This research was conducted with the aim of identifying various changes made to knowledge management (KM) practices implemented by organizations in the Sultanate of Oman following the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. Further, the study focused on identifying the impact of those changes on various aspects of human resources management. Snowball and purposive sampling techniques were used to collect relevant data from 110 line managers in various organizations in the Sultanate of Oman. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-squared and post-hoc tests. The Bonferroni correction method was adopted to reduce the risk of Type I error. The findings indicated that organizations started utilizing an inside-out approach to KM after the COVID-19 crisis began, shifted KM process from manual to computer-based and spending from conventional to e-KM activities. Key finding is that the organizations demonstrated an increased dependency on internal knowledge sources. In addition, line managers began measuring the effectiveness of KM practices, a metric which had been mostly neglected in the pre-pandemic period. Perceived benefits of these changes included increased employee motivation and engagement, increased employee learning and job-related skill, along with an enhanced knowledge-sharing culture across the organization. Important measures taken to mitigate the perceived negative impact of these changes, or enhance the perceived positive impact, included consistent persuasive communication with employees and identifying alternate financial resources to support KM activities. This research contributes to the field of KM and projects it as a supportive discipline to effective crisis management. Findings of this research can help in identifying the areas of training and improvements in the KM framework. This research is global and topical in nature as it relates to the e-KM practices during the ongoing global COVID-19 crisis and portrays the changing e-learning scenario in the organizations in Oman, one of the prominent countries in the middle east and represents the middle east regional culture and economy.
{"title":"Impact of COVID-19 Crisis on Knowledge Management Practices in Sultanate of Oman","authors":"Venkat Ram Raj Thumiki, Ana Jurčić","doi":"10.34190/ejkm.19.3.2102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/ejkm.19.3.2102","url":null,"abstract":"This research was conducted with the aim of identifying various changes made to knowledge management (KM) practices implemented by organizations in the Sultanate of Oman following the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. Further, the study focused on identifying the impact of those changes on various aspects of human resources management. Snowball and purposive sampling techniques were used to collect relevant data from 110 line managers in various organizations in the Sultanate of Oman. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-squared and post-hoc tests. The Bonferroni correction method was adopted to reduce the risk of Type I error. The findings indicated that organizations started utilizing an inside-out approach to KM after the COVID-19 crisis began, shifted KM process from manual to computer-based and spending from conventional to e-KM activities. Key finding is that the organizations demonstrated an increased dependency on internal knowledge sources. In addition, line managers began measuring the effectiveness of KM practices, a metric which had been mostly neglected in the pre-pandemic period. Perceived benefits of these changes included increased employee motivation and engagement, increased employee learning and job-related skill, along with an enhanced knowledge-sharing culture across the organization. Important measures taken to mitigate the perceived negative impact of these changes, or enhance the perceived positive impact, included consistent persuasive communication with employees and identifying alternate financial resources to support KM activities. This research contributes to the field of KM and projects it as a supportive discipline to effective crisis management. Findings of this research can help in identifying the areas of training and improvements in the KM framework. This research is global and topical in nature as it relates to the e-KM practices during the ongoing global COVID-19 crisis and portrays the changing e-learning scenario in the organizations in Oman, one of the prominent countries in the middle east and represents the middle east regional culture and economy.","PeriodicalId":37211,"journal":{"name":"Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42335089","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Collaboration is changing and increasingly emerging as what we call “New Collaboration”, a knowledge-based and community-oriented way of working together (especially digital, online collaboration). Unfortunately, organisations use only a small percentage of the potential of New Collaboration. One main reason for this is that they do not understand that New Collaboration is based on knowledge sharing and requires the individual knowledge of the collaborators to be integrated into a shared knowledge structure, a so-called Joint Knowledge Base (JKB). This concept of a Joint Knowledge Base as the tacit knowledge structure which is constructed, shared and maintained during collaboration, emerged during the course of our previous work and became more and more prominent as a key to collaboration. When a group interacts, the JKB functions as an interaction bridge, and this is why it is a key to collaboration. In this paper, we will revise and elaborate in more detail our concept of a JKB and explain its role in artefact-mediated interaction. First, we will explain the main characteristics of New Collaboration and summarise them based on a concise definition. Secondly, we will introduce the concept of a Joint Knowledge Base, explore the role of social negotiation in constructing it, define the JKB as a distributed knowledge structure, discuss the problem of obstacles which hinder its development and suggest how to solve it by means of gaining deeper insight into the complexity of the involved processes (communication, interaction). And next we will further develop this solution by introducing the concept of boundary artefacts and describing their implementation as tools for artefact-mediated interaction by means of a systematic approach. Finally, we will explain this systematic approach and show how boundary artefacts and artefact-mediated interaction work in practice during meetings performed on a commercially available collaboration platform where they contribute to the construction of a JKB.
