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1 – 10 of over 30000Fatemeh Navidi, Mohammad Hassanzadeh and Ali Zolghadr Shojai
Employees, as the most important assets of an organization, acquire a great deal of experience, skills and knowledge throughout the time period they work for the organization. If…
Abstract
Purpose
Employees, as the most important assets of an organization, acquire a great deal of experience, skills and knowledge throughout the time period they work for the organization. If their skills and technical knowledge are not documented properly, these will be lost once the employees leave the organization. Therefore, documentation is necessary for preserving this invaluable knowledge, avoiding duplication and preventing repeated mistakes that occurred in the past and, providing the junior staff with experiences gained by their predecessors. Thus, this research aims to elaborate on the role of organizational knowledge management (KM) as an essential tool for turning tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge and sharing the gained experiences with others.
Design/methodology/approach
This research is developmental applied research with qualitative approach and it was conducted using thematic analysis method. This method includes a semi-structured interview with 18 researchers conducting research projects at the Satellite Research Institute under the supervision of the Iran Space Agency.
Findings
The projects contain knowledge that is a combination of “know why”, “know what”, “know who” and “know how”. A large amount of this knowledge is, indeed, the tacit knowledge. Most of this tacit knowledge is not reflected in the project documents. Generally, the documents contain results only and they do not include experience, technical details, methodology, analysis and mistakes that were made during research activities. Documentation challenges fall into three major types: technical, human resources and administrative.
Originality value
Considering the necessity of documentation within the knowledge transfer process and its important role in KM; and, with respect to the lack of technical knowledge and experience transfer observed in the documents of Satellite Research Institute, this research proposes some steps that need to be taken to turn the knowledge sharing into an organizational culture.
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Trihadi Pudiawan Erhan, Arnold Japutra and Sebastiaan Van Doorn
The purpose of this study is to examine the mechanisms of absorptive capacity (ACAP) in the specific context of digital product development teams. More precisely, it explores the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the mechanisms of absorptive capacity (ACAP) in the specific context of digital product development teams. More precisely, it explores the process of internalizing and utilizing external knowledge from sources outside the team to promote the development of innovative ambidexterity.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employs the ACAP framework and directs specific attention to the concept of knowledge assimilation, encompassing comprehension, documentation and dissemination. Seventy-five employees of one of Indonesia’s largest commercial banks were surveyed about two initiatives they participated in. To this end, 12 research hypotheses are formulated, tested and analyzed using structural equation modeling.
Findings
Knowledge comprehension, documentation and dissemination are found to mediate between knowledge acquisition and knowledge exploitation. At the same time, the relationship between knowledge acquisition and knowledge transformation is mediated by knowledge comprehension and dissemination, but not documentation. The authors also found that knowledge transformation positively mediates between knowledge comprehension and dissemination on the one hand and ambidexterity on the other hand. Importantly, knowledge exploitation negatively mediates between knowledge comprehension and documentation on the one hand and ambidexterity on the other hand.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by offering nuanced insights into the interplay of knowledge assimilation processes within ACAP, particularly in the context of digital product development. The identification of mediating factors and their impacts on ambidexterity provides valuable implications for both theory and practice in this domain.
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Tatiana Andreeva and Aino Kianto
The purpose of this paper is to examine innovation from a knowledge‐based view by exploring the effect of knowledge processes and knowledge intensity on innovation performance.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine innovation from a knowledge‐based view by exploring the effect of knowledge processes and knowledge intensity on innovation performance.
Design/methodology/approach
First, a theoretical model of the connections between knowledge processes, knowledge intensity and innovation performance is presented. The posited hypotheses are then tested statistically, using a survey dataset of 221 organizations.
Findings
The result shows that while all knowledge processes have a beneficial impact on innovation, knowledge creation impacts innovation the most and fully mediates the impact of knowledge documentation, intra‐organizational knowledge sharing and external knowledge acquisition on innovation performance. Furthermore, knowledge intensity increases all knowledge processes. Knowledge intensity also moderates the relationship of documentation and knowledge sharing with knowledge creation. The interaction effect is negative, meaning that firms in less knowledge‐intensive conditions will benefit more from documentation and knowledge sharing for their knowledge creation purposes, and ultimately innovation.
Research limitations
The data are limited to companies from Finland, Russia and China.
Practical implications
To promote innovation, managers should pay close attention to knowledge creation processes in organizations. Furthermore, knowledge creation can be facilitated by ensuring efficient documentation procedures, and internal and external knowledge sharing and acquisition practices. Documentation and knowledge sharing are especially effective means to promote knowledge creation for non‐knowledge intensive firms.
