Showing papers in "Vine in 2011"
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore how security risk assessment methods can more effectively identify and treat the knowledge associated with business processes, through an illustrative case study in which a well-documented traditional methodology is applied to a complex data backup process.
Abstract: Purpose – Many methodologies exist to assess the security risks associated with unauthorized leakage, modification and interruption of information used by organisations. This paper argues that these methodologies have a traditional orientation towards the identification and assessment of technical information assets. This obscures key risks associated with the cultivation and deployment of organisational knowledge. The purpose of this paper is to explore how security risk assessment methods can more effectively identify and treat the knowledge associated with business processes.Design/methodology/approach – The argument was developed through an illustrative case study in which a well‐documented traditional methodology is applied to a complex data backup process. Follow‐up interviews were conducted with the organisation's security managers to explore the results of the assessment and the nature of knowledge “assets” within a business process.Findings – It was discovered that the backup process depended, in...
78 citations
TL;DR: An heuristic is developed to link up different aspects of knowledge transfer represented by the interplay between experts and novices, possibilities of technical support, and individual and organizational outcomes.
Abstract: Purpose – The aim of this paper is to link two sides of knowledge transfer (obtaining and providing knowledge), represented by the interplay between experts and novices, possibilities of technical support, and individual and organizational outcomes. An heuristic is developed to link up these different aspects and focus on practical application of some of them; the authors seek to answer the following research question: how can the organization support activities that would encourage knowledge transfer between novices and experts?Design/methodology/approach – The authors used interviews, document collection, and observations on‐site to gain insights into knowledge management and e‐learning activities at Lufthansa, a German airline company, beginning in 2004, with the first qualitative investigation, in the form of telephone interviews. Over the following six years, the authors followed up with archival analysis and in 2010 conducted interviews with four experts who are responsible for knowledge management ...
60 citations
TL;DR: A suite of web 2.0 tools are used in the practice of business intelligence and their impact measured with a balanced scorecard and the research proposition is that the effectiveness of business Intelligence is indeed strategic and relates to its corporate performance.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of business intelligence (BI) tools as enablers of knowledge sharing used by employees in the organisation. This practice‐oriented article on the deployment and impact of BI tools in industry suggests a balanced scorecard (BSC) approach to performance management. More specifically, a suite of web 2.0 tools is used in the practice of BI and their impact measured with a BSC.Design/methodology/approach – The research proposition is that the effectiveness of BI is indeed strategic and relates to its corporate performance. This claim is validated using a global information technology consultancy firm's BI unit as the lead case of an immersive field study. Research engagements with four other firms provide corroborative support.Findings – The BSC approach to deriving targets and ascertaining outcomes was shown to be applicable to good practice. The converse is equally valid. That is, strategic performance management requires the use of BI in or...
49 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the successful implementation of the kaizen philosophy in terms of its organizational design and knowledge management preconditions, and find that the success of NUMMI may reside as much in Toyota's production system as in the alignment of kaizen and the organizati...
Abstract: Purpose – In an economy where firms compete for limited resources, focusing internally to boost efficiency and reduce waste is critical. In particular, the kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement in small sustainable increments has spread in the manufacturing industry with mixed results. However, the knowledge management requirements of kaizen have not yet been formalized for practitioners to easily check the necessary pre‐conditions of their organization. The objective of this paper is to explore the successful implementation of kaizen in terms of its organizational design and knowledge management preconditions.Design/methodology/approach – Using a case‐study approach building on previous in‐depth research of New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) in Fremont, California, this study assesses the organizational and knowledge preconditions of kaizen.Findings – The results show that the success of NUMMI may reside as much in Toyota's production system as in the alignment of kaizen and the organizati...