{"title":"New Collaboration through Artefact-Mediated Interaction with a Joint Knowledge Base","authors":"M. Bettoni, E. Obeng","doi":"10.34190/ejkm.19.2.2523","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/ejkm.19.2.2523","url":null,"abstract":"Collaboration is changing and increasingly emerging as what we call “New Collaboration”, a knowledge-based and community-oriented way of working together (especially digital, online collaboration). Unfortunately, organisations use only a small percentage of the potential of New Collaboration. One main reason for this is that they do not understand that New Collaboration is based on knowledge sharing and requires the individual knowledge of the collaborators to be integrated into a shared knowledge structure, a so-called Joint Knowledge Base (JKB). This concept of a Joint Knowledge Base as the tacit knowledge structure which is constructed, shared and maintained during collaboration, emerged during the course of our previous work and became more and more prominent as a key to collaboration. When a group interacts, the JKB functions as an interaction bridge, and this is why it is a key to collaboration. In this paper, we will revise and elaborate in more detail our concept of a JKB and explain its role in artefact-mediated interaction. First, we will explain the main characteristics of New Collaboration and summarise them based on a concise definition. Secondly, we will introduce the concept of a Joint Knowledge Base, explore the role of social negotiation in constructing it, define the JKB as a distributed knowledge structure, discuss the problem of obstacles which hinder its development and suggest how to solve it by means of gaining deeper insight into the complexity of the involved processes (communication, interaction). And next we will further develop this solution by introducing the concept of boundary artefacts and describing their implementation as tools for artefact-mediated interaction by means of a systematic approach. Finally, we will explain this systematic approach and show how boundary artefacts and artefact-mediated interaction work in practice during meetings performed on a commercially available collaboration platform where they contribute to the construction of a JKB.","PeriodicalId":37211,"journal":{"name":"Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41338016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The main purpose of this research paper is to understand how artificial intelligence and machine learning applied to human behaviour has been treated, both theoretically and empirically, over the last twenty years, regarding predictive analytics and human organizational behaviour analysis. To achieve this goal, the authors performed a systematic literature review, as proposed by Tranfield, Denyer and Smart (2003), on selected databases and followed the PRISMA framework (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses). The method is particularly suited for assessing emerging trends within multiple disciplines and therefore deemed the most suitable method for the purposes of this paper, which intends to survey and select papers according to their contribute towards theory building. By mapping what is known, this review will lay the groundwork, providing a timely insight into the current state of research on human organisational behaviour and its applications. A total of 17795 papers resulted from the application of the search equations. The papers’ abstracts were screened according to the inclusion / exclusion criterions which resulted in 199 papers for analysis. The authors have analysed the papers through VOSviewer software and R programming statistical computing software. This review showed that 60% of the research undertaken in the field has been done in the last three and a half years and there is no prominent author or academic journal, showing the emergence and the novelty of this research. The other key finds of the research relate to the evolution of the concept, from data-driven (hard) towards emotions-driven (soft) organisations.
