An Empirical and Modeling Approach to Knowledge Management Practices in South American Organizations

This chapter is designed to serve as a comprehensive introduction to a few aspects of knowledge management (KM) practices of particular relevance for temporal knowledge-intensive organizations. The aspects considered are the contribution of KM pratices to value creation, the dissemination and adoption of KM practices and the enabling role of KM practices in the interpretation of states of affairs. The value creation aspect focuses on the impact of KM practices in temporal knowledge-intensive organizations creating value for their customers/users. The behavioral nature of KM practices is of critical relevance for temporal knowledge-intensive organizations as there are attitudes that will be very influential in individuals’ intention to adopt such KM practices. Finally, because the individuals in a temporal knowledge-intensive organization should share the same interpretation on a given state of affairs or about the data at hand, the interpretative aspect of KM practices focuses in the enabling role of KM practices in reaching common understanding.

Knowledge management can be a powerful tool if successfully implemented into an organisational structure. Uncovering the latest methods, tools, trends and strategies in organisational knowledge management should be a priority for individuals working in a variety of industries. Knowledge Management Practice in Organizations: The View from Inside brings together industry experts to discuss the realities of knowledge management work in organisations. Examining the challenges associated with operational knowledge management, this work provides insight into the day-to-day practise of knowledge management in real-life settings. Organisational leaders and professionals, librarians, students and researchers will find this publication to be an essential tool in understanding knowledge management implementation.

This chapter investigates whether information technology tools typical of Web 2.0 can support Knowledge Management (KM) practices in organizations. An investigation on the Web is conducted and the appropriate literature examined. The information technology tools employed in organizations nowadays are discussed with the help of three guidelines which each present two opposing ideas: knowledge creation versus knowledge sharing, tacit knowledge versus explicit knowledge and hierarchical KM versus organic KM. It is argued that these tools reveal an innate contradiction: they are based on a centralized conception and production but aim to deal with informal, fluid processes, which resist structuring. The term Enterprise 2.0 is defined and examined, since it brings out a critical view of traditional KM technology. In this context, the prevailing technologies on the Web are described as well as the associated use practices. The technologies and practices highlighted are those that enhance the collective creation of information and knowledge-intensive products and the active, rich user participation which influences the development of own technologies. Subsequently, many Web 2.0 tools and services that are, or could be, used in KM practices are described and the sites that provide them are indicated. It is noted that these new technologies are inducing cooperative and decentralized work processes that lead to emerging products of high quality and complexity. Furthermore, they are characterized by net effects, simplicity, ease of use, low cost and rastreability. Nevertheless, there are some difficulties in the application of Web 2.0 technologies, among them, the attainment of performance requisites, privacy and security, the possible emergence of counterproductive results and the need to motivate people to create content. The challenges and opportunities in the organizational use of Web 2.0 technologies are remarked. Finally, the managerial interventions appropriate to enable the success of KM projects based on Web 2.0 technologies are discussed.

This chapter investigates whether information technology tools typical of Web 2.0 can support Knowledge Management (KM) practices in organizations. An investigation on the Web is conducted and the appropriate literature examined. The information technology tools employed in organizations nowadays are discussed with the help of three guidelines which each present two opposing ideas: knowledge creation versus knowledge sharing, tacit knowledge versus explicit knowledge and hierarchical KM versus organic KM. It is argued that these tools reveal an innate contradiction: they are based on a centralized conception and production but aim to deal with informal, fluid processes, which resist structuring. The term Enterprise 2.0 is defined and examined, since it brings out a critical view of traditional KM technology. In this context, the prevailing technologies on the Web are described as well as the associated use practices. The technologies and practices highlighted are those that enhance the collective creation of information and knowledge-intensive products and the active, rich user participation which influences the development of own technologies. Subsequently, many Web 2.0 tools and services that are, or could be, used in KM practices are described and the sites that provide them are indicated. It is noted that these new technologies are inducing cooperative and decentralized work processes that lead to emerging products of high quality and complexity. Furthermore, they are characterized by net effects, simplicity, ease of use, low cost and rastreability. Nevertheless, there are some difficulties in the application of Web 2.0 technologies, among them, the attainment of performance requisites, privacy and security, the possible emergence of counterproductive results and the need to motivate people to create content. The challenges and opportunities in the organizational use of Web 2.0 technologies are remarked. Finally, the managerial interventions appropriate to enable the success of KM projects based on Web 2.0 technologies are discussed.