47 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate the knowledge needs of a small, volunteer-based Non-Profit Organization (NPO) and present recommendations for implementation of KM solutions, based on the observation that dedicated and reliable volunteers are critical to this organization's success, the solution address personal knowledge needs related to volunteer motivation factors as a strategy for improving volunteer recruitment and retention.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the knowledge needs of a small, volunteer‐based Non‐Profit Organization (NPO) and present recommendations for implementation of KM solutions.Design/methodology/approach – The methodology used in this paper is the knowledge audit. Data collection methods include semi‐structured interviews, documentary photography, and a review of content on the NPO's website.Findings – The paper recommends a combination of web 2.0 technology and low‐tech solutions to meet the KM needs of the volunteer‐based organization within the constraints of its limited resources. Based on the observation that dedicated and reliable volunteers are critical to this organization's success, the paper proposes that the KM solution address personal knowledge needs related to volunteer motivation factors as a strategy for improving volunteer recruitment and retention.Research limitations/implications – The study examined a small group of volunteers engaged in a specialized form of knowled...
34 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors assess the correlation between the successful institutionalization of value knowledge management (KM) and organizational performance (OP) in a developing economy by applying an inventory developed by Kruger and Snyman to a set of nine organisations distributed over three economic sectors in South Africa.
Abstract: Purpose – Beyond critique of current maturity models, the research literature has neglected to supply empirical evidence of the value knowledge management (KM) holds for organizations. The majority of studies, in common with other emergent business philosophies, are focused on large organizations of developed economies, where readily available implementation resources are an underlying assumption. This paper aims to address this issue and to assess the correlation between the successful institutionalization of KM and organizational performance (OP) in a developing economy.Design/methodology/approach – From a large urban South African university engaged in numerous collaboration programs with industry, the authors gained insight into KM maturity and organizational performance (OP) of three industry groups, over a five‐year period. The authors apply an inventory developed by Kruger and Snyman to a set of nine organisations distributed over three economic sectors in South Africa.Findings – By evaluating the ...
30 citations
TL;DR: The rich environment provided by IVW results in higher levels of KS but a sense of community and other motivations for KS in IVW is the same as in standard virtual environments.
Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to improve understanding of knowledge‐sharing (KS) processes that occur in Immersive Virtual Worlds (IVW), which offer much richer opportunities for KS than standard text‐based environments.Design/methodology/approach – Starting with a systematic literature review of the most recent trends in knowledge‐sharing and virtual worlds, this research investigates potential factors of KS in IVW. A conceptual model was developed and empirically validated.Findings – The rich environment provided by IVW results in higher levels of KS but a sense of community and other motivations for KS in IVW is the same as in standard virtual environments. The validated research model that explains the interaction of the motivating factors with KS is presented.Research limitations/implications – Primary data were collected from only one group in one IVW. This may limit the scope of generalisation of findings. It is advised that this study should be conducted with a number of immersive virtual communities ...
29 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors highlight the importance of information technology in service recovery performance through the exploration of its influence on service recovery components and determinants, and develop a general framework to understand the differences in Service Recovery performance (SRP).
Abstract: Purpose – The objective of this paper is to highlight the importance of information technology in service recovery performance through the exploration of its influence on service recovery performance components and determinants.Design/methodology/approach – A general inductive approach for analyzing qualitative data was adopted since the main research question of “How can information technology enable successful service recovery?” has not been examined in the complaint management literature. Data were collected through in‐depth interviews with key executives working in the Tunisian banking sector.Findings – Drawing on the knowledge‐based view (KBV), the authors develop a general framework to understand the differences in service recovery performance (SRP). The research shows that various knowledge‐based resources such as customer orientation (CO), internal orientation (IO), and information technology (IT) complement one another to impact on SRP. Ignoring the complementarities of these resources in assessi...
21 citations
TL;DR: The human factors that influence KS are described and an empirical validation of a model for KS in KIOs is proposed and an explanatory model is proposed.
