Table Of ContentKnowledge Management and Organizational Learning 11
Florian Kragulj
Knowledge
Management
and Sustainable
Value Creation
Needs as a Strategic Focus
for Organizations
Knowledge Management and
Organizational Learning
Volume 11
SeriesEditors
EttoreBolisani,UniversityofPadua,Padova,Italy
MelihaHandzic,InternationalBurchUniversity,Sarajevo,BosniaandHerzegovina
&SuleymanSahUniversity,Istanbul,Turkey
This series is introduced by the International Association for Knowledge Man-
agement(www.IAKM.net)with anaim toofferadvancedpeer-reviewedreference
bookstoresearchers,practitionersandstudentsinthefieldofknowledgemanage-
mentin organizations.Both discussionsof newtheoriesandadvancesin thefield,
as well as reviews of the state-of-the art will be featured regularly. Particularly,
the books will be open to these contributions:Reviews of the state-of-the art (i.e.
syntheses of recent studies on a topic, classifications and discussions of theories,
approachesandmethods,etc.)thatcanbothserveasareferenceandallowopening
new horizons Discussions on new theories and methods of scientific research in
organisationalknowledgemanagementCritical reviewsof empiricalevidence and
empirical validations of theories Contributions that build a bridge between the
variousdisciplines and fields that convergetowards knowledge management(i.e.:
computer science, cognitive sciences, economics, other management fields, etc.)
and propose the development of a common background of notions, concepts and
scientific methodsSurveysof new practical methodsthat can inspire practitioners
andresearchersintheirapplicationsofknowledgemanagementmethodsincompa-
niesandpublicservices.
ThisisaSCOPUS-indexedbookseries.
Florian Kragulj
Knowledge Management
and Sustainable Value
Creation
Needs as a Strategic Focus for
Organizations
FlorianKragulj
ViennaUniversityofEconomicsand
Business(WU)
Vienna,Austria
ISSN2199-8663 ISSN2199-8671 (electronic)
KnowledgeManagementandOrganizationalLearning
ISBN978-3-031-12728-1 ISBN978-3-031-12729-8 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-12729-8
©TheEditor(s)(ifapplicable)andTheAuthor(s),underexclusivelicensetoSpringerNatureSwitzerland
AG2023
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ordissimilarmethodologynowknownorhereafterdeveloped.
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InDialogueonHumanisticPsychologyA.E.MaslowandV.E.Frankl.Illustration
©ClaudiaKragulj2022.Usedwithpermission
“And yet once we have agreed with Dr. Frankl on the intellectual
dangersofmakingpleasureintoadeity,wecan thenfeelquitefreeto
enjoy the small and harmless pleasures of life. Even if they teach us
nothing,theyarestilla blessing.”
Abraham H. Maslow1
1CommentsonDr.Frankl’spaper.JournalofHumanisticPsychology,1966,6(2),107–112.
Thisis toexpress mydeep gratitudetomy
family,friends,andcolleagueswho have
been providingmewiththeenabling
environmentforbringingmy ideastolife.I
amgratefulforthemanyeye-opening
insightsandideasthathaveemerged from
countlessdiscussionsalongthejourney.
About This Book
Organizationsincreasingly face sustainability and responsibility as pressing chal-
lenges in today’s society. As a consequence,business organizationsare pushed to
reconcile economic, social, and environmental goals and perceive value creation
moreholistically.Giventhecentralroleofknowledgeinoureconomy,thequestion
arisesastohowknowledgemanagementcanfacilitatesustainableandresponsible
value creation (c.f. responsible knowledge management). This book amplifies the
ideaofknowledge-baseddevelopmentandseekstounderstandwhatknowledgeis
crucialfororganizationstoserveeconomic,social,andenvironmentalends.Focus-
ingontheorganizationallevel,itbuildsabridgebetweenknowledgemanagement,
sustainability,andresponsibilitybyintroducingtheconceptofneeds.Asitwillbe
argued,needssubstantiatecorporatesustainabilityandcorporateresponsibilityand
signpost a way to respond to recent calls from practice for a more inclusive and
sustainable way of doing business. In particular, the book outlines the idea of the
needknowledge-drivenorganization.Itbuildsonmatureresearchonorganizational
purpose, stakeholder theory, and phronesis, and introduces the concept of needs.
Thisprovidesanewlensforunderstandingthesustainableandresponsiblebusiness
case: First, peopleare motivatedby their needsand organizationsrepresentsocial
structuresthatfacilitate thesatisfactionofsharedneeds.Second,needsreflectand
combinesocial,environmental,andeconomicconcerns,makingsustainabilityand
responsibilitymoreseizableforpractitioners.Andthird,needsprovideareference
point for holistic value creation and can thus align knowledge processes and
structuresinorganizations.
xi
Contents
1 Introduction .................................................................. 1
1.1 Knowledge-BasedEconomy ........................................... 1
1.2 CorporateSustainabilityandCorporateResponsibility .............. 2
1.3 ResearchDesign ........................................................ 4
References .................................................................... 7
2 CallsfromPractice .......................................................... 11
2.1 CallforStakeholderCapitalism ....................................... 11
2.2 CallforHolisticValueCreation ....................................... 17
2.3 CallforKnowledgeEnablingEthicallySoundJudgments ........... 21
2.4 Summary ................................................................ 26
References .................................................................... 28
3 TheoreticalFrameworkoftheNKDO ..................................... 37
3.1 WhatMakesanOrganization?TheCaseoftheFirm ................. 38
3.1.1 “TheNatureoftheFirm”:CostAdvantage ................... 39
3.1.2 BehavioralTheoryoftheFirm ................................ 40
3.1.3 Resource-BasedViewoftheFirm ............................. 41
3.1.4 Summary ....................................................... 44
3.2 PillarsoftheNeedKnowledge-DrivenOrganization ................. 46
3.2.1 Method.......................................................... 49
3.2.2 OrganizationalPurpose ........................................ 66
3.2.3 Stakeholders .................................................... 101
3.2.4 Phronesis ....................................................... 160
3.2.5 Need-BasedStrategy ........................................... 220
References .................................................................... 251
4 ConceptualPrinciplesoftheNeedKnowledge-DrivenOrganization.... 285
References .................................................................... 298
5 GuidingFrameworkoftheNeedKnowledge-drivenOrganization
forPractice ................................................................... 305
5.1 NeedKnowledge ....................................................... 305
5.2 IntegratedCausalFramework .......................................... 306
5.2.1 Stakeholders .................................................... 307
5.2.2 OrganizationalPurpose ........................................ 309
xiii
