Knowledge Management and Dynamic Capabilities: A Digital Embracing of Interrelated Processes

Abstract

Exploration and exploitation are the main processes that work concurrently to achieve an organisation's evolution and success. Knowledge Management (KM) and Dynamic Capabilities (DCs) are significant fields that share these processes. The application of exploration and exploitation processes is still implicit in organisations, and it is not formally represented in technical configuration levels. Mapping these processes to Information technology (IT) creates an advanced robust translation of their use. It also identifies a tangible role for KM and DCs. The idea of deconstructing dynamic capabilities into three levels has been adopted in this mapping. Levels are high-order learning capabilities with the highest exploration learning activities, first-order ordinary capabilities with the highest exploitation learning activities, and lower-order functional capabilities, intermediate between both levels. The digital embracing of the exploration and exploitation model has been proposed to translate all levels of capabilities into different digital configurations. Automated functions of search/browse, create/add, modify/update, remove/delete and read/revise are utilised to present these digital configurations in this model. Search/browse and create/add reflect the higher-order level. Modify/update and remove/delete mirror the intermediate level. Read/revise matches the first-order level. These IT configurations are simple and would be sufficient to assess exploration and exploitation processes. It can also support a new vision for measuring organisational ambidexterity. A near-future case study of an educational institution will be accomplished to evaluate this model. Two main domains, which involve internal systems (strategies, policies, and regulations) and educational materials, will be assessed with their e-resources and the use of the proposed digital functions that represent exploration and exploitation. A quantitative approach using an online survey will be used in this evaluation. The survey will be distributed to academics with administrative positions in all institution departments. The findings of this evaluation would expect to assess the extent of using online search in finding and creating new e-resources which present the two nominated evaluation domains. It would also appraise updating, deleting, and reading available e-resources according to these domains' new requirements or traditional proceeded routines.