{"title":"A Review of Literature on Human Behaviour and Artificial Intelligence: Contributions Towards Knowledge Management","authors":"Elizabeth Real de Oliveira, P. Rodrigues","doi":"10.34190/ejkm.19.2.2459","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/ejkm.19.2.2459","url":null,"abstract":"The main purpose of this research paper is to understand how artificial intelligence and machine learning applied to human behaviour has been treated, both theoretically and empirically, over the last twenty years, regarding predictive analytics and human organizational behaviour analysis. To achieve this goal, the authors performed a systematic literature review, as proposed by Tranfield, Denyer and Smart (2003), on selected databases and followed the PRISMA framework (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses). The method is particularly suited for assessing emerging trends within multiple disciplines and therefore deemed the most suitable method for the purposes of this paper, which intends to survey and select papers according to their contribute towards theory building. By mapping what is known, this review will lay the groundwork, providing a timely insight into the current state of research on human organisational behaviour and its applications. A total of 17795 papers resulted from the application of the search equations. The papers’ abstracts were screened according to the inclusion / exclusion criterions which resulted in 199 papers for analysis. The authors have analysed the papers through VOSviewer software and R programming statistical computing software. This review showed that 60% of the research undertaken in the field has been done in the last three and a half years and there is no prominent author or academic journal, showing the emergence and the novelty of this research. The other key finds of the research relate to the evolution of the concept, from data-driven (hard) towards emotions-driven (soft) organisations.","PeriodicalId":37211,"journal":{"name":"Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43604674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Digital transformation has become a necessity in our volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world. In their 2019 report, APQC found that 75% of organizations are undergoing digital transformation. Successful digital transformation requires a strong foundation of people, process, technology and content. Selection of the right combination of strategies and deep stakeholder engagement is important in early phases of change when transformation initiatives inform leaders and users why change is needed. Top drivers for digital transformation have business (e.g., increased efficiency and productivity) and people (e.g., optimize user experience with knowledge discovery) facets. This paper illustrates an example of digital transformation in practice led by Knowledge Management, within Alberta Health Services (AHS). AHS is Canada’s first and largest province-wide, fully integrated health system with more than 102,700 employees. Employees need a platform for collaboration on projects, as well as documents and idea generation to meet business needs and enable them to become more efficient and effective in their daily jobs. The design, development, and implementation of a collaborative platform within this large organization required close orchestration of strategies, stakeholders’ commitments and engagement, represented by a continuum of stakeholders’ engagement formats, relationship and trust-building. Setting the stage for successful implementation and post implementation required a preview of technological and workforce trends to anticipate the future of work and worker. Fitting the change into overall business strategy, developing the knowledge of how change would affect the workers, and setting up a mechanism to inform leaders about adoption and user engagement were added as overarching strategies to better align with the line of sight in digital transformation. The platform was implemented with 23 business areas that expressed interest; it has demonstrated the potential to enable system transformation if implemented organization-wide. Business value was demonstrated with an ROI calculation on time savings.
{"title":"Digital Transformation Designed to Succeed: Fit the Change into the Business Strategy and People","authors":"D. Robu, John B. Lazăr","doi":"10.34190/ejkm.19.2.2411","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/ejkm.19.2.2411","url":null,"abstract":"Digital transformation has become a necessity in our volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world. In their 2019 report, APQC found that 75% of organizations are undergoing digital transformation. Successful digital transformation requires a strong foundation of people, process, technology and content. Selection of the right combination of strategies and deep stakeholder engagement is important in early phases of change when transformation initiatives inform leaders and users why change is needed. Top drivers for digital transformation have business (e.g., increased efficiency and productivity) and people (e.g., optimize user experience with knowledge discovery) facets. This paper illustrates an example of digital transformation in practice led by Knowledge Management, within Alberta Health Services (AHS). AHS is Canada’s first and largest province-wide, fully integrated health system with more than 102,700 employees. Employees need a platform for collaboration on projects, as well as documents and idea generation to meet business needs and enable them to become more efficient and effective in their daily jobs. The design, development, and implementation of a collaborative platform within this large organization required close orchestration of strategies, stakeholders’ commitments and engagement, represented by a continuum of stakeholders’ engagement formats, relationship and trust-building. Setting the stage for successful implementation and post implementation required a preview of technological and workforce trends to anticipate the future of work and worker. Fitting the change into overall business strategy, developing the knowledge of how change would affect the workers, and setting up a mechanism to inform leaders about adoption and user engagement were added as overarching strategies to better align with the line of sight in digital transformation. The platform was implemented with 23 business areas that expressed interest; it has demonstrated the potential to enable system transformation if implemented organization-wide. Business value was demonstrated with an ROI calculation on time savings.","PeriodicalId":37211,"journal":{"name":"Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42280813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Andrey Sergeevich Mikhaylov, A. Mikhaylova, D. Hvaley
Conceptualization of the region as an integral territorial system of knowledge production has formed a widely used research strategy for innovation studies within regional boundaries. Regional level studies are supported by detailed innovation statistics, which is unavailable for smaller administrative-territorial units, such as municipalities or settlements. The development of spatial scientometrics gave impetus for a new round of research on knowledge and innovation geography with a closer approximation in the context of cities and urban agglomerations. The scope of recent research also includes individual organizations that generate new knowledge or innovation. Despite the topic prominence, the entire array of studies is fragmented, and connections between different levels are not established: region – city – organization. Whereas this is critically important for the implementation of an effective innovation policy. In this regard, in this study, we test the hypothesis that the aggregate data obscures a wide variety of knowledge nodes, which are represented by a dominant knowledge centre. In the case of the region, such centres are often the largest cities, and in the case of cities – the largest organizations. The research design is focused on assessing the knowledge production at a multiscale level – organization, city and region, using the method of spatial scientometrics. The example of the Russian Federation illustrates well the territorial and institutional diversity in the distribution of knowledge production centres of different levels due to its great length and complexity of the structure of the national innovation system. This fact determines the high degree of heterogeneity of the Russian innovation space at the interregional, intercity and inter-organizational levels. The research results show a strong correlation between the knowledge profiles of regions and their primary knowledge-generating cities (KGCs). In cases of a strong central-peripheral structure of the regional knowledge production system, the regional profile completely coincides with the profile of its primary KGC. The knowledge capacity of second-tier cities remains hidden. At the city level, the identified trend is exacerbated. The absence of a pronounced leader among knowledge-intensive organizations (KIOs) against organizational diversity leads to a strong blur of the effectiveness of the knowledge production capabilities of a city. The example of Khabarovsk shows that the research profile of a city in a given situation may not repeat the most productive KIO, but, on the contrary, a weak one. Thus, the three-dimensional region-city-organization approach captures local specifics and organizational diversity, encompassing the entire set of elements of a regional knowledge production system. The study concludes with recommendations for a knowledge management policy at a tiered level.
{"title":"Three-Dimensional Assessment of the Knowledge Production System: Region-City-Organization","authors":"Andrey Sergeevich Mikhaylov, A. Mikhaylova, D. Hvaley","doi":"10.34190/ejkm.19.2.2410","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/ejkm.19.2.2410","url":null,"abstract":"Conceptualization of the region as an integral territorial system of knowledge production has formed a widely used research strategy for innovation studies within regional boundaries. Regional level studies are supported by detailed innovation statistics, which is unavailable for smaller administrative-territorial units, such as municipalities or settlements. The development of spatial scientometrics gave impetus for a new round of research on knowledge and innovation geography with a closer approximation in the context of cities and urban agglomerations. The scope of recent research also includes individual organizations that generate new knowledge or innovation. Despite the topic prominence, the entire array of studies is fragmented, and connections between different levels are not established: region – city – organization. Whereas this is critically important for the implementation of an effective innovation policy. In this regard, in this study, we test the hypothesis that the aggregate data obscures a wide variety of knowledge nodes, which are represented by a dominant knowledge centre. In the case of the region, such centres are often the largest cities, and in the case of cities – the largest organizations. The research design is focused on assessing the knowledge production at a multiscale level – organization, city and region, using the method of spatial scientometrics. The example of the Russian Federation illustrates well the territorial and institutional diversity in the distribution of knowledge production centres of different levels due to its great length and complexity of the structure of the national innovation system. This fact determines the high degree of heterogeneity of the Russian innovation