Understanding the Antecedents of Effective Knowledge Management: The Importance of a Knowledge‐Centered Culture*

Within the context of knowledge management, little research has been conducted that identifies the antecedents of a knowledge‐centered culture—those organizational qualities that encourage knowledge creation and dissemination. In this study, the existing literature on organizational climate, job characteristics, and organizational learning (in the form of cooperative learning theory) are linked with the current thinking and research findings related to knowledge management to develop a theoretical model explaining the relationships among organizational climate, the level of cooperative learning that takes place between knowledge workers, and the resulting level of knowledge created and disseminated as measured by team performance and individual satisfaction levels. The study goes on to empirically test the proposed research model by investigating the climate of organizations, and seeks to understand the linkage between a set of organizational and individual characteristics and knowledge‐related activities found in cooperative learning groups and the resulting work outcomes. The hypothesized research model is tested using LISREL with data collected from 203 information systems (IS) professionals engaged in systems development activities. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications the results have for future research and managerial practice.     

The Role of Existing Knowledge in New Product Innovativeness and Performance

The purpose of this study is to provide a more thorough assessment of the link between existing knowledge and organizational performance than currently exists in the literature. We identify factors and processes influential in the management of existing knowledge within the areas of learning culture, knowledge building, and organizational performance. Through structural equation modeling, a more thorough examination is given of the role existing knowledge plays in new product performance and innovativeness. In completing this task, we provide insight into the subprocesses of knowledge building by evaluating the influence of shared interpretation and two aspects of information acquisition—efficiency and degree of innovativeness of newly acquired information—on new product development (NPD) outcomes. Included in the examination of these processes are organizational culture and structure characteristics believed to influence knowledge management success.     

自动化立体仓库中出入库任务顺序与出库位置选择集成优化研究

具有多个出口的自动化立体仓库系统是一种将存储和分拣相结合的新型仓储技术,其最典型的特征是在货架底层有很多个出库位置以供取货人员分拣。研究此系统中出入库任务排序与出口选择的集成优化问题,以最小化堆垛机完成所有任务的移动距离为目标,将此问题转化为一个混合整数规划模型。根据问题的特点设计了两阶段启发式算法求解此问题,数值结果表明设计的算法能在较短时间内给出近似最优解,同时与企业常用的先到先服务方法相比,该算法可以缩短超过20%的移动距离。     

Engineering of a decision support system for underground coal mine planning and production scheduling

This paper reports on the development of a computer-based management information system at Datong Coal Company, the largest subsidiary of China National Coal Corporation. Particularly presented is the development methodology of a decision support system for underground coal mine planning and production scheduling, including an integration of computer graphics, database management, mathematical modelling and knowledge engineering techniques and a coupling of life cycle and prototyping software engineering processes to support systems quality assurance.     

基于组织忘记的企业动态能力成因机理研究

为了探索企业动态能力的成因和机理,对相关文献进行了梳理,提出了动态能力成因机制;运用复杂理论,从知识活动层面构建了NK模型,指出了组织忘记分别通过改变组织记忆系统和增强再学习能力而形成动态能力;最后进行了案例分析讨论.     

组织记忆与组织遗忘对知识转移的影响——基于社会网络视角

以社会网络理论为视角,研究组织记忆与组织遗忘对组织知识转移的影响。构建组织记忆与组织遗忘角度的知识转移模型,探讨社会网络背景下,组织记忆与组织遗忘分别对知识转移效果和知识转移速度的影响。研究中发现,组织密度作为组织社会网络的特定属性会对组织记忆、组织遗忘产生影响,并间接影响组织知识转移效果和组织知识转移速度。     

Spatial Stochastic Simulation Offers Potential as a Quantitative Method for Pest Risk Analysis

Pest risk analysis represents an emerging field of risk analysis that evaluates the potential risks of the introduction and establishment of plant pests into a new geographic location and then assesses the management options to reduce those potential risks. Development of new and adapted methodology is required to answer questions concerning pest risk analysis of exotic plant pests. This research describes a new method for predicting the potential establishment and spread of a plant pest into new areas using a case study, Ralstonia solanacearum, a bacterial disease of potato. This method combines current quantitative methodologies, stochastic simulation, and geographic information systems with knowledge of pest biology and environmental data to derive new information about pest establishment potential in a geographical region where a pest had not been introduced. This proposed method extends an existing methodology for matching pest characteristics with environmental conditions by modeling and simulating dissemination behavior of a pest organism. Issues related to integrating spatial variables into risk analysis models are further discussed in this article.     

