Hierarchical contrastive distillation: Bridging multi-level semantics for enhanced knowledge transfer

This article is a call for reflection from two distinct programs of research which converge on common interests pertaining to issues of health, social justice, and globalization. One of the authors has developed a research program related to the health and well-being of non-western populations, while the other author has expanded the field of Aboriginal and international research in Canada and abroad. Based on examples drawn from our respective programs of research, we suggest conciliating the philosophy of primary healthcare to postcolonial feminism for decolonizing research and enhancing knowledge transfer with non-western populations. We contend that applying the theoretical and methodological strengths of these two approaches is a means to decolonize nursing research and to avoid western neocolonization. In conciliating primary health care and postcolonial feminism, the goal is to enhance the pragmatic relevance of postcolonial feminism to generate resistance through transformative research for achieving social justice. In tapping into the synergistic and complementary epistemological assumptions of the philosophy of primary health care and postcolonial 'feminisms', nurse researchers reinforce the anti-oppresive goals of postcolonial feminist research. Consequently, this approach may enhance both decolonization and knowledge transfer through strategies like photovoice.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to expand the research in knowledge management, by specifically examining knowledge transfer among expatriates, repatriates and top management teams. The relationships posited here should aid multinational firms in increasing their international assignment return on investment.Design/methodology/approachBased on previous literature, a theoretical model of the anticipated impact of feedback seeking behaviors and social networks among international assignees and top management teams is presented.Research limitations/implicationsWhile this article expands the literature in knowledge transfer and encourages multinational enterprises to examine their knowledge management strategies among expatriate, repatriates and top management teams, the model presented is limited. It does not integrate some elements that may cause difficulties for expatriates and repatriates and hinder knowledge transfer.Practical implicationsTop management teams should take an active interest in increasing the knowledge transfer from expatriates and repatriates in the organization because of the expected positive impact it will have on global performance. In order to be more proactive, firms need to implement formal mechanisms, as well as encouraging informal mechanisms in order to transfer knowledge, which should aid the organization in such areas as their expatriation‐repatriation process and foreign subsidiary operations.Originality/valueTo date, no article has addressed how feedback‐seeking behaviors and social networks, together, can enhance knowledge transfer among expatriates, repatriates and Top Management Teams. Furthermore, evidence of effective knowledge transfer during international assignments is scant. Therefore this article fills a gap in the literature by expanding the research on knowledge management.

Knowledge management is a major concern for organizations today, and in spite of investments in technology, knowledge transfer remains problematic. This study sought to determine whether a relationship exists among participant group demographics (experience), implementation of an integrated knowledge transfer system (best practices model), knowledge transfer barriers, and knowledge transfer project (Web-based training) outcome in a virtual organization. The participant organization was a network of individuals and groups who practice patient advocacy in the research and treatment of cancer. These advocates volunteer in various capacities and are not collocated nor do they report to any single organizational entity. Volunteer participants were randomly assigned to a treatment or control condition. The treatment participants received a training supplement based upon a best practices knowledge transfer model. All participants reviewed a Web-based communications training module scheduled for deployment by the participant organization. Upon completion of the training program, participants were instructed to practice specific techniques from the program. At the end of this period, participants completed an online survey that measured demographics, perceived barriers to the knowledge transfer, and project outcome. Knowledge transfer barriers were defined as knowledge, source, recipient, and organizational context characteristics that inhibit the expected transfer. Project outcome was a composite score of items measuring completion time, budget, and satisfaction of the user. Multiple regression identified two significant predictor variables, source (the training program and implementation) and experience (amount of time spent in advocacy practice). Additional analyses found knowledge (causal ambiguity and unproven knowledge) and the experimental treatment condition to show a strong relationship with the explained variance of the dependent variable, knowledge transfer project outcome. Results suggest that an online training implementation is a valid tool for certain specific transfer design characteristics. Experience was a negative predictor of outcome, suggesting that participant-specific level of training material may produce improved outcome. Furthermore, knowledge in the form of evidence that the material is useful as well as explanation of the cause and effect linkage is a factor in a more successful transfer. Finally, the application of a knowledge transfer system designed around organization-specific variables shows promise as a factor in enhanced knowledge transfer in Web-based training in virtual organizations. Further research is suggested to provide additional insight into the predictive value of these variables.

