Investigating Knowledge Transfer Mechanisms for Oil Rigs

Author(s):  
Giovanna Vianello ◽  
Saeema Ahmed

It is widely recognized, both in industry and academia, that clear strategies in knowledge transfer positively influence the success of a firm. A firm should support the transfer of knowledge by standardizing communication channels within and across departments, based upon personalization, codification or a combination of these two strategies. The characteristics of the business influence the choice of communication channels used for knowledge transfer. This paper presents a case study exploring the transfer of knowledge within and across projects, specifically the transfer of service knowledge in the case of complex machinery. The strategies used for knowledge transfer were analysed and compared with the expected transfer mechanisms, similarities and differences were investigated and are described. A family of four identical rigs for offshore drilling was the selected case. The transfer of experience across the rigs during the commissioning phase of the first and the second rigs of the series was explored through interviews with the operators and the project management team. Differences between the expected knowledge transfer strategy, focused upon the moving of rig personnel and reusing of lessons learnt from one rig to the next, and the actual situation emerged. Various approaches for transferring knowledge were elicited and analysed with regard to the types of knowledge that were transferred and the context in which they were used. This study indicates factors that should be considered whilst designing a knowledge management system to support the systematic reuse of service knowledge.

Author(s):  
Laura Zapata-Cantú ◽  
Teresa Treviño ◽  
Flor Morton ◽  
Ernesto López Monterrubio

During the last decade, improvements in information and communication technologies have made possible the transformation of knowledge transfer processes from purely informal to increasingly formal and more diverse communication mechanisms that enrich intra-organizational communication channels. In this chapter, the authors followed a case study approach to analyze three Mexican companies with the objective of understanding how companies in the IT sector are implementing digital technologies to achieve knowledge transfer in their organizations. The findings suggest that workers seek and choose tools that can be personalized and customized to adapt to their own needs. New digital technologies are proving to be a new and relevant channel of communication among people: therefore, these should be considered to be one possible way to motivate knowledge transfer at work.


2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 260-263
Author(s):  
Geeta Rana ◽  
Alok Kumar Goel ◽  
Ajay Kumar Saini

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the issues of knowledge transfer in international strategic alliance within Hero Moto Corp. Ltd., an Indian multinational company. International Strategic alliances have been increasing in numbers in the past decades and transfer of knowledge and its transfer in multinational companies is wider debate. The case explores the complex issues involved in cross-organization and cross-country transfer of knowledge. The company has forged a strategic alliance with the US-based Erik Buell Racing for accessing technology and design inputs. Design/methodology/approach – It presents a structured case study that examines a wide range of knowledge transfer issues of international strategic alliance. Findings – It reveals that a major influencing factor is the national culture of the parents and that of the host country which provides the context with in which alliances are operate. It is also explored the ways in which the multi-parentage of strategic alliances influences their Human Resource Management (HRM) policies and practices. Originality/value – It provides plenty of useful information on an issue that affects virtually every employee and organization.


2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 194-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajjad M. Jasimuddin ◽  
Con Connell ◽  
Jonathan H. Klein

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 be generalised. The case study method which was employed in this research does not permit the generalisation of the results. Originality/value – The knowledge transfer literature has discussed the mechanisms used to transfer technological knowledge, but has failed to adequately address the rationale behind the selection of an appropriate knowledge transfer mechanism. The extant literature has isolatedly identified factors that impact on the choice of knowledge transfer mechanism. These issues are not effectively addressed in prior research. The findings are summarized diagrammatically in the form of a decision tree which provides a conceptualization of the decision processes involved in the selection of the medium for knowledge transfer.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Fascia ◽  
mike sanderson ◽  
hock tan

Dominant research streams in healthcare management conclude that knowledge transfer between patient groups is accomplished through instructions and/or socially constructed practices. Underlying these views is the belief that texts and practices carry with them the codes necessary for their own decoding and, therefore, enable an unproblematic knowledge transfer. The analysis focused specifically on the interrelated effects between constituents of a group receiving ongoing healthcare and the relationships to knowledge transfer management, through which, group membership and knowledge exchange was mediated. The research asked if this relationship could be improved from both a personal and organisational perspective, by better understanding of the knowledge transfer mechanisms at work. We argue that because private and cultural models mediate decoding of information into meaningful knowledge, knowledge is created from the unique combination of cognitive dispositions of acumen, memory, creativity, volition, emotion, and socio-cultural interaction. Thus, mechanisms for decision-making affect socio group dynamics and interactions via the healthcare environment, manager or practitioner. 2 Design/methodology/approach-CASE STUDY. This case study adopted a qualitative constructivist methodology and thematic analysis of the output data. A total of 20 (n1=20) main interviews and 10 (n2=10) follow up interviews took place over a two month period. Findings-Findings indicate that for this group of participants, knowledge transfer depended on the assumption of real world values as opposed to determinates of healthcare practitioners


