Eamonn Murphy

Managing intentionally created communities of practice for knowledge sourcing across organisational boundaries: Insights on the role of the CoP manager

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to explore strategies used by communities of practice (CoPs) managers when managing intentionally created CoPs.Design/methodology/approach – Four intentionally created CoPs in Ireland are explored, using a qualitative research design with data from observation, interviews and analysis of documents.Findings – The study identified a number of specific strategies CoP managers use to develop trust, facilitate collaboration, facilitate the negotiation of shared meaning and manage power issues within the CoP. These strategies were shared by the four managers who participated in the study.Research limitations/implications – The study is based on a small sample of managers in Ireland. The context and process imposed constraints and the findings are context specific which implications for the application of findings to other CoPs.Originality/value – The study highlights the concept of CoP is not confined to traditional understandings but includes intentionally created highl...

Managerial effectiveness in small enterprises: implications for HRD

The vast majority of indigenous Irish enterprises can be classed as small (less than 50 employees). Latest figures from the census of industrial production indicate a figure of 90 per cent. However the Irish small firm sector is notoriously volatile in that a large percentage of new companies “die” in the first five years. For those that survive there are many barriers to growth. Therefore the potential of our small firm sector in aiding employment creation and economic development is not realised. Studies on life cycle and growth indicate that internal managerial capabilities are a significant factor in constraining growth. This paper details an investigation into a particular aspect of management; HRMs and highlights how managerial behaviour in this respect can affect the success of a small firm. Implications for providers of HRD are also analysed and discussed.

Corporate eLearning: Human resource development implications for large and small organizations

Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the current attitudes towards, awareness of and take-up of eLearning in large and small organizations and outlines the implications for human resource development (HRD) professionals. An in-depth study was conducted in Ireland with a number of large multinational organizations and a number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the engineering, electronics, aerospace, pharmaceutical and medical device sectors. The study focused on awareness, perceptions, technology support infrastructure, current and planned involvement, most frequent and most preferred methods of delivery, benefits, barriers, the motivational factors and overall attitudes to eLearning. The comparison describes a number of similarities and a number of differences both within the large organization sector and within the SME sector and between the two sectors. Finally, the implications for HRD professionals are discussed.

Integrating the Balanced Scorecard with Six Sigma

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide new insights in understanding the value of integrating the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) with Six Sigma.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a comprehensive literature review of the BSC and Six Sigma. The literature review provides the basis for a new integration framework that is grounded on the Plan‐Do‐Check‐Act cycle.Findings – The literature review for both Six Sigma and the BSC crystallise how a fusion can add further value in comparison to a standalone implementation of either the BSC or Six Sigma. This new integration framework is identified through first, leveraging the strengths of both the BSC and Six Sigma and second, by incorporating the key themes of the literature review.Practical implications – This paper provides practitioners with a greater understanding of the value of integrating Six Sigma with the BSC. Also, the study provides a framework that can serve as a basis for the integration of Six Sigma with the BSC.Originality/value...

Evaluating a tacit knowledge sharing initiative: a case study

Purpose – This paper aims to present a case study illustrating the issues involved in the tacit knowledge conversion process and to determine whether such conversion delivers value to the organisation in terms of business value and return on investment (ROI).Design/methodology/approach – A single‐case multiple baseline participants experimental design, replicated across two participants, was utilised. Aarons KM V‐model of evaluation is utilised to determine the ROI of the initiative.Findings – While the evaluation of the tacit knowledge conversion initiative suggests positive value to the business; analysis of the conversion process also reveals a number of individual level factors, which reinforce the challenges associated with efforts to access, capture and share expert tacit knowledge.Research limitations/implications – The results of this study may stimulate further research on tacit knowledge management processes, and specifically the influence of the individual in the success or failure of these in...

Programming Anxiety Amongst Computing Students—A Key in the Retention Debate?

Low retention rates in third-level computing courses, despite continuing research into new and improved computer teaching methods, present a worrying concern. For some computing students learning programming is intimidating, giving rise to lack of confidence and anxiety. The noncognitive domain of anxiety with regard to learning computer programming is investigated in this paper and programming anxiety, a constituent component of computer anxiety, is defined. The paper describes a longitudinal research study that has been conducted, which investigates the variance of anxiety amongst undergraduate computing students, with specific emphasis upon their learning programming during their first year in higher education.

Reliability growth—a new graphical model

A new reliability growth model is presented which is simpler to plot and fits the data more closely than the Duane model over the range of Duane slopes normally observed during a reliability growth programme. The model is derived from variance stabilization transformation theory. The problem, inherent in Duanes model, of providing too much influence to earlier failures is overcome. A method is also presented of comparing different models which have different y-axes. Extensive simulations were conducted and the results indicate that for Duane slopes less than 0.5 the new model is more effective. The leverage and influence aspects of both models are evaluated by means of Cooks distance. Finally, two published datasets are analysed and the findings confirm the simulation results. Copyright

Technology-Enhanced Learning: An Irish Industry Perspective

Purpose – The focus of this paper is to highlight the issues impacting technology‐enhanced learning (TEL) in an industrial setting in Ireland. The paper uses the output from a community of practice (CoP) set up to identify and discuss these issues. Seven companies participated in the CoP. Their experiences represented the full spectrum of industrial experience of TEL in Ireland. The aim of the paper was to highlight the key areas where Irish companies experience issues with regard to the implementation of TEL programmes. The results of the study show that many of the issues highlighted by past literature still remain.Design/methodology/approach – The research presented in this paper is output from a CoP set up to discuss TEL within industry. Within the CoP discussion groups were created to highlight the relevant issues.Findings – The main issues highlighted by the CoP members ranged from strategic, content, learner and technology‐related issues. One key finding of the CoP is that holistic approaches to im...

A proposed cooperation framework for organisations and their leaders

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to provide new insights into cooperation for organisations.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a literature review of cooperation, risk and trust. The emergent themes from the literature review form the basis for a proposed cooperation framework.Findings – The power of cooperation for organisational leaders lies in its ability to enhance group effectiveness and increase performance. The emergent elements of trust and risk provide a basis for the proposed cooperation framework. The proposed framework has utility for organisations and their leadership and informs us that trust has the potential to reduce risk and increase cooperation.Practical implications – This research provides practitioners and business leaders with a greater understanding of how cooperation, risk and trust are interconnected. Also, the researchers contend that the cooperation framework proposed in this paper has the potential to enhance cooperation in organisations.Originality/value – ...

A new reliability growth model: its mathematical comparison to the Duane model

Abstract The Duane reliability growth model has been traditionally used to model electronic systems undergoing development testing. This paper proposes a new reliability growth model derived from variance stabilisation transformation theory which surpasses the Duane model in typical reliability growth situations. This new model is simpler to plot and fits the data more closely than the Duane model whenever the Duane slope is less than 0.5. This paper explores the mathematical relationships between these two models; and shows that at a Duane slope of 0.5, both models are mathematically equivalent in their capacity to fit the observed data. The instantaneous MTBF of the new model is also developed and compared to that of Duane. As the new model is influenced by the later failures, compared to early failures for the Duane model, it has the further advantage of leading to reduced test times for achieving a specified instantaneous MTBF. As the reliability of electronic systems increases, this has positive implications for testing.