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This study seeks to examine the relationships between corporate strategy, human resource management (HRM) strategy, and knowledge management (KM) strategy, as well as their interactive influence on KM effectiveness.

Samples studied are 147 Taiwanese large companies in banking, services, and manufacturing industries; responses from multiple informants are collected from each firm.

Results indicate that firms pursuing cost leadership strategy and buy‐bureaucratic HRM strategy are more likely to adopt codification KM strategy. Firms adopting differentiation strategy and make‐organic HRM strategy are associated with frequent use of personalization KM strategy.

This study finds that fit between KM strategy and both corporate as well as HRM strategy are significantly related to better KM effectiveness in terms of process outcome, learning capability, and organizational outcomes.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically study transfer mechanisms of technological knowledge, and to explore the interplay among the factors that influence the choice of a mechanism.

This paper reports on a qualitative case study designed to explore the reasons underlying the selection of intra-organizational knowledge transfer mechanisms. This research was carried out as an exploratory case study, which allowed one to observe the phenomenon in a natural setting.

The results of the present study indicate the interplay between the factors, and link the factors in a sequence that help decide a mechanism. A decision to select a mechanism depends upon several variables; some of them override others, others are interlinked, and sometimes there is a causal link.

It is based on a sample of employees that may not be representative of the broader population. Since the samples were drawn only from a MNC, the results may not be generalised. The case study method which was employed in this research does not permit the generalisation of the results.

The knowledge transfer literature has discussed the mechanisms used to transfer technological knowledge, but has failed to adequately address the rationale behind the selection of an appropriate knowledge transfer mechanism. The extant literature has isolatedly identified factors that impact on the choice of knowledge transfer mechanism. These issues are not effectively addressed in prior research. The findings are summarized diagrammatically in the form of a decision tree which provides a conceptualization of the decision processes involved in the selection of the medium for knowledge transfer.

The purpose of this research is to understand what motivates 7–11-year-old children to participate in online brand communities (OBCs). Prior research has concentrated on prescriptive product categories (games and gaming), predominantly adolescent groups and the social aspects of community engagement and actual behaviour within communities, rather than the motivations to participate with the OBC. This has ultimately limited what has been gleaned, both theoretically and managerially, from this important segment.

An interpretive, longitudinal position is adopted, using a sample of 261 children (113 male and 148 female) from across the UK, using event-based diaries over a 12-month period, generating 2,224 entries.

Data indicate that children are motivated to participate in a brand community for four reasons: to support and ameliorate pre-purchase anxieties, resolve interpersonal conflicts, exact social dominance in terms of product ownership and perceptions of product knowledge and to actively engage in digitalised pester power. The study also reveals that certain motivational aspects such as conflict resolution and exacting dominance, are gender-specific.

Knowledge of children’s motivation to engage with OBCs is important for marketers and brand managers alike as the data reveal markedly different stimuli when compared to known adult behaviours in the field. Given the nature of the study, scope exists for significant future research.

The study reveals behaviours that will assist brand managers in further understanding the complex and untraditional relationships that children have with brands and OBCs.

This study makes a novel examination of a hitherto little-explored segment of consumers. In doing so, it uncovers the theoretical and practical characteristics of child consumers that contemporary, adult-focussed literature does not recognise. The paper makes an additional contribution to theory by positing four new behavioural categories relating to community engagement – dependers, defusers, demanders and dominators – and four new motivational factors which are fundamentally different from adult taxonomies – social hegemony, parental persuasion, dilemma solving and conflict resolution.

The paper's objective is to present a group decision support system (GDSS) for facilitating the process of core knowledge selection.

The proposed GDSS is developed by taking advantage of the characteristics of certain existing analytical and mathematical methods, including knowledge‐based SWOT analysis, knowledge audit instruments, gap analysis, synergy analysis, similarity measures, multi‐objective linear programming (MOLP), and fuzzy programming. A case study was performed to identify whether or not the GDSS achieves its designed purpose.

The results show that GDSS can be applied effectively in identifying core knowledge that should be developed.

The proposed GDSS provides a comprehensive procedure for top managers, using a strategy‐orientated perspective to determine suitable core knowledge to be developed by appropriately analyzing internal synergy and external gap effects on core knowledge. Top managers need not only be aware of the relationship between core knowledge and other factors but must also consider decision‐making problems related to this issue.

Few prior studies have provided a systematic approach for develops organizational core knowledge by using analytical and mathematical methods. This paper particularly focuses on the question of how firms can actually identify core knowledge and thus develop appropriate strategies.

The purpose of this paper is to provide of a review of the theory and models underlying project management (PM) research degrees that encourage reflective learning.

Review of the literature and reflection on the practice of being actively involved in conducting and supervising academic research and disseminating academic output. The paper argues the case for the potential usefulness of reflective academic research to PM practitioners. It also highlights theoretical drivers of and barriers to reflective academic research by PM practitioners.

A reflective learning approach to research can drive practical results though it requires a great deal of commitment and support by both academic and industry partners.

This paper suggests how PM practitioners can engage in academic research that has practical outcomes and how to be more effective at disseminating these research outcomes.

Advanced academic degrees, in particular those completed by PM practitioners, can validate a valuable source of innovative ideas and approaches that should be more quickly absorbed into the PM profession's sources of knowledge. The value of this paper is to critically review and facilitate a reduced adaptation time for implementation of useful reflective academic research to industry.

Communications regarding this column should be addressed to Mrs. Cheney, Peabody Library School, Nashville, Term. 37203. Mrs. Cheney does not sell the books listed here. They are available through normal trade sources. Mrs. Cheney, being a member of the editorial board of Pierian Press, will not review Pierian Press reference books in this column. Descriptions of Pierian Press reference books will be included elsewhere in this publication.

The paper aims to explore the role of knowledge management systems (KMS) in promoting value creation in the construction sector.

An action research methodology using a multiple case study approach, which includes participant observation and semi‐structured interviews.

The findings indicate that KMS promote value creation when they embed and nurture the social conditions that bind and bond team members together. Also, to be effective KMS should be incorporated within a change management programme that promotes a “participatory” type of culture while taking into account the team‐based structure and discipline‐oriented nature of the construction industry. Therefore, much more consideration should be given to organisational change issues prior to deployment of KMS.

The study is limited to organisations from the construction industry, but can be generalised to organisations from other sectors that exhibit similar characteristics.

The findings can be used to guide management teams in deploying KMS to foster value creation as part of a wider change management programme.

While related research tends to adopt an objectivist or subjectivist approach to knowledge management (KM), the present research argues that a third approach is required where issues related to technology, culture, and organisation must be blended successfully to address complex organisational barriers to effective KM leading to value creation.