Showing papers in "Journal of Knowledge Management in 2003"

Motivation and barriers to participation in virtual knowledge‐sharing communities of practice

Abstract: This paper reports the results of a qualitative study of motivation and barriers to employee participation in virtual knowledge‐sharing communities of practice at Caterpillar Inc., a Fortune 100, multinational corporation. The study indicates that, when employees view knowledge as a public good belonging to the whole organization, knowledge flows easily. However, even when individuals give the highest priority to the interests of the organization and of their community, they tend to shy away from contributing knowledge for a variety of reasons. Specifically, employees hesitate to contribute out of fear of criticism, or of misleading the community members (not being sure that their contributions are important, or completely accurate, or relevant to a specific discussion). To remove the identified barriers, there is a need for developing various types of trust, ranging from the knowledge‐based to the institution‐based trust. Future research directions and implications for KM practitioners are formulated.

Knowledge‐enabled customer relationship management: integrating customer relationship management and knowledge management concepts[1]

Abstract: The concepts of customer relationship management (CRM) and knowledge management (KM) both focus on allocating resources to supportive business activities in order to gain competitive advantages. CRM focuses on managing the relationship between a company and its current and prospective customer base as a key to success, while KM recognizes the knowledge available to a company as a major success factor. From a business process manager’s perspective both the CRM and KM approaches promise a positive impact on cost structures and revenue streams in return for the allocation of resources. However, investments in CRM and KM projects are not without risk, as demonstrated by many failed projects. In this paper we show that the benefit of using CRM and KM can be enhanced and the risk of failure reduced by integrating both approaches into a customer knowledge management (CKM) model. In this regard, managing relationships requires managing customer knowledge – knowledge about as well as from and for customers. In CKM, KM plays the role of a service provider, managing the four knowledge aspects: content, competence, collaboration and composition. Our findings are based on a literature analysis and six years of action research, supplemented by case studies and surveys.

Reviewing the knowledge management literature: towards a taxonomy

Abstract: Academic and practitioner interpretations of knowledge management are captured through a comprehensive taxonomy of knowledge models. How knowledge is absorbed raises the question as to whether focus should be placed on knowledge transfer or knowledge management. It is concluded that the contextual demands for knowledge application dictate which pathway to pursue.

Developing a measure of knowledge management behaviors and practices

Abstract: Knowledge management has recently emerged as a new discipline and is generating considerable interest among academics and managers. Given its newness, there is still little guidance in the extant literature on how to measure knowledge management. This paper presents the first scale developed to measure knowledge management behaviors and practices and in so doing provides construct boundaries that should enable the development of a theory of knowledge management (Zaltman et al., 1973).

The connection between trust and knowledge management: what are its implications for team performance

Abstract: The latest buzzwords in organizational change and development literature are “knowledge management” and “knowledge transfer”, which proponents claim are successful ways of improving and enhancing employees’ performance. Moreover, trust and the ability of employees to work in an autonomous manner are often cited as being essential for the effectiveness of self‐managed teams. Little however, is known on the effect of interpersonal trust on knowledge management (acquisition) of team members, and the consequences for team performance. A survey of 49 self‐managing teams was carried out to investigate the relationship between the dimensions of interpersonal trust, knowledge acquisition, and team performance. Overall, findings support that most interpersonal trust dimensions are positively related to the variables of knowledge acquisition. The results also showed that the effects of interpersonal trust on team performance to a large extent are mediated by the intervening variables of knowledge acquisition.

Knowledge management systems and developing sustainable competitive advantage

Abstract: Recent literature in the strategic management field suggests that firms must learn to re‐bundle internal competencies and resources in order to maintain competitive advantages over time. Utilizing the resource‐based view of the firm and dynamic capabilities perspectives, this paper examines the roles that absorptive and transformative capacity play in organizational innovation, with specific emphasis placed on the role and effectiveness of knowledge management systems as a determinant of innovation practices.