Abstract: Purpose – Knowledge sharing (KS) processes in knowledge‐intensive organizations (KIOs) need to be understood with regard to not only the important role information technology (IT) plays but also human factors. This research aims to describe the human factors that influence KS and to propose an explanatory model.Design/methodology/approach – Beginning with a critical review of the most recent KM literature, this research developed key components of successful KS in both knowledge provider and knowledge recipient roles played by the participants of virtual communities of practice (VCoPs). It developed a KS model that was validated through an empirical quantitative and qualitative research at the Laurea Lab in Finland.Findings – This paper's main finding is an empirical validation of a model for KS in KIOs.Research limitations/implications – Primary data were collected from only one institution. This may limit the scope of generalisation of findings. It is therefore necessary to conduct this study in other K...
20 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an agenda for future research by co-instantaneously presenting the status in relation to the major pending issues of the knowledge-based development field through a wide-scope literature review and qualitative scoring of knowledgebased development (KBD) categories.
Abstract: – In the context of today's knowledge economy, development policies that are mainly based on knowledge as a primary source of wealth and added‐value are increasingly adopted by cities and countries. This tendency is becoming much more common due to the global financial crisis. Thus, the knowledge‐based development field has been in a state of important progress during the last decade. This paper seeks to discuss and highlight the major issues of knowledge‐based development. By doing so the paper aims to present an agenda for future research directions for the present decade of 2010‐2020., – The paper presents an agenda for future research by co‐instantaneously presenting the status in relation to the major pending issues of the knowledge‐based development field. This is accomplished through a wide‐scope literature review and qualitative scoring of knowledge‐based development (KBD) categories., – The main finding is that research is needed in four main directions: development of holistic and unified approaches for the practical formulation of citizen‐centric knowledge‐based development strategies; knowledge‐based urban planning; knowledge‐based development assessment and metrics; practical aspects of implementation of knowledge‐based development approaches., – Research in the paper is based on a wide literature review of the most important and added‐value available resources in the KBD field and in qualitative scoring of research categories. Use of empirical components such as citation analysis, field surveys, knowledge network analysis as well as for a specific approach regarding the scoring system would be needed in future research., – The discussion and issues presented in the paper should be of value not only to researchers and practitioners but also to cities and countries willing to design efficient and effective knowledge‐based development strategies.
20 citations
TL;DR: Data seem to suggest that knowledge domain and innovation behaviour permit significant distinctions between different kinds of knowledge management systems (KMSs).
Abstract: Purpose – This study aims to develop a categorization framework for knowledge management systems in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Framework dimensions have been identified as company knowledge domain (organization, marketing and technology) and company innovation behaviour (high and low).Design/methodology/approach – The framework is derived by means of a qualitative approach based on a set of 20 case studies. The cases regard Italian SMEs in the food sector.Findings – Data seem to suggest that knowledge domain and innovation behaviour permit significant distinctions between different kinds of knowledge management systems (KMSs). The features of these KMSs as configurations of technical, organizational and managerial tools are described in this paper with reference to the main knowledge process they are intended to support.Originality/value – The research provides a variety of insights into new ways of conceptualizing KMSs. Moreover, the paper provides some practical examples of successful implemen...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the knowledge management challenges faced by New Zealand NGOs in the health and disability sector, using qualitative research methods, specifically interpretive case study research, and found that not all NGOs have been equally successful at embracing knowledge management principles.
Abstract: Purpose – The introduction of competitive tendering and contracting and a lack of transparent funding processes has seen a move towards greater contestability of services in the nongovernment organization (NGO) sector. To ameliorate this situation requires a sound understanding of knowledge management (KM) practices. However, not all NGOs have been equally successful at embracing KM principles. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to explore the KM challenges faced by New Zealand NGOs in the health and disability sector.Design/methodology/approach – Using qualitative research methods, specifically interpretive case study research, the authors studied the KM practices of nine NGOs in the health and disability sector in New Zealand. Qualitative data were obtained from documents and semi‐structured interviews following a dramaturgical approach.Findings – The findings suggest many barriers to successful implementation of KM in NGOs; some of the most important ones being related to organizational structure...
