Development and knowledge resources: a conceptual analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this conceptual paper is to provide a typology of governance structures (three were identified) that offers an integrated approach to understanding knowledge as a global resource and facilitates research on the growing competition for knowledge resources between multinational corporations (MNCs) from developing and developed economies in this twenty‐first century. Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyzes and structures the social science research on the importance of knowledge as a resource and the role of MNCs in the knowledge creation and dissemination process. Second, the global debate on globalization, economic inequalities and economic development, the role of the state and international public policy, and the nature of international political economy and collective action was discussed. Third, a typology of three governance structures was introduced. Findings – The paper provides a three‐fold typology of governance structures, exchange, gifts and entitlement, to clarify knowledge as a resource in international business and development research. Social implications – The continuing prominence of MNCs in the context of the up and coming MNCs from the developing world will make the analysis of knowledge as a resource even more fundamental. Originality/value – The integrated approach to the literature of economics, social sciences, anthropology, IB, and the formulation of a typology of governance structures for global knowledge resources MNCs from developed and developing economies are competing for, against a general framework for understanding the nature of knowledge resources and their role in development, especially on how knowledge resources can be created, governed, distributed and exchanged, has not been provided as yet – hence the value of this paper.