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KNOWLEDGE, MANAGEMENT, AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
Diana Ismailova
Kokshe academy, Kazakhstan, e-mail: idt12@mail.ru
Tomasz Woloviec
Institute for Financial Research and Analyses, University of Information
Technology and Management in Rzeszow, Faculty of Economy, e-mail:
wolowiectomek@gmail.com
Annotation
Managing local government units in the 21
st
century faces new chal-
lenged connected to the conditions of knowledge-based economy. Currently
the greatest approval is gained by the view which states that the ability to
manage knowledge becomes a truly deciding factor for the efficiency of
economic processes. In the conditions of globalisation, free capital flow and
161
dynamic development of the capital market and new financial instruments,
the LGUs are forced to seek new paradigms for finance management, such
as will focus – to a greatest extent than before – on diffusing information
and knowledge, developing competences of key significance for the LGUs,
developing financial knowledge among LGU employees and supporting
organisational learning.
Keywords: Local Government Units, LGUs management, intellectual
capital, financial instruments, local finance.
Introduction
Local governments constantly evolve and undergo dynamic changes.
This stems from the fact that their structure, rights, organisational form and
methods of acting are always the effect of changing macroeconomic and so-
cioeconomic conditions, economic and technical possibilities and many other
factors impacting social behaviour and needs. Managing local government
units in the 21
st
century faces new challenged connected to the conditions of
knowledge-based economy. Currently the greatest approval is gained by the
view which states that the ability to manage knowledge becomes a truly de-
ciding factor for the efficiency of economic processes. In the conditions of
globalisation, free capital flow and dynamic development of the capital mar-
ket and new financial instruments, the LGUs are forced to seek new para-
digms for finance management, such as will focus – to a greatest extent than
before – on diffusing information and knowledge, developing competences of
key significance for the LGUs, developing financial knowledge among LGU
employees and supporting organisational learning.
Knowledge resources management and intellectual capital creation
should be viewed as complementary, mutually dependent and interpermeat-
ing processes. Intellectual capital is the consequence of suitable application
of financial knowledge in practice
1
. On the basis of the above arguments, it
is possible to identify the premises connected with the role of knowledge in
modern LGU management. They include the following determinants:
knowledge is an LGU’s strategic resource, as it is the basis for cre-
ating innovative processes e.g. in the area of finance management;
knowledge is created by people and their competences;
1
See more in: Buckman R. H., Building a knowledge driven organization, McGraw-
Hill Companies Inc., New York 2004, and in: Bush P., Tacit Knowledge in Organ-
izational Learning, IGI Global, London 2008, and Craig L., Moore L., Intellectual
Capital in Enterprise Success: Strategy Revisited, John Wiley & Sons Inc., Hobo-
ken, New Jersey 2008.
162
knowledge is a resource used in every part of an LGU’s function-
ing and at its every level (knowledge is the basis for configuring key in-
vestment processes and for developing key competitive competences);
usually there is not just one kind or category of knowledge; much
more frequently synergically integrated groups of various types of knowl-
edge are created;
the quality, relevance and value of the created knowledge is veri-
fied by the local environment, the community, and the new added value
created by investment for the inhabitants.
1. Intellectual capital as an LGU resource
Currently the subject’s literature takes the stand that the essence of
knowledge management is the practical application of all resources an LGU
has (both financial and organisational) to realise its strategic and develop-
ment goals. However, it must be kept in mind that the processes of locating
and developing knowledge are just a part of the local government’s success.
