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1 – 10 of over 8000
Article
Publication date: 10 May 2023

Chi Minh Pham, Sachithra Lokuge, Thanh-Thuy Nguyen and Arthur Adamopoulos

With the advent of new technologies, the integration of blockchain-enabled food supply chain (FSC) implementations is on the rise. Considering the multilateral, comprehensive and…

Abstract

Purpose

With the advent of new technologies, the integration of blockchain-enabled food supply chain (FSC) implementations is on the rise. Considering the multilateral, comprehensive and complex nature of the whole blockchain-enabled FSC implementation process, understanding knowledge management (KM) practices will add value. Prior literature shows that only a few studies have focused on this topic. As such, this study aims to identify and establish key KM enablers for blockchain-enabled FSC implementations.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducted a qualitative research approach. By conducting 22 in-depth interviews with experienced blockchain implementation experts in FSC contexts, this study provides interesting insights for academics and practitioners.

Findings

The results of the analysis highlighted eight critical KM enablers that directly influence blockchain-enabled FSC implementations. They include external enablers (i.e. regulation and market competition) as well as internal enablers (i.e. people – organizational learning, strategy and leadership, culture, information technology, organizational infrastructure, processes and activities).

Originality/value

This study is one of the few studies that identify KM enablers for blockchain-enabled FSC implementations. Considering the novelty of decentralized blockchain implementations in FSC and its importance in transforming silo-based knowledge exchange to a decentralized operational structure, this study attempts to identify factors that increase the efficiency of blockchain implementations in FSC contexts.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 28 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 17 March 2023

Charlotta Winkler

This paper aims to explore the process of implementing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in construction to contribute to the understanding of systemic innovation in construction.

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the process of implementing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in construction to contribute to the understanding of systemic innovation in construction.

Design/methodology/approach

The exploratory research presented is based on qualitative data collected in workshops and interviews with 76 construction- and solar-industry actors experienced in solar PV projects. Actor-specific barriers were identified and analysed using an abductive approach.

Findings

In light of established definitions of systemic innovation, the process of implementing solar PV systems in construction involves challenges regarding technical and material issues, competencies, and informal and formal institutions. The specificities of this case highlight the necessity of paying attention to details in the process and to develop knowledge of systemic innovation in construction since the industry’s involvement in addressing societal challenges related to the energy transition will require implementing such innovations much more in the future.

Practical implications

New knowledge of solar PV systems as an innovation in professional construction is collected, enabling the adaptation of management strategies for its implementation. This knowledge can also be applied generally to other challenges encountered in highly systemic innovation implementation. Solar industry actors can gain an understanding of solar-specific challenges for the construction industry, challenges for which they must adapt their activities.

Originality/value

The exploration of actor-specific experiences of solar PV projects has resulted in a novel understanding of this specific innovation and its implementation. The findings illustrate a case of a high level of systemic innovation and the need to use a finer-grained scale for classification when studying innovation in construction.

Details

Construction Innovation , vol. 24 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 April 2024

Bassel Kassem, Matteo Rossini, Stefano Frecassetti, Federica Costa and Alberto Portioli Staudacher

While Digitalisation is gaining momentum among practitioners and the scientific world, there is still a struggle to embark on the digitalisation journey successfully. The…

Abstract

Purpose

While Digitalisation is gaining momentum among practitioners and the scientific world, there is still a struggle to embark on the digitalisation journey successfully. The struggles are more significant for SMEs compared to large companies. Such transformation could face internal resistance, which evokes the need to put it into a socio-technical perspective such as lean. This paper investigates how SMEs could implement digital tools and technologies in their operations.

Design/methodology/approach

We relied on a multiple case study design in three SME manufacturing companies in Italy. Based on the experience of those companies, the struggles in the implementation and the lessons learned, we formulate an implementation model of digital tools driven by lean thinking.

Findings

Companies tend to implement first digital tools that help with real-time data collection and stress that introducing digital tools becomes challenging without reducing waste in production. The model stresses top management commitment, middle-line involvement and operator training to resist change. All these factors coincide with socio-technical lean bundles developed by seminal works. In addition, the study highlights that financial incentives are not necessarily the common barrier to digital tools implementation in SMEs but rather the cultural aspect.

Originality/value

Our paper enriches the extant body of knowledge by deriving knowledge around digitalisation implementation through lessons learned and corrective actions. It allows managers to benchmark and compare the current state of the implementation process with that of other companies and the one proposed to make corrective actions when necessary.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 August 2022

Constantin Bratianu, Dan Florin Stănescu and Rares Mocanu

The purpose of the present research is to introduce a combined framework that integrates innovative work behavior, product innovation process and customer knowledge management;…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the present research is to introduce a combined framework that integrates innovative work behavior, product innovation process and customer knowledge management; then, to explore the mediating effect of customer knowledge management in the relationship between innovative work behavior and the product innovation process.

