Understanding knowledge: the SMS Conference kicks off

Introducing a seminar about "Knowledge & capabilities research: the road ahead" Salvio Vicari, the director of Bocconi's Department of Management, opened the program of the 30th Strategic Managemet Society (SMS) international annual conference.

The meeting has been an appetizer, because this year the conference of the leading strategy scholars society (Rome, 12-15 September) is enriched by four extensions (today in Milan, tomorrow in Venice, Thursday 16 in Naples and Friday 17 in Catania). For the first time in the society's lifespan this year a university (Bocconi) is involved as scientific partner of the conference.

Vicari's speech dealt with the uncertain definition of "knowledge" in a scientific field which very often uses the concept. Vicari compared the cognitivist perpective (which considers knowledge an immaterial good that people can acquire and manage) and the connectivist view, for which knowledge is a process. From the different views derive opposite implications when the scholars investigate how rents can be generated by knowledge, how we can manage and how we can accumulate it.

Many Bocconi scholars will be at the centre of the stage at a conference which can boast 1.109 submitted papers, 461 reviewers, 1.000 delegates: at least 27 Bocconi professors are going to cover different roles, including the presentation of 24 papers.

Five PhD candiadates are going to present six papers, as a confirmation of the quality reached by the young Bocconi PhD School.