TL;DR: Some positive correlations between online faculty to student interaction, the degree of presence in a web‐based learning environment, as well as personal e‐learning experiences as potential drivers of students' desire to learn more about the subject matter KM are shown.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how to successfully blend an e‐learning module into a knowledge management (KM) course aimed at getting KM students interested in the respective subject matter (= KM) in a web‐based learning environment.Design/methodology/approach – Based on data obtained from 138 undergraduate business management students at a university in Singapore, practical aspects of effectively implementing an e‐learning system with a focus on KM are analyzed and the importance determined of three conceptual variables in the context of successful blended learning approaches: online faculty to student interaction, social presence and personal e‐learning experiences.Findings – The study shows some positive correlations between online faculty to student interaction, the degree of presence in a web‐based learning environment, as well as personal e‐learning experiences as potential drivers of students' desire to learn more about the subject matter KM.Research limitations/implications – T...
TL;DR: In this article, the use of IC narrative provides insight into the utility of IC to communicate strategic intentions and the initiatives required to carry it out, and it contributes to IC knowledge and practice by demonstrating how IC narrative, in conjunction with an interpretive research approach, can highlight the emic and etic interplay that is required in practice to develop organisational strategy.
Abstract: Purpose – The paper's aim is to examine, by way of a case study, the use of intellectual capital (IC) narrative in the development of a strategic plan for the case study organisation.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses interventionist research to gather data and make changes in the case study organization.Findings – The use of IC narrative provides insight into the utility of IC to communicate strategic intentions and the initiatives required to carry it out. It contributes to IC knowledge and practice by demonstrating how IC narrative, in conjunction with an interpretive research approach, can highlight the emic and etic interplay that is required in practice to develop organisational strategy.Research limitations/implications – The research is specific to the case study organization and the findings can not be generalizedOriginality/value – The paper provides an example of how value creation in an organisation can be communicated to its stakeholders and how the use of IC narrative transcends th...
TL;DR: In this article, the impact of important social motives on knowledge sharing behavior in a collaborative environment and how people might react to each of these motives was investigated, based on an online survey and statistical hypothesis.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to look into the impact of important social motives on knowledge‐sharing behavior in a collaborative environment and how people might react to each of these motives.Design/methodology/approach – The applied methodology used in this paper is based on an online survey and statistical hypothesis developed for each of the motives with different comparison means under two circumstances.Findings – The paper exhibits the different impact of each of the motives over the sharing behaviour in collaborative platforms. Despite general beliefs, although many motives might not have a very significant impact under normal behavioral circumstances that is based on either an agreement or disagreement level, all of those tested motives show a positive tendency when tested on the neutral (Dilemma) position.Research limitations/implications – This study has examined a small and generalized group of people for social networking analysis with a limited number of motivational factors tested...
TL;DR: The challenges and impact of the transition from print to electronic resources at a medium‐sized academic library at a multi‐campus Caribbean university, The University of the West Indies (UWI), with particular reference to the St Augustine campus is described.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the challenges and examine the impact of the transition from print to electronic resources at a medium‐sized academic library at a multi‐campus Caribbean university, The University of the West Indies (UWI), with particular reference to the St Augustine campus.Design/methodology/approach – Through a review of the literature on the shift from print to electronic resources, the paper uses the experiences of The UWI St Augustine to provide a model that can be used by other libraries.Findings – Libraries have successfully built a “hybrid” collection of print and electronic resources despite challenges with information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, balancing costs, licencing model and strategies for selection, acquisition and management of electronic resources. There are some key steps which libraries can follow when transitioning from print to electronic resources.Research limitations/implications – The paper focuses on the experiences an...
TL;DR: The authors defined the functional entity, an encapsulated data resource that acts as a QA system and enumerated a typology of nine functional entities generated from two established principles to produce a modelling framework that can depict all existentially quantifiable relations.