Design/methodology/approach

The basis for the present research is a cross-sectional design. Data collection from 154 employees occurred using the following structured questionnaires: Customer Knowledge Management (CKM), Innovative Work Behavior (IWB) and Product Innovation Process (PIP). Data processing used SPSS version 26.0, including the PROCESS (3.5) macro analysis.

Findings

The results show positive relationships between innovative work behavior and the product innovation process (r = 0.420, p < 0.01). Pearson's correlation shows a coefficient of 0.42, meaning that 42% of the variations in perceived product innovation are due to variations in innovative work behavior. The second condition of the mediation test involved testing the relationship between the independent variable (Innovative Work Behavior) and the mediating variable (Knowledge Management) and showed a significant relationship (r = 0.272, p < 0.01). The findings suggested that knowledge management that other determinants supported, such as collaboration in idea exploration, idea championing and encouragement of participation in idea implementation, significantly contributed to the product innovation process (r = 0.509, p < 0.01). The bootstrapping method confirmed that innovative work behavior supports product innovation through the mediation of customer knowledge management (z = 3.01, p = 0.002).

Research limitations/implications

The cross-sectional design, along with the relatively low number of participants and the self-reporting nature of the questionnaires, represent the current study's main limitations. Developing the research model could integrate new variables, such as customer co-creation processes, performance-based compensation, employee citizenship activities and transformational leadership.

Practical implications

This research has both theoretical and practical implications. These emphasize the importance of further investigation into the factors influencing companies' innovation processes. They also provide managers with a means of finding a fit between the deployment of customer knowledge mechanisms and the achievement of innovative workplace behavior, to improve innovation process efficiency.

Originality/value

The current study broadens the empirical research area of customer knowledge management and its impact on both innovative work behavior and the product innovation process, particularly in knowledge-intensive market scenarios that require organizations to be innovative.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. 52 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 March 2022

Zainab Al-Ajmi and Kamla Ali Al-Busaidi

This study aims to assess the knowledge-sharing risks and controls in the government sector from the knowledge workers’ perspective.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to assess the knowledge-sharing risks and controls in the government sector from the knowledge workers’ perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study combines two techniques. First, the study uses the Delphi technique to identify the risks and rank them. Second, the study used a follow-up interview approach to identify the needed controls to mitigate these identified risks.

Findings

The Delphi study revealed the top knowledge-sharing risks are related to organizational and individual risks. Furthermore, the study identified the top controls that needed to mitigate these identified risks from technology, process and people dimensions. The study findings suggested that implementing controls on people and processes is the most important, and the focus must be on them, especially in the government sector.

Originality/value

The study offers several practical implications for the government sector to establish a knowledge-sharing risks management strategy. Such study has been given little attention in previous research, especially in developing countries.

Details

VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, vol. 54 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5891

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 26 January 2023

Susanne Durst, Ingi Runar Edvardsson and Samuel Foli

The purpose of this paper is to structure existing research on knowledge management (KM) in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to offer a comprehensive overview of…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to structure existing research on knowledge management (KM) in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to offer a comprehensive overview of research strands and topics in KM in SMEs to determine their evolution over time.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper, which is considered a follow-up literature review, is based on a systematic literature review that covers 180 scientific papers that were published since the review paper by Durst and Edvardsson in 2012 that covered 36 papers.

Findings

The findings of this review and those of the aforementioned review are brought together in the form of an overview that structures research on KM in SMEs based on themes that, in turn, allow the derivation of promising research directions and research questions aimed at structuring future research on KM in SMEs.

Originality/value

By combining the findings of this review with the findings from the review published in this journal in 2012, this paper offers, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the most comprehensive literature review on KM in SMEs produced to date.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 27 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 March 2023

Felix P. Santhiapillai and R.M. Chandima Ratnayake

This paper aims to explore knowledge work waste and defines the priorities for enhancing performance and productivity in policing and prosecution services (PPS), especially in the…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore knowledge work waste and defines the priorities for enhancing performance and productivity in policing and prosecution services (PPS), especially in the crime investigation process (CIP).

Design/methodology/approach

Using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a case study of a Norwegian police district is examined to identify and prioritize the most performance-vulnerable crime investigation unit, using the adapted knowledge work waste as the performance metric.

Findings

Nine waste categories and 15 subcategories are identified and understood within a two-dimensional network of managerial and operational waste adapted for the PPS. The AHP helps classify levels of priority for each knowledge work waste and orderly prioritization of crime investigation units.

