Our knowledge economy is not a knowledge economy ... yet

Our knowledge economy is not a knowledge economy ... yet. And yet another adagio could have been: our economy has always been a knowledge economy.

Both are true. When we talk about knowledge economy, we usually mean an economy based on recent, extensive research, development and innovation. Most of the added value and the competitive advantage is in the ideas, the intellectual property behind the product or service. Companies that offer such products or services need to rely on a number of knowledge workers, people who spend all their time on research and development.

It may be true that such economy exists, but I tend to think that our economy has not made an essential transformation yet to come to a true knowledge economy, and perhaps this is one of the impeding factors in the restoration of our economy. This essential transformation needs to happen in the way we think about knowledge sharing, knowledge working and the treatment of knowledge workers.

We need to find new ways to share knowledge efficiently and to raise and train new knowledge workers. We need to think differently in rewarding knowledge sharing and knowledge working. Look around in society: are those who go (extremely) well in the economic sense, go well because of their knowledge work? I don't think so. Are decisions in company or society taken by knowledge workers? Usually not. In the best case, knowledge workers can express their opinion. Can knowledge workers really freely do their job? Or are they continuously charged with endless paper work to get their R&D funded by public authorities?

European politics has much focused on stimulating competition, taking aways trade barriers. There may indeed be a positive effect on prices at the side of the consumer. At the side of employer and employee, however, the price to be paid is high. Tax on work revenues should urgently be replaced by tax on undeserved revenues. Knowledge workers are considered a major cost. Dissatisfaction and social unrest are the consequence. Perhaps we need more knowledge workers in politics. If we feel this is a waste or a contradiction, it means we have too much disrespect, both for the knowledge workers and for the politicians.

Something needs to change in all these areas. I don't have the final answer as to how such transformation should take place, but we are not there yet.

I refer to my blog The Knowledge-Creating Company.