Title: The knowledge-based view of the firm and its theoretical precursor

Authors: Carla Curado, Nick Bontis

Addresses: ISEG – Technical University of Lisbon, Rua Miguel Lupi 20, 1249–078 Lisbon, Portugal. ' DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, DSB #207, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4M4, Canada

Abstract: The knowledge-based view of the firm is a recent extension of the Resource-Based View (RBV) of the firm and provides a strong theoretical underpinning for the organisation learning and intellectual capital researchers. Knowledge is considered to be a special strategic resource that does not depreciate in the way traditional economic productive factors do. The nature of most knowledge-based resources is mainly intangible and dynamic, allowing for idiosyncratic development through path dependency and causal ambiguity, which are the basis of the mechanism for economic rent creation in the Knowledge-Based View (KBV) of the firm. Future implications that emerge from these characteristics as they relate to learning organisations are presented at the end of the paper.

Keywords: resource-based view; RBV; knowledge-based view; KBV; knowledge resources; intangible assets; economic rent creation; intellectual capital; organisational learning.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLIC.2006.011747

International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital, 2006 Vol.3 No.4, pp.367 - 381

Published online: 20 Dec 2006 *

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