This study utilizes ASA theory to explore the relationship between leaders' interpersonal relationships in physical exercise groups and the effectiveness of group knowledge transfer. Physical exercise behavior plays a crucial intermediary role in promoting national health. A physical exercise group is a community formed by individuals who engage in physical activities through social connections. Given the characteristics of China's relational society, investigating this topic aids in building a national fitness organization network. Based on the ASA theoretical framework, this study proposed that in a complex system where explicit/implicit knowledge facilitates network knowledge transfer among physical exercise groups, social network, knowledge socialization, and knowledge transfer were identified as relational variables. A 5-point Likert scale was used to measure these relationships, and a questionnaire was used. Thirty tennis participants from N University town were surveyed, interviewed. (1) The consulting and emotional networks of physical training group leaders significantly influence knowledge transfer. Analysis of the social network's central potential reveals that several leaders act as key knowledge sources. The physical exercise group serves as a model for cooperation and learning, facilitating social knowledge expression. Using the Ucinet software to analyze node connections, it is found that there are no "isolated points". Knowledge transfer in physical training relies heavily on a few nodes; overall, there is a statistically significant positive correlation between the emotional and counseling networks of leaders. A higher Persson coefficient indicates stronger emotional ties between leaders and members, leading to more frequent information exchange and enhanced knowledge transfer. (2) An inverted U-shaped relationship exists between the consistency of leader counseling and emotional networks and the effectiveness of group knowledge transfer. As consistency improves, knowledge transfer efficiency increases until it peaks at structural balance between these networks. Beyond this point, further increases in consistency led to decreased effectiveness in group knowledge transfer. In the national health promotion, attention should be paid to improving the physical exercise skills and emotional common ability of the physical exercise group leaders. This study has the following shortcomings: (1) Lack of definition of the boundaries of physical exercise group leaders, and knowledge is applicable to small-scale physical exercise groups according to the closeness of members' social networks; (2) There is no research and analysis on the influence of the consistency of leader consultation network and emotional network on the difference of knowledge types.

PurposeThe aim of this study is to explore the role of social tie content in the interpersonal knowledge transfer process and to test the effects of different social ties, i.e. distinguishing instrumental tie and expressive tie, on knowledge transfer, using cognition‐ and affect‐based trust as the mediators.Design/methodology/approachA theoretical model was tested through a survey carried out on 152 MBA students of a university in east China, and structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed for data analysis.FindingsThis research proved that both instrumental and expressive ties will facilitate trust and knowledge transfer. Cognition‐based trust is not essential when low‐tacit, general knowledge is transferred, and the effect of the expressive tie becomes negative when trust is controlled. When transferring general knowledge the instrumental tie is more efficient. However, contrary to the hypothesis, it is found that the effect of the expressive tie is not significantly larger than that of the instrumental tie during the tacit knowledge transfer process.Research limitations/implicationsBesides tacitness, future research may consider involving more dimensions of knowledge into the theoretical model. Longitudinal and cross‐national studies are also needed.Practical implicationsThe paper suggests that managers can enhance knowledge transfer among co‐workers by enhancing their instrumental and expressive ties. However, overuse of the expressive tie is risky. The importance of trust construction in organizations is also underscored.Originality/valueThe study reminds scholars to pay attention to the role of tie content in knowledge transfer. The findings also help managers to know how to increase knowledge transfer through promoting intra‐organizational networking.

PurposeThere are several technologies positively impacting the management of construction projects. Building information modelling (BIM) is one such technology, slowly changing project delivery. However, enhancing knowledge transfer (KT) within the construction industry is crucial because of the characteristic slow uptake of innovation. Therefore, this study aims to establish the effectiveness of the KT mechanism for BIM implementation in construction organisations.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a quantitative research method where a structured questionnaire was distributed to construction professionals. A partial least square structural equation modeling path analysis was used to test the direct and indirect relationships of computer self-efficacy (CS), perceived ease of use (PEOU), KT and BIM usage.FindingsThis study found that CS could improve KT, which will, in turn, increase the implementation of BIM within construction organisations. However, in terms of KT, individuals’ confidence and ability to use BIM inspires them to share the knowledge of BIM they had received through training. Furthermore, this study found that the ease of interacting, learning and being skilful with BIM may not necessarily ensure the actual transfer of knowledge.Originality/valueThis study provides valuable insights into KTs (BIM implementation) in the construction industry. It will enhance the use of BIM systems and related knowledge through effective training amongst construction practitioners. Other previous studies have focused on challenges and barriers to BIM implementation, this study goes deeper into establishing the effectiveness of the KT mechanism for BIM implementation in construction organisations.