space at the interregional, intercity and inter-organizational levels. The research results show a strong correlation between the knowledge profiles of regions and their primary knowledge-generating cities (KGCs). In cases of a strong central-peripheral structure of the regional knowledge production system, the regional profile completely coincides with the profile of its primary KGC. The knowledge capacity of second-tier cities remains hidden. At the city level, the identified trend is exacerbated. The absence of a pronounced leader among knowledge-intensive organizations (KIOs) against organizational diversity leads to a strong blur of the effectiveness of the knowledge production capabilities of a city. The example of Khabarovsk shows that the research profile of a city in a given situation may not repeat the most productive KIO, but, on the contrary, a weak one. Thus, the three-dimensional region-city-organization approach captures local specifics and organizational diversity, encompassing the entire set of elements of a regional knowledge production system. The study concludes with recommendations for a knowledge management policy at a tiered level.","PeriodicalId":37211,"journal":{"name":"Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47256537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clare Thornley, W. Saabeel, Shane J. McLoughlin, S. Murnane
As our dependency on ever-more complex, opaque, and ubiquitous information and communication technologies (ICTs) increases, ethical concerns about the development of those technologies are also rising. One approach to mitigate these concerns is to improve the maturity of the ICT profession through codification of its knowledge base and professional ethics. In this paper, some key theoretical approaches to ethics with a long-established tradition within Philosophy are explored and how these approaches may manifest in the codification of knowledge within ICT Bodies of Knowledge (BoKs) is discussed. BoKs provide a common vocabulary and knowledge inventory to aid communication and encourage shared values and practices, particularly in emerging professional areas such as the ICT profession. Thus, identifying and understanding how ethics are codified in ICT BoKs is important for maturing ICT professional practice in general, and more specifically, for the resolution of ethical concerns. This paper 1) explores considerations and approaches to how ethics are incorporated within ICT BoKs, and 2) conducts content analysis on how ethics are codified within the content structure of ICT Boks. It is found that theoretical ethical approaches are rarely explicated cited in BoKS though, in the more mature BoKs, the discussion of ethics does include consideration of most of the major philosophical approaches. The implications of how knowledge about ethics is described and integrated into the wider knowledge infrastructure of the ICT profession including curriculum guidelines and accreditation processes is discussed. In a wider contribution to the Knowledge Management discipline, potential lessons to increase maturity for other emerging professions through the development of BoKs are also outlined.
{"title":"‘Good to know’: An Exploration of the role and Influence of Professional Ethics in ICT Bodies of Knowledge (BoKs)","authors":"Clare Thornley, W. Saabeel, Shane J. McLoughlin, S. Murnane","doi":"10.34190/ejkm.19.2.2413","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/ejkm.19.2.2413","url":null,"abstract":"As our dependency on ever-more complex, opaque, and ubiquitous information and communication technologies (ICTs) increases, ethical concerns about the development of those technologies are also rising. One approach to mitigate these concerns is to improve the maturity of the ICT profession through codification of its knowledge base and professional ethics. In this paper, some key theoretical approaches to ethics with a long-established tradition within Philosophy are explored and how these approaches may manifest in the codification of knowledge within ICT Bodies of Knowledge (BoKs) is discussed. BoKs provide a common vocabulary and knowledge inventory to aid communication and encourage shared values and practices, particularly in emerging professional areas such as the ICT profession. Thus, identifying and understanding how ethics are codified in ICT BoKs is important for maturing ICT professional practice in general, and more specifically, for the resolution of ethical concerns. This paper 1) explores considerations and approaches to how ethics are incorporated within ICT BoKs, and 2) conducts content analysis on how ethics are codified within the content structure of ICT Boks. It is found that theoretical ethical approaches are rarely explicated cited in BoKS though, in the more mature BoKs, the discussion of ethics does include consideration of most of the major philosophical approaches. The implications of how knowledge about ethics is described and integrated into the wider knowledge infrastructure of the ICT profession including curriculum guidelines and accreditation processes is discussed. In a wider contribution to the Knowledge Management discipline, potential lessons to increase maturity for other emerging professions through the development of BoKs are also outlined.","PeriodicalId":37211,"journal":{"name":"Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42759573","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Knowledge building is a social process that is driven by the willingness of people to share their expertise and create new knowledge. Scientific Communities of Practice (CoPs) are communities of professors and researchers whose aim is to foster scientific knowledge generation. In the KM literature, research concerning this kind of CoPs has been substantially neglected so far. The present research analyses the case study of the International