How library practitioners view knowledge management in libraries

2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 643-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roknuzzaman ◽  
Katsuhiro Umemoto

PurposeThe main purpose of this paper is to explore library practitioners' views of knowledge management (KM) and its incorporation into library practice.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on the review of literature available in secondary sources, and the result of interviews of ten library practitioners worldwide. The respondents are purposively selected from the participants' lists of two international conferences held in 2008. The interviews were conducted through e‐mail using a short, structured, and open‐ended questionnaire.FindingsThe ways of knowing and degrees of understanding of KM concepts among the library practitioners are varied. But the most library practitioners have focused on a shallow perception of KM for its incorporation into library practice – dealing with only explicit information and/or knowledge. This study also finds some of the reasons for responding to KM, e.g. increasing value of knowledge in the knowledge economy, role of information technologies, opportunities for improved library practices.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited in its scope, conducting interviews of only ten library practitioners worldwide, and hence, generalization may not be derived from the findings.Practical implicationsThe paper suggests that library practitioners need to broaden their understanding, change their traditional mindset, and to apply a holistic approach of KM system design and library practice, focusing on both explicit and tacit knowledge.Originality/valueThe paper investigates the original views of library practitioners regarding KM in libraries.

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 320-335
Author(s):  
Seth W. Norton

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the link between Joseph Schumpeter’s economics and the rise of General Motors (GM). Design/methodology/approach The paper uses regression analysis and time series analysis of market synchronization. Findings There is a strong link between GM rise to dominance of the domestic automobile industry and nuanced features of Schumpeterian economics. Research limitations/implications The paper furthers the examination of the role of information economics on marketing channel performance. Practical implications Information helps in production decisions by synchronizing production with consumer demand. Social implications Economic efficiency enhances the human welfare for better forecasting, lower inventories and greater profits. Originality/value This topic has been explored before but methodology used in this paper is innovative. The paper uses Granger causality.


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 238-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew B. Stafford ◽  
Jonathan Hobson

Purpose There has been a widespread move in England’s city centres to a business crime reduction partnership (BCRP) model that welcomes businesses from all commercial sectors and that operate during day time and night time trading hours, and that seeks to tackle a broad range of crimes and associated behaviours. The purpose of this paper is to consider whether this new holistic approach offers benefits that narrower models do not. Design/methodology/approach This study draws upon data from a multi-year examination of the Gloucester City Safe BCRP, including quantitative analysis of 4,523 offences recorded by the partnership and qualitative analysis of 149 interviews with its members. Findings In Gloucester there was a small minority of offenders who commit offences against more than one type of business, who offend during both the day time and night time trading hours and who commit more than one type of offence. There is value, therefore, in partnerships bringing together businesses from different commercial sectors and that operate in the day and night time economies to coordinate their efforts to tackle such activity. Practical implications Sharing information among partnership members via e-mail and secure web-based platforms helps raise awareness concerning offenders and the offences that they commit which in turn can be used to prevent offences from occurring. Social implications This inclusive holistic BCRP model can lead to an increased sense of community cohesion for its members arising from the collective effort of multiple types of businesses. Originality/value The authors are not aware of other studies that have considered these issues.


Author(s):  
Somayeh Asghari ◽  
Sahar Targholi ◽  
Ali Kazemi ◽  
Saeed Shahriyari ◽  
Lila Rajabion

Purpose Competitive intelligence (CI) collects data through the distribution of knowledge to make decisions in a competitive environment. To better comprehend the concept of CI, the purpose of this paper is to determine the role of effective factors (knowledge sharing, competitor information, information technology (IT) and organizational culture) and their impact on CI. In addition, the paper provides a conceptual framework for determining the practical factors on CI. Design/methodology/approach For evaluating the elements of the model, a questionnaire is considered. Questionnaires were reread by specialists with significant experiences in the CI field. For statistical analysis, the SPSS 22 and SmartPLS 3.2 software package is also used. Findings Findings from the study showed the validity of the model for a CI assessment. Furthermore, the results confirmed that the competitor information significantly influenced CI. In addition, the obtained results implied that IT has a significant and positive influence on CI. The effect of organizational culture on CI also proved to be positive and significant. Research limitations/implications This paper makes significant contributions for both researchers and practitioners; however, the authors determine some limitations, which are as follows: First, the authors showed the result in a single region. It cannot be assured that the results are generalizable to other areas. Second, because of time and financial constraints, the authors gathered the data using a sample from a single location. Third, the use of variables to depict CI may be not exhaustive. The authors, therefore, encourage future research to study these CI dimensions. Practical implications This study meaningfully contributes to the knowledge and literature by focusing more on CI, examining other significant aspects and applying advanced statistical analysis method. Also, current research results suggest practical implications for marketing practitioners and managers who implemented tools and made strategic plans to enhance the organization’s performance. From a practical perspective, the statistical results support the crucial role of the following factors: IT, competitor information, organizational culture and knowledge sharing on CI. Originality/value Experts in the area of knowledge management, CI and strategic management can use this study to gain a competitive advantage based on knowledge and information resources. Organizations must have knowledge management function and CI to support the strategy formulation, implementation and evaluation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 270-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Maria Cesaroni ◽  
Annalisa Sentuti