To talk about permanent benefits resulting from LGU knowledge manage-
ment, the new knowledge must be used in practice. Considering the above,
E. Skrzypek claims that knowledge resources in an organisation are its intel-
lectual assets, a sum of the knowledge of individual employees and their
teams. The resources change continually and form the process of LGU
learning. An interesting view on the issue is presented by G. Urbanek, who
states that intellectual capital constitutes an organisation’s invisible resource
which creates visible effects. Intellectual capital is both knowledge in itself
and the result of its transformation into intangible assets. It can thus be
stated that the key problem is the LGUs’ ability to gain, generate, accumu-
late and effectively use the current and extensive knowledge, foremostly
with the participation of LGU executive and decision-making bodies and
LGU workers. In such a view, the human capital becomes a factor which
contributes directly to building the potential of intellectual capital and is at
the same time its valuable basic element
2
.
It may be said that from the viewpoint of the specific character of
knowledge management in the LGUs the most crucial matter is to recognise
the basic factors responsible for creating the particular components of the
2
See more in: Skrzypek E., Wiedza jako czynnik sukcesu w nowej gospodarce
(Knowledge as Success Factor in New Economy), [in:] E. Skrzypek, A. Sokół (eds.),
Zarządzanie kapitałem ludzkim w gospodarce opartej na wiedzy (HR management in
Knowledge-Based Economy), Knowledge and Innovation Institute, Warszawa 2009,
and in Urbanek G., Pomiar kapitału intelektualnego i aktywów niematerialnych
przedsiębiorstwa (Measuring an Enterprise’s Intellectual Capital and Intangible
Assets), Łódź University Press, Łódź 2007.
163
intellectual capital, and to diagnose the relations between them. Such ap-
proach stems from the fact that the LGUs are not uniform, both with regard
to the administrative level and to financial autonomy or the scope of own
tasks. Thus it must be noticed that in practice there appear various factors
impacting the development of the selected elements of intellectual capital.
They are directly dependent on such conditions as: the LGUs’ geographical
location, their own income structure, financial autonomy or their tangible
and intangible assets. An equally important role belongs here to the entre-
preneurship of inhabitants and management innovativeness, and finally also
the quality of public services, which derives from the inhabitants’ expecta-
tions and their activity.
When making research on local governments, it must be noted that the
dynamic increase of the LGUs’ investment expenditure and ever more inten-
sive search for alternative sources of financing investments and further devel-
opment perspectives make knowledge – understood as intellectual capital – to
the priority of local government targets and a marker of LGU competitive-
ness. The above findings bring us closer to structuralising the concept of
knowledge management and recognising the conditions for the processes of
creating intellectual capital in the LGUs. Research conducted in 2003-2004
by B. Kożuch
3
showed that local government employees appreciate active and
passive forms of training in knowledge and vocational skills development. In
nearly half of the examined units a training policy was functioning, and the
training system took into account: training planning, training needs assess-
ment, training implementation and training process effectiveness assessment.
The opinions on the actual situation proved the need for far-reaching changes
in human resources management in public organisations. None of the exam-
ined organisations claimed to have a training system consistent with the train-
ing policy aims or principles. In the examined units there was no comprehen-
sive, fully realised training policy, either
4
.
2. Knowledge and effective use of LGU financial potential
Considering on the one hand the presented significance of knowledge
in the process of effective management and use of LGU potential, the
change evolution directions in the whole public finance sector, the role of
3
Kożuch B., Zarządzanie organizacjami publicznymi w warunkach transformacji
systemowej (Managing Public Organisations in System Transformation), research
project of the State Committee for Scientific Research-Ministry of Scientific Re-
search and Information Technology 2003-2004 nr 2H02D 05924.
4
Kożuch B., Zarządzanie publiczne w teorii i praktyce polskich organizacji (Public
Management in the Theory and Practice of Polish Organisations), Placet, Warszawa
2004, pp. 146-147.
164
the capital market and various financial instruments in LGU management
process, and on the other the traditional view on the LGUs as a kind of
“public tasks administrators”, and adding to that the level of knowledge of
graduates and young employees of the LGUs’ financial departments, the
following conclusions may be drawn:
Firstly: The changes occurring in the whole public finance sector, the
effect of the adopted strategy of reducing the public debt and budget deficit,
will cause the assumed debt to grow – in relation to the LGUs (and their asso-
ciations), while the pace in which it grows will diminish, in consequence of
the decreasing deficit of this group of units. The LGUs’ loan needs will stem
from investment expenditure, mostly for infrastructure projects, including
those co-financed with means from EU funds. Similarly to the previous years,
the most debt will be generated by cities with district rights and communes.
