Hamid R. Nemati

Knowledge warehouse: an architectural integration of knowledge management, decision support, artificial intelligence and data warehousing

Decision support systems (DSS) are becoming increasingly more critical to the daily operation of organizations. Data warehousing, an integral part of this, provides an infrastructure that enables businesses to extract, cleanse, and store vast amounts of data. The basic purpose of a data warehouse is to empower the knowledge workers with information that allows them to make decisions based on a solid foundation of fact. However, only a fraction of the needed information exists on computers; the vast majority of a firms intellectual assets exist as knowledge in the minds of its employees. What is needed is a new generation of knowledge-enabled systems that provides the infrastructure needed to capture, cleanse, store, organize, leverage, and disseminate not only data and information but also the knowledge of the firm. The purpose of this paper is to propose, as an extension to the data warehouse model, a knowledge warehouse (KW) architecture that will not only facilitate the capturing and coding of knowledge but also enhance the retrieval and sharing of knowledge across the organization. The knowledge warehouse proposed here suggests a different direction for DSS in the next decade. This new direction is based on an expanded purpose of DSS. That is, the purpose of DSS in knowledge improvement. This expanded purpose of DSS also suggests that the effectiveness of a DSS will, in the future, be measured based on how well it promotes and enhances knowledge, how well it improves the mental model(s) and understanding of the decision maker(s) and thereby how well it improves his/her decision making.

Tacit to Explicit Knowledge Conversion: Knowledge Exchange Protocols

In the knowledge management domain, the conversion of tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge is critical because it is a prerequisite to the knowledge amplification process wherein knowledge becomes part of an organization’s knowledge network. In this article, knowledge exchange protocols are examined as a vehicle for improving the tacit to explicit knowledge conversion process. In an experiment testing the use of knowledge exchange protocols, it is learned that while structure may significantly improve the tacit to explicit knowledge conversion process, it also may matter how the structure is employed in this process.

The Effect of Consumer Privacy Empowerment on Trust and Privacy Concerns in E-Commerce

Privacy concerns and a lack of trust have been shown to reduce consumers willingness to transact with an online vendor. Understandably, firms are searching for methods to reduce consumer privacy concerns and increase trust. In this study, we introduce a new construct-consumer privacy empowerment. We then propose and test a theoretical model that examines the relationship between consumer privacy empowerment, familiarity, privacy concern and trust. Results indicate support for the model and suggest that perceived privacy empowerment has a strong influence on both privacy concern and trust in e-commerce.

Key factors for achieving organizational data‐mining success

Project management factors affecting the implementation of IT projects have been widely studied; however, there is little empirical research investigating the implementation of organizational data‐mining (ODM) projects. ODM is defined as leveraging data‐mining tools and technologies to enhance the decision‐making process by transforming data into valuable and actionable knowledge to gain a competitive advantage. Organizations of all sizes are developing and implementing ODM technologies. A cross‐sectional survey based on The Square Route Framework was conducted to determine the relationship among project factors affecting ODM implementations. Findings from 111 organizations indicate that a number of implementation factors have a significant influence on the successful implementation of ODM projects.

Chief Knowledge Officer: Critical Success Factors for Knowledge Management

This article examines attributes of the CKO position and the backgrounds of the people who fill it. Variations in the prescribed role for the CKO are reviewed, as are CKO critical success factors. One critical knowledge management issue, implicit-to-explicit knowledge conversion, is investigated in some depth to reveal the unique nature of issues confronting the CKO position. Finally, the arguments for potentially not implementing a CKO function are discussed.

Global Knowledge Management: Exploring A Framework For Research

Abstract Dramatic advances in Information Technology (IT), telecommunications and transportation have made it possible for organizations to more effectively manage their globally dispersed assets. One such organizational asset that has emerged as vital to success in todays global economy is knowledge. Global knowledge management has emerged as a discipline that focuses on the study of managing this organizational asset from a global perspective. In this paper, a process oriented conceptual framework for studying factors that influence knowledge management processes that impact the successful outcome of global knowledge management programs is presented. This framework is intended to present an agenda for and to suggest avenues for conducting further research in global knowledge management.

Impact of Culture on Knowledge Management: A Meta-Analysis and Framework

Abstract Culture, both national and organizational, can have profound impacts on knowledge management. Yet the literature on exactly how culture impacts knowledge management is complex with no clear generalizable results. A meta-analysis was conducted on 52 articles from ten IS journals for the years 2000–2010 combining both quantitative and qualitative studies in a unique methodological approach. Key findings include a marked shift away from normative language towards more interpretive and critical discourse emphasizing the power issues inherent in the cultural context of knowledge management. Trust and openness are key organizational cultural dimensions that impact knowledge management processes, but these traits are achieved through effective business leadership, rather than a particular technological artifact. The most striking generalizable finding from the cross-case analysis is that organizational culture can overcome or mitigate differences in national culture. An overall framework is provided to illustrate the findings and to serve as an important guidepost for future research.

E-CRM Analytics: The Role of Data Integration

Electronic Customer Relationship Management (e-CRM) Analytics is the process of analyzing and reporting online customer/visitor behavior patterns with the objective of acquiring and retaining customers through stronger customer relationships. To better understand the role of data integration in achieving the goals of e-CRM, the authors conducted a study by means of a survey. The results of this study propose that although online, offline and external data integration has its complexities, the value added is significant. This survey of CRM professionals is composed of two parts. The first part investigated the nature of the data integrated and the data architecture deployed. The second part analyzed the technological and organizational value added with respect to the e-CRM initiative. The findings suggest that organizations that integrate data from various customer touch-points have significantly higher benefits, user satisfaction and return on their investment (ROI) than those that do not. Additional insights are also presented exploring the role of data integration in e-CRM projects at both business to business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) firms. For organizations implementing e-CRM, this study reveals that data integration is worth their time, money and efforts.

Do Privacy Statements Really Work? The Effect of Privacy Statements and Fair Information Practices on Trust and Perceived Risk in E-Commerce

Companies today collect, store and process enormous amounts of information in order to identify, gain, and maintain customers. Electronic commerce and advances in database and communication technology allow business to collect and analyze more personal information with greater ease and efficiency than ever before. This has resulted in increased privacy concerns and a lack of trust among consumers. These concerns have prompted the FCC to call for the use of Fair Information Practices in electronic commerce. Many firms have added privacy statements, formal declarations of privacy and security policy, to their e-commerce web sites in an attempt to reduce privacy concerns by increasing consumer trust in the firm and reducing the perceived risk associated with e-commerce transactions. This article describes an experiment designed to determine the efficacy of that strategy.

The impact of self-selected identity on productive or perverse social capital in social network sites

Social network sites can provide a person with the freedom to represent themselves in various ways, thus exhibiting multiple variations of their identity. Research states that an individuals identity is self-monitored depending on the contextual situation that they are in. The type of social capital that one derives from social network sites can be impacted by this self-monitoring ability. Current research has addressed how productive social capital can be gained in social network sites. However, limited research has addressed the issue of perverse social capital, especially in social network sites. We argue that social network sites are a particularly unique environment that can affect an individuals representation of their identity, thus increasing the likelihood of producing perverse social capital. We examine how technology affects an individuals selected self-identity, as measured through their self-monitoring ability, and how this altered behavior leads to productive or perverse social capital in social network sites.