Book•
The knowledge-creating company : how Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation
01 Jan 1995-
TL;DR: In this article, Nonaka and Takeuchi argue that Japanese firms are successful precisely because they are innovative, because they create new knowledge and use it to produce successful products and technologies, and they reveal how Japanese companies translate tacit to explicit knowledge.
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.
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01 Jan 2005
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore unlearning in terms of its relationship to the existing literature on types of knowledge, how unlearning is suggested to occur within different levels of knowledge and the link between individual and organisational learning.
Abstract: Within the literature, unlearning as distinct from learning, at both the individual and
organisational level, is receiving increased attention. This paper explores unlearning in
terms of its relationship to the existing literature on types of knowledge, how unlearning
is suggested to occur within different levels of knowledge, and finally the link to
individual and organisational learning. This analysis and synthesis of the literature in
the areas of adult learning, organisational learning and management of knowledge is
utilised to develop a model of unlearning. Given the lack of empirical research in this
area, this model provides a framework to be used as the basis of future research of
unlearning.
85 citations
Cites background from "The knowledge-creating company : ho..."
...In relation to the creation of tacit knowledge in the first instance, however, whilst not explicitly stating the fact, many researchers have eluded to the fact that tacit knowledge is accumulated through personal experience over time (Brockmann & Anthony 2002; Bryant 2003; Nonaka & Takeuchi 1995)....
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...It is suggested by Hedberg (1981) that in predominantly an organisational sense, new knowledge replaces old knowledge as individuals learn more; much like overwriting....
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...Tacit (or implicit) knowledge, relates to information not easily explained or documented, and is often referred to as know-how (Nonaka & Takeuchi 1995)....
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...At the individual level, researchers and writers have identified the difference between explicit and tacit knowledge (Durrance 1998; Newell, Robertson, Scarbrough & Swan 2002; Nonaka & Takeuchi 1995; Roy & Roy 2002)....
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...The model of adult learning introduced by Knowles (1980) suggests that an individual’s experience and prior knowledge should be viewed as valuable to any learning process....
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Book•
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide an easy-to-understand approach to the common methods, tools, and techniques often used in knowledge management (KM) and provide guidance to all organizations venturing into KM and make a useful addition to the literature on the subject.
Abstract: Disclaimer and Permission to Use This document is a part of the above-titled publication, and is provided in PDF format for educational use. It may be copied and reproduced for personal use only. For all other purposes, the APO's permission must first be obtained. The responsibility for opinions and factual matter as expressed in this document rests solely with its author(s), and its publication does not constitute an endorsement by the APO of any such expressed opinion, nor is it affirmation of the accuracy of information herein provided. Bound editions of the entire publication may be available for limited purchase. Order forms may be downloaded from the APO's web site. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the official view of the APO. For FOREWORD Knowledge Management Tools and Techniques documents and provides an easy-to-understand approach to the common methods, tools, and techniques often used in knowledge management (KM). In particular, it attempts to provide trainers and facilitators in national productivity organizations, small and medium enterprise owners, and other users with practical, in-depth understanding of the core tools and techniques widely used in undertaking KM in an organization. This volume also includes useful Web site references, video links, templates, and instructions to provide answers to frequently asked questions concerning the tools and techniques needed for KM implementation and which have been brought up numerous times by participants in APO projects as well. It is hoped that the easy to follow guidance provided will be helpful to all organizations venturing into KM and make a useful addition to the literature on the subject. This manual can best be read in conjunction with Knowledge Management: Facilitator's Guide published by the APO in 2009. Both publications were made possible by the collaborative endeavours of experts and practitioners engaged in KM from around the world including the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore, and the APO Secretariat who first met at an expert group meeting in Singapore in August 2009 and subsequently remained in contact virtually by utilizing some of the KM tools mentioned in this volume. Notably, the group used free Wiki technology during the production of this manual, which can be accessed at Significant input and guidance were given throughout the preparation of the manual and courseware by Mr. As the team was spread across Asia, Europe, and United States, several of the knowledge and virtual collaborative team tools described in …
84 citations
TL;DR: The mediating role of knowledge acquisition between social capital and innovation for firms located in science and technology parks (STPs) and partial least squares offers the primary statistic technique for assessing survey data collected from 214 Spanish tenants.
Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to empirically examine the mediating role of knowledge acquisition between social capital and innovation for firms located in science and technology parks (STPs).Design/methodology/approach – Partial least squares offers the primary statistic technique for assessing survey data collected from 214 Spanish tenants.Findings – Knowledge acquisition fully mediates the relationship between social capital and firm innovation. Moreover, social capital at the firm level has a significant influence on both knowledge acquisition and innovation.Research limitations/implications – Further research should include more independent variables to understand the complex phenomenon of firm innovation.Practical implications – Tenant firms in STPs must develop strategic management tactics for their interfirm relations to acquire and exploit key resources such as knowledge. For specialized firms, close social interactions in specific contexts can enhance both knowledge acquisition and innovation to com...
84 citations
Cites background from "The knowledge-creating company : ho..."
...That is, tacit knowledge is a key, intangible, path-dependent resource that has causal ambiguity and is difficult to copy (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995)....
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...Introduction In the knowledge economy, intangible assets have replaced other classical forms of capital as drivers of firm success (Westlund, 2006), meaning that firm innovation is a knowledge-intensive activity (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995) that can build sustained competitive advantage (Nonaka, 1994; Grant, 1996)....
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...…the knowledge economy, intangible assets have replaced other classical forms of capital as drivers of firm success (Westlund, 2006), meaning that firm innovation is a knowledge-intensive activity (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995) that can build sustained competitive advantage (Nonaka, 1994; Grant, 1996)....
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03 Mar 2007
TL;DR: It is believed that socio-cultural theories of learning and the concepts of social capital and social creativity hold considerable promise as a theoretical base for the repositioning of universities in the knowledge society.
Abstract: Traditionally, universities focus primarily on instructionist teaching. Such an understanding has been criticized from theoretical and practical points of view. We believe that socio-cultural theories of learning and the concepts of social capital and social creativity hold considerable promise as a theoretical base for the repositioning of universities in the knowledge society. To illustrate our assumption, we provide case studies from the University of Colorado and the University of Siegen. These cases indicate how approaches to community-based learning can be integrated into a curriculum of applied computer science. We also discuss the role these didactical concepts can play within a practice-oriented strategy of regional innovation.
84 citations
Cites background from "The knowledge-creating company : ho..."
...The following three models for knowledge creation communities can be differentiated: 1) the KnowledgeCreating Company (Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995); 2) the Model of Expansive Learning (Engeström, 2001); and 3) Bereiter’s (Bereiter, 2002) Model of Knowledge-Building....
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate the relationship between project management certification and established project management core competencies in the IT industry and find that certification is correlated with the core competency of project management.
Abstract: This research seeks to investigate the relationship between project management certification and established project management core competencies in the IT industry. This study was conducted in two...
84 citations
Cites background or methods from "The knowledge-creating company : ho..."
...Project Management Training Literature Assessing the structure of in-house project management training programs in a sample of six organizations, Thiry (2004) concluded that organizations need to identify specific strategic goals for the training prior to the inception of training and measure the value-added for the established strategic goals subsequent to content delivery....
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...(2008, p. 289) Drawing upon the work of Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995), the authors emphasize the need to assess management learning as it occurs at the individual, group, and company (organization) levels....
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References
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TL;DR: The objective of KMS is to support creation, transfer, and application of knowledge in organizations by promoting a class of information systems, referred to as knowledge management systems.
Abstract: Knowledge is a broad and abstract notion that has defined epistemological debate in western philosophy since the classical Greek era. In the past few years, however, there has been a growing interest in treating knowledge as a significant organizational resource. Consistent with the interest in organizational knowledge and knowledge management (KM), IS researchers have begun promoting a class of information systems, referred to as knowledge management systems (KMS). The objective of KMS is to support creation, transfer, and application of knowledge in organizations. Knowledge and knowledge management are complex and multi-faceted concepts. Thus, effective development and implementation of KMS requires a foundation in several rich literatures.
