“KNOWLEDGE WORKERS” : COGNITIVE PROBLEMS FOR CONTINUOUS TRAINING INNOVATION

National, perspectives to socio-economic development of NET-ECONOMY:- the role of NET--learning"

Intermediate REPORT of LRE/EGO CREA-NET – Partner of FOR-CO-PRECA-NET LEONARDO –

- Project Convention n° 2002-4558-/001-001 LE2 51OREF.

See: http://www.univ-tlse2.fr/leonardo/forco-precanet/ ; http://www.narnia.it/forcoprecanet/

 a.0) Scientific Work planning: Communication on project contents, product and results:

a.1) Objectives Achievement on general For-Co-Preca-Net Issues:

The LRE/EGOCREANET, as well as partner n° (P6) of the Project FOR-CO-PRECA-NET, in coherence of the proper Role in the project and the previous researchers has developed a series of papers based on the comparative study and research on the theoretical, methodological, historical, cultural, economical issues for improving the incoming needs of continuous training of the NET –Economy in Italy and in Europe. Those papers will be organized within a document analysis and a large on line annotated bibliography has given a large tangible impact on the beneficiaries (Industry SME’s and Universityes) and the documented results was largely diffused on line and out of line by means the following written documents (in Italian and some times in English and French -All the following documents can be downloaded):

1)- ECONOMI@ON LINE : https://www.edscuola.it/archivio/lre/economiaonline.html

2) Knowledge Management Innovation : https://www.edscuola.it/archivio/lre/foster_information.htm

3) – Job Creation and Human Potential: https://www.edscuola.it/archivio/lre/job_creation.htm

4) –Produrre Cultura Innovativa: https://www.edscuola.it/archivio/lre/produrre_cultura_innovativa.htm

5) Creazione Lavoro Manageriale : https://www.edscuola.it/archivio/lre/creazione_di_lavoro_manageriale.htm

6) Net-Economy : https://www.edscuola.it/archivio/lre/neteconomy_profile_development.htm

7) Valorization des Biens non Materiels : https://www.edscuola.it/archivio/lre/valorisation.htm

8)Seminario Firenze UNION CAMERE 13/14 Giugno/2003 pp.153-158:

    https://www.edscuola.it/archivio/lre/valorizzazione_beni_intangibili.htm

9) Knowledge Driver Economy : https://www.edscuola.it/archivio/lre/knowledge_driven_economy.htm

10) Strategic Planning  https://www.edscuola.it/archivio/lre/strategic_planning.htm

11) – Job Insecurity : https://www.edscuola.it/archivio/lre/job_insecurity.htm

12)- Formazione :Skills dei Net-workers : http://www.breadandroses.it/formazione/articolo.php?id=18

13) The changing Values of Education: https://www.edscuola.it/archivio/lre/changing.htm

14)Business Managers : https://www.edscuola.it/archivio/lre/business_managers.htm

15) Formazione Continua Precariato Intellettuale:  https://www.edscuola.it/archivio/lre/formazione_continua.htm

a.2) LRE/EGO-CreaNET- Preliminary survey of results and continuous educational strategy:  

                The educational pathway choose by the LRE/EGO-CreaNET is new contents oriented and privileges a deep flexibility of new method of internet studies, which allows diversified and personalized fruition and delivery because is based on a syntheses of the most important arguments in the fields selected by the FOR-CO-PRECA-NET-Leonardo Program. In fact the documents are written in relation to a good selection of on line bibliography of best –practices, on the arguments concerning  the skill shortage needs for the knowledge management innovation of the NET-ECONOMY development. The organization and structure of the educational materials will be realized as a matrix organization.  In fact the matrix organization is a good approach for promoting new forms of Net-learning based on innovative educational materials, where each document is  realized as an module of “Learning Folders” in electronic editing,  written on the basis of an annotated bibliography on line. Hence the matrix approach can be structured as well as a complex “hypertext for a continuous at distance training”, containing an internal research engine, in a way that the “hypertext on line” become useful to meet theoretical, methodological, cultural, economical issues and improving continuous training for the net-management organization of knowledge workers in the context of the future development of the European Knowledge Society.

a.3) Contribution to standards conceptualization:  “Glossary”

The LRE/EGO-CreaNET , on the basis of previous studies and researchers for growing up a bibliographical observatory for continuous training on NET-ECONOMY MANAGEMENT, has underlined new standard definition  in the Glossary especially regarding the NETWORKING (or MUTUAL) ECONOMY and in correspondence the NETWORKING (or MUTUAL) LEARNING.

