Individual Knowledge Transfer Research Articles

Share or Not Share Knowledge: Posters Versus Lurkers in Organisational Online Knowledge Sharing and Internal Marketing

Employees should be treated as internal customers to motivate and engage in online knowledge sharing, which is the backbone of organisational competitiveness. Online knowledge sharing helps organisations survive fierce competition for the capability of facilitating the transfer of individual knowledge to organisational capital and decreasing redundant learning time. However, the majority of online participants, known as lurkers, just read the knowledge shared without contributing themselves. Based on Social Exchange Theory, this study focused on the determinants of lurkers and posters, especially in the organisational context. This study collected 792 responses from employees in Vietnamese organisations. Results show that knowledge self-efficacy and perceived ease of use are two strong determinants of knowledge sharing reciprocity and job performance. Additionally, knowledge sharing reciprocity is the critical determinant of posters’ and lurkers’ job performance. Knowledge sharing reciprocity mediates the impact of knowledge self-efficacy, perceived ease of use and organisational rewards on job performance for both poster and lurker groups.

Research on the influencing factors of knowledge transfer among construction workers based on social cognitive theory

PurposeThis paper aims to employ social cognitive theory (SCT) as a theoretical framework to investigate the influencing factors affecting the knowledge transfer effectiveness of construction workers in China. The mediating role of their knowledge transfer willingness is also assessed.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire on knowledge transfer among Chinese construction workers is designed and subsequently analyzed by structural equation modeling (SEM), with a total sample of 288 construction workers.FindingsThe SEM results show that the knowledge self-efficiency, blood and geographic relationships, and trust relationship promote knowledge transfer willingness and positively influence the knowledge transfer effectiveness of construction workers. However, the effect of organizational culture on knowledge transfer willingness and effectiveness is nonsignificant.Practical implicationsThe results are conducive to managers and governments formulating strategies to optimize the learning mechanism of construction workers and facilitate their obtaining of resources from the project, thus easing skill shortages and promoting the transformation of construction workers into industrial workers.Originality/valueThis paper innovatively proposes blood and geographic relationships as research variables, expanding their scope. Furthermore, SCT is applied to enable future research to better understand individual knowledge transfer behavior from both personal and environmental perspectives.

Examining knowledge transfer activities in UK universities: advocating a PROMETHEE-based approach

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the portfolio of knowledge transfer (KT) activities in 162 UK higher education institutions. In doing so, this study creates an index and ranking, but more importantly, it identifies specific groupings or strategic profiles of universities defined by different combinations and strengths of the individual KT activities from which the overall rankings are derived. Previous research, concentrating on entrepreneurial universities, shows that individual knowledge transfer (KT) activities vary substantially among UK universities. The broad portfolio of universities' KT activities, however, remains underexplored, creating gaps in terms of the relative strength, range, focus and combination of these activities, and the degree to which there are distinct university strategic KT profiles. By examining KT activities and grouping universities into KT “types”, this research allows universities and policymakers to better develop and measure clearer KT-strategies.Design/methodology/approachThe present study applied the Preference Ranking Organization Method for the Enrichment of Evaluations (PROMETHEE) to rank universities based on their portfolio of KT activities. It utilised data from the 2015–2016 Higher Education Business and Community Interaction Survey dataset.FindingsFindings show that universities differ substantially in their portfolios of KT activities. By using PROMETHEE, a new ranking of universities is generated, based on their KT portfolio. This paper also identifies four distinct types or groups of universities based on the diversity and intensity of their KT activities: Ambidextrous, broad, focused and indifferent.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the entrepreneurship literature, and more specifically entrepreneurial activities of universities through new knowledge generated concerning university KT activity. The research extends the existing literature on university archetypes (including those concerned with the Entrepreneurial University) and rankings using a new technique that allows for more detailed analysis of the range of university KT activities. By applying the PROMETHEE approach, results illustrate a more nuanced definition of university KT activities than before, by simultaneously evaluating their overall strength, range, focus and combination, allowing us to identify the universities' strategic profiles based on their KT portfolios. Implications of the findings for key stakeholders include a potential need for government higher education policymakers to take into account the different mixes of university archetypes in a region when considering how best to support higher education and its role in direct and indirect entrepreneurship promotion through regional policy goals.

Propuesta metodológica para gestionar la Transferencia de Conocimiento individual a la organización, caso: CENACE

Este trabajo presenta una propuesta metodológica para gestionar la transferencia de conocimiento individual a la organización, caso práctico en el Operador Nacional de Electricidad CENACE. Para este estudio, se considera el conocimiento, la gestión de conocimiento y la innovación como base para crear una cultura, aprendizaje y conocimiento organizacional. La metodología que ha sido aplicada para el presente trabajo ha permitido iniciar la captura y creación del nuevo conocimiento mediante una matriz de identificación de conocimientos, habilidades, destrezas y competencias de los funcionarios de CENACE. Adicionalmente, esta matriz ha permitido validar y almacenar el conocimiento individual de los funcionarios (formación, capacitación, trayectoria laboral, lecciones aprendidas e innovaciones) mediante un aplicativo desarrollado para la gestión del conocimiento de CENACE, cuyo principal objetivo es que todo el conocimiento tácito, explícito, individual, interno y externo involucrado en la organización pueda transformarse y convertirse, sistemáticamente, en conocimiento organizacional. Posteriormente, el conocimiento corporativo obtenido, al ser accesible y poder ser compartido, permitirá el aumento del conocimiento individual de todos sus miembros (ciclo de gestión de conocimiento), mejorando así, la gestión de talento humano y obteniendo una ventaja competitiva en el sector eléctrico.

