Shan Ling Pan

Knowledge Management in Practice: An Exploratory Case Study.

Knowledge has been identified as one of the most important resources that contributes to the competitive advantage of an organization. The organizational and social issues associated with the development, implementation and use of information technology have increasingly attracted the attention of knowledge management researchers. The paper is based on an empirical investigation of knowledge sharing processes from an international organization, Buckman Laboratories. Through the socio-technical perspective, the paper traces the interactions between knowledge management practices and the organizational context. On the basis of the research, we propose a perspective of socio-technical theory relevant to knowledge management within organizations. We conclude that management and leadership play a critical role in establishing the multi-level context for the effective assimilation of knowledge management practice.

Bridging communities of practice with information technology in pursuit of global knowledge sharing

This paper explores the use of information technology to support knowledge sharing within and between communities of practice. In so doing, it presents a case of a multi-national organizations efforts to implement an organizational knowledge management (KM) system. The case traces both the technological solutions and the KM strategy of the organization as it met with various challenges along a several year period of establishing KM as organizational practice. The study highlights several lessons, including the possibility of a flexible KM strategy, the necessity for multiple channels of knowledge sharing, the desirability of expanding communities of practice, and the evolution of the role played by information technology as KM strategies evolve.

A Socio‐Technical View of Knowledge Sharing at Buckman Laboratories

This empirical study reports a unique implementation process of knowledge sharing from Buckman Laboratories. Through a socio‐technical perspective on Knowledge Management, this paper highlights the interplay between Knowledge Management systems and the organizational context.

Implementing enterprise resource planning and knowledge management systems in tandem: fostering efficiency and innovation complementarity

This paper examines the simultaneous implementation within a single organization of two contemporary managerial information systems—Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Knowledge Management (KM). Exploring their simultaneous deployment within an organization provides an opportunity to examine the resulting interactions and impacts. More specifically, we examine their combined influence on improving organizational efficiency and flexibility, two outcomes which traditional organizational theory suggests are incompatible. Through an interpretative case study, the research confirms that: (1) the two systems can be implemented in tandem to good effect; (2) complementarity between the two systems is possible, although this is not an automatic outcome, it has to be fostered. This complementarity is analyzed in relation to the four mechanisms (namely partitioning, enrichment, metaroutines and switching) proposed by Adler, Goldoftas and Levine (Organization Science 10 (1999) 43), as vital for the simultaneous development of organizational efficiency and flexibility.

Using e-CRM for a unified view of the customer

Applying detailed knowledge of the customer to a larger business domain.

Structurational analysis of e-government initiatives: a case study of SCO

Abstract Governments are eagerly looking toward a digital future, but their view is obstructed by the challenges they face in modernizing such vast enterprises. This case study discusses how a government agency developed and implemented an e-procurement system. In particular, the study findings suggest that in the initial stage of any e-government projects, having a tele-cooperation perspective would be useful as it provides a holistic view, focussing on the support of computer-mediated cooperation in a comprehensive sense. We analyse the data using a structurational model, to identify issues in developing this initiative, and construct a framework to analyse future e-government initiatives. We hope to provide a foundation for further discussions on this increasingly important area of research and practice.

Demystifying case research: A structured-pragmatic-situational (SPS) approach to conducting case studies

Despite an abundance of prescriptions and examples for the conduct of case research in the literature, the fact that most prescriptions tend to (1) articulate general principles/guidelines that are difficult to translate into specific, actionable steps, (2) hold only under idealized conditions and may be unworkable in the field, and (3) emphasize the need to be flexible without explaining how flexibility can be achieved, is creating a steep learning curve. To address these gaps, a structured-pragmatic-situational (SPS) approach to conducting case research is proposed with detailed instructions provided for each of its eight steps. The eight steps include (1) access negotiation, (2)conceptualizing the phenomenon,(3) collecting and organizing the initial data, (4) constructing and extending the theoretical lens, (5) confirming and validating data, (6) selective coding, (7) ensuring theory-data-model alignment, and (8) writing the case report. With its prescriptions, the SPS approach introduces a number of conceptual innovations, integrates the different recommendations of some of the most frequently cited works on the case research method into a coherent whole, and suggests resolutions for a number of common issues that confront case researchers.

Managing e-transformation in the public sector: an e-government study of the inland revenue authority of Singapore (IRAS)

Continuous organizational transformation is becoming a common phenomenon as public agencies rapidly embrace new information technologies (IT) to streamline and re-invent their obsolete operations. However, due to the overwhelming extent of the necessary changes as well as the sheer diversity of stakeholders involved in transforming corporate functions, practitioners are finding it difficult to manage the level of dynamism required in the effort. In an attempt to shed some light on the phenomenon of managing e-transformation, this paper examines in-depth an e-government initiative. Through the study of how one organization in the public sector adapts to the dynamic customer relations brought about by e-transformation, the case serves to identify the governing factors for successful organization–stakeholder relations, and how these may have a bearing on the development of effective e-transformation strategies. An important contribution of this study is the proposal of a development model of relationships in organizations for an understanding into how organization–stakeholder relationships can be efficiently managed to bring about an effective overhaul of business processes.

Towards a holistic perspective of customer relationship management (CRM) implementation: a case study of the housing and development board, Singapore

Organizations have increasingly recognized the importance of managing customer relationships, and many organizations are turning to customer relationship management (CRM) to better serve customers and facilitate closer relationships with them. This paper examines the implementation of CRM at the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in Singapore. The CRM architecture (comprising operational CRM, collaborative CRM and analytical CRM) deployed at HDB reflects a holistic approach to CRM implementation that integrates three key perspectives of CRM, namely, the business, technology and customer perspectives. Drawing from the case study, we present a holistic framework for CRM that binds information technologies with business processes for the delivery of high service quality.

Managing Stakeholder Interests in e-Government Implementation: Lessons Learned from a Singapore e-Government Project

As e-government plays an increasingly dominant role in modern public administrative management, its pervasive influence on organizations and individuals is apparent. It is, therefore, timely and relevant to examine e-governance—the fundamental mission of e-government. By adopting a stakeholder perspective, this study approaches the topic of e-governance in e-government from the three critical aspects of stakeholder management: (1) identification of stakeholders; (2) recognition of differing interests among stakeholders; and (3) how an organization caters to and furthers these interests. Findings from the case study point to the importance of (1) discarding the traditional preference for controls to develop instead a proactive attitude towards the identification of all relevant collaborators; (2) conducting cautious assessments of the technological restrictions underlying IT-transformed public services to map out the boundary for devising and implementing control and collaboration mechanisms in the system; and (3) developing strategies to align stakeholder interests so that participation in e-government can be self-governing.