Title: Knowledge-Intensive Business Service as innovation agent through client interaction and labour mobility

Authors: Heidi Wiig Aslesen, Arne Isaksen, Lasse Sigbjorn Stambol

Addresses: NIFU STEP Studies in Innovation, Research and Education, Oslo, Norway. ' University of Agder, Norway. ' Statistics Norway, Norway

Abstract: Theoretical propositions often maintain that the Knowledge-Intensive Business Service (KIBS) sector is important in stimulating innovation activity in other industries. Empirical results from quantitative innovation surveys on the other hand generally regard KIBS as less important innovation partners for other firms. Such results may rely on the fact that quantitative surveys do not seize all the roles KIBS firms have as knowledge sources. The paper thus demonstrates that many workers left the KIBS sector in Norway to start working in other sectors during parts of the 1990s, signifying a flow of knowledge following the workers out of the KIBS sector.

Keywords: KIBS; consultancy projects; labour mobility; innovation; client interaction; knowledge-intensive business services; knowledge flow.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTM.2008.018428

International Journal of Services Technology and Management, 2008 Vol.9 No.2, pp.138 - 153

Published online: 21 May 2008 *

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