An empirical analysis of knowledge management applications

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to improve the understanding and inter‐relationship of both the people and technical aspects of knowledge management. Studies in knowledge management indicate that there can be an over‐emphasis on technology to the exclusion of adequate people/quality planning, or, strong people/quality programmes from a knowledge perspective, hindered by inadequate enabling technologies. Understanding of these issues in practice and academia is currently hindered by a paucity of systematic empirical research, addressing the relationship between the cultural and technological aspects of knowledge management. A survey questionnaire was constructed and tested via a pilot phase. The questionnaire was then distributed to over 1,000 organizations, across three industrial sectors. The findings indicate that a strong relationship exists between KM and other organizational factors, namely organizational culture and internal technical culture. Further analysis of these elements revealed that factors internal to the organization are impinged upon by macro‐environmental elements.

Knowledge Management and the Occasional Links with Performance

Abstract: This paper argues that current research into knowledge management fails to recognize and offer a detailed understanding about the role of knowledge in improving firm performance. Instead of focusing, exclusively, on the nature and attributes of knowledge, and the management of learning, research should also direct attention to the factors that enable knowledge to contribute to performance. To aid in this, this paper suggests that the concept of knowledge management is divided into three instances; development, utilization and capitalization, based on the assumption that knowledge is not always utilized, and that utilized knowledge does not always result in improved performance. The paper also identifies challenges and solutions in relation to each of the instances. Empirical findings are based on empirical study of three knowledge ventures within a European manufacturing MNC.

Why Nonaka highlights tacit knowledge: a critical review

Abstract: To better understand Nonaka’s SECI model of knowledge creation and its constraints, we revisit the fundamental points of tacit knowledge in the model and provide a critical review on the role of tacit knowledge in business organization. First, the “tacitness” of knowledge is broken down into two parts: implicitness and real tacitness. We argue that the tacit dimension of knowledge in the context of the model is different from that in Polanyi’s original context; it actually includes considerable “implicitness” idiosyncratic in Japanese context. The separation of implicitness from real tacitness suggests carefully considering the potentialities of “unveiling” the secrets of tacit knowledge in different contexts. Second, considering most cases for the model mainly came from certain Japanese manufacturing companies that more or less relates to assemble lines, it is necessary to be cautious when the model is extended for a broader application.

Knowledge management and organizational competitiveness: a framework for human capital analysis

Abstract: Knowledge management literature highlights the fact that, in the new economy, the achievement of a sustained competitive advantage depends on firm’s capacity to develop and deploy its knowledge‐based resources. However, not all resources are equally important for the achievement of this competitive edge. In this sense, this paper proposes an integrative framework for the analysis of human capital combining the advances from three different areas of research: knowledge management, intellectual capital, and strategic human resource management. Juxtaposing two dimensions – value and uniqueness – it analyzes the different forms of firm’s human capital. These are the following: idiosyncratic, ancillary, core and compulsory. Furthermore different human resources practices that should be used to manage such specific forms of human capital are described.

Knowledge creation and its place in the development of sustainable competitive advantage

Abstract: Organizations operate in all areas through people and it is their contribution which determines success and it is their skills and knowledge which need to be cultivated and then leveraged to create competitive advantage. Sustainability of this competitive advantage comes from the development of tightly coordinated and complementary activities and directed towards producing a strategy of differentiation and making a unique offering to customers. A consistency in strategic direction is essential and this will necessitate the exercise of choice to develop a unique strategy. The development of sustainable competitive advantage is a vital management function and an important requirement is the nurturing of a knowledge creating environment to enable the organization to exploit and develop resources better than rivals and create sufficient knowledge to address the industry’s future success factors.

Implementing process-oriented knowledge management strategies

Abstract: Despite growing interest about a strategic perspective on knowledge management (KM), there is still a lack of a procedure and methods to guide the implementation of KM strategies. In this paper, we review the current state of practice of KM initiatives and identify four scenarios for potentially successful KM initiatives. The majority of organizations can be described as being a knowledge management starter. In order to improve these KM initiatives and link them to business strategy, we suggest a process‐oriented knowledge management approach as a step to bridge the gap between human‐ and technology‐oriented KM. This approach is outlined with the help of the four levels of intervention: (1) strategy, (2) KM organization and processes, (3) topics/content, and (4) instruments/systems. The definition and implementation of a process‐oriented KM strategy in a large transaction bank will serve as an example to illustrate the application of our approach.

