Stephan Kaiser

Weblog-Technology as a Trigger to Elicit Passion for Knowledge

The practice of Weblogging as a new social and technological phenomenon in society and business is gaining a growing number of supporters. In short, a Weblog is a website where individual thoughts are publicly displayed in the form of a diary. In this paper, we seek to illustrate the impact of Weblog technology on peoples passion for knowledge. We start from the assumption that successful knowledge management requires the engagement of people in knowledge-related practices. We introduce a famous agglomeration of Weblogs that deal with the development of a commercial software. Based on an exploratory study, we suggest that the specific features and character of this novel technology have an impact upon the passion for voluntary knowledge work, which is triggered by experiences of flow states, as well as extrinsic stimuli.

Leveraging Lead User Knowledge in Software Development—The Case of Weblog Technology

Firms increasingly rely upon information technology (IT) to manage organizational knowledge, though this does not inevitably result in increased knowledge sharing. In contrast, we know that in the case of non‐commercial open software development, IT plays a central role in knowledge sharing between software developers. This paper acknowledges the impact of a blogosphere—a system of connected weblogs (i.e. personalized and informal publications on the Internet in reverse chronological order)—on the motivation of lead users to develop commercial software together with the employees of a large for‐profit organization. On the basis of multi‐method data, collected over a 28‐month period, our results indicate parallels to the field of open source software: we argue that weblog technology and its features evoke intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to engage in knowledge sharing within a commercial software development project.

Weblogs for organizational knowledge sharing and creation: a comparative case study

The use of weblogs as an information and communication technology for knowledge sharing and creation is a novel social and organizational phenomenon. In this paper, we identify and explain contingency factors that influence the successful use of weblogs for knowledge sharing and creation. We start from the assumption that successful knowledge management requires the motivation of people to engage in knowledge-related communication. Based on a comparison of two antithetic cases, we identify and discuss four contingency factors that directly influence the motivational impact of weblogs on organizational knowledge sharing and creation.

The motivation of bloggers for organisational knowledge sharing and creation: A comparative case study to identify contingency factors influencing motivation

The use of weblogs for knowledge sharing and creation is a novel social and organisational phenomenon. In this paper, we start from the assumption that successful knowledge management requires the motivation of people to engage in knowledge-related communication. However, several studies indicate that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) do not always improve organisational knowledge sharing and creation as a result of a missing motivation to use ICTs. Thus, we discuss two partially opposite cases, in order to identify and explain contingency factors that directly influence the motivation towards making a contribution in knowledge sharing and creation.

Passion wanted! Socialisation of positive emotions in consulting firms

Earlier works on organisational socialisation concentrated predominantly on cognitive conceptions or negative emotions. Against this background, this paper explores the socialisation of positive emotions in five European consulting firms. We show that positive emotions are socialised in different phases and by different agents, culminating in an expanded zone of emotional indifference by which we mean that reciprocally perceived positive emotions help manifest over time into a stable relationship. Our study adds to the literature by explicitly integrating positive emotions and rather commonly neglected socialisation agents. However, we are critical of perspectives that suggest that management can directly influence positive emotions.

Organizational Identity and Paradox An Analysis of the “Stable State of Instability” of Wikipedia’s Identity

Previous studies have reported changes in organizational identities as a result of external or internal triggers. In contrast, we highlight how the paradoxical nature of an organizational identity can influence stability and change that identity. Using the example of Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, we show how a “stable state of instability” of the organization’s collective identity is constantly being reproduced. We contribute to the literature on organizational identity by first analyzing a case in which identity change is not triggered by a disruptive event. Second, we show how the paradoxical nature of identity triggers attempts to reconcile contradictions of the paradox, culminating in permanent state of gradual changes of organizational identity. Finally, we exemplify how, as a form of partial organization where volunteers take part in the identity formation process, Wikipedia copes with the tensions that ensue from its collective identity.

organizaTional rouTines: convenTions as a source of change and sTabiliTy

Recent research shows that organizational routines are not as rigid as previously assumed, but instead are subject to significant endogenous change in the very process of their performance. We contribute to the discussion on organizational routines by describing the conventionalist perspective and elaborating how this perspective can provide more nuanced insights into why the performance of organizational routines changes or remains stable. Drawing on the theory of Economy of Conventions, we argue that focusing on the actor’s requirement for justification can provide new insights into the reasons for stability and change in routines.

Acknowledging the innate impact of an information technology for engaging people in knowledge work: the case of weblog technology

Today, globally operating enterprises increasingly rely upon Information Technology (IT) for knowledge exchange, even though this does not inevitably result in the assumed enhancements. The impact of IT itself remains rather ambiguous. Guided by Actor-Network Theory (ANT), this paper draws on a 28-month qualitative case study and elucidates the inherent impact of a novel IT phenomenon, corporate blogospheres. A blogosphere consists of weblogs, websites where individuals publicly display their ideas in the form of a diary. Our results indicate that a blogosphere constitutes a powerful actor on its own that is capable of structuring knowledge work. Further, we illustrate how the blogosphere is efficiently organised and maintained by means of the complex interplay between various human as well as nonhuman actors. We conclude with critical reflections and an outlook for future research.

Die Wirkung von Work-Life Balance Initiativen auf das Mitarbeitercommitment: Eine empirische Untersuchung in der Unternehmensberatungsbranche **

Der vorliegende Beitrag untersucht die Wirkung von unternehmerischen Work-Life Balance Initiativen für die emotionale Bindung der Mitarbeiter zum Unternehmen, d. h. das organisationale Commitment von Mitarbeitern im Kontext der Unternehmensberatung. Dazu wurde eine Untersuchung mit insgesamt 275 Unternehmensberaterinnen und -beratern durchgeführt. Die Datenanalyse erfolgte anhand eines PLS-Strukturgleichungsmodells (Partial-Least-Squares-Ansatz). Die Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass auch in Beratungsorganisationen ein Zusammenhang zwischen der Nutzung von Work-Life Balance Initiativen und dem affektiven Commitment von Mitarbeitern besteht und zwar sowohl direkt als auch über den Einfluss der Initiativennutzung auf einen so reduzierten Work-Life Conflict. Darüber hinaus konnte ein positiver Einfluss der Unterstützung durch den Vorgesetzten für die Inanspruchnahme von Work-Life Balance Initiativen gezeigt werden.

Der Beitrag eines flexibilitätsorientierten Humanressourcen-Managements in Unternehmenskrisen: Eine kritische Betrachtung

Unternehmenskrisen sind seit langem Gegenstand der betriebswirtschaftlichen Forschung. Relativ wenig Aufmerksamkeit wurde dem Thema Unternehmenskrise jedoch bisher seitens der Personalforschung gewidmet. Dies dient dem vorliegenden Beitrag als Anlass, zwei Zielsetzungen zu verfolgen: Erstens soll eine qualitative Inhaltsanalyse bisheriger personalwirtschaftlicher Publikationen das Forschungsfeld erschließen. Zweitens ist es Ziel, das häufig vorzufindende Postulat eines flexibilitätsorientierten Humanressourcen-Managements zur Vermeidung von Unternehmenskrisen zu hinterfragen. Insgesamt zeigen die Befunde, dass einige Flexibilitätsdimensionen in der bisherigen personalwirtschaftlichen Forschung vernachlässigt wurden und ein flexibilitätsorientiertes Humanressourcen-Management zur Krisenvermeidung auf nur schwer einzuhaltende Voraussetzungen trifft.