Group learning plays a key role in the transfer of knowledge. In institutions of learning, it enhances students’ understanding, critical thinking, integration of knowledge and knowledge sharing. However, the transfer of knowledge in group projects is often impeded by factors such as time and budget constraints, individual and social barriers, and a lack of motivation.Institutions of learning are increasingly adopting information and communication technologies (e.g. mobile technologies) to provide solutions to the challenges facing them. Whilst the integration of the mobile context and technologies in learning environment has been encouraged over the years, and indeed many students today can use mobile phones, the effectiveness of these technologies in reducing impediments to knowledge transfer in group learning has not been investigated.This study investigated the extent to which mobile phones reduce the barriers to knowledge transfer in project groups. The impediments examined include the nature of knowledge, social barriers, lack of time and lack of motivation. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to collect and analyse the data. The sample consisted of 85 students engaged in group projects in the departments of Information Systems, Civil Engineering, Computer Science and Construction Engineering.The results show that mobile phones reduce all four knowledge transfer barriers investigated in the project groups. We found no significant difference in the nature of knowledge shared by teams with weak and strong ties. This suggests that teams with weak social ties who normally experience difficulty sharing complex (tacit) knowledge can easily do so with the aid of mobile facilities. In addition, frequent users of mobile phones were motivated to share explicit knowledge with their peers whilst those who often work with tacit knowledge could convert it to explicit form and share it with others. Mobile features like short messaging service and multimedia messaging service (SMS & MMS or what some people refer to as ‘texting’), and email were mainly used to share knowledge and were perceived to reduce knowledge transfer time more than voice facilities.Our findings indicate that most students do not utilise the affordances of mobile phones for tacit knowledge transfer. Sharing of tacit knowledge needs to be encouraged since it allows individuals to achieve personal goals and may lead to effective management of oneself, other people and tasks. In addition, students do not appear to recognise the role of mobile phones in enhancing knowledge transfer. More awareness of this role needs to be created in institutions of learning in order to improve group learning and student performance.

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to examine the moderating role of information communication technology (ICT) competencies in enhancing knowledge transfer and mitigating the effects of two key knowledge barriers, namely knowledge stickiness and knowledge ambiguity, thereby increasing the firm's innovation competitive advantage.Design/methodology/approachThe study is carried out in the context of the healthcare industry in Taiwan. A total of 160 questionnaires were distributed to hospitals and 112 usable responses were received, representing a response rate of 70 percent. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to analyze the data.FindingsThe results show that ICT competencies do enhance knowledge transfer inside hospitals. Although knowledge stickiness and knowledge ambiguity have negative effects on knowledge transfer, the negative effects can be moderated by ICT competencies (defined in terms of competencies in computer‐assisted instruction, interactive videoconferencing, and hand‐held technology).Practical implicationsAmong the three ICT competencies, computer‐assisted instruction and hand‐held technology have the largest and smallest effects on the relationship between knowledge barriers and knowledge transfer. The results also allow decision makers for forward‐looking allocation of ICT competencies.Originality/valueThe study presents a valid model that comprises the antecedents, moderators (three specific types of ICT competencies), and consequences of knowledge transfer for innovation competitive advantage of healthcare organizations.

Expatriate managers are recognised as fundamentally important stakeholders in the process of transferring knowledge between headquarters and subsidiaries in multinational corporations (MNCs). This paper’s goal is to determine how expatriates’ personal capital (i.e. positive psychological capital and social capital) facilitates conventional and reverse knowledge transfer where there are language, cultural and geographical differences between headquarters and subsidiaries. A qualitative multiple case study approach was used to analyse the data, obtained by in-depth interviews with expatriates and managers from three MNCs. The findings suggest that psychological capital supports knowledge transfers in MNCs in two ways: first, directly and, second, through the creation of expatriates’ social capital. This study shows that positive psychological capital dimensions of expatriates (efficacy, resilience and optimism) represent individual level antecedents of knowledge transfer between HQ and subsidiaries, thereby contributing to the literature on expatriates’ boundary spanning role in MNCs. The results also indicate that psychological capital dimensions support creation of structural and relational dimensions of social capital, further enhancing knowledge transfer in MNCs, thereby advancing the literature on the role of expatriates’ social capital in knowledge flows. By observing the relationships in different subsidiary types, this study also provides valuable implications for international knowledge management. DOI: 10.15458/85451.65