手段导向、知识获取与新企业创业能力的实证研究

创业能力对于新企业创造和维持竞争优势具有重要意义,相关研究受到创业领域学者们的广泛关注。然而创业能力的实证研究主要集中于创业者个体层面创业能力的前因和结果分析,组织层面的创业能力的实证研究尚处于探索阶段,仍有待运用有效的理论揭示新企业如何构建组织层面创业能力的内在机理和路径。作为新兴的创业理论,手段导向理论有助于面临高不确定性的新企业在创业过程中持续进行迭代式学习,而组织学习理论认为,知识获取作为组织学习的核心环节有助于组织创业能力的构建。因此,手段导向可能通过知识获取提升新企业创业能力。然而,少有学者关注此方面研究。 运用手段导向理论和组织学习理论,深入剖析手段导向各维度对创业能力的积极影响,检验知识获取在手段导向与创业能力关系间的中介作用。采取大样本问卷调查,收集215家中国新企业数据,并运用多元线性回归分析和因子分析等方法进行实证检验。 研究结果表明,手段导向的4个维度均对创业能力具有积极影响,试验、可承受损失和先前承诺3个维度通过知识获取提升新企业创业能力,但是知识获取在柔性与新企业创业能力关系间的中介作用不显著。 研究结论对于丰富和拓展组织层面创业能力相关研究和推动手段导向理论的发展具有重要意义,为新企业如何在高不确定性和强资源约束下构建组织创业能力提供必要的理论指导。     

The Politics of the Exhibition: Viewing Corporate Museums Through the Paradigmatic Lens of Organizational Memory

This paper explores corporate museums as little–understood sites of organizational memory and proposes that corporate museums, as a form of organizational memory, are used strategically by organizations in the development of the firm's identity and image. More critically, the authors examine the politics of the exhibition of organizational memory, or what Sturken refers to as 'organized forgetting' or 'strategic forgetting'. The authors propose that organizations, through these museums, choose what is recalled (the politics of remembering) as well as what is not remembered (the politics of forgetting). Four propositions are suggested to guide future research on corporate museums with the purpose of furthering our understanding of these museums and their relationship to the development of organizational identity and image as well as organizational actions – past, present, and future. The paper concludes with implications for the organizational–studies scholar.     

The role of social and intellectual capital in achieving competitive advantage through enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software merges a firm's data, information flows and business processes into a single package. Vendors argue that ERP provides an extremely useful strategic resource to enhance competitiveness and make it possible for a firm to leverage its other resources more effectively and efficiently. In addition, they allege that ERP encourages a system-wide perspective that is a basis for collaboration and a systems orientation. However, an examination of ERP systems using criteria established in research on resource-based views of the firm and chaos/complexity theory indicates that these claims are overstated. Observation suggests that even if ERP is necessary to coordinate complicated, multifaceted operations, it is far from sufficient to promote a strong competitive position over the long term. Moreover, ERP systems fit best within mechanistic, clockwork organizations dominated by routine, highly programmed technologies and operations, yet it is the non-routine learning and change processes found in complex, self-organizing systems that enable firms to create distinctive competitive advantages from ERP outputs. ERP makes possible deep changes in relationships, culture, and behaviors that can be crucial sources of advantage in the knowledge economy, but the structures and cultures most able to achieve this level of change are a poor fit with ERP requirements. To reconcile this paradox, we propose a dual-core, loosely coupled organization that views ERP as an enabling technology to build and augment social and intellectual capital, rather than as an information technology (IT) solution for organizational inefficiencies. Propositions for using ERP as a foundation for social and intellectual capital formation are introduced. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Transactive Memory Systems 1985–2010: An Integrative Framework of Key Dimensions,Antecedents, and Consequences

Over two decades have passed since Wegner and his co-authors published the groundbreaking paper on transactive memory systems (TMS) in 1985. The concept attracted the interest of management, psychology, and communication scholars who have employed a variety of methods to examine the phenomenon. In this paper, we review 76 papers that examined transactive memory systems and summarize the findings in an integrative framework to show the antecedents and consequences of TMS. Our review also reveals important issues in the literature related to the measurement of TMS, its multidimensional nature, extending TMS from the team level to the organizational level, and the potential role of TMS in explaining the benefits of experience in existing organizations and new entrepreneurial ventures. We conclude by calling for future research to examine the dynamic evolution of TMS, TMS in virtual teams, TMS in entrepreneurial ventures, and TMS at the organizational level facilitated with information technologies.     

动态信息系统中一种基于条件熵的核属性计算方法

针对动态信息系统中新增和退出对象集的情况,在信息观下提出了一种基于条件熵的核属性计算方法。先分别讨论仅有对象集进入、仅有对象集退出以及以上两种情形同时存在下条件熵的变化机制。由条件熵变化机制,通过构造支持度矩阵和增量矩阵方式将新增或者退出的对象集一并参与比较计算,快速求得条件熵,进而获得核属性。最后,由实例分析验证该方法的有效性。     

The evolution and problems of model management research

Models are a key resource for organizational decision making. The diversity, complexity, and reusability of this resource result in the need for model management systems. The construction of a model management system involves a modeling task dimension and a design level dimension. The modeling task dimension consists of model formulation, model representation, and model processing. The design level dimension addresses the architectural requirements of a system from a user's standpoint and a computer system's standpoint.The numerous architectures suggested in the model management systems literature address isolated areas identified by these dimensions. The research surveyed in this paper indicates that the primary focus has been on the system view of model representation. Before model management systems can be widely used in organizations, model management researchers must explore systems that address all areas of the task and design level dimensions.In this paper, we identify and justify the necessary dimensions of model management research. Next, the existing model management research is critically reviewed. Finally, neglected research areas are discussed, and investigations necessary for the development of integrated model management systems are suggested.     

