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This paper aims to develop a conceptual taxonomy for building requisite knowledge capabilities for different supply chain network (SCN) types. Specifically, it examines knowledge capabilities required for three types of SCNs: efficient, collaborative and agile SCNs.

This paper integrates two bodies of thought (i.e. knowledge management and organisational learning) and applies them to SCNs. An abductive research process is used to develop this conceptual taxonomy.

The conceptual taxonomy details three archetypical knowledge capabilities – exploitation, exploration and ambidextrous. Those knowledge capabilities are required for efficient, collaborative and agile SCNs, respectively.

This paper is conceptual and theory-based. The next stages of the research seek to further strengthen the explanatory value of the taxonomy through empirical validation.

The taxonomy developed in this paper provides a valuable and pragmatic tool for managerial decision-making in the context of SCNs. Specifically, it provides a roadmap for practitioners since the study develops an understanding of the relationship between knowledge capabilities and types of SCNs.

This is one of the earliest studies that attempt to unearth requisite knowledge capabilities for different types of SCNs.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the underlying logics applied by different project evaluation approaches and to propose an alternative research agenda.

This paper explores the project evaluation literature via conducting a qualitative research applying systematic literature review and thematic analysis.

The project evaluation literature has mainly concentrated on the objective aspects of project evaluation and overlooked the subjective aspects that reflect the temporal, dynamic, complex and subjective nature of today’s projects. The authors propose a meta-framework that helps project practitioners to select an appropriate project evaluation criterion for their projects by considering the strengths and limitations of their preferred project evaluation model as well as making project evaluators aware of the underlying logics associated to diverse project evaluation approaches.

This study suggests that new conceptual approaches to deal with some of the major challenges in the project evaluation field. Practice-based views, narrative analysis and actor-network theory are likely to be useful tools to better understand and cope with the projects’ uncertainty and complexity.

The findings of this research assist project management practitioners and particularly project evaluators to enhance their understanding of the subjectivity, complexity and dynamics of current projects. To increase the reflexivity and resilience of project evaluation practice, this study also proposes new directions to apply different criteria, sub-criteria and indicators to the evaluation practice.

The originality of this study relies on transcending the conventional objective and rational approaches prevailing in current project evaluation practices. It proposes a research agenda that pave the way to address the shortcomings of conventional project evaluation practice.

This paper aims to advance a theoretical framework that integrates knowledge management, change management and “soft” issues, focussing on uncovering the nature of “soft” issues embedded in knowledge management and change management processes.

Both empirical work (case study at an electronics contract manufacturing plant) and literature review were used in order to build the proposed theoretical framework.

It argues that the “soft” dimension assists in better understanding the process of organizational knowledge transfer. In this context, “soft” issues refers to the mutual understanding – of both sender and receiver units – of underlying assumptions, the role of macro‐institutional factors affecting firm level actions (the macro‐micro link) and interpretative aspects that permeate the process of organizational knowledge transfer, including knowledge management and change management issues.

Guidelines for managerial action were formulated in order to make explicit, be aware of and understand embedded “soft” issues. Presented guidelines represent an attempt to uncover the crucial “soft” issues that are usually overlooked by the conventional literature.

This paper offers an alternative framework for guiding both practical intervention and further research on knowledge management‐related issues. It contributes to a better understanding of the process of organizational knowledge transfer.

The aim of this paper was to review the knowledge and practice‐related literature, as well as to develop a theoretical framework that functions like a sorting device, in order to improve our understanding about how theories are turned into practice.

This is a theoretical paper that discusses the relationships between practice and knowledge using practice‐based lenses.

This paper discusses the relationships between diverse forms of knowledge and practice, and it elaborates the cognitive mechanisms used to know how to shift from the inside to the outside view, and vice versa.

By organising a wide range of knowledge‐ and practice‐related concepts into meaningful categories, this paper contributes to overcoming the use of the concepts of knowledge and practice as universal.

By recognising the implicit epistemological stance associated with the diverse theories and concepts, the framework may be useful in selecting the most suitable practice concepts and theories for specific situations, especially since they are not universal and are usually developed with different purposes.

The proposed framework contributes to improve our understanding about how theories are turned into practice.

This paper examines a new model of production in a developing nation, the Electronics Contract Manufacturing Industry. It explores issues related to manufacturing management, competence building, organisation and implementation of manufacturing best practice. It argues that the understanding of both contextual institutional factors and soft operational issues is crucial for implementing manufacturing practices that support competitiveness building.