Enabling knowledge creation: learning from an R&D organization

Abstract: The ability to create knowledge and diffuse it throughout an organization is today recognized as a major strategic capability for gaining competitive advantage. Scholars and managers have shown an increasing interest in understanding and managing organizational knowledge. Despite this, there are few examples in the literature that bridge the gap between knowledge and knowledge application. This article develops a knowledge management initiative which facilitates knowledge creation and sharing beyond project boundaries, based on exploratory research at pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. The results indicate that, by allowing the emergence of knowledge facilitators, practical knowledge for action is produced and shared. The article explores the dynamic and relational nature of knowledge when managing knowledge, it then develops actionable tools for lateral knowledge creation and knowledge transfer, and concludes with implications for managers using the tools.

Building the knowledge map: an industrial case study

Abstract: Recently, research interest in knowledge management has grown rapidly. Much research on knowledge management is conducted in academic and industrial communities. Utilizing knowledge accumulated in an organization can be a strategic weapon to acquire a competitive advantage. Capturing and representing knowledge is critical in knowledge management. This paper proposes a practical methodology to capture and represent organizational knowledge. The methodology uses a knowledge map as a tool to represent knowledge. We explore several techniques of knowledge representation and suggest a roadmap with concrete procedures to build the knowledge map. A case study in a manufacturing company is provided.

Perceptions of knowledge management: a qualitative analysis

Abstract: This paper reports on the results of a qualitative study of middle managers’ perceptions of knowledge management (KM) implementation in NZ organizations. Data were collected in a survey of 71 attendees of a KM presentation. The data were analyzed using qualitative coding principles. Two core issues were examined – barriers and drivers of KM. Subcategories under barriers were primarily concerned with factors internal to the organization such as organizational culture, leadership, and education. Drivers were mostly external to the organization and included competition, peer pressure, and the need for increased productivity. The results indicate that the way managers manage themselves and their organizations are perceived to be the biggest barriers to KM implementation.

The dual paradigm nature of knowledge management: implications for achieving quality outcomes in human resource management

Abstract: Two paradigm orientations exist in the emerging field of knowledge management (KM). In one paradigm, information technology predominantly influences ideas about knowledge management. In the other, organizational learning is the major influence. For KM to contribute effectively to organizational strategy, organizations must build and strengthen the linkages between KM, human resource management (HRM), and business development. The dual paradigm nature of KM suggests that strategies driven by information technology exhibit quite different characteristics to those driven by organizational learning, the former being driven by technology, while the latter is dominated more by a focus on people. It is important for HR practitioners to understand how certain paradigm orientations to KM can lead to very different paths into thinking about HRM practices and can result in a lack of continuity between various strategic initiatives in an organization. In turn, quality initiatives in HRM will be affected. Suggestions for dealing with the dual paradigm nature of KM are also offered.

A framework to create key performance indicators for knowledge management solutions

Abstract: Knowledge management (KM) is popular within the engineering industry. With increasing investment in KM projects, companies are looking for ways to justify their effort. This research develops a framework to assess the contribution of KM solutions within a business against its corporate objectives. The framework uses a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) as lead indicators. The lead indicators are developed in line with the lag indicators at the strategic level. A number of templates is developed to implement the framework within a company. A real life case study is presented where the templates are used to identify KPIs for a manufacturing solution. The paper also gives guidelines on using the templates effectively.

Using “knowledge champions” to facilitate knowledge management

Abstract: Executives and strategists have long recognized the value of knowledge as a primary driving source for a firm’s sustainable competitive advantage – hence the creation by many firms of a position called the chief knowledge officer (CKO). However, many people have proposed differing perspectives and models relating to the concept of knowledge management. In this paper differing knowledge management viewpoints are examined, by examining and integrating theories relating to the diffusion of innovations and change agents. The roles of change agents, innovators, and opinion leaders, such as CKOs, are explored in terms of effective knowledge management strategies and techniques. A model and strategies are proposed that can serve as a framework for CKOs and other knowledge management change agents to effectively facilitate the acquisition and use of knowledge in the firm by effectively using an organizational memory system.

