In an age where knowledge and innovation intersect more profoundly than ever, the contemporary knowledge economy is evolving beyond digital transformation alone.
Despite the potential impact of digital technologies on knowledge and innovation creation, over the last decade literature expressed several concerns related to the risk of underrating the role of human component, and of human-technology interactions, as a key lever for the transformation of digitalized business practices and strategies into innovation opportunities (Visvizi et al., 2022). In this complex process of exploitation of the innovation opportunities entailed by the adoption of technology, knowledge can act both as an accelerator and an intermediary in the relationship between technology and innovation (Khan et al., 2025).
Following the conceptual trace depicted by recent managerial and social contributions, researchers and practitioners are increasingly interested in understanding how the negative aspects of digital transformation can be reduced through cognitive dimensions, information alignment and knowledge-based resources (Papa et al., 2020) by trying to deal with the new challenges that digital technology can pose to human creativity (Corvello, 2025).
The most recent advancements in knowledge management studies reveal that to strengthen the reciprocal connection between knowledge and innovation, the role of human variable and the fulfilment of social needs should be considered (Del Giudice et al., 2023; Corvello, 2025). The integration of technology with human resources (soft skills, dynamic capabilities, empathy, etc.) and social dimension (collaboration and co-creation of solutions with the inclusion of external stakeholders) can give birth not only technological and process innovation but also business model innovation and open innovation (Troisi et al., 2024). In this view, knowledge acquisition and sharing within a technological ecosystem can help solve environmental dynamics and address disruption by allowing the extraction of new value from information and data analysis, which can be turned into innovation by leveraging on human skills and capabilities (Corvello et al., 2022; Grimaldi et al., 2025).
The balance of economic, technological and social outcomes and the subsequent centrality of human capital and knowledge in the development innovation have been emphasized in Society 5.0 (CSTI, 2016) paradigm, from which this Special Issue has drawn its theoretical foundations.
Starting from Society 5.0 and arriving at the emerging paradigm of Society 6.0, centered on empathy and inclusion, this Special Issue can provide evolutionary perspectives of analysis on the relationship between humanity and technology by exploring the role of emotions and knowledge as drivers that can accelerate innovation and make it sustainable (Corvello et al., 2024) while satisfying social needs.
Based on these premises and building upon the tradition of this journal to link theory and practice, the Special Issue delves into the mechanisms through which innovation orientation, digital accountability, open collaboration, emotional intelligence, microfoundations of dynamic capabilities and technology-enhanced learning collectively shape the next generation of knowledge organizations. The global economy continues its transition toward Society 5.0, where human well-being and technological advancement must co-evolve, and these studies provide valuable perspectives on how knowledge practices can sustain innovation, resilience and ethical responsibility.
Key contributions
This Special Issue of the Journal of Knowledge Management brings together six scholarly contributions that collectively reimagine the multidimensional nature of innovation in a knowledge-driven society. Each article examines how organizations, individuals and learning environments navigate the intersections between technology, knowledge and human creativity in an era of uncertainty.
The Special Issue opens with the contribution by Asha Thomas, “Capturing innovation orientation in knowledge workers: development and validation of a measurement scale.” This study provides a rigorous methodological advancement by operationalizing innovation orientation as a measurable construct among knowledge workers. The paper offers a validated framework for assessing innovation potential, a tool for both academics and practitioners aiming to cultivate innovation-driven cultures.
Next, Gennaro Maione ’s article, “Unpacking the knowledge dimensions of digital innovation: implications for accountability in public and private sectors during extraordinary times,” offers a timely reflection on governance and transparency in digital transformation. Drawing on recent global disruptions, Maione argues that accountability frameworks must evolve alongside technological innovation. His insights highlight that digital knowledge ecosystems require not only technical robustness but also ethical clarity.
In “Fostering open innovation in SMEs: the crucial role of high-performance working systems and the mediating influence of innovative work behaviour,” Elona Çera investigates the organizational enablers that empower small and medium-sized enterprises to participate actively in open innovation networks. By integrating human resource practices and knowledge-sharing behaviors, the paper demonstrates how high-performance systems can transform individual creativity into collective innovation capabilities, particularly crucial for SMEs facing resource constraints.
Dafna Kariv ’s article, “Emotional resources and knowledge management: a gender perspective on human-centric innovation amidst crises,” adds a humanistic dimension to this collection. Drawing from gendered experiences of leadership and knowledge sharing during crises, Kariv articulates how emotional resources act as strategic assets in sustaining innovation.
The fifth paper, “Unveiling knowledge practices and microfoundations of knowledge-based dynamic capabilities for digital transformation in SMEs through industry-university perspective,” by Ivano De Turi, takes a systemic view of digital transformation. It presents a model where inter-organizational collaboration, particularly between academia and industry, serves as the bedrock for dynamic capabilities.
Complementing this systemic lens, Rosaria Lagrutta’s “Technology-enhanced learning spaces: shaping innovation in Society 5.0” expands the discussion toward education and societal transformation. This work envisions learning environments where technology amplifies creativity, inclusiveness and human development.
Future research directions
Taken together, the papers in this Special Issue converge on a shared insight: innovation in the knowledge era cannot be decoupled from the human values and emotional intelligence that sustain it. Knowledge is not merely data or information, it is a living, relational process that evolves through empathy, accountability and collective learning.
The contributions also point at the growing importance of cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration. Whether it is the co-creation between universities and SMEs, the integration of emotional resources in leadership or the design of inclusive digital learning environments, the path forward requires systemic openness and reflexivity. As organizations and societies confront challenges such as digital inequality, environmental crises and ethical complexity, these papers remind us that innovation must remain fundamentally human.
Overall, the six papers identify some potential paths for future research at the intersection of knowledge management and innovation management. Several recurring themes emerge that underline the urgency to revise the techno-centric approach to digital transformation to broaden the perspective in favor of social and human dimensions. From governance to open innovation and human resources management, the contributions advance new conceptualization and empirical evidence that help pinpoint the new models that should be applied in business, management and organizations to address the challenges of digitalization and turn these into opportunities for women.
Several implications for open innovation emerge too. Dynamic capabilities can foster collaboration between research, academia and industry to properly activate knowledge-based innovation. In addition, the identification of digital innovation barriers can help managers of public and private companies understand that the integration of knowledge should start from business culture and orientation to embed learning practices and human resources management by improving transparency and stakeholder engagement at the same time.
By mapping the different kinds of emotional capabilities and skills needed to pursue opportunities innovation, managers can more easily identify the human resources and knowledge management practices required for the development of a digital and sustainable innovation. In this way, the Special Issue can set the premises for the future conceptualization of a framework based on co-evolutionary path deriving from the synergy of human and technology.
With the growing impact of new emerging technologies, such as for instance generative artificial intelligence, companies should constantly seek to manage the disruption that will continuously change, over the next years, economic, social and cultural scenario. For this reason, the Special Issue can open up suggestions and insights on the most proper strategies and practices to attain antifragility and adaptive innovation to tackle the different potential unpredictable phenomena that can arise. However, the discussion is not exhaustive and these complex and multi-dimensional topics, together with the advent of the most recent 6.0 paradigm, should be further explored in future studies, potentially by starting from the research directions herein outlined.
Acknowledgements
The authors extend our appreciation to all contributing authors, as well as to the reviewers whose feedback strengthened each contribution. Special thanks are due to the Journal of Knowledge Management and to the Editor In Chief, Prof. Manlio Del Giudice, for his support. The authors hope this Special Issue inspires further inquiry, collaboration and dialogue on how knowledge can be harnessed ethically and inclusively to advance innovation in Society 5.0.