Purpose The purpose of the this paper is to understand what is the approach adopted by accountants when they provide advisory services to family businesses (FBs) involved in a succession process. Design/methodology/approach Data for this study were collected through a questionnaire survey involving 175 Italian certified accountants. They answered questions about their experience, attitudes, behaviors and opinions toward FB succession. Findings Accountants are mostly concerned with technical elements and solutions (hard issues) and are less careful about relations and communication between family members (soft issues). They also underestimate the relevance of the ability to empathize with the FB owner and other family members. Despite the literature recommendations to collaborate with other advisors from a variety of backgrounds, most of the accountants work on their own or with other experts on hard issues (notaries, lawyers and bank operators). All these aspects may cause a discrepancy between FBs’ expectations and accountant’s professional practice. Research limitations/implications Results are mainly descriptive and are limited to the perceptions and experiences of accountants interviewed. Practical implications This study offers some guidance for the accountant’s professional practice. Even if accountant’s technical skills are undoubtedly essential when addressing the main hard issues posed by succession, soft issues often represent the real problem to be managed or the most complicated one. Accountants should help less aware entrepreneurs to acquire a better knowledge of succession and to adopt a holistic approach, integrating every dimension and perspective involved. This means that succession should be tackled through an interdisciplinary approach. Originality/value The research on the role of external subjects in family succession examines, above all, the perspective of the FB. This study offers an alternative approach, adopting the accountant’s perspective to analyze his/her role and experience in the management of succession.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 297-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Hannah ◽  
Michael Parent ◽  
Leyland Pitt ◽  
Pierre Berthon

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore in depth the mechanisms that organizations use to keep their innovations secret. This paper examines how, when and why secrecy appropriation mechanisms (SAMs) can enable innovators to appropriate value from their innovations.Design/methodology/approachBuilding from an extensive literature review of innovation and secrecy, the paper presents a number of implications for theory and research in the form of testable propositions.FindingsThis conceptualization proposes that SAMs can have both positive and negative effects on a number of organizational dynamics. SAMs involve tradeoffs, and the key to understanding whether they create value to organizations lies in understanding that these tradeoffs exist and the nature of these tradeoffs.Practical implicationsWhile most managers recognize the importance of secrecy in innovations, many struggle with the practical challenges of doing so. The paper presents guidance for managers to overcome these challenges.Originality/valueThis paper adds to previous research that has identified secrecy as an important appropriation mechanism for firms by digging deeper into the details of SAMs and exploring their sources, characteristics and effects.


2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brynne Harrison ◽  
Elena Svetieva ◽  
Arun Vishwanath

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore user susceptibility to phishing by unpacking the mechanisms that may influence individual victimization. The focus is on the characteristics of the e-mail message, users’ knowledge and experience with phishing, and the manner in which these interact and influence how users cognitively process phishing e-mails. Design/methodology/approach – A field experiment was conducted where 194 subjects were exposed to a real phishing attack. The experimenters manipulated the contents of the message and measures of user traits and user processing were obtained after the phishing attack. Findings – Of the original list of targets, 47 percent divulged their private information to a bogus form page. Phishing susceptibility was predicted by a particular combination of both low attention to the e-mail elements and high elaboration of the phishing message. The presence of a threat or reward-based phishing message did not affect these processes, nor did it affect subsequent phishing susceptibility. Finally, individual factors such as knowledge and experience with e-mail increased resilience to the phishing attack. Research limitations/implications – The findings are generalizable to students who are a particularly vulnerable target of phishing attacks. Practical implications – The results presented in this study provide pragmatic recommendations for developing user-centered interventions to thwart phishing attacks. Lastly the authors suggest more effective educational efforts to protect individuals from such online fraud. Originality/value – This study provides novel insight into why phishing is successful, the human factor in susceptibility to online deception as well the role of information processing in effective decision making in this context. Based on the findings, the authors dispel common misconceptions about phishing and discuss more effective educational efforts to protect individuals from such online fraud.