Evaluation of tacit knowledge utilization in work units

Abstract: This article introduces a model with the help of which the management of businesses can evaluate what kind of a role tacit knowledge plays in their organizations. At the beginning of the article basic elements from which an individual’s competence is derived are described. After that the structure of the model is discussed. Four different systems, namely memory, communication, motivational, and situational systems, which all include numerous factors that affect tacit knowledge utilization in organizations are illustrated. The article ends with the introduction of the model and a brief speculation about its application possibilities in different work units.

Putting theory into practice to build knowledge management systems

Abstract: This article describes our process for putting theory into practice to build knowledge management systems. We begin by discussing our definition of knowledge management and describe our theoretical foundation for developing systemic solutions for organizations to manage their knowledge. Next, we describe our process for creating a knowledge management strategy and how we design the technological aspects of a knowledge management system that will enable organizations to achieve their knowledge management strategy. We also describe how we provide training on the completed system and the organizational development interventions necessary to ensure that management and the members of the organization support the strategy. We conclude by providing an example scenario to illustrate how the resulting knowledge management system would operate in an organization’s work environment.

Does health care for knowledge management

Abstract: This study explores knowledge management within an Australian regional health care organization. Many barriers inherent in the organizational structure and design of the organization that are indicative of the public health sector have been identified and discussed. From the results and discussion it is concluded that new models, tools and techniques for knowledge management specific to the environment of the public sector and particularly the health sector are required.

Software systems support for knowledge management

Abstract: Human capital is the main asset of many companies, whose knowledge has to be preserved and leveraged from individual to the company level, allowing continual learning and improvement. Knowledge management has various components and aspects such as socio‐cultural, organizational, and technological. In this paper we address the technological aspect; more precisely we survey available software systems that support different knowledge management activities. We categorize these tools into classes, based on their capabilities and functionality and show what tasks and knowledge processing operations they support.

Supply chain perspectives to knowledge management: research propositions

Abstract: The purpose of the paper is to suggest a novel approach that groups the theories of systems, information and bounded rationality into organizational knowledge management. We base our discussion on knowledge process mapping akin to the supply chain perspective. This is done to understand the governing principles of knowledge movement within an organizational system, and how the different functions within that system behave and interact among themselves in managing knowledge. We attempt to understand the impact of organizational structure in knowledge transfer and utilization among the different participating functions in the perspective of systems theory. Based on this framework the paper then makes use of information theory to comprehend the ideas behind an effective process of knowledge movement in any organization, and the probable factors that influence such movements. Lastly the concepts of bounded rationality are brought in, to examine the behaviors and interactions of these functions in creating, exploiting and sharing knowledge towards an effective knowledge management system.

Managing knowledge in a software organization

Abstract: This paper explores the practical usage of insights on knowledge management (KM) to support innovation in a software organization. The organization has for some time engaged in software process improvement (SPI) initiatives to improve its operation. The paper applies two complementary approaches to KM, the codified and the personalized, to evaluate current KM practices and to improve its SPI practices. Based on the insights from the case we review key principles within SPI and evaluate the applied KM approaches. We conclude that it is advisable for SPI efforts to explicitly address KM issues. Each software organization has to find its own balance between personalized and codified approaches, this balance needs to be dynamically adjusted as the organization matures, and the adopted KM approach should differentiate between different types of SPI services.

Training strategies in the management of knowledge

Abstract: Knowledge management has attracted much attention as a key strategy to organizational success and survival in today’s unpredictable and highly competitive environments. And yet, unless people in organizations possess the learning capability to use knowledge creatively, a well‐developed knowledge management system cannot be directed at sustaining profitability. Managing knowledge involves both perspectives and tools for learning. This paper examines the concept of learning and explores training strategies to promote the ability to learn, which can guide the design of training interventions and the development of a knowledge management system. Learning in organizations is a complex and multi‐level process. The challenge is how to nurture organizational members to enhance their own learning capabilities and contribute to other people’s learning. Among training strategies proposed in this paper, encouraging the reflection process, knowledge transfer and knowledge construction, experiences to work on practical problems, discourse practices involving collaboration and interaction, the development of his/her own model, and systems thinking present critical strategies to consider in designing training experiences or events. It is suggested that training strategies presented in this paper should be aligned with structural, cultural, and managerial issues together to nurture the learning capability.

