Editorial

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/JIC-07-2020-286
Pages511
Date27 July 2020
Published date27 July 2020
AuthorElena G. Popkova
Subject MatterAccounting & Finance,HR & organizational behaviour,Accounting/accountancy,Organizational structure/dynamics,Information & knowledge management,Knowledge management
Editorial
Intellectual capital is the most important resource in the knowledge economy. Its significant
was acknowledged in the late 20th century, but, since 2010s, in the conditions of Industry 4.0,
it received a completely new conceptual treatment. Equipping technical devices with artificial
intelligence (AI) turned them from means of labor (equipment) into subjects of labor
intellectual machines. Thus, intellectual capital was no longer associated with human capital
and became more universal. Intellectual capital in Industry 4.0 includes all subjects of
mechanical, managerial and innovative activities, which could be humans and intellectual
machines.
The consequences of the evolution of intellectual capital under the influence of the Fourth
technology revolution are contradictory. On the one hand, advantages for all concerned
parties are provided: increase of accessibility of goods and services and creation of hi-tech
products for consumers; increase of labor efficiency and general effectiveness of business
based on automatization for entrepreneurship; growth of transparency, controllability,
predictability and manageability of economy for government. On the other hand, there
appear certain problems that are connected to intellectual capital.
One of the problems is uncertainty of the structure of intellectual capital. Successful
convergence of human intellect and AI might form a monostructure of intellectual capital,
which simplifies decision-making for its state and corporate management, while their
divergence (differentiation) envisages the polystructural character of intellectual capital, and
requires a more flexible approach to regulation, and causes its increased risks.
Another problem is formation of a new model of the market of intellectual capital, in which
competition between human intellect and AI takes place, causing negative social
consequences. Even if human preserves the key managerial role in the structure of
intellectual resources of entrepreneurship, theres a necessity for occupational retraining for
the digital economys personnel.
Thus causes another problem that is connected to development of science and education
they are given new functions of development of intellectual capital: training of digital
personnel and machine learning. Other problems also include state regulation of intellectual
capital: financial support for digital modernization, provision of quick social adaptation and
regulation of competition in the market of intellectual capital.
This special issue considers all the above problems of intellectual resources in Industry 4.0
and provides their scientific analysis and methodological and practical recommendations for
solving them.
Elena G. Popkova
Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), Moscow, Russia
Editorial
511
Journal of Intellectual Capital
Vol. 21 No. 4, 2020
p. 511
© Emerald Publishing Limited
1469-1930
DOI 10.1108/JIC-07-2020-286

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