Intra-organizational Knowledge Research Articles

Determinants of individual engagement in knowledge sharing

Knowledge management systems try to elicit and support the flow of ideas and experiences among groups of employees (sometimes referred to as knowledge communities). Whereas numerous information and communication systems have been developed to support such knowledge exchanges, practical applications have found that technology alone cannot ensure that knowledge will indeed be volunteered and exchanged, and whereas researchers and consultants alike have argued that culture and other human variables constitute key success factors, it is not clear what specific variables are at play, nor what management practices can affect those variables. This exploratory research investigates some of the psychological, organizational and system-related variables that may determine individual engagement in intra-organizational knowledge sharing. Results from a survey of 372 employees from a large multinational show that self-efficacy, openness to experience, perceived support from colleagues and supervisors and, to a lesser extent, organizational commitment, job autonomy, perceptions about the availability and quality of knowledge management systems, and perceptions of rewards associated with sharing knowledge, significantly predicted self-reports of participation in knowledge exchange.

Estimating the effect of organizational structure on knowledge transfer: A neural network approach

Artificial neural network has been put into abundant applications in social science research recently. In this study, we investigate the topological structures of organization network, which can possibly account for the different performances of intra-organizational knowledge transfer. We construct two types of networks including hierarchy and scale-free networks, and single-layer perceptron model (SLPM) was used to simulate the knowledge transfer from a remarkable member to the others. The statistical results indicate that although the performance of knowledge transfer is related to the aspiration of the remarkable member to transfer knowledge, but the scale-free structure is more effective in knowledge transfer than that in hierarchy structure.

An investigation into the mediating role of cross-functional coordination on the linkage between organizational norms and SCM performance

Organizational norms as a set of embedded values and beliefs have long been recognized in literature to provide norms that bind individuals into collectivities. Drawing on resource dependence and relational marketing theories, the present study specifies five organizational norms: cooperative, cross-functional information sharing, intraorganizational knowledge sharing, participative culture and mutual trust for supporting cross-functional coordination in supply chain management (SCM). These organizational norms are examined in terms of the mediating role of cross-functional coordination for the relationship between organizational norms and supply chain performance. Analyses of data from a survey of high-tech firms in the U.K. substantiate that organizational norms impact on both supply chain responsiveness and firm performance through cross-functional coordination as a mediator. The implications of the positive effect of organizational norms on SCM performance are discussed for theory, practice and research.

Social Structure of “Coopetition” Within a Multiunit Organization: Coordination, Competition, and Intraorganizational Knowledge Sharing

Drawing on a social network perspective of organizational coordination, this paper investigates the effectiveness of coordination mechanisms on knowledge sharing in intraorganizational networks that consist of both collaborative and competitive ties among organizational units. Internal knowledge sharing within a multiunit organization requires formal hierarchical structure and informal lateral relations as coordination mechanisms. Using sociometric techniques, this paper analyzes how formal hierarchical structure and informal lateral relations influence knowledge sharing and how interunit competition moderates the association between such coordination mechanisms and knowledge sharing in a large, multiunit company. Results show that formal hierarchical structure, in the form of centralization, has a significant negative effect on knowledge sharing, and informal lateral relations, in the form of social interaction, have a significant positive effect on knowledge sharing among units that compete with each other for market share, but not among units that compete with each other for internal resources.

Learning orientation, firm innovation capability, and firm performance

Contemporary organizations require a strong learning orientation to gain competitive advantage. Based on in-depth interviews with senior executives and a review of the literature, the present investigation delineates four components of learning orientation: commitment to learning, shared vision, open-mindedness, and intraorganizational knowledge sharing. A framework is tested using data from a broad spectrum of US industries. Learning orientation is conceptualized as a second-order construct. Its effect on firm innovativeness, which in turn affects firm performance, is examined. The results generally support theoretical predictions, and some interesting findings emerge.

Supply chain infrastructures

The need for supply chain integration (SCI) methodologies has been increasing as a consequence of the globalization of production and sales, and the advancement of enabling information technologies. In this paper, we describe our experience with implementing and modeling SCIs. We present the integration architecture and the software components of our prototype implementation. We then discuss a variety of information sharing methodologies. Then, within the framework of a multi-echelon supply chain process model spanning multiple organizations, we summarize research on the benefits of intra-organizational knowledge sharing, and we discuss performance scalability.