In fact in most cases the short interpretation of “NET-Economy” is very reductive in relation to the economical and working deep changes of the traditional management of business enterprises and Industries.

As a matter of facts if in the “NET-Economy” short definition, the conceptualization is referred only to the working utilization of the internet technologies; in this way of thinking disappears quite completely the complex need of changing the economy system from the traditional approach of business proper of the industrial society to the novel one that is more adapted to the emerging “knowledge economy”. As a matter of facts “Knowledge Economy” is based on a different approach of “networking” among grouping of public and private enterprises; hence it is this agreement of NETWORKING that can generate a deep change in the concurrency and in economic relation between tangibles and intangibles getting a more high added value that can be extracted by the networked production system. (“Franchising co-operation of sharing goods and services” for instance was the first approach of the NETWORKING ECONOMY realized earlier of the Internet epoch). Till nowadays a great part of the fragility of work management in the NETWORKING ECONOMY  is a direct consequence  that most of the NET-Enterprises look at internet only as well as a technological tool , looking in this way the enterprises  do not change their networking organization within an aggregated grouping of different enterprises into an extended enterprise co-organization, as it is necessary to share knowledge for improving innovation in the in emerging activities sectors as for instance : e.Commerce, e.Learning, and so on.

                In conclusion the effective NETWORKING ECONOMY in the contemporary globalization of the market corresponds to a complex system of change of the organization and the management of economic and human resources, where the new technological means (Internet) is not only useful for ameliorate the exchange of information but can be used interactively for change the socio-economic trends of the contemporary post-industrial society.

a.4) Questionnaires – the analysis of net economy needs through the interviews get sincerely great difficulties for the  problem encountered among the different target groups for the following issues:

-The need to train the interviewers to the project and the best practices to realize the interview

- The difficulties to find sufficient time availability for interviewer-interviewed relationship in presence

- General Indifference of the interviewed persons to the arguments proposed by the questionnaires the sent on line and disseminated in various web address and pressed for an answer by phone calls.

-. Al last but not at list an insufficient budget to dedicate at this unsustainable initiative

- After those consideration the report  on the activities related to the questionnaires is attached as annex 1.

b.0) Implementation, Transferability and Dissemination Activities: 

b.1): Stakeholders Networking Group Aggregation.

                The activities carried out during the intermediate phase of project implementation  is moved with the Italian stakeholders aggregated to  LRE/EGO-CreaNET ; the group of stakeholders  contribute to the complementary aspects of the studies and researchers above mentioned , in a way that was necessary to generate an added value on the theoretical and methodological basis by means an internal debate of the previous documented results and through the collaboration at the dissemination and diffusion  activities.

We will remember the  contribution given to this intermediate phase for achieving of goals in coherence and pertinence of the results with the LEONARDO Program  For-Co-Preca-Net and in agreement of the priorities identified in connection the Regional and National Institutions in Italy with an especial  collaboration with MONDO GIT of the Ministry of University in Italy ( see: http://www.mondogit.com/ , ) and with the Institute of Industrial Promotion (see: http://www.ipi.it//), and the Tuscany Region (See: www.regione.toscana.it)

The following Institutions and Enterprises was co-operating during the first phase with the EGO-CreaNET /LRE:

1)       PIN--Pole of Florence University in Prato through a complemented agreement with the Project TASTI :

See:  http://blu.chim.unifi.it/group/education/pin/tasti3/index.htm

2)       BREAD & ROSES -CISL, il Sindacato dei Net-Workers:

       See for instance in: http://www.breadandroses.it/osservatorio/articolo.php?id=106

3)       Educazione e Scuola by Dario Cillo : https://www.edscuola.it/lre.html

4)       PORTALINO Il portale delle Banche Italiane

        See for instance : http://www.portalino.it/banks/editoriale/index2002a.htm

5)       NOVE da Firenze –Notiziario Locale in Tempo Reale .