Abstract: Purpose – Modelling complex knowledge resources can be problematical as there is currently no formalism that can represent the nature of the data‐seeking process at a conceptual level. The purpose of this paper is to develop a knowledge representation formalism, the functional entity relationship diagram (FERD), which comprises a set of extensions to the industry standard entity relationship diagram established by Chen.Design/methodology/approach – The research uses a design science approach to extend the existing ER formalism using the question‐answering (QA) paradigm. It is an extension of standard data modelling theory and is consistent with category theory.Findings – The authors defined the functional entity, an encapsulated data resource that acts as a QA system and enumerated a typology of nine functional entities generated from two established principles to produce a modelling framework that can depict all existentially quantifiable relations, and demonstrated a satisficing extension to that framew...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the potential roles of storytelling in the construction industry through analysing its applications in other sectors, and align the applications of storytelling to construction projects, through an in-depth literature review of the nature of stories and storytelling, and their roles in management and organisational practices.
Abstract: Purpose – Storytelling is regarded as a fundamental way for humans to communicate with each other, no matter whether in the form of folklore, myths or war stories Storytelling is applied in management and organisational practices in order to achieve specific purposes Management activities within projects are similar to managing organisations with high complexity Storytelling can then be applied in the construction project environment to achieve specific management purposes This paper aims to explore the potential roles of storytelling in the construction industry through analysing its applications in other sectors, and to align the applications of storytelling to construction projectsDesign/methodology/approach – Through an in‐depth literature review of the nature of stories and storytelling, and their roles in management and organisational practices, this study determines how stories can contribute to the effective sharing of knowledge in the construction project environment Cases of storytelling a
TL;DR: A good knowledge management (KM) framework for IT services companies to provide an integrated approach to IT services for efficient knowledge management is developed and evaluated at three Indian IT organizations providing global IT services with successful KM programs dedicated to services.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop and evaluate a good knowledge management (KM) framework for IT services companies to provide an integrated approach to IT services for efficient knowledge management.Design/methodology/approach – The framework is evaluated at three Indian IT organizations providing global IT services with successful KM programs dedicated to services. Expert interviews were conducted with senior management involved in the KM programs. Information collected was used for studying the KM framework implemented by each organization for services and then content analyzed and evaluated.Findings – The paper provides evidence of various strategic, technological critical factors influencing the success of KM programs in IT services companies. Organizations with successful KM programs typically adapt attrition control measures, rewards and recognitions. Application of key enabler tools of KM help in robust knowledge management, reducing cost to client, helping companies to excel bette...
TL;DR: A reasonable integration of information management functions into the TMS process model is possible, but it was also found that social software functions for social networking, self‐disclosure and conversation are a necessary component of such a TMS‐IS.
Abstract: Purpose – Transactive memory systems (TMS) is a theory of group cognition which conceptualizes knowledge sharing and retrieval processes in groups by the use of a shared “directory”. This paper aims to review and analyze the literature and outline a set of requirements for an information system to support and facilitate TMS processes.Design/methodology/approach – The author analyzed all TMS research literature in the SCOPUS and PROQUEST databases, mapping relevant observations about TMS to a TMS process model. These findings were then translated into functional requirements for a TMS information system (TMS‐IS).Findings – A reasonable integration of information management functions into the TMS process model is possible. However, it was also found that social software functions for social networking, self‐disclosure and conversation are a necessary component of such a TMS‐IS.Practical implications – The specification provides a useful consolidation of the research literature and a reliable point from whic...
TL;DR: There is still room for improvement in computer mediated social networks' present design if they are to be effectively used for knowledge creation and man-made knowledge capital development.
Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to focus on how the advantages of computer mediated social networks (CMSN) can be effectively harnessed to create value for organizations in the form of ready knowledge and quick solutions to problems.Design/methodology/approach – A knowledge capture technique – the Delphi technique – was fused into the social networking process. A model was designed to help show how this can be achieved and further illustrated through a case study of the dotCSC intranet portal – a social networking project conceptualized and designed by the authors for the Department of Computer Science, in the authors' university. An online survey was carried out to determine the efficacy of the prototype dotCSC.Findings – The results show that, though computer mediated social networks are regarded as major sources of social capital development and potential sources of knowledge capital, there is still room for improvement in their present design if they are to be effectively used for knowledge creation and man...