Motivating knowledge sharing through a knowledge management system

Based on both economic and sociological theory, the effects of supervisory control and organizational support on the frequency and effort of individuals in contributing their personally held valuable knowledge to a “best practices-lessons learned, repository-based” knowledge management system (KMS) were compared. Supervisory control, as expected, had significant impact on frequency, but it also had unexpectedly significant influence on effort. When system variables—usefulness and ease of use—were controlled for, the organizational support measure had little effect on either outcome. These results provide greater support for economic-agency-theory motivators of knowledge sharing and lesser support for organizational support motivators than has been previously believed. They also emphasize the important impact of systems variables in motivating KMS use. Since the study was conducted in a government (joint civilian–military) organization, the organizational type may significantly influence the results. However, since the result is contrary to the conventional wisdom that suggests that a “knowledge-sharing culture” is all-important, at the very least, this study shows that the nature of the organization may moderate the relationship between the motivational approach and the outcomes.     

The Design of a Knowledge-Based Decision Support System to Support the Information Analyst in Determining Requirements

Decision support system (DSS) researchers and designers continue to look for unstructured organizational tasks where there is a critical need for intelligent computer-based support. One such decision task is information requirements determination. Requirements determination is recognized as the most crucial phase of the systems development life cycle. Unfortunately, most methodologies and CASE tools focus only on how to specify the requirements once they are determined. There is very little computer support for the process of determining requirements. This paper discusses the conceptual design and development of a knowledge-based DSS to support information analysts in the critical decision task of determining requirements for the design of effective information systems. The expert modeling support system has the expertise to assist the analyst in studying the organization as a whole and in modeling the system under study in the context of the overall organization's goals and needs. The focus of the paper is on the problems associated with building the knowledge base component of the intelligent decision support system. A prototype implementation of the system is described.     

System Dynamics Understanding in Projects: Information Sharing,Psychological Safety,and Performance Effects

Systems thinking has proven useful in project management planning activities and has been suggested as a critical driver of a range of beneficial organizational behaviors. Yet, empirical evidence on the myriad of ways in which systems thinking can impact internal project dynamics and performance remains limited. This study focuses on one aspect of systems thinking in particular: the ability to recognize and understand the dynamics of systems and their features (e.g., feedback and delay). It makes use of a unique, large‐scale interview data set along with objective and structured survey data drawn from multiple sources associated with supply chain system implementation projects. Analysis suggests that an individual's understanding of system dynamics as well as the similarity of such understanding to that typical of their team is, in fact, a strong predictor of both perceptions of psychological safety and information sharing quality in project work. These outcomes appear to mediate the relationship between system dynamics understanding and performance.     

Organizational Memory: From Expectations Memory to Procedural Memory

Organizational memory is not just the stock of knowledge about how to do things, but also of expectations of organizational members vis‐à‐vis each other and the organization as a whole. The central argument of this paper is that this second type of organizational memory –organizational expectations memory– is a necessary precondition for successfully creating and maintaining organizational procedural memory, which is at the basis of organizational performance. If members of organizations have fewer expectations of being rewarded beyond what is stipulated in formal contracts, these individuals are less likely to risk investing in collective tacit and firm‐specific knowledge resources and more likely to focus on building individual and mobile knowledge resources that have value outside the boundaries of the organization. A case study of latent organizations in the Dutch film industry is presented to support the central argument and suggests further avenues of research, in particular concerning the effects of labour mobility on organizational expectations memory.     

基于知识创新的企业成长内在机理模型研究

知识创新推动组织演化与变革。根据知识创新来源,推动企业成长不外乎存在两种动力:一是组织内部知识的推动力;二是组织外部知识驱动力。企业成长是一个开放的知识创新系统行为,本文首先运用组织知识演化模型分析了企业成长的非线性特征和影响机制;在此基础上,构建系统模型探索了知识创新背景下的企业成长内在机理,并借助于组织学习和知识共享,运用算例进行了分析和验证。     

智慧导向型知识管理的一种分析框架

本文在剖析知识、智慧的概念及其内在关系的基础上,从知识和智慧有机结合角度提出了一种分层次的智慧导向型知识管理分析框架。该框架反映了知识与智慧之间相互补充、相互促进的内在统一性,并分别将知识管理和组织智慧看作手段和导向,给出了知识和智慧两个层面的集成管理策略,体现了一种全新的系统知识管理思想。其目的是使组织更加有效地实施知识管理战略,更好地发挥知识的效能,从而使组织适应环境的变化,达到与环境长期和谐共存。最后指出了本文观点对组织实施知识管理的影响和借鉴作用。