Title: Leadership practices in the generation and deployment of intangible capital resources for innovation

Authors: Ken Dovey; Grant Mooney

Addresses: Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology, Sydney, P.O. Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia. ' Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology, Sydney, P.O. Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia

Abstract: This paper explores the practices underpinning an enterprise's ability to generate and deploy intangible capital in support of its strategic intent to innovate. Drawing on two research projects, we focus upon enterprises that are able to innovatively leverage the intangible capital resources that are potentially available to them. Using a phenomenological methodology, one project explores at a high level the social dynamics within 25 medium-sized enterprises noted for their innovative capabilities in Sydney, Australia. The other project explores in finer detail, through an action research methodology, the transformation of stakeholder relationships within another Sydney-based medium-sized enterprise that has become highly innovative over the past five years. Our findings show that the most important forms of intangible capital for innovation are relationship-based and are leveraged through stakeholder collaboration.

Keywords: collaboration; intangible capital resources; innovation; leadership practices; strategic intent; innovative leverage; phenomenological methodologies; phenomenology; social dynamics; innovative capabilities; Sydney; Australia; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; action research methodologies; stakeholder relationships; learning; intellectual capital.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLIC.2012.047289

International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital, 2012 Vol.9 No.3, pp.295 - 306

Published online: 04 Sep 2014 *

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