Call for Papers

The knowledge economy and the knowledge society have lately become key buzzwords as governments try and bootstrap agricultural and industrial economies into the modern global age, where knowledge has become the key to competitive advantage and even more critically, national survival. KM research has mostly focused on knowledge and knowledge management within organizational boundaries, particularly in businesses and more recently the public sector. Meanwhile, there have been attempts, usually by the likes of the World Bank, to define and rank knowledge economies and societies usually by looking at the parts of a society, such as ICT infrastructure, educational output, number of patents awarded, etc. To date, very little investigation has been done into the "whole" of the knowledge society, and probably for good reason as it is enormously challenging to fit all the pieces of society together into a coherent picture.

This conference calls for papers that offer provocative, insightful, and novel ways of investigating and understanding the linkages that connect government, business, academia and the community. Papers should be particularly focused on the boundaries between these sectors as they engage in cooperative knowledge creation and exchange. Papers that take an organizational or managerial perspective on the participation in collaborative knowledge creation and/or exchange are welcomed. Papers on process, protocols and projects will all be welcome, as will papers looking at linking technology. Possible topic areas include:

• E-Government
• Government policy promoting knowledge society/economy
• IP and the public commons
• Targeting government KM approached -learning regions, science parks, etc
• Leadership in the knowledge society
• Lessons learned in KM: Public sector cases
• High performing workspaces in the knowledge society
• The development and application of linking/collaborative information and communication technologies in the knowledge society
• Governing knowledge creation in networks
• Strategies for participation in knowledge networks and collaboration
• Incentives and cross-institutional learning and knowledge sharing
• Cross-sector learning and knowledge sharing
• The role of education in the knowledge society
• Traditional knowledge and the knowledge society
• International governmental collaboration and knowledge sharing (Asia-Pacific)
• International academic collaboration (Asia-Pacific)
• International community collaboration (Asia-Pacific)
• International business collaboration (Asia-Pacific)
• International cross-boundary collaboration (Asia-Pacific)
• Organizational knowledge management

Special Tracks (featuring fast track to journal publication)

Turning the digital divide into a digital opportunity for all (The International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewissue.php?id=3)

Contact: Stewart Marshall at

In seeking to engage with the Knowledge Society, many countries/communities in the Asia-Pacific region are facing increasing economic, social and cultural hardship as economies in the region adjust to the demands of the new orders of commerce and governance made possible by new information and communication technologies (ICT). A part of this is the paradox that countries/communities can be either enhanced or disadvantaged by ICT. The potential enhancement comes from the increased social, economic and cultural capital that comes from harnessing ICT products and services. The disadvantage comes from the potential of ICT to centralise power and facilitate market domination by the more economically advanced countries/communities, especially in view of the lack of access and adoption of ICT by the less economically advanced countries/communities. Thus, there is a real danger that less economically advanced countries/communities will fall further behind the more economically advanced countries/communities as the economic divide is deepened by the digital divide to become a knowledge divide. This track welcomes papers on topics related to turning the "digital divide into a digital opportunity for all, particularly for those who risk being left behind and being further marginalised" ("Declaration of Principles", WSIS-03/Geneva/Doc/4-E, Principle 10).

Trends in the organization of university-industry linkages (International Journal of Change and Learning)

Contact: Kenneth Husted at

Innovation-based competition and the increased speed of technological change are in combination with increased globalisation often contributed to as the main factors for the explosion in us of external networks in R&D. The literature also points at changes in the underlying knowledge production as courses for the increased use of networks and collaboration. Among the arguments are; increased product dependence on diversified knowledgebases, increased multi-disciplinarity in research, and the innovation ability of network. Another factor that stimulates increased use of research collaboration is related to declining governance costs due to better and more efficient communication and information processing technologies (Narula, 2004). This track invites papers that address the issue of governing industry-university collaboration.

Future trends in developing knowledge societies (Foresight - http://www.emeraldinsight.com/fs.htm)

Contact: Bernard McKenna at

Based on the assumption that through a better understanding of what is likely to happen in the future we should be able to make better decisions in the present, submissions should elaborate Knowledge Management and Knowledge Policy research that will stimulate new thinking with the potential to shape a better future. Submissions that take a long-term perspective to better inform decisionmaking and action are therefore encouraged.

In this light, papers based on Futures research methods and complex systems thinking that test the credibility of different approaches to knowledge for their ability to bring about positive change will be welcomed. Submissions should draw upon established tools, techniques and methodologies used in futures studies (e.g. scenario planning, Delphi , environmental scanning, etc.) and other social science disciplines, as well as complexity science, information systems and the humanities.

Organizational and Social Issues of Knowledge Management (Journal of Enterprise Information Management)

Contact: Shan L Pan at

Knowledge Management (KM) is one of the key strategic activities in modern organizations. It involves explicit and persistent representation of knowledge of (geographically) dispersed groups of people in the organization, so as to improve the economic activities of the organization. Although more and more technical advancements in the areas of KM have been made, organizational as well as social issues of KM are becoming equally important to any sucessful KM initiatives. This track invites papers that deal with organizational as well as social issues of KM. Also interested are issues related to the intra-organizational as well as inter-organizational KM issues.

Cross-Sector Learning and Knowledge Sharing (The Learning Organization - An International Journal http://ceres.emeraldinsight.com/vl=1213974/cl=47/nw=1/rpsv/tlo.htm)

Contact: Kala Retna at

Cross sector learning and knowledge sharing are considered to be indispensable in coping with change within organisations, and with the external environment. This process involves, for example, understanding the organisational backgrounds, learning strategies and expertise of cross sector partners. Although new models, approaches and activities have been created in the areas of learning and knowledge sharing within organisations, these ideas and thinking need to go beyond the organization and across sectors to create a shared commitment towards creating a sustainable knowledge society. This track invites papers on topics that relate to the importance of cross sector learning and sharing knowledge and its challenges to theory and practice.

Understanding knowledge sharing from an organizational behavior perspective (journal TBA)

Contact: Snejina Michailova at or Gee Woo Bock, at

The track is interested in a focused discussion of knowledge sharing particularly seen through the lenses of the OB perspective, a perspective that tries to grasp main features of human behavior and interaction of people in organizations. The OB body of knowledge offers the option for addressing less explored and less tired research questions in relation to knowledge sharing. Both conceptual and empirical research contributions are welcome to be submitted to the track. We would also appreciate research papers combining OB with other disciplines in an effort to analyze knowledge sharing as a complex and multi-faceted process. Insights provided by practitioners are sought to be included in the track as an effort to allow for a dialogue and make sure the discussion is not detached from real issues and challenges in organizations.