Originality/value
This paper makes a contribution to the existing literature by building and testing a knowledge‐based model of firm innovation and articulating the inter‐relations of knowledge processes and knowledge intensity with innovation performance.
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The purpose of this research was to uncover perceptions of information technology outsourcing (ITO) project leaders and project teams regarding knowledge transfer between client…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research was to uncover perceptions of information technology outsourcing (ITO) project leaders and project teams regarding knowledge transfer between client and vendor partners during opening and closing transition phases of ITO projects.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative methods and exploratory case study design were used. Purposeful sampling was used to identify ITO knowledge assets including project team members and organizational documents and artifacts that may provide information regarding the knowledge transfer processes during the transition phases of the ITO project. Sample criteria were ITO project team members from one US-based client organization and the company’s international vendor partners. The study population included project managers, analyst, developers, subject matter experts (SMEs) and other ITO knowledge workers involved in the ITO project from one US-based organization. Interview and document analysis were done using of NVivo Pro 11® research software.
Findings
Four themes emerged from participant responses relative to the opening and closing phases of ITO projects including KT approaches to plans and processes; KT dependencies relative to IT project team member’s reliance on project tools, processes and artifacts; determinants of KT success or failure relative to project team members’ perceptions; and role of documentation relative to communication and distribution of KT outcomes.
Originality/value
This research may provide insights into additional aspects of knowledge transfer during ITO transition phases, which may be used by IT leaders and project teams to plan for successful knowledge transfer during the transition phases of ITO projects.
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Bushra Meaad Ramadan, Samer Eid Dahiyat, Nick Bontis and Mahmoud Ali Al-dalahmeh
The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the mediating effect of social capital (SC) on knowledge management (KM) and intellectual capital (IC).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the mediating effect of social capital (SC) on knowledge management (KM) and intellectual capital (IC).
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual model of the connections between IC, KM, and SC was developed and the posited hypotheses were tested using a survey data set of 281 questionnaires collected from knowledge workers working in 72 information and communications technology companies operating in Jordan.
Findings
The findings show that knowledge documentation and knowledge transfer emerged as having the strongest effects on IC, followed by knowledge acquisition and knowledge creation, while knowledge application was found to have an insignificant effect. Also, knowledge transfer and knowledge acquisition emerged as the only two significant processes for the development of SC. Moreover, SC was found to partially and significantly mediate the effects of all processes on IC.
Practical implications
To promote the development of IC, particularly, in a knowledge-intensive business service (KIBS) sector, documentation, transfer, acquisition, and creation of knowledge are especially effective processes. Furthermore, SC can be significantly enhanced through ensuring effective internal knowledge transfer and acquisition practices. Nurturing IC in a knowledge-intensive context can also be significantly enhanced through looking at the firm as a cooperative knowledge-sharing entity, i.e. investing in SC.
Originality/value
This is the first empirical study that has examined the links among KM processes, SC, and IC in a KIBS sector within an “oil-poor,” “human resource-rich” Arab developing country context.
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Sara Shafiee, Katrin Kristjansdottir, Lars Hvam and Cipriano Forza
This paper aims to explore the use of the knowledge management (KM) perspective for configuration projects. Configuration projects implement configurators as information…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the use of the knowledge management (KM) perspective for configuration projects. Configuration projects implement configurators as information technology systems that help companies manage the specification process of customised products. An effective method of retrieving and formalising knowledge for configurators is essential, because it can reduce the risk of unsuccessful implementation and the time and effort required for development. Unfortunately, no standard KM frameworks are available specifically for configuration projects. This study identifies the knowledge necessary for different phases of a configuration project (which knowledge, for what purpose and from what sources), examines how it is transformed during a configuration project (what KM activities and tools are used) and establishes how the knowledge can be documented for future maintenance and updates.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper proposes a four-step framework for making the KM process more efficient in configuration projects. The framework is based on the literature, developed in collaboration with industrial partners and tested on four configuration projects in two engineering companies. The framework is a structured KM approach designed to save time for both domain experts and the configuration team. The authors have used a qualitative exploratory design based on multiple data sources: documentation, workshops and participant observation.
Findings
The proposed framework comprises four steps: determination of the system’s scope, to establish the project’s goal based on stakeholders’ requirements and prioritise the required products and processes; knowledge acquisition, to classify the knowledge according to the desired output and identify different knowledge sources; modelling and knowledge validation; and documentation and maintenance, to ensure that the KM system can be maintained and updated in the future.
