Aino Kianto

Lappeenranta – Lahti University of Technology LUT · School of Business

While intellectual capital's (IC) impact on innovation has been well‐established, increasing understanding of related contingencies would yield great benefits to both research on and the practice of innovation and IC management. With the rise of the service economy, servitization degree – i.e., the degree of relevance of service provision compared...

Background: In the current knowledge age, the performance of logistics firms increasingly depends on knowledge and capabilities they can leverage in value-creation processes. The objective of this paper is to investigate the relationship between knowledge-based human resource management (HRM) practices and organizational performance mediated by log...

Purpose This study aims to identify knowledge-related tensions in remote work in higher education institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic and increase understanding of how such tensions can be managed. Design/methodology/approach The research was conducted as an inductive, qualitative study in the field of higher education in Finland. The data w...

Purpose Firms need to constantly renew themselves to keep up with the pace of competition and proactively establish innovations to the markets. This requires capabilities in learning and renewing of the firm’s knowledge base, conceptualized as renewal capital of the firm. On the other hand, firms that acquire high levels of competitiveness by renew...

This study aims to further examine organisational learning–organisational performance relationships, with particular emphasis on the moderating effects of contextual elements, such as national culture and economy, on these relationships. Following a seven-step meta-analysis approach, the aggregated findings from 45 previous studies were analysed. T...

While the work realm moves toward digital environments, the antecedents of knowledge worker digital creativity remain poorly understood. This study investigated the digital work environment as a sociotechnical environment and contextual enhancer of knowledge worker digital creativity. We proposed a research model that links perceived organizational...

Purpose This meta-analytic study tries to synthesize the mixed relationships between knowledge management technologies (KMT) and organizational performance as well as aims to explore the impacts of contextual elements, such as national culture, economy and industries, on these relationships. Design/methodology/approach Findings on various subjects...

Purpose This study examines the relationship between knowledge management (KM) capability and innovation ambidexterity, and their subsequent influence on firm performance. It also investigates whether organizational structure – in terms of connectedness and centralization – helps to develop a suitable context that either hinders or catalyzes the ef...

Understanding how knowledge and related resources has permeated scholasticism and an intellectual capital (IC)-based view of the firm, and it has gained increasing weight in contemporary management literature. Manifold impacts of IC on organizational performance have been widely evidenced with management mechanisms for various IC dimensions to be f...

Purpose In response to a growing interest in worker well-being in a work-life which is experiencing fundamental transformations, this paper builds and tests a research model on the role of psychological capital (PsyCap) in three different forms of engagement at work. Engagement at work has been identified as one of the most significant drivers of s...

This study examines elements of knowledge management (KM) applied during the treatment of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) and proposes a KM framework that can be applied to respond quickly to a new virus outbreak. Following a content analysis of the press conferences held in China, this study found that various elements of KM, including str...

Organizational ambidexterity is a strategic challenge for the contemporary organizations. It involves the simultaneous or synchronous pursuit of two inherently incompatible and conflicting activities – exploitative learning to become efficient in the current business activities, and explorative learning to predict and work on future challenges, opp...

This paper examines how country environment shapes the relationship between firm intellectual capital and its innovation performance. Using survey data from 649 firms in Finland, Spain and Russia complemented by archival IMD World Competitiveness Ranking data, we find that when country environment is characterised by greater availability of skilled...

Many empirical studies have tried to investigate the relationship between knowledge management (KM) leadership and organisational performance; however, the findings of such studies have been inconsistent. In response to this, we apply a meta-analysis technique to systematically assess the existing pool of empirical research results and derive concl...

Purpose: The paper aims at analysing the role of business plan development as a knowledge translation tool, especially for the creation of start-ups. In a complex knowledge ecosystem populated by multiple diverse and autonomous actors (like potential entrepreneurs, local companies, local public entities, and business consultants) bonded together by...

Many studies have examined the relationship between knowledge-friendly organisational culture (KFOC) and organisational performance. However, the findings of these studies are varied and sometimes contradicting. To date, there has been no conclusive evidence regarding this relationship. Thus, this study investigates the relationship between KFOC an...

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of social relationships in the start-up phase of female entrepreneurs’ firms. Specifically, the study drew on social capital theory and focused on the structural and relational aspects of relationships to produce an understanding of three interrelated issues: (1) How does female entrepreneurs’ socia...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the relations among knowledge sharing (KS), intellectual capital (IC), absorptive capacity (AC), innovation (IN) and organizational performance (OP). Design/methodology/approach This paper empirically tests a model that uses structural equation modeling (SEM) based on a partial least squares (PLS). T...