Association for Knowledge Management (IAKM) seen as a scientific CoP where members are mostly academics with research interests in developing and promoting knowledge management. Based on a collection of quantitative and qualitative data about member collaborations and scientific production, the study investigates the structure of interactions and the collaborative processes of IAKM members and the specific mechanisms of knowledge building within this CoP, seen as a paradigmatic example of scientific community. Members were asked to respond to a survey regarding their collaborative activities carried out with other IAKM members in the period of 2011 – 2020. The descriptive analysis revealed the kind of collaborations, the distribution of interactions across the community, and the dynamic patterns over time. A follow-up social network analysis was used to provide deeper insight into the community structure and dynamics. The research found that a CoP can really be useful for progress in a scientific field because it can provide a platform for trust and mutual acquaintance that reduces barriers to collaboration and knowledge building across different universities, professional roles, countries, and cultures, which is increasingly important for the progress of science. Most importantly, IAKM exhibited a cohesive and active core membership with pivotal roles played by a number of active members, which contributed significantly to the growth of the Association and, in general, to the advancements in the field of KM through collaborative knowledge building.
{"title":"Scientific Associations as Communities of Practice for Fostering Collaborative Knowledge Building: Case Study of IAKM","authors":"M. Handzic, C. Bratianu, E. Bolisani","doi":"10.34190/ejkm.19.2.2369","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/ejkm.19.2.2369","url":null,"abstract":"Knowledge building is a social process that is driven by the willingness of people to share their expertise and create new knowledge. Scientific Communities of Practice (CoPs) are communities of professors and researchers whose aim is to foster scientific knowledge generation. In the KM literature, research concerning this kind of CoPs has been substantially neglected so far. The present research analyses the case study of the International Association for Knowledge Management (IAKM) seen as a scientific CoP where members are mostly academics with research interests in developing and promoting knowledge management. Based on a collection of quantitative and qualitative data about member collaborations and scientific production, the study investigates the structure of interactions and the collaborative processes of IAKM members and the specific mechanisms of knowledge building within this CoP, seen as a paradigmatic example of scientific community. Members were asked to respond to a survey regarding their collaborative activities carried out with other IAKM members in the period of 2011 – 2020. The descriptive analysis revealed the kind of collaborations, the distribution of interactions across the community, and the dynamic patterns over time. A follow-up social network analysis was used to provide deeper insight into the community structure and dynamics. The research found that a CoP can really be useful for progress in a scientific field because it can provide a platform for trust and mutual acquaintance that reduces barriers to collaboration and knowledge building across different universities, professional roles, countries, and cultures, which is increasingly important for the progress of science. Most importantly, IAKM exhibited a cohesive and active core membership with pivotal roles played by a number of active members, which contributed significantly to the growth of the Association and, in general, to the advancements in the field of KM through collaborative knowledge building.","PeriodicalId":37211,"journal":{"name":"Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46011186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Organisations often perceive mistakes as indicators of negligence and low performance, yet they can be a precious learning resource. However, organisations cannot learn from mistakes if they have not accepted them. This study aimed to explore how organisational hierarchy and maturity levels influence the relationship between mistakes acceptance and the ability to change. A sample composed of 380 Polish employees working in knowledge-driven organisations across various industries was used to examine this phenomenon. Data collection occurred from November to December 2019. Data were analysed through OLS regression, using PROCESS software. The findings revealed that the acceptance of mistakes positively influences adaptability to change. Moreover, because of mistakes acceptance, knowledge workers in organisations with a low-level hierarchy adapt to changes more effectively than those who work in strongly (or high-level) hierarchical companies. Additionally, higher levels of hierarchy result in lower adaptability to change, which is particularly visible in mature organisations. The study's essence is the empirical proof that a high level of organizational maturity and hierarchy can be a blocker of the adaptability to change if the organisation stays on the single-loop of learning (does perfectly what it used to do). Mistakes acceptance and thanks to this, also learning from mistakes, supports organisational change adaptability. Change adaptability is vital for double-loop learning (organizational actions re-framing). Moreover, this study has exposed the paradox of ‘wisdom from experience’ empirically. Namely, it is expected that experience and maturity result in positive outcomes and increased organisational leverage. Whereas more prominent, experienced, and mature organisations face serious difficulties when changing their routines and behaviours.
