Elayne Coakes

Beyond Knowledge Management

Providing a combination of the conceptual and practical aspects of knowledge management, this book demonstrates how this management approach can be effectively used. Everyday examples are provided to encourage its practical application within organizations.

Developing communities of innovation by identifying innovation champions

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to propose that a form of communities of practice (CoP), a community of innovation (CoInv), is the best support for sustainable innovation. It aims to outline a method for identifying champions of innovation in organisation. Design/methodology/approach - The paper draws on extant research to argue that innovation is facilitated and supported by innovation champions, who have most influence outside traditional organisational structures when they are members of a close-knit community - a CoInv. A potential method for identification of champions of innovation is highlighted. Findings - Innovation champions are special people, with particular personality types and psychological profiles. In order to succeed in championing innovations in organisations they need both procedural and resource support, and social and cognitive support. The influence of innovation champions comes through social contacts, multiplied through the communities in which they participate, through the genuine esteem in which they are held. Developing CoInv around such champions makes practical sense for organisations. Originality/value - Identifying champions of innovation will permit a CoInv to form that links social networks and transcends organisational internal boundaries and forming such a community will potentially trigger more successfully supported innovations.

Identifying key factors affecting transnational knowledge transfer

We wished to further understand Transnational Knowledge Transfer (TKT) in a not-for-profit context. To accomplish this, we explored, verified, and mapped out the key factors affecting TKT using a four-component framework in the context of publically funded knowledge transfer (KT) projects. The Delphi technique was used to explore, identify, and verify the relevant key factors; 24 major factors were identified in the first round and more than half of the experts agreed on the top 10 key factors in the second round. In addition, a number of new factors were identified and some findings that contradicted prior research were revealed. Our findings can help practitioners develop a more focused approach in dealing with the most significant factors (or bottlenecks) in KT.

Social enterprise and social entrepreneurship research and theory

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a detailed analysis of the social enterprises (SE) and social entrepreneurship (SEship) literature that has been published in international journals from 1991 to 2010, determining the intellectual structure of both fields and their maturity as academic fields of study. Design/methodology/approach – Using a quantitative methodology for literature study, named bibliometric analysis, relevant papers were obtained from three important international databases, and SE and SEship journals. An initial number of 1,343 records were identified and, after applying various filters, a total of 286 papers were studied for bibliometric indicators and epistemological orientation. Findings – The study identified a significant increase in the scholarly investigation of SE and SEship in recent years, together with greater collaboration and international research. It was demonstrated that some countries are dominating the SE and SEship research area, such as the UK and the USA, whereas institutional and individual research output is spread more equally. Currently, no author or institution dominates the SE and SEship literature. The epistemological orientation suggests that the published literature is largely of a theoretical and descriptive nature in both fields, with only a small number of predictive papers. Originality/value – This paper provides important contributions. First, it presents an intellectual structure of SE and SEship as a discipline. Second, it determines the current maturity of the field based on its epistemological orientation, concluding that SE and SEship are maturing, with theory development followed by empirical testing and validation generating an increase in consensus on the boundaries of the field.

Co-operative work practices and knowledge sharing issues: A comparison of viewpoints

In this paper, we set out to explore the organisational knowledge that evolves from virtual co-operative work experiences. Through case narratives we demonstrate issues that can arise and using the four theoretical viewpoints of sociotechnology, knowledge management, organisational communication theory, and Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) we develop practical insights into the organisational complexity of computer-supported and virtual teamwork. This complexity, we argue, requires a novel combination of work design factors including participation-related design and computer-supported tools. The outcome is improved communication and a fuller application of organisational knowledge that enhances the design and operation of co-operative work.

Knowledge management: a sociotechnical perspective

This chapter takes a sociotechnical perspective on the organisational issue of knowledge management.

Storing and sharing knowledge: Supporting the management of knowledge made explicit in transnational organisations

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to indicate and illustrate the potential for use of different types of technologies to support knowledge process in transnational organisations. Design/methodology/approach - The paper uses a standard literature review plus illustrations from case organisations to demonstrate the potential applications and value of technology for knowledge sharing. Findings - Transnational organisations have specific issues relating to space and time, and increasingly virtuality, in their working practices. Technology can assist to alleviate these issues and can provide the organisations with ways to share and distribute knowledge throughout their processes, sites and workforces. Successful knowledge management however, continues to need a sociotechnical approach where the social aspects of knowledge creation, storage and sharing need to be considered alongside the technical. Sociotechnical theory tells us we must importantly consider people, task, process, and environment (both internal and external) when considering how best to implement technology into our organisations. Research limitations/implications - Case studies that specifically describe the work of transnationals are not common and thus the organisations used as illustrations may be atypical, however we believe this limitation is alleviated by using both a for-profit and a not-for-profit organisation to illustrate the variety of purposes to which technology can be put in transnational organisations. Originality/value - This paper has major practical implications. It is now common in the knowledge management literature to lower the value of technology for knowledge sharing and to emphasise the human aspects of knowledge sharing. This paper agrees with this perspective but illustrates how technology can be used successfully to assist in the knowledge sharing processes across time, space and virtuality.

Knowledge management, strategy, and technology: a global snapshot

Purpose – This paper presents results from a large comprehensive global survey of knowledge management (KM). The question that this paper looks to answer is how a KM strategy can be developed that will enable its successful management in organisations of many sectors and sizes. In light of the observed developments since the previous knowledge management surveys, the purpose of this paper is to redefine the KM function, and how it should be performed.Design/methodology/approach – The research instrument was a global online hosted survey answered by nearly 700 participants. Hypotheses on the KM management process in contemporary organisations, emphasising the importance of strategy, cover this work. These hypotheses are tested by a set of questions and supported by the survey responses.Findings – It is demonstrated that in many organisations technology has failed to have much impact on the way knowledge is transferred and shared.Research limitations/implications – It should be noted that no control was mad...

Managing and leveraging knowledge for organisational advantage

This paper focuses on two elements of process knowledge that we call sticky and fluid knowledge. Process knowledge, we argue, differs from the more commonly described tacit or explicit knowledge due to its domain specificity. Process knowledge is a potential source of competitive advantage for an organisation and is key to the development of intellectual capital for an organisation. Knowledge management is the operational means of delivering this intellectual capital value. From empirical research conducted, two cases are presented that illustrate process knowledge and its value and exploitation for the development of intellectual capital. The findings emphasise the necessity for a multiplicity of means for process knowledge transfer in order to ensure the widest possible distribution. In particular, in order to ensure that sticky process knowledge is transformed into fluid process knowledge, it is recommended that, communities and face2face discussions supplement knowledge exchanges via electronic networks.

Expert systems: a survey of their use in UK business

Abstract A number of surveys have been carried out in the past ten years on the use of expert systems in business. This paper compares previous survey findings with a new one undertaken in the Spring of 1994; it finds significant differences in the level of use of expert systems. One thousand companies across the UK were surveyed regarding their use of information systems in general and expert systems in particular, and the results are discussed in this paper. A response rate of 22.5% showed that 50 out of 214 organisations, use expert systems for a variety of applications, ranging from strategic to operational. The analysis identifies users of expert systems by organisation size and industry sector. It also highlights their reasons for use. The paper concludes by identifying the perceived business benefits and the relative costs involved with the purchase or development of an expert system, as identified by the organisations.