TL;DR: The purpose of this paper is to automate the process of identifying interesting spatiotemporal knowledge (expressed as rules) based on case‐based reasoning process, which helps improve the discovery of interesting rules by taking into consideration the different properties of interestingness measures.
Abstract: Purpose – Knowledge discovery in databases aims to discover useful and significant information from multiple databases. However, in the remote sensing field, the large size of discovered information makes it hard to manually look for interesting information quickly and easily. The purpose of this paper is to automate the process of identifying interesting spatiotemporal knowledge (expressed as rules).Design/methodology/approach – The proposed approach is based on case‐based reasoning (CBR) process. CBR allows the recognition of useful and interesting rules by simulating a human reasoning process, and combining objective and subjective interestingness measures. It takes advantage of statistics' power from objective criteria and the reliability of subjective criteria. This helps improve the discovery of interesting rules by taking into consideration the different properties of interestingness measures.Findings – The proposed approach combines several interestingness measures with complementary properties to...
TL;DR: In this paper, the concept of sociomaterial practice has been proposed as a term including materiality as constitutive elements in any social practice and the concept also suggests that while social relations are constituted by and mediated by materiality, materiality per se is enacted in a social context.
Abstract: Purpose – The concept of sociomaterial practice has been proposed as a term including materiality as constitutive elements in any social practice. The concept also suggests that while social relations are constituted by and mediated by materiality, materiality per se is enacted in a social context. Practice is thus unfolding as a form of constitutive entanglement of social and material resources at hand. The paper aims at discussing the concept of practice as what is mobilizing both material and intangible resources.Design/methodology/approach – The study draws on interviews with construction workers, foremen, and site managers in three projects in a medium sized construction company.Findings – The study suggests that while construction work is both regulated by piece‐rate wage systems and being largely composed of standard operation procedures, there is still a strong reliance on collectively accomplished routines for communicating and interacting in the workplace. Rather than being determined by and red...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors compare how employees at the top and middle level hierarchies in Indian organizations perceive a learning organization (LO) and understand how the dimensions of knowledge management influence LO and test whether this is significantly different for the aforementioned two hierarchy levels.
Abstract: Purpose – Organization hierarchy plays a crucial role in the effective management of knowledge and learning. Typically, the organization hierarchy includes employees at the top, middle and lower levels. Employees possess a wealth of knowledge but often knowledge‐driven learning across organization hierarchies is not uniform due to various factors pertaining to the employees such as their literacy levels, available‐time, access to resources, reward and recognition, mindset, level of empowerment etc. This paper attempts to compare how employees at the top and middle level hierarchies in Indian organizations perceive a learning organization (LO). It also attempts to understand how the dimensions of knowledge management (KM) influence LO and tests whether this is significantly different for the aforementioned two hierarchy levels.Design/methodology/approach – A convenience sample of 57 top and middle level executives from India participated in the study. The extent of learning practices was compared and teste...
TL;DR: The theoretical model shows the interaction between explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge in the healthcare process using clinical‐pathways and is suggested as an effective tool for knowledge management in healthcare.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the construction of the theoretic model of systematic knowledge creation in the healthcare process according to professionals' collaboration using clinical‐pathways.Design/methodology/approach – Healthcare is a knowledge‐intensive service conducted by professionals. A clinical‐pathway is an effective tool in the knowledge management aspect of this service. The theoretic model of the medical knowledge management which used the clinical‐pathway from case studies in two hospitals is constructed.Findings – The theoretical model shows the interaction between explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge in the healthcare process using clinical‐pathways. This theoretical model is a knowledge creation model which creates new knowledge continuously. Therefore, the clinical‐pathways are suggested as an effective tool for knowledge management in healthcare.Practical implications – Promotion of knowledge communication between healthcare professionals by clinical‐pathways ac...