According to the forecast of the Ministry of Finance, the dominating instru-
ment in financing the LGUs’ loan needs will still be credits obtained from
commercial banks in the Polish market. Also the debt from communal bonds
will grow, particularly those issued by large local government units. The rule
of the LGUs’ balanced current budget, in force since the beginning of 2011,
will influence the scale of new liabilities that are incurred. The LGUs may
incur liabilities until 2013 on the principles defined in the act of 30th June
2005 on public finance. The rules of incurring liabilities defined in the act of
27th August 2009 on public finance, aimed to counteract the LGUs incurring
excessive debt, enter into force in 2014.
Secondly: In a real view, considering e.g. inflation, the real income of
local government units seems to be stable, and in some cases even to de-
crease. There are several causes of that: income structure unfavourable for
local government units, too low means – in relation to needs – granted to
local government units from the state budget, high bank credit rate. Another
factor which is unfavourable for the state of public finance is the shifting of
ever more tasks and obligations to the local government level without a
suitable income increase.
Thirdly: The presented restrictions on the freedom of local govern-
ment units to incur liabilities, in connection with the need to treat the LGUs
as active market entities and at the same time as participants of the capital
market are confirmed by new issues of communal bonds, performed even
by medium-sized and small communes. By the end of the 3rd quarter of
2010, 418 Polish local governments had issued bonds. Many of them issued
the bonds several times, which gives a true view to the size of the bonds
market in Poland. In the 1st quarter of 2011, the value of the communal
bonds market reached the level of 11.47 milliard PLN. In a year-to-year
165
view, the value of this segment grew by 61.9%. During the last quarter, its
value has risen by another 5.7%.
Financial knowledge is an important factor of LGU functioning and
development in the conditions of world economy globalization, necessary
reforms and suggested changes in the functioning of the whole public
finance sector. It is also the ability to manage financial processes at a local
government unit level in the conditions of limited freedom of debt man-
agement and reaching for investment means from European funds. Consi-
dering the progressing reforms of the public finance system in Poland and
the resulting legal consequences for LGU financial management, and on the
other hand taking into account the development of the financial services’
market addressed to local governments, the quality of employees and their
knowledge in modern and dynamic local finance management gain a new
dimension. The LGUs seek knowledge, specialist training, and often togeth-
er with universities realise various projects – financed with EU means –
concerning training, consultancy and implementation. The LGUs have the
financial means for education and training, as proved both by the provisions
of budget resolutions and by reports from realising the budgets. On the oth-
er hand, financial education based on a modern understanding of financial
management must be stimulated, with consideration for the new challenges
in economy and finance after the subprime crisis, as well as for the theoreti-
cal requirements and practical concepts of New Public Management.
Conclusion
A crucial instrument of building financial knowledge in the LGUs is a
dedicated offer of comprehensive tools which allow to create overall LGU
financial strategies based of the determinants of their construction, financial
strategies’ creation procedure, as well as financial decision models which
will form the basis for strategic solutions. An integral element of educa-
tional and consultancy programmes is the need to present the whole deci-
sion-making process within the adopted income and expenditure account
related to both short- and long-term task performance. Local governments
should have the areas where general strategy elements are connected with
the financial strategy indicated to them, together with the significance of
those connections for LGU budget management.
An important area of implementing financial knowledge in the LGUs is
also offering insurance tools as a method to manage risk in local government
activity, including financial risk. Implementing this product should cover is-
sues related to the possibilities of limiting risk in local government activity
using insurance methods. In effect, training packages should include a review
of the classification of types of insurance useful and applied in local govern-
ment units’ activity, considering the aspects in which insurance companies’
166
offers should be analysed. Finally, the offer of each insurance product should
hold an assessment of insurance conditions, ways to compare them and crite-
ria allowing to optimise the choice of the insurance offer.
