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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 17 December 2021

Silvia Magnanini, Daniel Trabucchi, Tommaso Buganza and Roberto Verganti

This study aims to investigate how two collaborative methods – selection and synthesis – influence knowledge convergence when people articulate a new strategic direction driving…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate how two collaborative methods – selection and synthesis – influence knowledge convergence when people articulate a new strategic direction driving transformation within the organization.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a longitudinal field experiment developed in four organizations involving 82 employees over a three-month process. Inspired by dynamics governing flocks as complex adaptive systems, selection and synthesis have been separately used in two sets of companies. Primary and secondary data have been largely collected and analyzed throughout the whole process.

Findings

This study describes how the two alternative methods differently influenced two kinds of knowledge convergence. While selection triggers a general and static knowledge convergence and the propagation of individual knowledge over time, synthesis fosters a local and dynamic knowledge convergence where individuals tend to propagate knowledge generated collectively.

Research limitations/implications

This research offers insights into understanding the influence of alternative collaborative methods on the creation and propagation of knowledge when people are converging toward a new strategic direction. From a theoretical perspective, it contributes to complex adaptive system theory, highlighting the role of knowledge convergence and emergence through collaboration.

Practical implications

This research offers insights to managers who deal with the complexity of the engagement of different stakeholders during collaborative processes, offering some actionable takeaways to foster knowledge convergence by alternatively employing selection and synthesis.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the management and social information processing literature emphasizing the role of knowledge convergence emerging from the complex interactions among multiple stakeholders.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 26 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 April 2022

Wenyue Cui, Jie Tang, Zhipeng Zhang and Xin Dai

Innovation convergence is critical to national or regional economic growth patterns. This article provides a systematic review of innovation convergence research through…

Abstract

Purpose

Innovation convergence is critical to national or regional economic growth patterns. This article provides a systematic review of innovation convergence research through qualitative discussions combined with bibliometric methods. Through this article, researchers interested in the field of innovation convergence can quickly understand the development of the field, quickly identify authors and publications with significant impact, and collaborative networks in the field.

Design/methodology/approach

This article is based on the relevant literature included in the WOS database from 1990 to 2021, using Citespace, Gephi and other software to conduct a systematic bibliometric analysis of the research in the new convergence field.

Findings

This research shows that the second half of the twentieth century was a boom period for research on economic convergence. 2. The subject foundation of innovation convergence research mainly includes mathematics, economics, political science and computational science. 3. The journals that publish research in this field are widely distributed, including the fields of economics, natural sciences and complex sciences. 4. The research in the field of innovation convergence is inseparable from the research in the field of economic growth.

Originality/value

This study may help others to understand the development history and research trends of the innovation convergence field, as well as the literature and cooperative scientific research institutions that have an important influence.

Details

Library Hi Tech, vol. 41 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0737-8831

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 May 2014

Xiaomi An, Hepu Deng, Lemen Chao and Wenlin Bai

This paper aims to investigate the role of knowledge management in collaborative innovation and identifies the knowledge management approaches for supporting collaborative…

3896

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the role of knowledge management in collaborative innovation and identifies the knowledge management approaches for supporting collaborative innovation community capacity building (CICCB) in organizations. The importance of collaborative innovation in developing organizational competitiveness is increasingly being recognized in both theory and practice worldwide. Collaborative innovation, however, is still under-explored from the trans-disciplinary perspective of knowledge management and community capacity building.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive review of the related literature in collaborative innovation and knowledge management is conducted. Three demands for CICCB, including trust building for enhancing the effectiveness, sustainability building for improving the efficiency and extensibility building for developing the competitiveness in organizations, are identified, which paves the way for the development of a holistic approach to effective CICCB.

Findings

Three roles of knowledge management in supporting CICCB are identified, including the reformation of knowledge management for convergence in collaboration, the remediation of knowledge activities for synergy in communication and the reconfiguration of knowledge artifacts for the integration of knowledge management activities in connectivity. A holistic approach is proposed for effective CICCB in organizations, including the multi-dimensional convergence for trust building in collaboration, the multi-directional synergy for sustainability building in communication and the multi-layer integration for extensibility building in connectivity.

Research limitations/implications

Insights about how organizations can better support CICCB through effective knowledge management for improving their competitiveness are provided based on the identification of the demand for CICCB and the role of knowledge management in collaborative innovation. The development of a holistic approach to effective CICCB can help organizations better utilize their limited resources for developing their competitiveness in today’s dynamic environment.

Originality/value

This paper is the first step of a comprehensive study on the role of knowledge management in supporting CICCB in organizations in today’s dynamic environment. It provides a solid foundation for the investigation of the models, approaches and mechanisms for effective CICCB through knowledge management in organizations.

