Intellectual capital: a Habermasian introduction
| Pages | 187-200 |
| Date | 01 June 2000 |
| Published date | 01 June 2000 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14691930010377496 |
| Author | David O’Donnell,Philip O’Regan,Brian Coates |
| Subject Matter | Accounting & finance,HR & organizational behaviour,Information & knowledge management |
Habermasian
introduction
187
Journal of Intellectual Capital,
Vol. 1 No. 2, 2000, pp. 187-200.
#MCB University Press, 1469-1930
Intellectual capital: a
Habermasian introduction
David O'Donnell, Philip O'Regan and Brian Coates
University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
Keywords Intellectual capital, Knowledge management
Abstract Intellectual capital creation is theorised in this conceptual paper as a dynamic process
of collective knowing that is capable of being leveraged into market value. The tacit, intangible and
socially unconscious nature of substantive parts of this dynamic process presents some daunting
theoretical challenges. Adopting a broadly social constructionist epistemology and a pluralist
ontology, the point of departure introduced here is the set of symmetric and reciprocal relations
presupposed in JuÈrgen Habermas' theory of communicative action. In this worldview, interaction,
as distinct from individual action, becomes the germ-cell or basic unit of theoretical analysis. The
relations and validity claims built into the medium of communicative action, viewed here as the
nexus of intellectual capital creation, are substantive and real phenomena; they are thus open to
empirical investigation.
Communicative action refers to the interaction of at least two subjects capable of speech and
action who establish interpersonal relations (whether by verbal or extra-verbal means). The
actors seek to reach an understanding about the action situation and their plans of action in
order to coordinate their actions by way of agreement. The central concept of interpretation
refers in the first instance to negotiating definitions of the situation which admit of consensus
(Habermas, 1984, p. 86).
Introduction
The key to competitive success in the globally networked economy is becoming
the ability to visualise, create and leverage the phenomenon termed intellectual
capital. This intangible is gaining ascendancy over the tangible, a fact reflected
in the growing book to market ratios in knowledge intensive business sectors.
In this context, intellectual capital is emerging as a highly complex and
dynamic ``fuzzy activity set'', embracing language, experiences, history, culture,
processes, understandings, interactions, interpretations, routines, information,
data and knowledge. Traditional industrial era managerial paradigms, based
on the tangible sources of value (land, labour and financial capital) and the
predict-direct-exploit-control bureaucratic machine-metaphor are proving
increasingly incapable of dealing with the emergent complexities of
visualising, creating and leveraging intellectual capital.
Influenced by the seminal work of others (Alvesson, 1993; Baumard, 1999;
Blackler, 1993; Bontis, 1998; Choo, 1998; Edvinsson and Sullivan, 1996;
EngestroÈm, 1987; 1990; 1994; Habermas, 1984; 1987a; 1987b; Kaplan and
Norton, 1997; Kogut and Zander, 1993; Luhmann, 1990; Maturana and Varela,
1980; Nonaka, 1994; Penrose, 1959; Polanyi, 1967; Ryle, 1945; von Krogh and
Roos, 1995; Saint Onge, 1996; Smith et al., 1994; Spender, 1996, 1998; Spender
and Grant, 1996; Stewart, 1997; Sveiby, 1994; 1997; Vygotsky, 1962; 1978),
intellectual capital creation is defined and theorised here at the interactionist
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