This paper aims to examine the complexities emerging in the attempts to develop a sophisticated IT-based knowledge management system (KMS) for sharing knowledge. Using actor-network theory, the authors conceptualise this as continuous processes of translation, whereby heterogeneous human and non-human (e.g. technologies, methods and plans) elements are drawn together and mobilised to produce stable networks through associations between them.

The case study method was adopted using a narrative approach that studies the ways of organising work in organisations. Shadowing, field notes, diary studies and participant observation were the main data collection methods used.

The development and introduction of a KMS is a contingent and local process shaped by messy translations whereby the original idea, human and other non-human elements are reconfigured. By considering humans and non-humans symmetrically, the intended and unintended actions, and the role of unexpected events, this approach overcomes the deterministic view of human nature of the conventional KMS approaches.

A conceptual framework is presented as a means to improve the understanding of the complex associations emerging within networks of people, objects and machines during the development and introduction of KMS.

The translation approach helps practitioners to consider their taken-for-granted assumptions about people, machines and the associations among them. This assists practitioners to uncover emerging conflicting issues between human and machines, among machines and among humans. Furthermore, this allows practitioners to recognise the different identities humans and non-humans take, overtime, as a result of emerging associations.

The originality of this paper lies in the use of alternative conceptual lenses to understand KMS development and introduction as processes of translation. Additionally, rather than exploring the success stories, it focuses on a failed attempt to introduce a KMS.

The purpose of this paper is to explain the key dimensions of practical knowledge. It is argued that practical knowledge and practice are two sides of the same phenomenon and possess objective and subjective dimensions.

The development of this paper involved an in‐depth review of the workplace learning, cognitive education and practice‐based management literatures supported by Giddens and Habermas' insights on action.

The proposed framework complements practice‐oriented management research. While there is a significant body of literature dealing with workplace action‐learning approaches, still it is not clear what approach to use in what situation. The proposed framework might assist in this task since it recognises different configurations of practice and their associated PK.

This paper integrates parallel literatures from different theoretical backgrounds in order to explain the main dimensions of practical knowledge.

This paper aims to analyse and evaluate the transfer process of codified knowledge (CK) performed under two different approaches: the “socio‐technical” and the “top‐down”. It is argued that the socio‐technical approach supports the transfer of CK better than the top‐down approach.

Case study methodology was used, in the explanatory and qualitative study. The empirical evidence focused on the development of work standards following ISO 9000 norms at a Steelworks plant. This process was examined as a process of CK transfer.

First, the socio‐technical approach supports the process of CK transfer better than the top‐down view. Second, CK is a dynamic concept that may need different varying amounts of tacit knowledge in order to enable knowledge codification and assimilation. Three, the examination of the degree of context and task similarity between sender and receiving units needs to be detailed, since small variations in organizational processes might imply significant alterations on informal work practices, a key issue that affects the CK transfer process.

This study, on the one hand, might assist to further develop theories of knowledge transfer, such as Argote's et al. integrative knowledge management framework. On the other hand, it complements Szulanski's research since he did not explore the approach used during the implementation process.

Research finding contain practical advice that can the taken up by practitioners.

By focusing on different approaches to transfer CK, this study has filled a research gap in the CK transfer literature.

The purpose of this paper is to present an empirical contribution towards the understanding of the process of sharing practical knowledge (PK) in a hostile work environment. The particular focus is an instance of the process of sharing PK between experienced and non‐experienced workers in a bio‐pharmaceutical industry.

An interpretive perspective was applied in the inductive and qualitative empirical study. Case study methodology was applied in order to analyse the sharing of practical knowledge.

Research findings from this study have unravelled characteristics of this process that to date have not been discussed in the literature. First, Learning‐by‐observing has limitations in promoting PK sharing in hostile environments. Second, because there is a wide range of alternative solutions for performing a specific task, sharing PK lends itself to political uses. Third, socialisation is important in order to facilitate the sharing of PK, but it is not enough. Political issues surrounding PK sharing shape socialisation processes and therefore provide a better explanatory base for PK sharing. Fourth, the use of standard work processes to share PK is limited in complex tasks. Thus, it is argued that the main features of PK support high levels of uncertainty that in turn favours the use of political behaviour in the process of sharing PK.

Focussing on sharing PK in hostile environments is important since the literature has mainly focussed on organisations in which consensus and participation were either implicitly or explicitly assumed.