Research limitations/implications

The findings have limited generalizability, as they are based on a single Norwegian police district. This warrants research on the wider applicability of the adapted waste categories and approach.

Practical implications

This study can support public managers in implementing lean thinking and identifying the most prominent wastes in a complex system. In this context, processes and operations are among the factors dominated by knowledge work and are dependent on multiple stakeholders, cross-functional activities and interdisciplinary collaboration, which is more challenging to measure systematically and quantitatively than in a manufacturing environment.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the gap in lean thinking literature by advancing the knowledge on the adaptation and application of the foundational principles of lean thinking in the PPS and CIP.

Details

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, vol. 14 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-4166

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 October 2023

Abhijeet Tewary and Vaishali Jadon

This research aims to analyze the literature on Quality 4.0 and pinpoint the essential factors contributing to its success. Additionally, the research aims to develop a framework…

Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to analyze the literature on Quality 4.0 and pinpoint the essential factors contributing to its success. Additionally, the research aims to develop a framework that can be used to create a capable workforce necessary for the successful implementation of Quality 4.0.

Design/methodology/approach

By following a systematic approach, the authors could ensure that their literature review was comprehensive and unbiased. Using a set of pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria, the authors screened 90 research articles to obtain the most relevant and reliable information for their study.

Findings

The authors' review identified essential findings, including the evolution of literature in the field of Quality 4.0 and the systematization of previous literature reviews focusing on training and development. The authors also identified several training barriers to implementing Quality 4.0 and proposed a model for building a competent workforce using Kolb's experiential learning model.

Practical implications

The authors' research offers insights into the training barriers that must be considered when building a competent workforce. Using the framework proposed in the authors' research, consultants and managers can better integrate Quality 4.0 into their organizations.

Social implications

The adoption of Quality 4.0 has significant social implications and is essential for advancing sustainability. It can improve efficiency, reduce waste, minimize environmental impacts and better meet the needs and expectations of stakeholders.

Originality/value

The authors' study stands out as one of the earliest reviews of the literature on Quality 4.0 to incorporate the theory-context-method (TCM) framework, allowing to provide unique insights into future research directions that had not been previously explored.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 May 2023

Sanda Erdelez, Yuan-Ho Huang and Naresh Kumar Agarwal

This study investigated the moderating effect of organizational knowledge management performance on the sharing and use of information encountered by serendipity within the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study investigated the moderating effect of organizational knowledge management performance on the sharing and use of information encountered by serendipity within the organization.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors surveyed 274 medical librarians from the top 100 medical schools.

Findings

Individual information encountering predicted information encountering at work, which, in turn, predicted organizational sharing of encountered information. When the propensity to encounter information was high, then organizational knowledge management performance moderated the effect between organizational encountering and organizational sharing of information. Encountered information at work was only present when high organizational knowledge management performance was in place.

Research limitations/implications

This finding helps information behavior researchers discover the transfer of behaviors from everyday life to organizational environments.

Practical implications

It shows the need for greater support for information encounterers at work and the role of knowledge management, which may enhance their contribution to the organizational objectives.

Originality/value

Information encountering involves finding information by chance. Studies on information encountering have not focused on work settings and if the individual propensity to encounter information translates to organizational settings. Also, the relationship between information encountering and organizational knowledge management has not been studied so far.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 80 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 January 2024

Chau Ngoc Dang, Warit Wipulanusat, Peem Nuaklong and Boonsap Witchayangkoon

This study aims to explore the relationships between knowledge management (KM) enablers, employee innovativeness (EI) and market development performance (MDP) in architecture…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore the relationships between knowledge management (KM) enablers, employee innovativeness (EI) and market development performance (MDP) in architecture, engineering and construction (A/E/C) firms.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey is conducted to collect empirical data from A/E/C practitioners in Vietnam. First, factor analysis is used to identify KM enablers in A/E/C firms. Then, a framework which shows the links between KM enablers, EI and MDP is proposed. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to examine the proposed relationships.

Findings

This study identifies five constructs which can enable A/E/C firms to achieve effective KM implementation, including mutual trust and collaboration, organizational values and norms, information and communication systems, organizational policies and empowerment. Furthermore, the SEM results show that except for organizational policies, four remaining KM enablers significantly affect EI. It is also found that EI has a significant impact on MDP.

Practical implications

The findings could help A/E/C firms to know which KM enablers are critical to EI and provide a better understanding of the link between EI and MDP. Hence, they could make appropriate investments in KM practices to improve both EI and MDP.

Originality/value

The results of this study fill the gap in knowledge by empirically structuring the relationships between KM enablers, EI and MDP. Such results may provide A/E/C firms with useful information to enhance EI and MDP in today’s intensively competitive construction environments.

Details

Construction Innovation , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Keywords

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