Article
Publication date: 30 January 2009

Say Yen Teoh and Shan L. Pan

This study aims to create and deploy new configurations of resources via understanding issues concerning generative knowledge integration (KI) to create a customer‐centric…

1244

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to create and deploy new configurations of resources via understanding issues concerning generative knowledge integration (KI) to create a customer‐centric relationship management system.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative case study of a public‐listed housing developer was conducted to analyze its main issues and conceptualize the underlying generative knowledge integration process.

Findings

Issues concerning generating KI were identified from the case study. The conceptualization of generative KI encompasses three main generative KI mechanisms, knowledge conceptualization, knowledge convergence, and knowledge assimilation, that are connected by three generative KI processes: accessing and exchanging knowledge, articulating and exchanging knowledge, and combining and exchanging knowledge.

Practical implications

The importance of understanding the concept of generative knowledge integration for practitioners is emphasized, and suggestions are given to promote the deployment of knowledge integration generation throughout system development.

Originality/value

The research conducted is unique in that a new model of generative knowledge integration is proposed, contributing to the knowledge integration literature in terms of the uncovering the three new generative KI mechanisms and processes.

Details

Journal of Systems and Information Technology, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1328-7265

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 June 2007

William S. Kaplan and Anne F. Thomson Reed

This paper aims to impart how Acquisition Solutions, Inc. is moving knowledge management “from concept to theory to practice” through an ability to connect, collect, and

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to impart how Acquisition Solutions, Inc. is moving knowledge management “from concept to theory to practice” through an ability to connect, collect, and collaborate at all levels “as part of the way we do business”. It demonstrates how the void that exists between the theories about “knowledge management” and the delivery of clear and specific knowledge management practices that “deliver on the promise of KM” is filled.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors provide brief company context and the knowledge challenges faced in considering future evolution and growth, such as improving the ability to leverage the hidden value of corporate knowledge in business development and new solution creation, strengthening the ability to learn from past challenges and successes in strategic decision making and client solution delivery, and creating value from knowledge, experience, and insight held by both employees and clients. The authors discuss a Knowledge Convergence© strategy, implementing framework and model and how to integrate these into consulting operations – employing an Applied Innovation Model© to continually improve solution delivery by integrating communities of practice, attention to business practice methodologies, and the development of competencies in the workforce.

Findings

The paper presents ten learnings, including the fundamental understandings that “it is not about knowledge management, it's about knowledge leadership” as well as “capture and reuse must be part of business operations and not something extra”.

Originality/value

This paper is written for practitioners who are focused on performing and learning to improve the performance of individuals, teams, and organizations.

Details

VINE, vol. 37 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0305-5728

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 April 2009

Jocelyn Cranefield and Pak Yoong

This paper aims to investigate how online communities of practice facilitate the embedding of personal professional knowledge in a complex online environment.

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate how online communities of practice facilitate the embedding of personal professional knowledge in a complex online environment.

Design/methodology/approach

This research consisted of exploratory, interpretivist case research, using qualitative methods. Forty‐one individuals from five online communities in a national professional development programme were interviewed. Additional data were drawn from diverse online records. Data were coded via text analysis. A wiki was used for participant feedback.

Findings

Embedding of new knowledge was facilitated by individuals' crossings between different engagement spaces – communication and sense‐making contexts. Community members repeatedly crossed between online and offline, visible and invisible, formal and informal, and reflective and active engagement spaces as they sought to meet diverse needs. As they did this, they had to continually recontextualise knowledge, adapting, varying and personalising it to fit the function, genre and conventions of each engagement space. This promoted the embedding of professional knowledge. The complex online environment in which they operated can be seen as providing a situation of enhanced polycontextuality, within which multiple boundary crossings facilitated strong personalisation. At the community level, knowledge convergence was fostered by the recurrence of dominant, powerful mnemonic themes.

Research limitations/implications

An opportunity exists to investigate the applicability of these findings in other online professional contexts.

Originality/value

The paper extends the concept of boundary crossing to crossings in a polycontextual online environment. It updates literature on communities of practice by outlining the dynamics of a complex online community system. It provides an explanation for how personal knowledge evolves to fit emerging trends and considers how information systems can support deep knowledge transfer.

Details

Online Information Review, vol. 33 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1468-4527

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 November 2006

Miltiadis D. Lytras and Athanasia Pouloudi

The paper aims to discuss the critical issue of learning and knowledge convergence in knowledge‐intensive organizations, and to provide practical guidelines for effective

3639

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to discuss the critical issue of learning and knowledge convergence in knowledge‐intensive organizations, and to provide practical guidelines for effective strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper brings together previous research in knowledge management and provides a critique for the lack of integration of previous studies with learning, a key process for efficient knowledge management. Stemming from this critique, an integrative framework for knowledge management support from a learning perspective is proposed.