The effects of knowledge characteristics, organizational and societal culture in knowledge transfer within firms

Purpose- Knowledge is a competitive asset for the firm. Yet, existing studies mostly investigated joint ventures, acquisitions, and cross border transfers not knowledge transfer at the micro level per se. Hence, individual to individual transfer within a single firm present importance. In this study, we examine the transfer methods and possible inhibitors among individuals in organizations. Methodology- In this study, we have presented an individual knowledge transfer framework. This framework is personal, and transfer is also a social event. Organizational and societal culture aspects are also incorporated in the framework. The proposed framework could allow future studies new pleasurable directions Findings- The proposed framework and propositions are taught to be quite useful in research and managerial areas and could provide a significant contribution to scholarly publications that would be carried out in the future. We also suggest future research directions in examining micro-level knowledge transfer that also could provide an important competitive advantage to a firm. Conclusion- Effective and efficient knowledge transfer provides a competitive advantage to the firm. Therefore, it is crucial firms decide and implement how, when, where, and why employees transfer needed knowledge within the firm. This framework could enable firm managers to appreciate and consider all important dimensions of knowledge transfer and better facilitate the micro level knowledge transfers within firms.

Forming mechanisms and structures of a knowledge transfer network: theoretical and simulation research

PurposeThis paper aims to analyze the exchange and reciprocal mechanism behind individual knowledge transfer activities as well as their impact on the individual knowledge transfer networks.Design/methodology/approachThe author conducted theoretical and simulation research. Agent‐based technology is employed to construct an agent dynamics agent‐based model that simulates and explains how an individual initiates the evolution of a knowledge network through knowledge transfer activities.FindingsThe results demonstrate that the two mechanisms can improve the knowledge levels of the network members; the exchange mechanism is more efficient as it can improve the values of both sides. Individual knowledge transfer networks evolve from random networks to small‐world networks.Research limitations/implicationsThe research model must include more variables. Computer simulation research will be cross‐confirmed by other research methods in future studies.Practical implicationsIndividual knowledge transfer networks form and subsequently evolve as a result of social interaction. The research findings will contribute to the policy making for knowledge management in organizations.Originality/valueLittle has been published about the dynamics of individual knowledge transfer networks. The author believes that the paper is the first to analyze the internal mechanisms behind individual knowledge transfer activities and test them with agent‐based technologies.

Knowledge transfer to partners: a firm level perspective

PurposeFirms at the center of an organizational network may benefit from educating and building up competencies of their partners. For that reason, centers often seek to transfer knowledge from the center to partner firms. They even set up systems of inter‐organizational knowledge transfer to plan, to coordinate, and to control such transfers on a firm level instead of managing single knowledge transfer projects individually. However, little systematic attention has yet been paid to such systems on a firm level. This paper seeks to analyze the managerial mechanism to decide what knowledge to transfer to what partners.Design/methodology/approachTo address this gap, data were gathered on nine leading multinational center firms. An explorative approach was adopted using case study research to look at the characteristics of network centers, network partners, knowledge, transfer channels, and programmes.FindingsIt was found that center firms offered knowledge transfer products to partners and set up portfolios of knowledge transfer programmes targeted at specific partner groups. There is further elaboration on fundamental decisions on the programmes' design, communication, access, and pricing.Originality/valueThe research contributes to shed light on how center firms manage knowledge transfer activities from the center to partners on the firm level and how they structure it in the form of programmes. Therefore, the paper does not focus on the management of knowledge transfer in particular partnerships or networks, but also considers interdependencies between individual knowledge transfer initiatives.

Managing knowledge for innovation: Multiple case studies of science-based R&D in Thailand

SummaryThe most important notion of knowledge management (KM) is the organization’s ability to create, transfer, use, store and reuse knowledge. Universities are widely regarded not only as teaching establishments but also as organizations that conduct research to create new knowledge, and innovation. As such, KM is likely to play a significant role in improving and sustaining universities’ research and innovation capabilities.This paper presents findings on managing knowledge within the innovation processes currently applied by three successful research units in Thai universities. Initial findings gained through multiple case studies indicate that (1) knowledge integration is the most important KM process enhancing the research units’ innovation capability. (2) The most difficult process in managing knowledge is the transfer of individual knowledge from the researchers and integrate it into the organization. (3) While the research teams prefer collaborating with researchers from other national and international organizations to enhance their capabilities, the trust established through personal contacts is the key for research collaboration success.