{"title":"Wisdom from Experience Paradox: Organizational Learning, Mistakes, Hierarchy and Maturity Issues","authors":"W. Kucharska","doi":"10.34190/ejkm.19.2.2370","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/ejkm.19.2.2370","url":null,"abstract":"Organisations often perceive mistakes as indicators of negligence and low performance, yet they can be a precious learning resource. However, organisations cannot learn from mistakes if they have not accepted them. This study aimed to explore how organisational hierarchy and maturity levels influence the relationship between mistakes acceptance and the ability to change. A sample composed of 380 Polish employees working in knowledge-driven organisations across various industries was used to examine this phenomenon. Data collection occurred from November to December 2019. Data were analysed through OLS regression, using PROCESS software. The findings revealed that the acceptance of mistakes positively influences adaptability to change. Moreover, because of mistakes acceptance, knowledge workers in organisations with a low-level hierarchy adapt to changes more effectively than those who work in strongly (or high-level) hierarchical companies. Additionally, higher levels of hierarchy result in lower adaptability to change, which is particularly visible in mature organisations. The study's essence is the empirical proof that a high level of organizational maturity and hierarchy can be a blocker of the adaptability to change if the organisation stays on the single-loop of learning (does perfectly what it used to do). Mistakes acceptance and thanks to this, also learning from mistakes, supports organisational change adaptability. Change adaptability is vital for double-loop learning (organizational actions re-framing). Moreover, this study has exposed the paradox of ‘wisdom from experience’ empirically. Namely, it is expected that experience and maturity result in positive outcomes and increased organisational leverage. Whereas more prominent, experienced, and mature organisations face serious difficulties when changing their routines and behaviours.","PeriodicalId":37211,"journal":{"name":"Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42908111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper is a review of National Intellectual Capital (NIC) literature that focuses on the documented use of data and the data sources used in the NIC literature. The topic is important as the NIC research is largely based on data analysis and thus the use of data and the data sources used ultimately shape the reality around what is the big picture of national intellectual capital, as it is understood today. While this is the case, questions about use of data and the data sources used have not been in the core of the research tradition. The review focuses on 57 systematically collected NIC articles with a documented data source, published between the years 1991 and 2018. The results show that the majority of data-based NIC research is concentrated around a set of often-used data sources, while the rest of the data-based NIC literature uses a fragmented set of data sources. New data sources are rarely utilized. The documentation of data and data source use in the literature leaves room for criticism. Researchers and the users of NIC analyses benefit, if they are able to evaluate the quality, the coverage, and the relevance of the data sources used as a basis of NIC analyses. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that data sources used in the NIC literature are the main focus of a literature review.