To better understand the relevance of intellectual capital for organisational performance in the Chinese context, and in particular the interplay among the different components of intellectual capital and their impacts on organisational performance, this chapter seeks to address the question of how intellectual capital impacts organisational perfor...

The beneficial consequences that intellectual capital exerts on various aspects of organizational performance have become well established facts demonstrated in a wide range of empirical studies. However, little knowledge exists on what drives the development of intellectual capital itself. To bridge this gap in the current understanding, this chap...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of how two types of informal social networks – those related to instrumental purposes of information sharing and those related to expressive purposes of interpersonal trust – impact teachers’ job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses social network analysis (SNA)...

The theory of trying postulates that in the less technologically advanced developing countries, online banking adoption behavior is a function of three attitudes rather a single attitude. These three attitudes are attitudes towards successes, failure, and learning that are expected to determine online banking adoption. These three attitudes, in tur...

In this world of constantly growing global competition, work engagement is an essential driver of organizational success. However, it seems that the source of such engagement varies amongst employees of different generations. Thus, this research aimed to ascertain whether or not generational differences matter when it comes to work engagement. This...

This chapter discusses how a clay workshop can be used as an inquiry method in the knowledge management context. We focus on transdisciplinarity as an essential part of the knowledge creation process and clay workshop as an artistic approach for enabling knowledge production that takes place in collaboration among different disciplines. We demonstr...

This chapter amplifies the understanding of organizational knowledge creation by examining the creation of new knowledge through the lens of improvisation. Such an approach views knowledge creation as a spontaneous process where thinking and action converge and underlines the synthesis of diverse actors' knowledge and perspectives in a flexible and...

Intellectual capital has become a prominent driver of organizational and societal performance and wellbeing. However, the role of intellectual capital in the context of sustainable organizational value and wealth creation—that is, how organizations can simultaneously create customer value while also satisfying their internal stakeholders—has been v...

Purpose – The productivity of knowledge workers is crucial not only for organizational innovation and competitiveness but also for sustainable development. In the context of knowledge-intensive firms, implementation of knowledge management is likely to increase knowledge worker productivity. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the in...

Purpose This study aims to analyse the complementary role of structural and relational capital (as the outcomes of codification and personalisation knowledge management strategies) in renewal capital and innovation in high- and low-tech companies. Design/methodology/approach The primary data, which were collected through a structured questionnaire...

In recent decades, numerous empirical studies have demonstrated the importance of intellectual capital (IC) for efficiency and value creation (e.g. Chen et al. 2015; Kianto et al. 2013; Pulic 2000; Sydler et al. 2014). However, differences of cultural, economic or institutional context pose a range of challenges for the management of intellectual c...

Many firms assign a chief knowledge officer to the top executive team for the success of knowledge management, but little attention has been paid to investigate the reasons for the presence of the chief knowledge officers. Therefore, this study seeks to explore the factors that influence the presence of the chief knowledge officers as well as the i...

Purpose In researching the linkage between intellectual capital (IC) and innovation, it is important not only to explore how IC as a whole is associated with organization’s innovative performance, but also to gain a deep understanding of the role of different IC components (groups of intangibles) in companies’ innovation performance, which is the...

In the present study, we report on the current state of knowledge management (KM) implementation in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in the logistics sector in Finland. In particular, we propose that KM practices could be utilised in the logistics industry to overcome threats from the competition and grasp opportunities presented by the cu...

As knowledge has become a key factor of competitive advantage for organizations, regions, and nations, its measurement has gained tremendous importance. During the last two decades, the intellectual capital school of thought has produced numerous measurement frameworks and models for capturing the intangible bases of value creation, which currently...

Although organisational creativity has become an increasingly important performance driver, little is known about how it can be built and stimulated. The existing literature has mostly focused on techniques for improving idea generation in specific and occasional problem-solving situations. However, there is scarce research about how to improve cre...

The purpose of knowledge management is innovation. However, this study proposes that the existence of knowledge management in the knowledge‐worker's work environment can nurture the overall satisfaction of knowledge worker. As the ultimate purpose of knowledge management is innovation performance, therefore, the satisfaction of knowledge worker as...