An area of knowledge which is commonly seen by the LGUs as con-
troversial and dubious is ordering the performance of the LGUs’ own tasks
to communal limited liability companies and joint-stock companies, without
applying the public procurement law
5
. The problem here are the issues of a
possible recapitalisation of such companies as a form of payment for the
performed public tasks, i.e. raising the share capital through additional con-
tributions. The LGUs expect precise solutions standardising the issues of
potential problems with such subsidisation of the companies’ activity,
which in the case of raising the share capital may result from the guarantee
function of the share capital expressed in the rule that company liabilities
should not be paid from the amount equal to the capital amount. Moreover,
raising the capital and potential subsidies should be viewed from the per-
spective of their admissibility according to provisions on public aid
6
. Impor-
tant is also the issue whether in the case of the communal company “intrin-
sically” performing the commune’s tasks, a sale takes place as understood
by the act on value added tax
7
, which should be considered for instance due
to the fact that the right to deduct that tax, included in the goods and ser-
vices purchased by the company, is problematic in such a situation.
An area of both consulting and training equally desired in LGU activ-
ity is knowledge on the possibilities to use sale-and-lease-back of commu-
nal property in practice. This form of leasing provides an interesting alterna-
tive for such financing forms as for instance credits. This is the only instru-
ment in the market characterised by a division of investment risk between
the lessor and the customer, because for example such a loan does not need
to be settled as a whole, as in the case of a credit. The local government
may pay e.g. 70% of the liabilities to the bank, and the rest is treated as the
lessor’s risk. It seems that this should be an interesting product for all com-
munes which do not wish to raise their debt ratios. However, the use of this
option by local governments in Poland is very difficult and risky, as there
are no suitable legal acts to sufficiently standardise these instruments. The
act on property management
8
is very unclear in this matter. Inconsistent is
5
Act of 29
th
January 2004, Public Procurement Law, Dz.U. 2010, No. 113, item 759.
6
Act of 30
th
April 2004 on proceeding in cases concerning public aid,
Dz.U. 2010,
No. 18, item 99
.
7
Act of 11
th
March 2004 on value added tax, Dz.U. 2011, No. 177, item 1054.
8
Act of 21
st
August 1997 on property management, Dz.U. 2010, No. 102, item 651.
167
also the judicature of the Regional Chambers of Accounts. In effect, local
governments have to be very careful when using sale-and-lease-back.
In the situation when the environment constantly changes, there is no
stabilisation and uncertainty grows, the LGUs expect solutions based on
changing from current to predictive approach, and a development of effec-
tive rapid reaction methods to create their development and perform own
tasks in a stable manner. The LGUs require knowledge on strategic plan-
ning and financial strategy creation and modelling. The finance manage-
ment strategy in local government units is determined by a system of basic,
medium- and long-term principles, rules and instruments used to gain and
expend money to meet the needs of the local or regional community. The
LGUs want solutions which would enable them to implement comprehen-
sive financial strategies (aggressive, balanced or conservative, as needed).
Financing the activity of local government units may be subject to various
strategies. The strategies may at the same time be modified in order to in-
crease finance management effectiveness in local government units and
properly meet the needs of the local community.
A knowledge area connected with LGU financial strategies is the issue
of shaping the tax policy at the local (communal only) level, considering the
usefulness and effectiveness of applying reductions and exemptions in local
fees and taxes. Quite frequently, communes give in to the political pressure
of the local community and introduce various tax preferences which have a
very limited impact on economic and social phenomena. Communes expect
comprehensive research on the non-fiscal effectiveness of the preference
system in local taxes and on a competent construction of medium- and long-
term tax strategies (correlated with the financial strategy).
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