Sajjad M. Jasimuddin

A holistic view of knowledge management strategy

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to seek to address the way in which knowledge is being transmitted among the members of a large corporation and suggests a realistic strategy that promises to be most appropriate for effective knowledge transfer in the new knowledge economy.Design/methodology/approach – The research involves an in‐depth case study of knowledge transfer strategies used in a UK‐based group within a high‐tech global corporation. which was purposively selected for data collection. A semi‐structured instrument was developed based on the review of the knowledge management literature. The data analysis procedure within the case study employed in this research was based on the approach proposed by Miles and Huberman.Findings – Drawing on an empirical work in a large high‐tech corporation, this paper suggests a hybrid strategy which recognises the interplay between the soft and hard mechanisms, and falls somewhere between the rather divergent mechanisms.Research limitations/implications – ...

Knowledge transfer frameworks: an extension incorporating knowledge repositories and knowledge administration

While theories abound concerning knowledge transfer in organisations, little empirical work has been undertaken to assess any possible relationship between repositories of knowledge and those responsible for the use of knowledge. This paper develops a knowledge transfer framework based on an empirical analysis of part of the UK operation of a Fortune 100 corporation, which extends existing knowledge transfer theory. The proposed framework integrates knowledge storage and knowledge administration within a model of effective knowledge transfer. This integrated framework encompasses five components: the actors engaged in the transfer of knowledge, the typology of organisational knowledge that is transferred between the actors, the mechanisms by which the knowledge transfer is carried out, the repositories where explicit knowledge is retained and the knowledge administrator equivalent whose function is to manage and maintain knowledge. The paper concludes that a ‘hybridisation’ of knowledge transfer approach, revealed by the framework, offers some promise in organisational applications.

The symbiosis mechanism for effective knowledge transfer

Knowledge transfer is widely emphasized as a strategic issue for sustainable competitive advantage of an organization. To date, it seems that the soft and hard mechanisms are being employed for knowledge transfer. Although there is considerable variation in the researchers’ views about the role of the two mechanisms of knowledge transfer of an organization, this paper suggests a symbiotic strategy that recognizes the interplay between the soft and hard mechanisms. It is argued that the symbiosis mechanism falls somewhere between the rather divergent mechanisms. Drawing from the analogy of knowledge as an iceberg, the perceived explicitness of knowledge is contended to be the essential determinant for the proposed symbiosis mechanism. The paper then proceeds to analyse the tradeoffs of implementing the symbiosis mechanism. It is found that when an organization has similar unit costs of transferring explicit and tacit knowledge, it can ideally minimize its total knowledge transfer cost, aligning individuals effort with the organizations. The proposed symbiosis approach to knowledge transfer will provide powerful arguments for a more holistic view which is crucial for the effective knowledge transfer. However, it is to be noted that the model is a conceptual one, not an operational one in which the mathematics only explain a structure but do not guide the practitioner to find optimal solutions.

Transferring Stored Knowledge and Storing Transferred Knowledge

Knowledge distributed asymmetrically across an organization is regarded as its primary resource. In addition to social interaction, the Web-based technology is used to transfer knowledge. Such a technology also allows for storage of the transferred knowledge for future use. The article suggests the adoption of an integrated approach, arguing the connectivity of social and technological networks for knowledge transfer and knowledge storage.

Disciplinary roots of knowledge management: a theoretical review

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to reflect on the development of knowledge management so as to argue whether knowledge management (KM) is a multidisciplinary field.Design/methodology/approach – To set the scene by reviewing and synthesizing the scholarly works and published practices of knowledge management, this paper presents an overview of the recent and rapidly growing literature on knowledge management.Findings – The paper presents a discussion, addressing the question of what those disciplines are on which knowledge management discourse is exactly drawn on. The fact is that knowledge management draws from a wide range of disciplines. Although scholars from several disciplines attempt to claim ownership of the knowledge management, today both practitioners and academics alike recognize that knowledge management is an eclectic field rather than grounded in a specific ideology.Research limitations/implications – The paper does not offer comprehensive understanding of the disciplinary roots of ...