2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheikh Shamim Hasnain ◽  
Sajjad M. Jasimuddin ◽  
Nerys Fuller-Love

Knowledge transfer is one of the significant elements in the knowledge management process. Knowledge transferors share different types of knowledge with the recipients with a view to fulfilling the latter's knowledge needs. The importance of identifying the appropriate knowledge transfer mechanisms and the barriers to knowledge transfer are paramount. However, neither the knowledge management literature nor the NGO-sector literature has adequately addressed the issues of causes of knowledge transfer, taxonomies of knowledge, mechanisms and barriers of knowledge transfer in comprehensive way in the context of the Bangladeshi NGO sector. The highest number of NGOs in the world is deployed in Bangladesh. Little is known about such transfer within the NGO context based in Bangladesh. This paper makes an endeavour to bridge these grey areas of knowledge management and NGO-sector. Having collected the qualitative data from Bangladeshi NGOs and using the content analysis technique, the study identified the causes of knowledge transfer, taxonomies of knowledge, mechanisms of knowledge transfer and the barriers to knowledge transfer in the context of Bangladesh. By understanding the mechanisms and the determinants of knowledge transfer, company and NGO managers and public policy makers can influence knowledge transfer more effectively. Future researchers may extend this study by carrying out similar research in a different context.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Fascia

The importance given to knowledge in relation to business success has never been sogreat as it is today and there is a substantive amount of important and informed studiesreflecting this. Nonetheless, informed approaches by prominent authors generally focuson knowledge transfer mechanisms and the efficiency of these mechanisms to supportand deliver competitive advantage (Nonaka, 1994; Grant, 1996; Argote and Ingram,2000; Alavi and Leidner, 2001). An overarching objective of understanding efficientknowledge transfer is therefore a central caveat for businesses wishing to achievesuccess and maintain competitive advantage since it is clear that any significantdegradation of efficiency will directly affect this objective. Many studies do recognisedthe creation of knowledge as a significant factor in determining how effectively abusiness develops, and knowledge creation, theorised by (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995),is used as a baseline for numerous historic and current studies. To date however, therehave been few studies which denote the affect of socio-cultural or religious phenomenawithin a transfer scenario as significant, and how this interaction may affect the outcomeof the knowledge shared or exchanged in a business context. This paper thereforeexamines how, in a business context, knowledge transfer is influenced by perspectivesgiven to the knowledge. This rational is deliberate since the transfer of knowledge israrely a simple unproblematic event, (Argote et al., 2000). In this regards, we look at asignificant amount of literature and research which has been constructed in a bid tounderstand both the problematic nature surrounding the mechanics of the transfersequence and definition of the term ‘knowledge’ to support the establishment ofmeaningful baselines. The paper then summarises these theoretical baselines intosegmented contexts with deliberate intention


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (79) ◽  
pp. 553-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosane Maria Soligo de Mello Ayres ◽  
Silvio Popadiuk

Abstract The aim of this work is to describe how learning and knowledge transfer mechanisms based on knowledge articulation and codification contribute to the development of organizational capabilities in software. The study focuses on client-specific and process capabilities. Results were obtained through a case study involving two partner companies in an inter-organizational project to develop an integrated information management and technology system. Evidence revealed investment and organizational efforts focused on knowledge articulation practices and activities to develop client-specific capabilities, as well as knowledge codification practices and activities to develop process capabilities. We also identified three factors that influenced software professionals’ choice of the respective mechanisms (knowledge articulation and codification) namely: the sharing context, absorptive capacity and task complexity.


Author(s):  
Hugo Pinto

Innovation is transformed in an encompassing domain where different types of actors are connected and interrelated. Nevertheless, academic science often feels threatened by the new emerging institutional paradigm characterized by the economic exploitation of public research results. This chapter explores university-firm relations and tensions, discussing the increased relevance of knowledge transfer. The ideas of Ludwik Fleck, intellectual precursor of Social Studies of S&T, contribute to the understanding of the difficulties of communication between different collectives, their styles of thought and the importance of ‘marginal individuals' in connecting different institutional spheres. Based on a qualitative approach to the case study of a Portuguese university attempting to create bridges with the business world, the text illustrates differences between the ‘academic science' and the firm, the recent institutionalization of commercialization of research, and findings for policy-making and management of knowledge transfer activities.


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