Purpose Studies on knowledge management (KM) and its effect on organisational innovation and firm performance have been carried out and subsequently proven. However, the consequence is that KM programmes did not achieve the expected results that they were designed for. Considering the issue mentioned above, a KM shortfall and its underlying challenges seem to exist. The purpose of this study is to assess the current practices of KM, lesson learnt and KM challenges in Malaysian organisations from various types of industries. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted with information gathered through a focus group of managers with different hierarchical levels, different types of companies, from multinational corporations to state organisations. This inductive approach was adopted to gain a grounded, rich, local and lived understanding of the process based on the case studies of eight Malaysian organisations that represent the major industries in the Malaysian economic sectors. Additionally, the information gathered was further supported with secondary data that consisted of a case study report of the eight organisations on their KM programmes’ implementation. Findings The overall results showed that the practice of KM in Malaysian organisations typically displays the following two challenges: (1) process and infrastructure issues and (2) cultural issues. Organisational culture remains the main obstacles faced by most of the organisations in adopting KM. As a lesson learnt, managers should also focus on the after-effect of KM programmes on soft human issues such as employees’ satisfaction and well-being. Research limitations/implications The authors believe that further research is required considering KM challenges and employee satisfaction or well-being to improve KM performance among different groups of employees through such methods as research survey. Practical implications The findings can act as a guideline for any organisations to address when adopting KM. Identification of the KM challenges provides the basis for organisations to attach considerable importance to employees’ satisfaction and well-being to enhance the chances of successful KM programmes. Managers should take a proactive approach in creating an appropriate atmosphere to cultivate KM culture among employees. Originality/value This study offers not only challenges in implementing and sustaining an effective KM system within organisations but also promotes moving the KM literature to the next stage where there is a lack of concern on KM implementation effect on “soft” human issues from the perspectives of employees. This is due to organisations tend to eradicate people’s performance in terms of employee well-being and satisfaction and to the author’s knowledge, this has been largely unexplored in previous research.

The paper is about studying knowledge management practices in organisations. First we summarise the basic definitions of knowledge and knowledge management. After showing several studies on knowledge management in industrial context by stressing different classifications developed so far including our online survey we introduce our approach to knowledge management in organisations. It is a spiral model illustrating knowledge life-cycle in organisations which is relating different types of organisations (time-, product-, service-based) to knowledge, volatility, and knowledge management. By doing so, business processes and the structure of organisations are considered. Special focus is given to specific individual and organisational knowledge created and shared within and outside the organisational boundaries, impacts of different volatility factors to knowledge, knowledge management processes, and change processes triggered by knowledge management practice in organisations. Finally we conclude our paper by stressing our future work in this area.

In this knowledge-based economy, the core competence that determines the success of every organisation is knowledge. This calls for organisations to develop and implement systems, strategies and framework to facilitate the effective management of knowledge as an organisational asset. This study sought to assess literature and frameworks of knowledge management (KM) and to develop a framework for KM implementation in organisations. This study reviewed literature on knowledge, KM processes, KM enablers, and KM frameworks to determine and propose a set of guidelines for implementing KM practices in organisations. Arising from the review, the researcher proposed an integrated KM framework that could be used by academics (researchers) and KM practitioners to implement and facilitate KM practices in organisations. The framework identifies the key elements of developing and facilitating KM practices: knowledge (tacit and explicit), KM processes (creation, retention, sharing and utilisation), and KM enablers (technology, leadership, culture and strategy). From organisations’ perspectives, for a successful implementation of KM practices, the focus should be on identifying and linking the knowledge types with the KM processes and the KM enablers. This forms the basis for the proposed framework to guide the successful implementation of KM practices in organisations. By utilising these guidelines to develop an integrated KM implementation framework, it is hoped that a stronger theoretical foundation can be constructed, thus facilitating the accomplishment of KM.

The rationale of this paper is to illustrate how the management of knowledge in temporary organisations is being carried out in many industries. It aims to examine knowledge management (KM) practices in and between projects. Online survey was conducted to collect the data from project managers and assistant mangers in Finland. It is found out that majority of project managers have intermediate level of intimacy with knowledge management and mostly project completion reports are consulted for capturing information. For information dissemination, lectures/seminars are organised. It is also stressed by the respondents that humans (employees) have more importance than other technologies for successful KM. Further, research should include large-scale surveys to systematically analyse the successful project KM practices in different types of projects, organisations, and industries located in other cultural areas could help extracting possible effects caused by cultural or societal influences on KM practices in projects. It is proposed that project managers should put more emphasis to synchronise KM practices with common and widely accepted realities about project KM programmes. It portraits the real picture of KM practices of project-based organisations.

