The Impact of “Real life” Working Environment on Knowledge Management in Transport Organizations

Abstract

What is the price of not capturing cumulative knowledge based on experience before a transportation software designer retires or leaves? How many hours are wasted trying to find information to support decision-making? How does the transportation software designer community find relevant information when web searches return nothing? In order to answer these questions and enrich the study of knowledge management in transportation, this paper introduces Karl Polanyi’s (1968) account of “embeddedness” of economic activity into the study of knowledge activity to investigate how the complex “real life” working environment affects the implementation of knowledge management practice in transport organisations. An inductive qualitative approach was adopted, comprising 27 semi-structured interviews with software designers who work across a range of organisations in the transport industry. The results show that, first, knowledge management practice is deeply embedded in everyday work activities and influenced by complex issues which affect how work is undertaken. Secondly, the implementation of knowledge management practice is articulated and performed in accordance with complex and constantly changing work-related situations. And, the actual way they are performed and articulated may be very different from what was intended. Finally, the importance of knowledge management practice is reflected in their contribution to the work of the organisation rather than the organisational knowledge itself. Implications for scholars and practitioners are discussed.