{"title":"Misled by Data? Review of Data Sources in National Intellectual Capital Research","authors":"H. Orjala","doi":"10.34190/EJKM.19.1.2243","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/EJKM.19.1.2243","url":null,"abstract":"This paper is a review of National Intellectual Capital (NIC) literature that focuses on the documented use of data and the data sources used in the NIC literature. The topic is important as the NIC research is largely based on data analysis and thus the use of data and the data sources used ultimately shape the reality around what is the big picture of national intellectual capital, as it is understood today. While this is the case, questions about use of data and the data sources used have not been in the core of the research tradition. The review focuses on 57 systematically collected NIC articles with a documented data source, published between the years 1991 and 2018. The results show that the majority of data-based NIC research is concentrated around a set of often-used data sources, while the rest of the data-based NIC literature uses a fragmented set of data sources. New data sources are rarely utilized. The documentation of data and data source use in the literature leaves room for criticism. Researchers and the users of NIC analyses benefit, if they are able to evaluate the quality, the coverage, and the relevance of the data sources used as a basis of NIC analyses. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that data sources used in the NIC literature are the main focus of a literature review.","PeriodicalId":37211,"journal":{"name":"Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44516293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The social dimensions of knowledge management are often overlooked when attempting to develop innovative approaches to preserve and balance the multiple values of protected natural landscapes. This oversight can hinder the incorporation of knowledge from research and experience, particularly tacit knowledge held by experts and experienced individuals. Building social connection between leaders, researchers and experienced staff within an organisation can address this challenge because it fosters knowledge incorporation and dissemination. However, this can be a slower, more costly and more challenging method of incorporating diverse knowledges. Organisations, particularly government organisations, need to demonstrate the value of building social connection and cohesion. Our work was designed to evaluate social connection and the development of deliberative knowledge networks. We tracked social connection during the formation of a research network within a state government organisation in Australia. The aim of the network was to improve the adoption of research knowledge into management of the alpine region in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Social Network Analysis (SNA) was used to evaluate the effectiveness of forming a research network, given it was a costly, time-consuming and challenging method for the organisation. SNA was used to visualise social connections and measure changes during the planning phase of the research network over 12 months, when scope of the alpine research program was being identified and priorities determined. The analysis revealed individuals in the network grew social connections over time (total ties, average degree and density increased) which is likely to lead to better knowledge sharing. The SNA also identified individuals with knowledge brokerage roles (betweenness scores) and those with the greatest reach and potential influence in the network (key players) who were targeted for future roles in the network. The majority of alpine information was sought from and shared with staff within the network, particularly those in two Groups/ Divisions, which may limit the innovation by the network. The results provided insight to the government research network that is invaluable in its transition from the planning phase to implementation of research priorities and adaptive management. Our approach provides evidence for the value of building social connections and knowledge brokerage to improve environmental outcomes.
{"title":"Social Connection and Knowledge Brokerage in a State Government Research Network in Australia","authors":"C. Goggin, R. Cunningham","doi":"10.34190/EJKM.19.1.2222","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/EJKM.19.1.2222","url":null,"abstract":"The social dimensions of knowledge management are often overlooked when attempting to develop innovative approaches to preserve and balance the multiple values of protected natural landscapes. This oversight can hinder the incorporation of knowledge from research and experience, particularly tacit knowledge held by experts and experienced individuals. Building social connection between leaders, researchers and experienced staff within an organisation can address this challenge because it fosters knowledge incorporation and dissemination. However, this can be a slower, more costly and more challenging method of incorporating diverse knowledges. Organisations, particularly government organisations, need to demonstrate the value of building social connection and cohesion. Our work was designed to evaluate social connection and the development of deliberative knowledge networks. We tracked social connection during the formation of a research network within a state government organisation in Australia. The aim of the network was to improve the adoption of research knowledge into management of the alpine region in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Social Network Analysis (SNA) was used to evaluate the effectiveness of forming a research network, given it was a costly, time-consuming and challenging method for the organisation. SNA was used to visualise social connections and measure changes during the planning phase of the research network over 12 months, when scope of the alpine research program was being identified and priorities determined. The analysis revealed individuals in the network grew social connections over time (total ties, average degree and density increased) which is likely to lead to better knowledge sharing. The SNA also identified individuals with knowledge brokerage roles (betweenness scores) and those with the greatest reach and potential influence in the network (key players) who were targeted for future roles in the network. The majority of alpine information was sought from and shared with staff within the network, particularly those in two Groups/ Divisions, which may limit the innovation by the network. The results provided insight to the government research network that is invaluable in its transition from the planning phase to implementation of research priorities and adaptive management. Our approach provides evidence for the value of building social connections and knowledge brokerage to improve environmental outcomes.","PeriodicalId":37211,"journal":{"name":"Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management","volume":"19 1","pages":"54-75"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45275900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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