Research limitations/implications
Because the framework is tested on a limited number of cases, its generalisability may be limited. However, focusing on a few case applications allows us to assess the effectiveness of the framework in detail and in depth to identify the practical challenges of applying it. The results of the tests support the framework’s validity. Although the framework is designed mainly for engineering companies, other industries could benefit from using it as well.
Practical implications
The individual steps of the framework create a structured approach for the KM process. Thus, the approach can save both time and resources for companies, without the need for additional investment.
Originality/value
A standard framework is lacking in the literature on KM for configuration projects. This study fills that gap by developing a KM framework for configuration projects, based on KM frameworks developed for IT projects, and KM tools.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the sociocultural underpinnings of wiki-based knowledge production in the videogame domain, and to elucidate how these underpinnings…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the sociocultural underpinnings of wiki-based knowledge production in the videogame domain, and to elucidate how these underpinnings relate to the formation of wikis as resources of videogame documentation.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on a three-month ethnographic investigation of knowledge practices on the Dark Souls Wiki (DSW). In focus of the analysis were the boundaries and knowledge aims of the DSW, together with how its contributors organized inquiries and used various sources, methods of investigation, and ways of warranting knowledge claims.
Findings
The principal result of the paper is an empirical account of how the DSW functions as a culture of knowledge production, and how the content and structure of the wiki connects to the knowledge practices of its contributors. Four major factors that influenced knowledge practices on the wiki were identified: the structures and practices established by the community’s earlier wiki efforts; principles and priorities that informed wiki knowledge practices; the characteristics of the videogame in focus of the site’s knowledge-building work; the extent and types of relevant documentation provided by videogame industry, the videogaming press included.
Originality/value
Previous research has shown interest in investigating the mechanisms by which community-created knowledge and online resources of documentation emerge, and how these are utilized in play. There is, however, little research seeking to elucidate the sociocultural structures and practices that determine and sustain collaborative online videogame knowledge production.
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Stanley Loh, José Palazzo M. de Oliveira and Fábio Leite Gastal
This paper presents an approach for performing knowledge discovery in texts through qualitative and quantitative analyses of high‐level textual characteristics. Instead of…
Abstract
This paper presents an approach for performing knowledge discovery in texts through qualitative and quantitative analyses of high‐level textual characteristics. Instead of applying mining techniques on attribute values, terms or keywords extracted from texts, the discovery process works over conceptss identified in texts. Concepts represent real world events and objects, and they help the user to understand ideas, trends, thoughts, opinions and intentions present in texts. The approach combines a quasi‐automatic categorisation task (for qualitative analysis) with a mining process (for quantitative analysis). The goal is to find new and useful knowledge inside a textual collection through the use of mining techniques applied over concepts (representing text content). In this paper, an application of the approach to medical records of a psychiatric hospital is presented. The approach helps physicians to extract knowledge about patients and diseases. This knowledge may be used for epidemiological studies, for training professionals and it may be also used to support physicians to diagnose and evaluate diseases.
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Jan Terje Karlsen, Line Hagman and Thomas Pedersen
The focus of this paper is on knowledge transfer. The purpose is to investigate intra‐project knowledge‐transfer practice in information systems development (ISD) firms applying a…
Abstract
Purpose
The focus of this paper is on knowledge transfer. The purpose is to investigate intra‐project knowledge‐transfer practice in information systems development (ISD) firms applying a Scrum methodology.
Design/methodology/approach
Case study of ISD projects and empirical data obtained using in‐depth interviews following a semi‐structured approach were employed.
Findings
One of the main findings showed that Scrum team members believed in the usefulness of knowledge transfer. The study observed extensive personal exchange of knowledge through, for example, meetings and networks, including dialog with the client. The mechanisms observed in creating knowledge transfer were: lean and dynamic documentation, cross‐functional teams, client consultation and feedback, intra‐project meetings, application of project tools and techniques, and management of changes.
Research limitations/implications
Future research should investigate other organizations and countries, so that these findings may be generalized.
Practical implications
The study observed extensive personal exchange of knowledge which can be described as people track of knowledge management. This observation coincides with the view that information systems and tools only play a subordinate role in knowledge management widely held by many contributors to the people track of knowledge management. Others argue that the dominance of tacit knowledge in projects is a key challenge. This involves a particular concern for organizational culture and leadership style and has implications for how a project should be structured and managed.
Originality/value
Knowledge transfer in ISD projects is studied in this research paper.
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