Purpose of the article Knowledge has been considered as the strategic assets and become the source of competitive advantage in organizations. Knowledge management thus receives the extraordinary attention from the top management. Many organizational factors have influences on knowledge management practices. This paper attempts to explore the empirical relationship between knowledge management and organizational culture in the specific situation of China’s commercial banking industry. Methodology/methods The relationship between knowledge management and organizational culture is quantitatively investigated by surveying bank managers. The scale of SECI modes is used to measure knowledge management process and the scale of Denison Organizational Culture Survey (DOCS) is used to measure organizational culture. We explore the underlying relationship by employing the statistical analyses such as correlation, regression and structural equation modeling. Scientific aim The research aims at testing the relationship between knowledge management and organizational culture, and furthermore if there exist linkages between cultural traits and SECI modes. Findings The results of the empirical study confirm the great and positive effect that organizational culture has on knowledge management. Different cultural traits contribute to different SECI modes. Conclusions For obtaining successful knowledge management practices in organizations, it is better to concern about the relationship between knowledge management and organizational culture. The limitation in the paper is the sampling size, which will be solved by an industry-wide survey in our future research.

This paper highlights the need for an individual-centric approach for the decision making process of organisational knowledge management (KM) practices, to enhance KM effectiveness. Initial interviews with managers helped identify the key constructs in this research. Key constructs were then included in a questionnaire that was administered to employees of a medium sized company. The collected data were analysed with Ordinal Multi Dimensional Scaling (OMDS) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA). The findings show that individuals’ understanding of, and support for KM, is essential for their meaningful participation in KM practices. However, positive attitudes toward KM depend on individuals’ involvement in the decisions made on KM practices. Organisations thriving to manage knowledge effectively ought to take an individual- centric approach to KM where individuals, who are meant to participate in KM practices, are placed at the centre of the decision making process on KM practices. Through this study it...

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether knowledge management (KM) practices trigger environmental innovation. Additionally, distinguishing between two types of KM practices, the authors want to examine whether different types of KM practices have the same role for environmental innovation.Design/methodology/approach– Employing two French surveys, namely, the Community Innovation Survey (2002-2004 and 2006-2008) and Annual Firm Survey (EAE, 2000), the authors analyze empirically the relationship between KM practices and environmental innovation. The theoretical relationship the authors propose is tested using bivariate probit model on 1,117 French manufacturing firms.Findings– The econometric estimations show that the investment in KM practices trigger environmental innovation. Furthermore, the authors distinguish between two types of KM practices: a written policy of KM and a culture intended to promote KM sharing. The main results are also confirmed for both types of KM practices. Moreover, based on coefficients and significance levels, the empirical results indicate that a culture intended to promote KM sharing has a more substantial impact on green innovation than a written policy of KM.Practical implications– KM can boost environmental innovation, which also enhances firm business performance. Therefore, managers should foster investment in KM capabilities. They need to create working atmosphere that generates, stores, transfers and applies knowledge in order to improve a firm’s green innovativeness. Additionally, the study results show that managers can choose among different KM practices in order to enhance environmental innovation. However, managers should be aware that not all KM practices provide the full advantage in terms of performance improvement. They should know that different KM practices have differential impacts on different performance outcomes. In this sense, managers should implement KM practices that fit their performance strategy.Originality/value– The relationship between KM and innovation performance has received increasing attention from researchers during the past years. However, even though scholars underline the importance of environmental innovation, the relationship between KM and environmental innovation remains significantly under-researched. The findings suggest that KM should be considered as an important source for environmental innovation improvement.

PurposeThis study aims to empirically examine knowledge management practices in China with the purpose to provide a holistic view regarding the current status of knowledge management at both national and organizational levels.Design/methodology/approachUsing a survey method, this study collected primary data from organizations across several regions in China. The data were analyzed to detect possible relationships among institutional force, organizational culture and knowledge management process in Chinese organizations. More specifically, to what extent are these relationships moderated by national culture?FindingsWhile knowledge management practices in China were partly influenced by institutional forces, most of the predicted connections between organizational culture and knowledge management were supported. In addition, the dynamic nature of national culture is predominant, that pervasively influencing knowledge management processes and thus contextualization determines how knowledge is being managed in China. Indeed, the ideologies of relationships and trust are key vehicles for knowledge management in the Chinese organizations.Practical implicationsThis study comprehensively reviews existing literature to form an integrative framework, which is under explored in a Chinese context. Such initiative helps scholars and practitioners to gain a full understanding of knowledge management, in general, in the Chinese business environment in particular.Originality/valueThis paper provides a detailed and empirical insight into the knowledge management practices in Chinese organizations and suggests that knowledge management in a distinctive and yet diverse cultural context should be considered with caution.