2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 260-275
Author(s):  
Dilip Dutta

Purpose – This paper aims to define a capability-based sustained/total human development, after reviewing both the concept of “Surplus in Man” as the source for achieving the Vedântic ideal of transcendence, and the capability approach to human development. Design/methodology/approach – The capability-based sustained/total human development has been defined by integrating the Vedântic concept of “Surplus in Man” and the deontological theories of morality into the basic approach to capability-based human development. Findings – An answer to the question: “How to apply a holistic approach to our daily life?” is outlined. Practical implications – An example is provided on the role of yoga and meditation as the key initial bridging forces between the Western and Eastern concept of mental health. Also, the recent trend in a morally demanding lifestyle of a section of people in the Western societies for moving towards a galloping spiritual pluralism has been exemplified. Originality/value – Role of responsibility of an individual human being along with his or her right has explicitly been emphasized in the approach to capability-based sustained/total human development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 1559-1584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devendra K. Yadav ◽  
Manoj Pant ◽  
Nitin Seth

Purpose This study aims to identify and analyse the main enablers of knowledge management (KM) in improving the logistics capabilities of Indian organisations and develop a model based on the contextual relationship among the identified enablers. Design/methodology/approach Initially, this study uses a systematic literature review and questionnaire-based survey approach to identify the enablers of KM; and later, total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) was used to evolve mutual relationships among the identified 11 enablers for developing a hierarchical model. Findings The results of the analysis show that enablers, namely, organisational structure and leadership, application of advanced information and communication system, collaboration with established stakeholders and organisational learning and innovative approaches are identified as main enablers for improving the logistics capabilities of Indian organisations. Research limitations/implications This study provides useful implications for the researchers working on exploring the role of KM enablers in improving the logistics capabilities of organisations. Practical implications This study provides rich practical implications for the manufacturers, supply chain managers, logistics service providers and logistics consultants involved in the decision-making process. They can focus majorly on knowledge creation and knowledge storage processes to improve the logistics performance of their respective organisations. Originality/value This study is an attempt to identify the enablers of KM that could improve the logistics capabilities of Indian organisations. The application of the TISM method to develop a theoretical framework is the novel contribution of this study.


2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 574-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaomi An ◽  
Hepu Deng ◽  
Lemen Chao ◽  
Wenlin Bai

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the role of knowledge management in collaborative innovation and identifies the knowledge management approaches for supporting collaborative innovation community capacity building (CICCB) in organizations. The importance of collaborative innovation in developing organizational competitiveness is increasingly being recognized in both theory and practice worldwide. Collaborative innovation, however, is still under-explored from the trans-disciplinary perspective of knowledge management and community capacity building. Design/methodology/approach – A comprehensive review of the related literature in collaborative innovation and knowledge management is conducted. Three demands for CICCB, including trust building for enhancing the effectiveness, sustainability building for improving the efficiency and extensibility building for developing the competitiveness in organizations, are identified, which paves the way for the development of a holistic approach to effective CICCB. Findings – Three roles of knowledge management in supporting CICCB are identified, including the reformation of knowledge management for convergence in collaboration, the remediation of knowledge activities for synergy in communication and the reconfiguration of knowledge artifacts for the integration of knowledge management activities in connectivity. A holistic approach is proposed for effective CICCB in organizations, including the multi-dimensional convergence for trust building in collaboration, the multi-directional synergy for sustainability building in communication and the multi-layer integration for extensibility building in connectivity. Research limitations/implications – Insights about how organizations can better support CICCB through effective knowledge management for improving their competitiveness are provided based on the identification of the demand for CICCB and the role of knowledge management in collaborative innovation. The development of a holistic approach to effective CICCB can help organizations better utilize their limited resources for developing their competitiveness in today’s dynamic environment. Originality/value – This paper is the first step of a comprehensive study on the role of knowledge management in supporting CICCB in organizations in today’s dynamic environment. It provides a solid foundation for the investigation of the models, approaches and mechanisms for effective CICCB through knowledge management in organizations.


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