The missing coordinates of the sharing economy: Intellectual capital and intergenerational learning

Abstract

and intergenerational learning in the contemporary sharing economy. Prior work: The concept of “intellectual capital” has its roots in the work of Machlup (1962) and was coined by J.K. Galbraith (1969) who used it in order to describe the behavior of using brain and not just knowledge and mere intelligence. Although remarkable signs of progress have been made, this field is still in an embryonic stage of development. Despite the fact that the perspective switched from the organizational to the regional and national intellectual capital, there is no generally accepted framework regarding its components; these become highly important in the context of the sharing economy which manages to connect people, communities and organizations from various continents. Besides, in light of the faster technological progress and the development of smart communities and cities, the knowledge loss generated by the aging population seems to be neglected. Approach: An etic approach is employed which encompasses an external view on meaning associations and real-world events. Results: The results emphasize the link between intergenerational learning and intellectual capital, and highlight their contribution to the development of the sharing economy. Implications: These findings have both theoretical and practical implications; on the one hand, they extend the literature from the knowledge management field by emphasizing the nexus between age diversity and competitiveness in the sharing economy. On the other hand, it may serve as a handbook of policy-decision guidelines; it brings forward how the intergenerational learning programs and practices can be used for increasing the organizational and national intellectual capital. Value: It generates insightful knowledge on how to develop organizational and national intellectual capital through intergenerational learning.