Religious organisations are significant producers of knowledge and in recent years, knowledge management (KM) has become a crucial necessity for organisations to achieve success and effectiveness. Pentecostal churches are frequently established, particularly in densely populated informal settlements in many parts of Africa. This study aimed to assess KM practices at a Pentecostal church in an informal settlement in Cape Town, South Africa, using the knowledge conversion model. The study objectives were to examine the level of awareness and uptake of KM practices, determine the level of openness to knowledge sharing and conversion among church leaders and members, and evaluate how knowledge conversion and management practices contribute to achieving the church’s goals of spreading the gospel and enhancing community services. The study population consisted of the church leadership and adult members. The results revealed that the level of awareness and uptake of KM practices was very low, with no documented training or responsible individuals identified for managing knowledge. Tacit knowledge was being shared informally through dialogue and religious meetings but was not formally extracted, documented, or converted into explicit knowledge for organisational productivity, sharing, and reuse. Some leaders were not keen on explicitly managing and sharing knowledge, a number of members thought it is very important for knowledge to be documented and shared. The study developed a conceptual model for implementing KM in Pentecostal religious organisations. The model provides a practical framework for improving knowledge sharing and enhancing organisational productivity, which can lead to more effective gospel dissemination and community service. This study highlights the importance of effective KM in religious organisations and provides valuable insights for leaders seeking to leverage knowledge to achieve their goals.

PurposeThe current study aims to analyze the curriculum of selected knowledge management (KM) programs at universities in the USA, Europe, Australia and Asia within current and historical contexts to understand the scope and nature of the requirements in KM programs. By comparing the results from programs, a baseline understanding of what the overall requirements within these programs has been developed. This may provide benefits for the profession, as this baseline can provide a clearer understanding of the skills and knowledge elements that are present or absent in the current academic programs. In addition to better informing the KM community of what graduates of these programs may know, this information can provide a basis for academic program improvement and, ultimately, better use of KM in professional practice.Design/methodology/approachThe basic approach in this study is a comparative analysis of curriculum in master-level programs in English that are focused on KM. In the current study, historical references to programs in KM were identified through prior research in the topic area. Current programs were identified through standard reference sources. The course titles and program descriptions for current programs are further analyzed using text analytics tools to understand the relationship of topics within and between programs.FindingsThe concept of KM as a distinct program of study appears to be stable but the number of programs is declining. The number of new master degree programs in KM has not significantly increased in the past 15 years, whereas many programs have been discontinued or have been reduced to the certificate/diploma level. Of the programs that exist today, we see that a greater variety in home locations of these programs which tend to imply coverage of the field is becoming increasingly diverse in its approach. Overall, it appears that the KM programs are moving toward transformation or integration with allied fields.Originality/valueThere has been very limited study of the curriculum within KM programs. Most of the research performed dates from 2010 or earlier. The current study adds a unique contribution to the literature by looking at earlier iterations of KM programs and compares those to the current state of the curriculum in KM programs and their successor programs in an attempt to understand how the field may be developing and changing.

Management The project challenges of the oil and gas industry are characterized by change and uncertainty. Work operations span the globe and smooth working partnerships cannot be anticipated. However, we can confront that uncertainty by becoming more agile. Greater levels of agility rest upon using the power of knowledge—the cornerstone of successful corporations. The difference between a powerful knowledge management (KM) program and the also-ran is the ability to identify and enable critical knowledge. The KM system is a tool and not the end product. People still make the system work and are the critical component for input, expert collaboration, and mentoring. In fact, business value is created when critical knowledge gets to the right person at his or her teachable moment and is applied. The crucial knowledge set within your organization is often hidden—sometimes buried—because it resides in people or in many electronic reports or in stacks of lessons learned. The question we need to ponder is this: Can too much knowledge flow? What Is Knowledge Management? From a practical perspective, knowledge is information in action. Until people take information and use it, it is not knowledge. In a business context, knowledge is what employees know about their customers, each other, products, processes, mistakes, and successes, whether that knowledge is tacit or explicit. The American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC) defines KM as a systematic effort to enable information and knowledge to grow, flow, and create value. The discipline is about creating and managing the processes to get the right knowledge to the right people at the right time and help people share and act on information in order to improve organizational performance. Organizations implement a KM program to institutionalize and promote knowledge sharing practices. An enterprise program is usually a centralized, organizationwide effort to standardize and excel in KM. Strategy in a New Context The defining book on how to implement an effective KM strategy was written in 1998 when the discipline was less than a decade old (If Only We Knew What We Know by C. O’Dell and C.J. Grayson). Since then, we have seen many momentous changes affecting KM: rising Internet and broadband access, the explosion of mobile devices and smartphones, the continued rise in virtual work and global teams, the international equalization of competitive prowess and knowledge, the decline of readership for the printed word, the rise of digital readership, and so on. It would be hard to overstate how profoundly these developments have both challenged and enhanced the promise and practice of KM. The core objectives have not changed, but how we accomplish them has.