…... See for instance : http://www.nove.firenze.it/vediarticolo.asp?id=a4.01.13.13.33

6)       AISCRIS –Roma. : see: http://www.aiscris.it/

        The stakeholder’s network involved in the project For-Co-Preca-Net in Italy by the sharing working method of EGO-CreaNET /LRE guarantee the transferability of the previous summarized studies and researchers products in a various training sectors. The LRE/EGO-CreaNET receive various invitations to show the intermediate results of the FORCOPRECANET Leonardo Project:

recently LRE/EGOCreaNET was invited to  “INFORSCUOLA” National Congress in PISA ( 5/7-MAY-2004) (see: http://www.vivoscuola.it/docenti/agenda/mostre/inforscuola.asp ), and to co-organize the Congress on “e.Learning for Knowledge Workers”; this congress is in preparation for opening new pathways of benchmarking of the For-Co-Preca-Net intermediate results, the 3/4/JUNE2004 in collaboration with the European project GLOBAL FAD (http://www.globalfad.it/, and Mondo-GIT of the Ministry of Research and University and the LRE/EGO-CreaNET , c/o Comune di Tuglie (Lecce- It)

b.2) Designing and developing the Italian Project WEB-SITE: http://www.narnia.it/forcoprecanet/

The planning of the Italian WEB-Site is need for improving knowledge management technologies on storing and distributing NET-Economy intelligence and best experiences, i.e. transferring the knowledge of the For-Co-Preca-Net program and its implementation in Italian Language and for having a potential impact on all contexts of partnership and stakeholder collaborators. The structure of the Italian For-Co-Preca-Net WEB is organized for opening on line forums and diffuses the questionnaires, and other information and scientific documentation, and other issues regarding the Implementation of the For-Co-Preca-Net Project in Italy.

b.3) Participation and Organization of FOR-CO-PRECA-NET Seminary of Studies and Workshops:

-          (14/Marc/2003)Opening Meeting in Toulouse (Fr): participation of two researchers of EGO-CreaNET/LRE

-          (23-May/2003) Second Meeting Toulouse (Fr) : participation of two researchers of EGO-CreaNET/LRE

-          (4-July-2003 ) Meeting in Florence (It) organized by EGOCreaNET /LRE c/o Central University Pza.S.Marco.

(àMorning session Open to the Participating: Institution Regione Toscana and University of Florence and the Stakeolders Group of collaborators EGO-CreaNET ( PIN-Prato ,Bread&Roses-CISL,AISCRIS Roma, NOVE-Firenze.) (àAfternoon session Internal ForcoPrecaNet WORKSHOP)

-in preparation:  (1-June 2004)) Second Seminary of Study in Florence (It) organized by EGOCreaNET /LRE .

Theoretical and Methodological Orientation of Continuous Education for knowledge management innovation.

                A preliminary conceptual approach of the LRE/EGO-CreaNET on the fundamental issue of the FOR-CO-Preca-NET Project was presented and debated in occasion of an Interactive Course on the issue: “FUTURE e.LEARNING”

A profile of such analysis was published on line in : https://www.edscuola.it/archivio/lre/dinamiche_cognitive.htm.

                Aiming to realize the project outcomes in a good pertinence within the priorities of Leonardo call about the need to find some new forms to realize a permanent education for knowledge management innovation and looking to the particular and specific re-thinking of the networking economy needs, the LRE/EGOCREANET , in this intermediate report, would like to get a brief synthesis of some fundamental concepts regarding the condition to avoid the uncertainty and the fragility managerial work , giving also  and some recommendations and suggestions for improving NET-Learning Courses , summarized on the basis of the studies realized during the FORCOPRECANET –Leonardo Project.

                The key argument of this intermediate report, shortly analyzed in the following basic considerations, is that most current interpretations of knowledge management are obsolete because they are relevant to the industrial world of business of the past industrial era and not adapted to the contemporary times of “post industrial society”, driven on a networking global economy that change the dimension of scale in an open market. Hence the continuous training for improving a new perspective on knowledge management intelligence need to be focused on some fundamental considerations about the need on changing assumptions about business strategy and competitive business environment.

1.0) - Strategic changes in business processes:

1.1) -rethinking the net-working business innovation.

