ØAADM4400 Knowledge Strategy in a Digital Economy Course description

Knowledge is crucial today, both to value creation in society and the competitiveness of organisations. Increasing awareness of the value of knowledge and the need to make use of it in everyday activities have led both private and public sector organisations to acknowledge the need for efficient knowledge development and utilisation. Knowledge management initiatives aim to build organisational capacities that make a direct contribution to the organisation's survival and earning by developing, organising, storing and using knowledge resources.

The course offers an interdisciplinary approach that integrates disciplines such as HR management, accounting, strategy, marketing and innovation. Students who take this course aim to work in knowledge worker management. It is a particular goal that the theoretical insight that students acquire through the course should also be applied to real issues. The application of theory to actual problems is emphasised through the case approach used in this course.

The course is appropriate for students from all profiles.

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After completing the course, students will acquired the learning outcomes defined in knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• has an understanding of the links between knowledge development in the external global environment, in business and industry sectors and in the organisation, and of how changes can influence knowledge-based value creation
• has an understanding of the concept of knowledge management in relation to the present labour market and technology, and recognises the complexity of managing knowledge and how important knowledge management is to value creation in all organisations
• has knowledge of organisational characteristics, structures, cultures, communication, innovation and technology that influence knowledge processes in organisations 
• has knowledge of different action alternatives that organisations can choose between to contribute significantly to the organisation's knowledge processes, performance and development

Skills

The student

• is capable of cooperating with others to analyse practical issues and prepare and present recommendations for improvement measures in the fields of knowledge management and digital transformation

General competence

The student

•  will acquire the competence and skills required to build digital transformation and servitization through a systematic introduction to how to manage, measure and organize intangible resources.The content of the course is intended to give students an in-depth understanding of strategic management of the knowledge resources of individuals, groups and organisations, as well as provide insight into business model- and service innovation in an open international innovation system.

• The importance of knowledge work to value creation and employment in modern society
• Knowledge management as an interdisciplinary project
• Strategy and knowledge-based value creation
• Characteristics of knowledge-intensive organisations
• Servicification and the importance of the immaterial aspects of goods and services
• Innovation, value creation and business models based on immaterial resources
• Measuring and managing knowledge-intensive work
• Internationalisation of knowledge-intensive work

The course is organized in a series of intensive seminars that consist of a combination of lectures, group presentations and case discussions The students are expected to actively participate in discussions and similar in the classes.

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The assessment in the course is based both on portfolio work during the semester and a final term paper at the end of the semester.

The portfolio accounts for 40%, and the term paper accounts for 60% of the final grade. Required work for the portfolio consists of one individual essay of max. 6 pages (20%), group presentations of case analysis and literature reviews (presentations of 10-15 minutes each) (20%). The student must pass the portfolio part of the course to be eligible to submit the term paper. The term paper is required to be of max 12 pages, addressing a research problem, defined by the student, and linked to one of the themes covered by the course. The term paper shall include an analysis of the identified problem based on theory and research as well as a discussion of potential solutions to the problem. The term paper can include one co-author (Groups of 2).

Essay and term paper: All reference aids are allowed as long as the rules for source references are followed

A grade scale with grades from A to E for pass and F for fail is used.

The final term paper and the individual essay is graded by both an external and an internal examiner. A selection of at least 25% of the exam papers will be assessed by two examiners. The grades awarded to exam papers assessed by the external and internal examiner will be used to determine the level of all exam papers.

The remaining portfolio requirements is graded by an internal examiner.

Professor Karl Joachim Breunig, PhD