Packing and unpacking knowledge. Patents and intellectual capital
| Date | 01 September 2005 |
| Published date | 01 September 2005 |
| Pages | 308-321 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14691930510611076 |
| Author | Jan Mouritsen,Gergana Koleva |
| Subject Matter | Accounting & finance,HR & organizational behaviour,Information & knowledge management |
Packing and unpacking
knowledge
Patents and intellectual capital
Jan Mouritsen and Gergana Koleva
Copenhagen Business School, Department of Operations Management,
Frederiksberg, Denmark
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse how a patent is an intangible asset and how it
creates value.
Design/methodology/approach – Through analysis of a set of cases, the paper analyses how a
patent becomes related to a series of other elements. This approach investigates the details of how a
patent becomes useful. Theoretically, the paper suggests that a patent only creates value from being
entangled in a web of resources in action, contrasting this with patents on hold where they are
described as entities but not as resources.
Findings – The paper shows that patens a valuable not by themselves (on hold) but by being linked
to a series of other resources and purposes (in actions). To understand the value of the patent is to
understand its relationships to other mechanism in production, marketing and finance.
Research limitations/implications – The paper sets out an approach to study the value of patents
which looks at the network around the patent. This is a limitation inasmuch as it is difficult to
generalise the particular findings, but as a prospective research strategy, its strength is that is allows
insight into the complexities of making patents valuable. This can also add to statistical work on the
contingencies for patents’ value.
Practical implications – The paper suggests that a strategy for patenting must pay attention to the
different kinds of resources that make it useful. Often it is necessary to look far beyond the patent
office to gain this knowledge. The management agenda is clear: the patent has to be entangled, but this
also raises questions, because since the patent is an option, some of its value derives from exploring its
possibilities. This however, blocks for its exploitation and thus causes opportunity costs. From a
management point of view, it is not always clear that a patent should be used for its maximum
potentiality, because this would disrupt the network is it part of and make it a very expensive resource
to mobilise towards innovation
Originality/value – Typically, research on patents has taken the route via statistical and economic
analysis. Our paper adds by showing the dynamics of managerial uses of patents and it shows that the
structural conditioning of use of patents can fruitfully be supplemented by process and network
approaches to their use.
Keywords Patents, Intellectual capital, Networking, Managers, Decisionmaking, Innovation
Paper type Conceptual paper
There is little doubt that firms interested in intellectual capital will consider patenting.
Information on patents is largely positively related to firms’ capital market value, and
firms that publish information on intangibles often include information on their patent
portfolio. Patents are part of the firm’s intellectual capital in the form of organisational
capital (Roos et al., 1997; Stewart, 1997) in addition to other sources of intellectual
capital like human capital and relationship capital and indeed other kinds of
organisational capital such as databases and organisational processes. Even if merely
The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister www.emeraldinsight.com/1469-1930.htm
JIC
6,3
308
Journal of Intellectual Capital
Vol. 6 No. 3, 2005
pp. 308-321
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
1469-1930
DOI 10.1108/14691930510611076
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