                The historical need of a global extension of the market generates a running effect on the world wide industrial production system, hence as a direct consequence is necessary a shift on the knowledge management paradigm of business organization. For that reason the evolution of the knowledge management paradigm in a NET- ECONOMY context is moving to develop cognitive and technological innovation, for building a new intelligence and management of opportunities and risks in changing networking business functions.

                The shift of the knowledge management paradigm concerning the transformation of business process from a localized market to a delocalized transnational chain process of production has recently progressed over three phases:

1.      Co-operation agreements among industry and centers of research, and Governmental Institutions, organized in various forms of corporate consortia, spin off, or digital-districts and so on.

2.      : new developmental strategies for increasing efficiency of co-operations based on the  rationalization of  tele-work management procedures and continuous training models for  overcoming the skill shortage of “knowledge workers”

3.      .re-engineering of collaborative business processes oriented to maximize the production value and quality of products along all the co-operative profit trans-national chains.

                All those phases depend upon deployment and an intensive utilization of information technologies so that the principal need of innovation of knowledge management is based on a radical redesign of work-flows and work-processed organized for continuous education of teams of knowledge Workers

1.2) recommendations and suggestions  for continuous Learning : aiming  to improve a mutual exchange of best practices about the  Knowledge Management paradigm shift it will be useful to develop a “Community WEB Portal” for sharing and learning mutual competencies and skills for all knowledge workers. In this community the Knowledge Workers can learn together how it will be possible  manage knowledge for improving Networking global economy on cognitive research innovation through utilizing  opportunities to form discussion groups and communities of practice to share net-business knowledge.

2.0) Strategic changes in the additional value of intangibles.

2.1) Knowledge Economy innovation and Sustainable Net-business practices.

            In the context of knowledge economy development the proliferation of strategic alliances, partnerships, 'knowledge linkages' and 'virtual organisations' “Digital Districts” etc.. etc..  progressively raise an knowledge society in which “extended enterprises and global firms” are becoming geographically dispersed networks of capabilities and resources. This new challenge need to develop a system of continuous training based on electronic connectivity. As a consequence the ability and competencies of grooving business relationships become key to success opening a large amount of work-opportunities for managers and policy makers that need to be able to develop an “economy of intangibles”. Certainly the production and selling of “tangible goods” in the market has different approaches in economy of the marketing of “intangible assets”. As a matter of facts the principal difference between tangible and intangibles are based on knowledge, and knowledge is experienced, not possessed. Traditional economic models till now do not pay attention in MODELLING AND MEASURING benefits in terms of the additional value of INTANGIBLES in the Knowledge Economy, and this can be considered a reason of the difficulties and crisis in the management the contemporary of NET-ECONOMY. In the context of the old industrial society,  based on market of material goods the  traditional  way intangibles go to market, is when they are converted to a good or service that has financial value.  Knowledge Economy is generating a strategic change because the growing of financial system is becoming more and more based on intangible goods that take no material form or service enterprises exactly because the economy of the future will be based on relationship rather than possession. As a matter of facts, in the “knowledge economy” a vital-business role is given by the capacity of building net working and dynamic business relationships (Net-Business) , by means sharing interactive knowledge, for creating additional value for the co-operative groups of partners, and assuring that profit transactions among participants of the trans-national profit-chain, run efficiently, utilizing not bureaucratic models of reciprocal business contracts and enhancing profits jointly with the capabilities to innovate the human and social capital.

2.2) recommendations and suggestions  for continuous Learning

                Understanding  how intangibles as assets can create value and way the source of value has shifted from tangible to intangible are very important arguments for improving the intellectual employment in the networking economy .In particular the LRE/EGOCreaNET suggests to improve, within a large scale of dissemination to the citizen and to specific target groups of managers and political makers, a “digital literacy ” about  the value of organizational capital (business processes, often combined with -innovative- use of information technology). This endeavour  can be very substantial for improving a continuous learning strategy co-organized in a system global at distance collaborative training, based on a strong relationship .between developmental research and “net-learning strategies”, and thereby this effort can contribute to strengthening European social cohesion, fostering intercultural dialogue for improving an open accessibility on content quality innovation, as well as it will be necessary for  the development of “knowledge society” in a lifelong learning context.