Knowledge For Governance

This open access book focuses on theoretical and empirical intersections between governance, knowledge and space from an interdisciplinary perspective. The contributions elucidate how knowledge is a prerequisite as well as a driver of governance efficacy, and conversely, how governance affects the creation and use of knowledge and innovation in geographical context. Scholars from the fields of anthropology, economics, geography, public administration, political science, sociology, and organization studies provide original theoretical discussions along these interdependencies. Moreover, a variety of empirical chapters on governance issues, ranging from regional and national to global scales and covering case studies in Australia, Europe, Latina America, North America and South Africa demonstrate that geography and space are not only important contexts for governance that affect the contingent outcomes of governance blueprints. Governance also creates spaces. It affects the geographical confines as well as the quality of opportunities and constraints that actors enjoy to establish legitimate and sustainable ways of social and environmental co-existence.

The book argues that knowledge governance is a distinct issue in management and organization because knowledge processes differ on several dimensions from routine and more traditional processes.

The world is witnessing the growth of a global movement facilitated by technology and social media. Fueled by information, this movement contains enormous potential to create more accountable, efficient, responsive, and effective governments and businesses, as well as spurring economic growth. Big Data Governance and Perspectives in Knowledge Management is a collection of innovative research on the methods and applications of applying robust processes around data, and aligning organizations and skillsets around those processes. Highlighting a range of topics including data analytics, prediction analysis, and software development, this book is ideally designed for academicians, researchers, information science professionals, software developers, computer engineers, graduate-level computer science students, policymakers, and managers seeking current research on the convergence of big data and information governance as two major trends in information management.

Patent offices around the world have granted millions of patents to multinational companies. Patent offices are rarely studied and yet they are crucial agents in the global knowledge economy. Based on a study of forty-five rich and poor countries that takes in the world's largest and smallest offices, Peter Drahos argues that patent offices have become part of a globally integrated private governance network, which serves the interests of multinational companies, and that the Trilateral Offices of Europe, the USA and Japan make developing country patent offices part of the network through the strategic fostering of technocratic trust. By analysing the obligations of patent offices under the patent social contract and drawing on a theory of nodal governance, the author proposes innovative approaches to patent office administration that would allow developed and developing countries to recapture the public spirit of the patent social contract.

This book argues that the current international intellectual property rights regime, led by the World Trade Organization (WTO), has evolved over the past three decades toward overemphasizing private interests and seriously hampering public interests in access to knowledge and innovation diffusion. This approach concentrates on tangible and codified knowledge creation and diffusion in research and development (R&D) that can be protected via patents and other intellectual property rules and regulations. In terms of global policy initiatives, however, it is becoming increasingly clear that the WTO in particular is mostly a conflict-resolution facility rather than a global governance body able to generate cooperation and steer international coordinated policy action. At the same time, rent extraction and profits streaming from legal hyperprotection have become pervasively important for firm strategies to compete in a globalized marketplace. “Knowledge Governance: Reasserting the Public Interest” offers a novel approach – knowledge governance – in order to move beyond the current regime.

Diane Stone addresses the network alliances or partnerships of international organisations with knowledge organisations and networks. Moving beyond more common studies of industrial public-private partnerships, she addresses how, and why, international organisations and global policy actors need to incorporate ideas, expertise and scientific opinion into their 'global programmes'. Rather than assuming that the encouragement for 'evidence-informed policy' in global and regional institutions of governance is an indisputable public good, she queries the influence of expert actors in the growing number of part-private or semi-public policy networks.

The business leader's guide to encouraging continuous innovationin any organization Innovation governance is a hot topic in the business world. In afast-paced business environment, the ability of corporate leadersto build purpose, direction, and focus for innovation is moreimportant than ever. In this book, the authors provide a frameworkfor encouraging and focusing innovation by explaining whatinnovation governance is, the various models for governance andtheir advantages and disadvantages, how to assess and improvegovernance practices, and behavioral tactics for maximizing theeffectiveness of governance. It offers guidance for everyone fromthe boardroom through senior management, illustrating effectivegovernance models with real case studies from a range of companiesin the United States and Europe. Addressesan important yet underappreciated skill for CEOs, board members,and top management Featuresreal-world examples and case studies from a variety of businessfrom around the world Writtenby an author team with hands-on experience in the subjects ofinnovation management, organizational learning, innovationleadership, organizational behavior, and individual leadership andteamwork Innovation governance is a sadly neglected topic in manyorganizations. This book offers vital guidance and real-worldexperience for building innovation into any business from the topdown.

"The book not only gives a clear picture of the policy andstrategic framework of PFI/PPP projects, the governance andknowledge management issues through different phases from planning,design development to operation and service delivery and theprocesses associated with each phase, but practical tools,methodologies and capabilities needed to deliver PFI/PPP projectsin a range of sectors are also explained. It clearly demonstratesthe key imperatives that are the hallmark of successful programmesand projects no matter what there method of funding or delivery. I have no doubt that, in undertaking the programmes and projectsthat I am responsible for delivering and in undertaking OGC GatewayReviews, to support clients delivering their own programmes andprojects, I will draw on the material contained in thisbook." —From the Foreword by Rob Smith, Director of GatewayReviews and Estates & Facilities, Department of Health There is a growing demand worldwide for transport, healthcare,education, energy and water infrastructure. However, governmentresources are often insufficient to meet the needs of new projectsand to upgrade existing infrastructure. Private participation inpublic infrastructure is therefore increasing but the respectiveroles of the public and private sectors are the subject of intensedebate. This has led to renewed interest in public-privatepartnerships in developed and developing countries. Governance and Knowledge Management for Public-PrivatePartnerships shows how effective governance and knowledgemanagement can improve the performance of PFI/PPP projects. Itprovides an in-depth understanding of different dimensions ofgovernance and how they affect project management structure,processes, and decision-making ability of actors and teams involvedin PFI/PPP projects. The role of knowledge management strategy, theneed for benchmarking knowledge management efforts, specific toolsand methodologies for capturing, sharing and applying knowledge toaccelerate learning and capacity building are also examined. The book is essential reading for all those involved in PFI/PPPprojects, including policy makers, industry practitioners,academics and students. The practical tools for governance andknowledge management it offers make this book particularly usefulfor consultants, contractors and client organisations.