What Motivates Organisational Knowledge Transfer? Some Lessons from a UK-Based Multinational

The transfer of knowledge is an important task of contemporary organisations. In the knowledge-based economy, more and more organisations have increasingly recognised and encouraged the value of knowledge transfer. However, there is sometimes a tendency to horde knowledge, perhaps through fear of losing power or through uncertainty over job security. In this paper, we consider the motivators of knowledge transfer based on an empirical study carried out in part of a UK multinational, IBM Laboratories, in which the atmosphere appeared conducive to knowledge sharing, and knowledge transfer appeared voluntary and spontaneous. The paper questions why members of an organisation like IBM might be enthusiastic about the transfer of knowledge among themselves. The paper investigates the motivating factors that encourage the transfer of knowledge. A number of motivators underlying knowledge transfer are identified.

Knowledge Management Strategy and Organizational Culture

In an emerging knowledge-based economy, knowledge is a critical source of competitive advantage of organizations. This paper addresses two different strategies based on the tacitness of knowledge, indicating how the dilemmas of the choice of knowledge strategies might be resolved. A successful symbiosis strategy based upon a conducive organizational culture can ease knowledge replication within the organization but presents difficulty in imitation by competitors. Such a culture needs to be pervasive within the organization, but at the same time idiosyncratic and unique to the organization. Optimal knowledge management strategies can cultivate the organizational cultural fit, and maximize the organizational profit. The paper provides researchers and practitioners valuable insights to understand the fundamental relationship between knowledge management and organizational culture, and practical guidance to adopt an appropriate knowledge management strategy to exploit organizational knowledge.

A decision tree conceptualization of choice of knowledge transfer mechanism: The views of software development specialists in a multinational company

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to empirically study transfer mechanisms of technological knowledge, and to explore the interplay among the factors that influence the choice of a mechanism. Design/methodology/approach – This paper reports on a qualitative case study designed to explore the reasons underlying the selection of intra-organizational knowledge transfer mechanisms. This research was carried out as an exploratory case study, which allowed one to observe the phenomenon in a natural setting. Findings – The results of the present study indicate the interplay between the factors, and link the factors in a sequence that help decide a mechanism. A decision to select a mechanism depends upon several variables; some of them override others, others are interlinked, and sometimes there is a causal link. Research limitations/implications – It is based on a sample of employees that may not be representative of the broader population. Since the samples were drawn only from a MNC, the results may not b...

Knowledge market in organizations: Incentive alignment and IT support

Purpose – Knowledge market has become an important issue of knowledge management. The purpose of this paper is to study the design of an internal knowledge market for enabling knowledge transfer within an organization.Design/methodology/approach – The knowledge market is modeled as a pull market, where buyers post and price their questions to elicit answers from potential sellers. Designing and offering different incentives and information technology (IT) support to knowledge workers with heterogeneous knowledge levels, a firm maintains the efficiency of the market and maximizes the organizational benefit from knowledge transfer.Findings – The authors identify two payment policies, a priori and a posteriori, and two market‐regulating mechanisms, Locking and Open mechanisms. The optimal designs of incentive contracts and IT support are fully demonstrated for the a priori policy and Locking mechanism. The benefits of the market for knowledge transfer are illustrated from three aspects: transaction price as ...

Knowledge transfer frameworks

While theories abound concerning knowledge transfer in organisations, little empirical work has been undertaken to assess any possible relationship between repositories of knowledge and those responsible for the use of knowledge. This paper develops a knowledge transfer framework based on an empirical analysis of part of the UK operation of a Fortune 100 corporation, which extends existing knowledge transfer theory. The proposed framework integrates knowledge storage and knowledge administration within a model of effective knowledge transfer. This integrated framework encompasses five components: the actors engaged in the transfer of knowledge, the typology of organisational knowledge that is transferred between the actors, the mechanisms by which the knowledge transfer is carried out, the repositories where explicit knowledge is retained and the knowledge administrator equivalent whose function is to manage and maintain knowledge. The paper concludes that a ‘hybridisation’ of knowledge transfer approach, revealed by the framework, offers some promise in organisational applications.