Peyman Akhavan

Bio: Peyman Akhavan is an academic researcher from Malek-Ashtar University of Technology. The author has contributed to research in topics: Personal knowledge management & Organizational learning. The author has an hindex of 31, co-authored 185 publications receiving 3154 citations. Previous affiliations of Peyman Akhavan include Iran University of Science and Technology & K.N.Toosi University of Technology.

Critical Success Factors of Knowledge Management Systems: A Multi-Case Analysis

Abstract: Purpose: To date, critical success factors for design and implementing knowledge management system in a multi-case study research have not been systematically investigated Most of existing studies have derived their critical success factors from single company perspectives and have not considered all factors in an integrated way in a multi-case study research This paper is aimed to bridge this gapDesign/methodology/approach: A qualitative case study technique has been used in this paper for data collection to gain insights into the topic being investigated For that, 'grounded theory' research approach has been selected by which the collected data from real case studies (successful organizations in KM adoption) are categorized and analyzed through specific stages The extracted concepts can demonstrate critical success factors of knowledge management system within organizationsFindings: The overall results from the real case studies were positive, thus reflecting the appropriateness of the proposed critical success factors Also 16 concepts and a conceptual framework are the other findings of this research that clarify how to design and implement a knowledge management system in an organization The conceptual framework presents a road map for success of KM programs in the organizations Practical implications: The set of critical success factors can act as a list of items for organizations to address when adopting knowledge management This helps to ensure that the essential issues and factors are covered during design and implementation phase For academics, it provides a common language for them to discuss and study the factors crucial for the success of knowledge management program in an organizationOriginality/value: This study is probably the first to provide an integrated perspective of critical success factors for implementing KM through a multi-case study research It gives valuable information and guidelines which hopefully will help the leaders to accomplish knowledge management through their organizations in an effective way

Critical success factors of knowledge management systems: a multi‐case analysis

Abstract: Purpose – To date, critical success factors for design and implementing knowledge management (KM) system in a multi‐case study research have not been systematically investigated. Most of existing studies have derived their critical success factors from single company perspectives and have not considered all factors in an integrated way in a multi case study research. This paper is aimed to bridge this gap.Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative case study technique has been used in this paper for data collection to gain insights into the topic being investigated. For that, “grounded theory” research approach has been selected by which the collected data from real case studies (successful organizations in KM adoption) are categorized and analyzed through specific stages. The extracted concepts can demonstrate critical success factors of KM system within organizations.Findings – The overall results from the real case studies were positive, thus reflecting the appropriateness of the proposed critical suc...

E-Readiness Assessment of Non-Profit ICT SMEs in a Developing Country: The Case of Iran

Abstract: We are experiencing a new kind of commerce in the recent era, known as e-commerce, which considers Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as the main enabler of commerce. Considering Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as micro elements of society and part of macro economy, ICT becomes crucial for e-commerce companies to attain sustainable competitiveness. Towards this, organizations must re-evaluate every aspect of their strategies and quickly adapt their working models to incorporate e-commerce as an essential factor for their success.SMEs are critical to the economies of all countries, and specially the developing ones. They cannot be left behind and many of them are already demonstrating their entrepreneurship strength by grasping the opportunities offered by ICT.E-readiness assessment is an evaluation tool that can be used for measuring the diffusion rate of ICT. However, critical issues for e-readiness assessment of SMEs have not been systematically investigated for developing countries. Some existing studies have derived their critical factors from macro perspectives at country level and have not considered the important factors at micro level for SMEs in an integrated way this paper aims to bridge this gap.This research paper first reviews the e-readiness assessment models proposed for countries at macro scale and then identifies the critical factors for SMEs e-readiness assessment. This is achieved through factor analysis at the micro perspective of some Iranian non-profit ICT SMEs. The extracted factors are organizational features, ICT infrastructures, ICT availability and security and legal environment.This study is probably the first to provide a perspective of critical issues for e-readiness assessment in SMEs based on macro models in a developing country. It gives valuable insight and guidelines which hopefully will help the managers in developing countries to consider the critical issues for e-readiness assessment of their organization in an effective way.