Knowledge management beyond codification: knowing as practice/concept

Abstract: Knowledge has been theorized as being an elementary form of organization in the so‐called knowledge management literature. Although there are numerous analytical strengths in this literature, a reductionist view of knowledge dominates the field. From a reductionist view, knowledge is an extension from data and information. As opposed to this image of knowledge, this paper suggests that knowledge is what is inherent in practices and concepts employed and invented to denote such practices. The notion of knowledge is therefore constituted on a single plane or surface wherein practices and concepts are entangled. As a consequence, knowledge is always indeterminate and fluid because it is immanent in a multiplicity of undertakings and changing language games. In addition, data and information only represents a sub‐set of what we call knowledge. This processual and fluid view of knowledge represents an epistemological break with reductionist views of knowledge and enables for new perspectives on how knowledge is managed as an intangible resource in organizations.

To manage knowledge by intranet

Abstract: Identification, generation, transfer, storage and efficient integration of knowledge occupy today’s corporate managers, and there is increasing interest in different strategies for managing knowledge. Many strategies correspond to different kinds of information technology, for example, intranet. An intranet can be regarded both as an information and strategic management tool in the context of knowledge management. A lack of reflexivity in intranet use is based on the assumption that an intranet is a tool in its masters’ hands. Key elements in managing an intranet (such as, activity level and information input) are not just tools to control the transportation of information and knowledge in a convenient and efficient way. Rather, as constituents, these elements create the intranet. Several empirical examples suggest how information presented in an intranet – and knowledge about the information – is co‐created in the process of using an intranet. A Foucauldian vision of knowledge as discursive practices, including representation, extends the overly static realist version of knowledge found in much KM. Furthermore, if highest demand for intranet activity levels were met, professional investment managers would be forced to become generalists

The e-Flow Audit: An Evaluation of Knowledge Flow Within and Outside a High-tech Firm

Abstract: Use of computer mediated communication, specifically electronic mail (e‐mail), has grown exponentially in recent years reaching as high as 75 percent penetration per household in some countries. The penetration rate is even higher for corporate environments. E‐mail is the communication medium of choice for most businesses and can therefore be construed as a proxy for codified knowledge flow in organizations. This paper advances the knowledge management body of literature by empirically examining several phenomena. Specifically, a comparison is made between inter‐ and intra‐departmental knowledge flows in organizations. Furthermore, knowledge flows within functional departments as well as knowledge flows to and from the external environment are examined. Data were collected from 15,500 e‐mails logged over five random days in a high‐tech organization of 480 employees. These data were then mapped on to the organizational chart and compared with the perceptual responses of a survey administration. Quantitativ...

Factors favoring knowledge management in work teams

Abstract: Knowledge management is an activity that has generated great interest in the business world recently. We conceive this activity as the process through which organizational knowledge is created from the individual knowledge of the members of the firm. A variety of contributions on the topic have indicated that organization in work teams is a suitable structure for putting that process into practice. However, we know that this alone is not sufficient. Therefore, in this study, we deal with the analysis of the conditions or characteristics that the work teams should have in order to be true centers of knowledge management. Based on a review of the literature and on the evidence provided by a quantitative empirical study, we obtain a list of factors favoring the process, in order of relative importance. Moreover, we distinguish between those that more deeply favor the creation of individual knowledge and those most suitable for inducing the transfer and integration of that knowledge.

Knowledge modeling for the preservation of institutional memory

Abstract: After setting the stage by briefly surveying knowledge elicitation techniques, this article presents a description of an iterative approach to the elicitation and representation of organizational knowledge called PreSERVe, which stands for prepare, scope, elicit, render, and verify. The method involves an initial process of preparing for knowledge elicitation, followed by an iterative process of assessing the scope of the endeavor, knowledge elicitation and rendering, and, verification. Use of the PreSERVe method is illustrated by a case study involving work with six senior engineers at NASA Glenn Research Center (NASA GRC), Cleveland, OH, USA.