concept of intellectual capital (IC) as a resource-based view with the concept of customer value as a market-based view. (2) Integrate the theoretical concept of IC with a methodology for comprehensive strategy development. (3) Integrate the formulation and implementation of business strategies taking into account the actual practice in SMEs.
  • Publication
    Strategische Unternehmensentwicklung auf Basis immaterieller Werte in KMU
    (Fraunhofer Verlag, 2012) ;
    Mertins, Kai
    In der zunehmend wissensbasierten Wirtschaft steigt der Bedarf bei Unternehmen, nachhaltige Strategien zu entwickeln, die diesem Umfeld gerecht werden. Schon aufgrund der Lohnkostenstruktur in den westeuropäischen Industrieländern kann der Preis in vielen Fällen nicht mehr das ausschlaggebende Kriterium sein, um sich im globalen Wettbewerb zu behaupten. Außerdem verlangt die zunehmende Homogenität von Produkten und Leistungen nach "intangiblen", also nicht direkt sichtbaren Differenzierungsmerkmalen, die ein Unternehmen und sein Leistungsangebot vom anderen unterscheidbar machen. Auch kleine und mittlere Unternehmen (KMU) können sich in diesem Umfeld nicht auf die Verfolgung kurzfristiger Ziele beschränken, sondern müssen auf spezifischen immateriellen Werten basierende Wettbewerbsvorteile aufbauen, um langfristig erfolgreich und wettbewerbsfähig zu bleiben. Bisher mangelt es jedoch an operationalisierten Vorgehenskonzepten, die die internen und externen Erfolgsfaktoren in eine systematische Strategieentwicklung einbeziehen und die Anforderungen von KMU erfüllen. Diese Arbeit stellt daher eine Methode zur Verfügung, die sowohl die Ressourcen- und die Marktsicht im Strategieprozess integriert, als auch die praktische Strategieumsetzung durchgängig unterstützt.
  • Publication
    Wissensstandort Deutschland
    ( 2012)
    Mertins, Kai
    ;
    Steinhöfel, Erik
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    Wuscher, Sven
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