Università Roma Tre

The course aims to investigate the major issues related to the management of corporate knowledge, particularly with regard to information-intensive sectors and in the broader context of the knowledge-based view of the firm. Given the rapid obsolescence of the knowledge base, firms need to constantly renew their knowledge management strategies and practices. Thus, students will engage in active participation through exercises and project work in order to understand strategies of knowledge management, organizational conditions and enabling technologies.
At the dawn of our millennium, information started to gain momentum as on of the most valuable resources, both for managerial purposes and for personal life. A whole lifestyle has emerged, based on information acquisition and exchanges. Two main forces drove such a revolution. On one hand, technological innovations led to the convergence between information technology and communication technology, giving birth to the ICT industry. On the verge of an outstanding growth, this industry is now well established, and it is forecast to continue growing, thanks to the developing countries. On the other hand, socio-economic forces contributed to shape a new society, in which information is embedded, and access to information sources is considered the most valuable asset. From a managerial perspective, this transformation requires firms to develop new competitive behaviours, in order to stay successful.
This course is designed to understand the role of data-driven knowledge within the contemporary economy, and to provide the students with a clear analysis of the production, distribution, and consumption of information-based goods.

The course takes a heavily case-oriented managerial perspective.

Programme
The course will cover the following topics:
Characteristics, drivers and criticality of information-based economy and the knowledge-based view of the firms.
Organization and globalization.
Taxonomy of knowledge: the distinction between data, information, knowledge.
The dimensions of knowledge: the model of Nonaka and Takeuchi.
The processes for the creation, dissemination, and capitalization during the harvesting of knowledge.
Using forums and Web 2.0 applications.
Platform organizations and emerging digital business models
What’s next: Industry 4.0 (overview)
An hyper-local, global market
Business culture, communication, work organisation in the digital economy
Being a digitiser, working in the digital economy

Marchegiani L. (2012) Information, Knowledge, Attention: ICTs and Innovative Organizations. LAP Publishing.
Newell S., Robertson M., Scarbrough H., Swan J. (2009) Managing Knowledge Work and Innovation. Palgrave.