Academic research community almost unanimously agrees upon the benefits of knowledge management, but practitioners seem to be more suspicious of it. One major reason for their hesitant stance could be the lack of available empirical evidence regarding the relationship between knowledge management and business performance of companies. The purpose o...

We present an empirical study in which we contrast two creativity methods, the lateral thinking method and the improvisational theatre method, to investigate their applicability for advancing participatory innovation. While both of the contrasted methods aim to increase creativity as a means of improving participative innovation, they differ in ter...

This paper proposes a conceptual model in which a human resource management (HRM) system of explicitly knowledge-based HRM practices impacts a firm's intellectual capital, producing higher innovation performance. We have empirically tested this idea in a survey dataset of 180 Spanish companies using structural equation modelling (SEM) based on part...

Several authors have suggested that firm performance and value creation accrue mainly from intangible resources (e.g. Grant, 1996; Makadok, 2001; Hamilton, 2006; Ferreira and Hamilton, 2010). The intellectual capital (IC) literature is especially interested in the contents and value of such resources. IC can be defined as the sum of the intangible...

Purpose This paper discusses key aspects of knowledge management (KM) education in response to challenges posed by the necessity to improve KM as a discipline and an established professional field. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a systematic review of the current literature. This review was used as input in a recent panel held...

Although organisational creativity has become an increasingly important performance driver, little is known about how it can be built and stimulated. The existing literature has mostly focused on techniques for improving idea generation in specific and occasional problem-solving situations. However, there is scarce research about how to improve cre...

Purpose Knowledge is a firm’s most valuable resource, and knowledge management (KM), or the ability to leverage knowledge resources, constitutes the base for the firm’s competitive advantages. This paper contributes to the emerging discussion on the contextualization of knowledge-oriented research by examining the universality of KM practices. De...

According to past research, intellectual capital (IC) is a key driver of innovation performance and subsequent competitive advantage. Given the human nature of innovation activities (i.e. human beings produce innovations), human capital (HC) deserves special attention. Although researchers in the past have analysed the HC–innovation linkage, we sti...

Purpose This study examines the association of different configurations of Intellectual Capital (IC) and Knowledge Management Practices (KMP) with firm performance. Do firms with different profiles concerning their overall levels of IC and KMP differ in terms of innovation and market performance? Design/methodology/approach First, the firms were...

Purpose Academics and practitioners around the world have shown interest in what constitutes the relevant intellectual capital (IC) in firms. However, studies have largely neglected to examine whether IC has identical or different structural elements in various parts of the world. This study draws on institutional theory and suggests that country-...

This paper explores the idea that well-aligned HR practices may produce varied and even negative effects on innovation performance. To do so, we examine the interaction effect between rewards for and appraisal of knowledge behaviours on radical and incremental innovation outcomes. Drawing on the insights from the strategic HRM literature on the int...

There is widespread understanding that intellectual capital (IC), consisting of the valuable knowledge resources of an organization, is a key enabler of innovation activities; however, little is known about the more specific contingencies impacting the relationship between IC and innovation. Thus, this article examines firm technology level and inn...

This panel will discuss key aspects of knowledge management (KM) education in response to challenges posed by the necessity to improve KM as a discipline and an established professional field. Through panelists’ thought-provoking presentations and interactions with the audience, the discussion will address KM education from the starting why, what,...

This study examines the antecedents of individual innovative behaviour in short-term innovation camp conditions. Innovation is increasingly a joint activity conducted in various kinds of temporary settings that collect widely diverse people together for a brief time to work on a particular problem. As innovativeness of interplaying individuals is k...

Purpose This paper is examines the views of the global KM community on the research area of KM and business performance, and identifies key future research themes. Design/methodology/approach An interview study spanning 222 informants in 38 countries was launched to collect data on KM expert views concerning the future research needs of the KM fi...

Purpose This paper aims to propose that knowledge management (KM) could be a way to nurture job satisfaction and examine how KM can increase individual employees’ job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical model concerning the connections between five facets of KM (knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing, knowledge creation, know...

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine whether individual-level knowledge sharing (in terms of attitudes, benefit estimations, self-efficacy and actualised behaviours) affects individual work performance. Design/methodology/approach Hypotheses are tested through structural equation modelling of survey data collected from 595 members of a...

This conference paper analyses how intellectual capital stocks influence product and service innovations in high and low technology companies.