Major trends in knowledge management research: a bibliometric study

Abstract: This study provides an overview of the knowledge management literature from 1980 through 2014. We employ bibliometric and text mining analyses on a sample of 500 most cited articles to examine the impact of factors such as number of authors, references, pages, and keywords on the number of citations that they received. We also investigate major trends in knowledge management literature including the contribution of different countries, variations across publication years, and identifying active research areas and major journal outlets. Our study serves as a resource for future studies by shedding light on how trends in knowledge management research have evolved over time and demonstrating the characteristics of the most cited articles in this literature. Specifically, our results reveal that the most cited articles are from United States and United Kingdom. The most prolific year in terms of the number of published articles is 2009 and in terms of the number of citations is 2012. We also found a positive relationship between the number of publications' keywords, references, and pages and the number of citations that they have received. Finally, the Journal of Knowledge Management has the largest share in publishing the most cited articles in this field.

The knowledge-creating company : how Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation

Abstract: How has Japan become a major economic power, a world leader in the automotive and electronics industries? What is the secret of their success? The consensus has been that, though the Japanese are not particularly innovative, they are exceptionally skilful at imitation, at improving products that already exist. But now two leading Japanese business experts, Ikujiro Nonaka and Hiro Takeuchi, turn this conventional wisdom on its head: Japanese firms are successful, they contend, precisely because they are innovative, because they create new knowledge and use it to produce successful products and technologies. Examining case studies drawn from such firms as Honda, Canon, Matsushita, NEC, 3M, GE, and the U.S. Marines, this book reveals how Japanese companies translate tacit to explicit knowledge and use it to produce new processes, products, and services.

The knowledge-creating company

Abstract: How have Japanese companies become world leaders in the automotive and electronics industries, among others? What is the secret of their success? Two leading Japanese business experts, Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi, are the first to tie the success of Japanese companies to their ability to create new knowledge and use it to produce successful products and technologies. In The Knowledge-Creating Company, Nonaka and Takeuchi provide an inside look at how Japanese companies go about creating this new knowledge organizationally. The authors point out that there are two types of knowledge: explicit knowledge, contained in manuals and procedures, and tacit knowledge, learned only by experience, and communicated only indirectly, through metaphor and analogy. U.S. managers focus on explicit knowledge. The Japanese, on the other hand, focus on tacit knowledge. And this, the authors argue, is the key to their success--the Japanese have learned how to transform tacit into explicit knowledge. To explain how this is done--and illuminate Japanese business practices as they do so--the authors range from Greek philosophy to Zen Buddhism, from classical economists to modern management gurus, illustrating the theory of organizational knowledge creation with case studies drawn from such firms as Honda, Canon, Matsushita, NEC, Nissan, 3M, GE, and even the U.S. Marines. For instance, using Matsushita's development of the Home Bakery (the world's first fully automated bread-baking machine for home use), they show how tacit knowledge can be converted to explicit knowledge: when the designers couldn't perfect the dough kneading mechanism, a software programmer apprenticed herself withthe master baker at Osaka International Hotel, gained a tacit understanding of kneading, and then conveyed this information to the engineers. In addition, the authors show that, to create knowledge, the best management style is neither top-down nor bottom-up, but rather what they call "middle-up-down," in which the middle managers form a bridge between the ideals of top management and the chaotic realities of the frontline. As we make the turn into the 21st century, a new society is emerging. Peter Drucker calls it the "knowledge society," one that is drastically different from the "industrial society," and one in which acquiring and applying knowledge will become key competitive factors. Nonaka and Takeuchi go a step further, arguing that creating knowledge will become the key to sustaining a competitive advantage in the future. Because the competitive environment and customer preferences changes constantly, knowledge perishes quickly. With The Knowledge-Creating Company, managers have at their fingertips years of insight from Japanese firms that reveal how to create knowledge continuously, and how to exploit it to make successful new products, services, and systems.