Findings

The major contribution is the framework for knowledge management support from a learning perspective, which can guide strategies of effective knowledge and learning management. This framework initiates an interesting discussion of technological issues that can enhance current knowledge management practices.

Research limitations/implications

The taxonomy of knowledge management systems provides the basis for an extensive specification of knowledge management strategies. Further research could focus on an instrumental approach to the integrative framework suggested in this paper, to illustrate how it can be used to enhance the integration of learning processes and products in the knowledge management process.

Practical implications

The paper is a very useful source of information and impartial advice for strategists, knowledge management officers and people interested in implementing learning and knowledge management in a knowledge‐intensive organization.

Originality/value

This paper presents a novel taxonomy of knowledge management systems from a learning perspective. Unlike previous literature on knowledge management, this paper makes an explicit claim for integrating knowledge management and learning activities and illustrates how the two can be jointly supported by various knowledge management systems.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 10 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 April 2020

Karen Lee Bar-Sinai, Tom Shaked and Aaron Sprecher

The purpose of the paper is to advance remote robotic fabrication through an iterative and pedagogical protocol for shaping architectural grounds. Advancements in autonomous…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to advance remote robotic fabrication through an iterative and pedagogical protocol for shaping architectural grounds. Advancements in autonomous robotic tools enable to reach increasingly larger scales of architectural and landscape construction and operate in remote and inaccessible sites. In parallel, the relation of architecture to its environment is significantly reconsidered, as the building industry's contribution to the environmental stress increases. In response, new practices emerge, addressing the reshaping and modulation of environments using digital tools. The context of extra-terrestrial architecture provides a ground for exploring these issues, as future practice in this domain relies on the use of remote autonomous means for repurposing local matter. As a result, the novelty in robotic construction laboratories is tied to innovation in architectural pedagogy.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper puts forth a pedagogical protocol and iterative framework for digital groundscaping using robotic tools. The framework is demonstrated through an intensive workshop led by the authors. To situate the discussion, digital groundscaping is linked to several conditions that characterize practice and relate to pedagogy. These conditions include the experimental dimension of knowledge in digital fabrication, the convergence of knowledge as part of the blur between the fields of architecture and landscape architecture and the bridging of heterogeneous knowledge sets (virtual and physical), which robotic fabrication on natural terrains entails.

Findings

The outcomes of the workshop indicate that iterative processes can assist in applying autonomous design protocols on remote grounds. The protocols were assessed in light of the roles of technological tools, design iterations and material agency in the robotic fabrication.

Originality/value

The paper concludes with observations linking the iterative protocol to new avenues in architectural pedagogy as means of advancing the capacity to digitally design, modulate and transform natural grounds.

Details

Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 14 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-6862

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2003

Miltiadis D. Lytras and Athanasia Pouloudi

The digital economy is based on knowledge and the ultimate objective is the reinforcement of performance. The business strategy has been shifted from the management of tangible…

4058

Abstract

The digital economy is based on knowledge and the ultimate objective is the reinforcement of performance. The business strategy has been shifted from the management of tangible assets to intangible resources and the traditional competitive position of business units is based on their capacity for effective action. The main conclusion is that a knowledge and learning management infrastructure is required in order to realize every knowledge organization as a learning organization capable of exploiting the organizational knowledge wealth.

Details

The Learning Organization, vol. 10 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-6474

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 April 2020

Songyi Yan, Claudia Elisabeth Henninger, Celina Jones and Helen McCormick

This research investigates sustainable knowledge from a consumer perspective, thereby focussing on the issue of microfibre pollution (MFP) within the context of the athleisure…

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Abstract

Purpose

This research investigates sustainable knowledge from a consumer perspective, thereby focussing on the issue of microfibre pollution (MFP) within the context of the athleisure wear industry.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is exploratory in nature and supports its findings with 15 in-depth semi-structured interviews with consumers who have an invested interest in athleisure wear and have either a fashion or a textile science background.

Findings

The results provide an insight into how different types of knowledge influence one another and which ones can act as barriers to acting more sustainably and more specifically in reducing MFP.

Research limitations/implications

Although the sample size is relatively small, participants were selected carefully to have different backgrounds and lifestyles, thus, providing valuable insights that can be explored further in the future.

Practical implications

Communication is a key issue that has been identified and which needs to be carefully addressed by providing both quantity and quality.

Originality/value

This research identifies interlinks between different knowledge types and potential barriers that need to be overcome in order to act more sustainably.

Details

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, vol. 24 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-2026

Keywords

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