Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Recognizing a Firm’s Intellectual Assets

Gregory G. Dess
G. T. Lumpkin
Marilyn L. Taylor



The Central Role of Knowledge in Today’s Economy
Creation of wealth in a knowledge economy
         Effective management of knowledge workers
         Intellectual capital
         Assets such as
n  Reputation
n  Employee loyalty and commitment
n  Customer relationships
n  Company values
n  Brand names
n  Experience and skills of employees
The Central Role of Knowledge in Today’s Economy
Intellectual capital = Market value of the firm – Book value of the firm
How do companies create value in the knowledge-intensive economy?
         Human capital (individual capabilities, knowledge, skills, and experience of the company’s employees and managers)
         Social capital (the network of relationships that individuals have throughout the organization)
         Knowledge
         Explicit knowledge
         Tacit knowledge
Attracting Human Capital
         Hire for attitude, train for skill
         Emphasis on
         General knowledge and experience
         Social skills
         Values
         Beliefs
         Attitudes
Developing Human Capital
         Train and develop at all levels
         Training is not the sole responsibility of the human resource department
         Rapid changes in technology
         Employee skills become obsolete
         Training is cost effective
         Monitor progress and track development
         Evaluate human capital
         Employees must share knowledge and work together, collectively, to reach organizational goals
         Firms often use 360-degree evaluation and feedback systems
         Managers’ success cannot compromise the organization’s core values
360-Degree Leadership Assessment
         Has developed and communicated a clear, simple, customer-focused vision/direction for the organization.
         Forward-thinking, stretches horizons, challenges imaginations.
         Inspires and energizes others to commit to Vision. Captures minds. Leads by example.
         As appropriate, updates Vision to reflect constant and accelerating change affecting the business
Ten Characteristics of Leadership
Vision
Customer/Quality Focus
Integrity
Accountability/Commitment
Communication/Influence
Shared Ownership/Boundary-less
Team Builder/Empowerment
Knowledge/Expertise/Intellect
Initiative/Speed
Global Mind-Set
Retaining Human Capital
         Provide mechanisms that prevent the transfer of valuable and sensitive information outside the organization
         Identify with organization’s mission and values
         Strong alliance to organization (strategic intents)
         Challenging work and stimulating environment
         Financial and Nonfinancial Rewards and Incentives
         Rewards are a vital organizational control mechanism
         However, money may not be the most important reason why people take or leave jobs
         Exodus of employees can erode a firm’s competitive advantage
The Vital Role of Social Capital
         Attraction, development and retention of talent is a necessary but not sufficient condition for creating competitive advantage
         Knowledge workers often are more loyal to their colleagues and profession than to their employer
How Social Capital Helps Attract and Retain Talent
         Hiring via personal (social) networks
         Some job candidates may bring other talent with them
         Emigration of talent from an organization to form start-up ventures
         Can provide mechanism for obtaining resources and information from outside the organization
The Potential Downside of Social Capital
         Groupthink
         Cost of financial resources
         Managerial commitment
Using Technology to Leverage Human Capital and Knowledge
         Sharing knowledge and information
         Conserves resources
         Develops products and services
         Creates new opportunities
         Technology can leverage human capital and knowledge
         Within the organization
         With customers
         With suppliers
Using Technology to Leverage Human Capital and Knowledge
Using networks to share information and develop products and services
         E-mail
         Virtual teams
n  Enhance speed and effectiveness with which products are developed
n  Can be applied to new business ventures
Using Technology to Leverage Human Capital and Knowledge
Retaining knowledge when employees leave
         Information technology can save some tacit knowledge
         Need to create motivation for people to contribute their knowledge to the system
Creating Value Through Human Capital, Social Capital, and Technology
         Does the organization assess attitude and “general make-up” instead of focusing primarily on skills and background in selecting employees at all levels?
         How important is creativity and problem solving ability? Are they properly considered in hiring decisions?
         Do people throughout the organization engage in effective networking activities to obtain a broad pool of worthy potential employees? Is the organization creative in such endeavors?
Creating Value Through Human Capital, Social Capital, and Technology
         Does the development and training process inculcate an “organizationwide” perspective?
         Is there widespread involvement—including top executives—in the preparation and delivery of training and development programs?
         Is the development of human capital effectively tracked and monitored?
         Are there effective programs for succession at all levels of the organization—especially the top-most levels?
         Does the firm effectively evaluate its human capital? Is a 360-degree evaluation used? Why? Why not?
         Are mechanisms in place to assure that a manager’s success does not come at the cost of compromising the organization’s core values?
Creating Value Through Human Capital, Social Capital, and Technology
         Are there appropriate financial rewards to motivate employees at all levels?
         Do people throughout the organization strongly identify with the organization’s mission?
         Are employees provided a stimulating and challenging work environment that fosters professional growth?
         Are valued amenities provided (e.g., flextime, child-care facilities, telecommuting) that are appropriate given the organization’s mission, strategy, and how work is accomplished?
         Is the organization continually devising strategies and mechanisms to retain top performers?
Creating Value Through Human Capital, Social Capital, and Technology
         Are there positive personal and professional relationships among employees?
         Is the organization benefiting  (or being penalized) by hiring (or by voluntary turnover) en masse?
         Does an environment of caring and encouragement rather than competition enhance team performance?
         Does the organization minimize the adverse effects of excessive social capital—such as excessive costs and “groupthink”?
Creating Value Through Human Capital, Social Capital, and Technology
         Does the organization effectively use technology to transfer best practices across the organization?
         Does the organization use technology to leverage both human capital and knowledge both within the boundaries of the organization as well as among its suppliers and customers?
         Has the organization used technologies such as e-mail and networks to develop products and services?
         Has the organization effectively used technology to codify knowledge for competitive advantage?
         Does the organization try to retain some of the knowledge of employees when they decide to leave the firm?
The Central Role of Leveraging Human Capital in Strategy Formulation
         Leveraging human capital and business-level strategy (Chapter 5)
         Sustainable over time
n  Integrate primary and support activities in the firm’s value chain
         Leveraging human capital and corporate-level strategy (Chapter 6)
         Manage businesses to create synergy
         Create more value by working together across business units
The Central Role of Leveraging Human Capital in Strategy Formulation
         Leveraging human capital and international-level strategy (Chapter 7)
         Achieve economies of scale
         Adapt to local market needs
         Facilitate the flow of information and knowledge between business units in different countries
The Central Role of Leveraging Human Capital in Strategy Formulation
         Leveraging human capital and internet strategies (Chapter 8)
         Create competitive advantages through digital and Internet-based technologies
         Lower costs
         Enhance customer service
         Improve performance

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