9,531 citations
TL;DR: This research suggests that a knowledge infrastructure consisting of technology, structure, and culture along with a knowledge process architecture of acquisition, conversion, application, and protection are essential organizational capabilities or "preconditions" for effective knowledge management.
Abstract: A hallmark of the new economy is the ability of organizations to realize economic value from their collection of knowledge assets as well as their assets of information, production distribution, and affiliation. Despite the competitive necessity of becoming a knowledge-based organization, senior managers have found it difficult to transform their firms through programs of knowledge management. This is particularly true if their organizations have long histories of process and a tradition of business success. This research examines the issue of effective knowledge management from the perspective of organizational capabilities. This perspective suggests that a knowledge infrastructure consisting of technology, structure, and culture along with a knowledge process architecture of acquisition, conversion, application, and protection are essential organizational capabilities or preconditions for effective knowledge management. Through analysis of surveys collected from over 300 senior executives, this research empirically models and uncovers key aspects of these dimensions. The results provide a basis for understanding the competitive predisposition of a firm as it enters a program of knowledge management.
4,646 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the nature of value co-creation in the context of service-dominant (S-D) logic and develop a conceptual framework for understanding and managing value cocreation.
Abstract: Central to service-dominant (S-D) logic is the proposition that the customer becomes a co-creator of value. This emphasizes the development of customer–supplier relationships through interaction and dialog. However, research to date suggests relatively little is known about how customers engage in the co-creation of value. In this article, the authors: explore the nature of value co-creation in the context of S-D logic; develop a conceptual framework for understanding and managing value co-creation; and utilize field-based research to illustrate practical application of the framework. This process-based framework provides a structure for customer involvement that takes account of key foundational propositions of S-D logic and places the customer explicitly at the same level of importance as the company as co-creators of value. Synthesis of diverse concepts from research on services, customer value and relationship marketing into a new process-based framework for co-creation provide new insights into managing the process of value co-creation.
3,114 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined how aspects of intellectual capital influenced various innovative capabilities in organizations and found that human, organizational, and social capital and their interrelationships selectively influenced incremental and radical innovative capabilities.
Abstract: We examined how aspects of intellectual capital influenced various innovative capabilities in organizations. In a longitudinal, multiple-informant study of 93 organizations, we found that human, organizational, and social capital and their interrelationships selectively influenced incremental and radical innovative capabilities. As anticipated, organizational capital positively influenced incremental innovative capability, while human capital interacted with social capital to positively influence radical innovative capability. Counter to our expectations, however, human capital by itself was negatively associated with radical innovative capability. Interestingly, social capital played a significant role in both types of innovation, as it positively influenced incremental and radical innovative capabilities. It is widely accepted that an organization’s capability to innovate is closely tied to its intellectual capital, or its ability to utilize its knowledge resources. Several studies have underscored how new products embody organizational knowledge (e.g., Stewart, 1997), described innovation as a
3,008 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors outline a perspective on knowing in practice which highlights the essential role of human action in knowing how to get things done in complex organizational work and suggest that the competence to do global product development is both collective and distributed, grounded in the everyday practices of organizational members.
Abstract: In this paper, I outline a perspective on knowing in practice which highlights the essential role of human action in knowing how to get things done in complex organizational work. The perspective suggests that knowing is not a static embedded capability or stable disposition of actors, but rather an ongoing social accomplishment, constituted and reconstituted as actors engage the world in practice. In interpreting the findings of an empirical study conducted in a geographically dispersed hightech organization, I suggest that the competence to do global product development is both collective and distributed, grounded in the everyday practices of organizational members. I conclude by discussing some of the research implications of a perspective on organizational knowing in practice.
2,670 citations