Knowledge management (KM) is identified in ICH Q10 (Pharmaceutical Quality System), as a key enabler to the pharmaceutical quality system (PQS). ICH Q8 (Pharmaceutical Development), ICH Q11 (Development and Manufacture of Drug Substances), and ICH Q12 (Technical and Regulatory Considerations for Pharmaceutical Product Lifecycle Management) each build on the expectation that knowledge will be managed effectively in order to support and improve the product and process across the pharmaceutical product life cycle. However, in spite of the fact that KM was introduced in ICH Q10 over 10 years ago, there is ample evidence that it is not yet a mature discipline within the biopharmaceutical sector, and the authors suggest that this could hinder full realization of the potential benefits of ICH Q8, ICH Q11, and ICH Q12. The Pharmaceutical Regulatory Science Team (PRST), a research team based at the Dublin Technological University (TU Dublin) in Ireland, has been conducting research on KM for several years, and this paper presents the next phase in this research. Specifically, the focus of this current research was to explore ways to offer practical solutions to improve the management of knowledge across the pharmaceutical product life cycle, starting with a focus on enhancing knowledge transfer during technology transfer projects. The typical challenges associated with ineffective knowledge transfer were presented and the high-level requirements needed to address these were identified through the research. From these requirements, a four-step framework was developed as a systematic means to enhance knowledge transfer. Accompanying the framework was a KM toolkit consisting of a range of KM practices (tools, processes, and behaviors) to facilitate more effective knowledge flow during technology transfer. It was then illustrated how such a framework can be extended across the entire pharmaceutical product life cycle, supporting the advancement of KM from an enabler in ICH Q10 to a key consideration (both technical and regulatory) in ICH Q12.

This study investigates the role of intelligent agents and interaction mechanisms in enhancing knowledge transfer (KT) and deep learning (DL) within the field of vocational education. A conceptual framework was developed to explore how academic support (AS), organizational management (OM), and learning resources (LR) affect student–content interaction (SC), student–student interaction (SS), and scaffolding (SF), which act as mediating factors influencing KT and DL. Data were collected from a structured survey administered to 277 students enrolled in higher vocational institutions and were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results demonstrate that SS and SF have a significant positive effect on KT, which in turn strongly predicts DL. Furthermore, AS, LR, and OM show statistically significant relationships with SC, SS, and SF. Importance–Performance Map Analysis (IPMA) also identifies KT and SS as critical dimensions that require strategic emphasis to enhance DL. These findings suggest that integrating intelligent agents to support peer collaboration, scaffolding practices, and adaptive content delivery can significantly improve vocational learning environments and foster deeper cognitive engagement.

This article describes how technology—i.e. the infrastructure of tools, systems, platforms—enhances knowledge transfer. The effect of tools on the relationship between knowledge characteristics and knowledge transfer effectiveness is under-researched. This article attempts to address the interplay of knowledge characteristics and transfer tools within multinational corporations (MNCs). Based on the structural equation modelling, this research proposes and tests a basic model that captures knowledge characteristics and transfer tools at 125 Japanese subsidiaries operating in China. Drawing on the literature, this article argues that the role of knowledge characteristics and transfer tools need to be considered for effective knowledge transfer between MNCs and their subsidiaries. Knowledge characteristics and transfer tools play differing roles in knowledge transfer. This article also extends the existing studies by focusing on knowledge characteristics and transfer tool constructs simultaneously in a model to understand the notion of knowledge transfer effectiveness in the global business context.

How does PLM technology support knowledge transfer and translation in new product development? Transparency and boundary spanners in an international context

In this article, we propose that blog communities can enhance knowledge transfer in organization. They do so by shaping bloggers' group (subordinate) and organizational (superordinate) identities, which affect knowledge sharing between members of different work-groups in an organization. Building on existing research on psychological identity and on knowledge transfer, we make the case for the benefits of integrating these two research streams; more important, we identify blogging communities as factors in shaping individuals' identities and potentially facilitating knowledge transfer within organizations.

Enhancing knowledge transfer in tourism: An Elaboration Likelihood Model approach