Relational knowledge leadership and local economic development

Abstract

This paper concerns the role of spatial leadership in the development of the knowledge-based economy. It is argued within academic and practitioner circles that leadership of knowledge networks requires a particular non-hierarchical style that is required to establish an ambience conducive to networking and knowledge sharing across boundaries. In this paper, we explore this hypothesis at both theoretical and empirical levels. Theoretically, we propose a conceptualization of relational knowledge leadership, which is 'nomadic' in its capacity to travel across multiple scales and cross sectoral, thematic and geographical boundaries. We have operationalized this type of relational knowledge leadership along four key features, derived from literatures on regional learning, organizational leadership and place leadership. Two empirical case studies are then presented, one from Birmingham in the UK and one from Eindhoven in the Netherlands, exploring how these features are expressed on the sub-national level. Also conclusions are drawn regarding the status of relational knowledge leadership. It is argued that the concept of relational knowledge leadership as viewed through our analytical lens does accord with the experience of leadership in the two cases presented. The cases also show that this style of leadership is confronted with three types of tensions that play through knowledge networking. Furthermore, it is argued that the cases exhibit this style of leadership to different degrees, reflecting their different cultural and political contexts.

The role of leadership in place-based development and building institutional arrangements

“…There has been something of a ‘spatial turn’ in leadership research, with a focus particularly upon sub-national levels, and this research has added to our understanding of the relationship between leadership, knowledge and spatial economic development ( Horlings et al., 2017 ). Place leadership on the sub-national level can be seen as the ‘missing link’ in our understanding of how to enable place-based development and local economies ( Beer, 2014 ).…”

Facilitating spaces for place-based leadership in centralized governance systems: the case of Newcastle City Futures

“…Correspondingly, PBL can involve the deployment of different forms of power, deriving from: official position (institutional power); control over funds or other rewards (resource power); the ability to articulate visions for change shared by others (interpretive power); or personal social capital (network power) (Sotarauta, 2016a). Because the prospective actors are from various institutional domains, this mode of leadership is also relational in that it requires interaction across boundaries of various types (e.g., organizational/sectoral, professional/disciplinary, territorial/administrative) (Gibney, Copeland, & Murie, 2009;Horlings, Collinge, & Gibney, 2017). As Nicholds, Gibney, Mabey, and Hart (2017) argue, PBL entails a 'complex, large-scale social and economic co-production of activity comprising a range of power and resourcerelated, community and personal agendas and negotiations across organizations, disciplines and professions' (p. 251).…”

“…The co-produced mode of PBL has been associated with the transition of cities and regions to competing in a knowledge-based economy (Gibney et al, 2009;Horlings et al, 2017;Sotarauta, 2016a). For Gibney et al (2009, p. 10) a 'strategic leadership of place' is needed to respond to the demands of this new economy and its social implications.…”

Connecting resourcefulness and social innovation: exploring conditions and processes in community gardens in the Netherlands

“…In this sense, knowledge is relational, or fluidly constructed through place-based social relations (Horlings, Collinge, and Gibney 2017). Exchanging knowledge across disciplines in a non-hierarchical manner is expected to foster creativity in social innovations (Horlings, Collinge, and Gibney 2017).…”

“…In this sense, knowledge is relational, or fluidly constructed through place-based social relations (Horlings, Collinge, and Gibney 2017). Exchanging knowledge across disciplines in a non-hierarchical manner is expected to foster creativity in social innovations (Horlings, Collinge, and Gibney 2017). Local knowledge, a key component of resourcefulness is also expected to take centre stage in social innovations, which can function as a "site of social learning" (Baker and Mehmood 2015, 327).…”