This study examines how perceived group climate shapes the creativity of groups in temporary, collaborative and non-virtual innovation setting. As no previous studies have examined antecedents of group creativity in temporary non-virtual innovation settings, this study takes as a starting point the findings of the current studies in conventional on...

This study examines the role of knowledge management (KM) practices in fostering the improvisational capacities of employees. A survey data-set of 593 responses of employees in a city organisation was tested with partial least squares modelling. The results indicated that KM practices positively affect employee improvisation. The study suggests tha...

Purpose – Recent empirical studies have suggested that knowledge-based issues are closely related to companies’ innovation performance. However, the majority of research seems to be focused either on static knowledge assets or knowledge processes such as knowledge creation. The purpose of this paper is to concentrate on the conscious and systematic...

This paper extends understanding on the practical development of team creativity and innovativeness in organisations by exploring the concept of playfulness and its implementation in practice. We discuss what playfulness means in the context of creativity and innovativeness and illustrate its application through three action research projects. As a...

As service companies increasingly occupy a significant place as drivers of economic growth, there is a pressing need to understand their peculiarities in order to facilitate their effective management and governance. One important area where this kind of understanding is lacking is knowledge management (KM). Although KM has become a key value drive...

Purpose ‐ Organizational performance is increasingly grounded on knowledge-related issues. The two key academic discussions addressing knowledge in organizations are the intellectual capital (IC) and knowledge management (KM) literatures. However, there are very few earlier studies systematically combining these approaches and demonstrating how IC...

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify factors that influence vocational students' development of professional skills during workplace learning and to examine the effects and relationships of these factors. Design/methodology/approach – The results were based on the responses of 285 graduating Finnish vocational students. The confirmat...

This study examines the development of organisational renewal capability in the public sector and is based on a model of organisational renewal capability developed in a private sector context. Assessing the key strengths and weaknesses of renewal-related organisational capacities, our model depicts the resulting development process. We examine the...

Most of the existing research on intellectual capital (IC) has concentrated on identifying the key intangible resources and measuring their level in various contexts. However, the extent to which IC is being managed in companies and how IC management impacts on organizational performance have been relatively neglected issues. To bridge these gaps,...

Even though the demand for innovation is widely articulated in both professional and academic press, there is still a lack of validated metrics for assessing organizational capacities for innova-tion as well as systematic methods for developing them. To bridge these gaps in the current litera-ture, this paper presents a method for evaluating and de...

While the importance of knowledge for firm's success seems to be a widely accepted argument in the current management literature, there are relatively few empirical studies demonstrating whether and how engagement in knowledge management impacts firms' objective financial performance. To bridge this gap, our paper examines the impact of knowledge m...

Purpose While nowadays an extensive literature promoting knowledge management (KM) exists, there is a worrying shortage of empirical studies demonstrating an actual connection between KM activities and organizational outcomes. To bridge this gap, this paper aims to examine the link between KM practices, firm competitiveness and economic performance...

In our paper, we examine an international innovation initiative called Aalto Camp for Societal Innovations (ACSI), organized in 2010 and 2011 in Finland. ACSI brings the areas of education, research and innovations together and form an international innovation forum that works as a tool for solving societal problems. ACSI is designed to provide a w...

As firms lose skilled labour force through mass retirement, turnover and economic fluctuations, a pressing concern is how to ensure that the skills of the present-day masters are conveyed to the future professionals. This chapter examines the process of how the skills leading to professional performance are acquired in the context of on-the-job lea...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine innovation from a knowledge‐based view by exploring the effect of knowledge processes and knowledge intensity on innovation performance. Design/methodology/approach First, a theoretical model of the connections between knowledge processes, knowledge intensity and innovation performance is presented....

This study of 1,011 employees in 54 small and medium-sized organisations from various industries examined the influence of five aspects of knowledge management on continuous innovation. Continuous innovation was divided into three composing elements: individual creativity; knowledge implementation and commercialisation; and organisational strategic...

Innovation and knowledge creation are processes, which require intensive collaboration of several people. Nevertheless, the constituents of successful collaboration in innovation activities are not well-known, and the understanding of the inherently social processes by which new intangibles are created is still in its infancy. This paper examines t...

Several decades since its uprising, knowledge management (KM) has now filtered companies all across the globe. Issues like knowledge economy, intellectual capital, social capital and renewal have become part of the standard language of strategy processes and business magazines. However, even though main ideas of KM have spread, there are surprising...