scholarly journals Enabling Knowledge Management Initiatives through Organizational Communities of Practice

2021 ◽  
pp. 227797792110369
Author(s):  
Abobakr Aljuwaiber
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Organizational Contexts ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Communication Processes ◽  
Holistic Understanding

Learning the concept of organizational communities of practice (OCoP) is very effective but too complicated when it comes to implementation. Challenges arise when cultivating OCoPs and creating effective communication processes, particularly within an organization that has a traditional hierarchy. Literature on knowledge management (KM) fails to provide an inclusive comprehension of the significance of OCoPs. Thus, the current exploratory research aims to determine how organizational contexts can enable or disable the establishment and development of OCoPs. This article is built on communities of practice (CoP) theory to study the phenomenon of intentionally established OCoPs within large organizations. The case studies conducted for this research involved two companies based in Saudi Arabia, with intentionally created OCoPs. The selected cases assist in providing a holistic understanding of the influential role of organizational context in enabling OCoP activities, using semi-structured interviews, document reviews and field notes. The study findings support an integrated framework to assist organizations in establishing effective OCoPs. Its five phases include establishment, enforcement, recognition, maintenance and sustainability, representing OCoP development phases. The resulting framework organized 16 enabling or disabling factors in OCoP development. This article expands the focus of research beyond traditional CoPs, to investigate the intentional establishment of OCoPs within organizations and understand opportunities and challenges that enable OCoPs. The study argues that organizations implementing OCoPs should offer a comprehensive, long-term strategy for KM initiatives that leads to designing OCoP activities that enable better alignment with the organization’s business plan. A company can shape perceptions and behaviours by establishing the organizational context for social interaction. Thus, this article extends the perspective on developing OCoPs within organizations and argues that the role of middle management requires more thoughtfulness about OCoP research.

The Role of Women in Improving Access to Food at the Household Level in Mandeni Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-155
Author(s):  
Nondumiso Thabisile Mpanza ◽  
Mfaniseni Wiseman Mbatha
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Home Gardens ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Role Of Women ◽  
Access To Food

This paper censoriously assesses the role of women in improving access to food at the household level. The role of women is essential in the production of food as caretakers of household food security. However, their role is not well recognised, more especially in policymaking and resource allocation. This study was conducted through a qualitative approach with an exploratory research design. The participants were sampled with convenience sampling and interviewed with semi-structured interviews. Content analysis was employed as a tool for data analysis. The study adopted feminisation of poverty as a primary theory of this paper. Certain aspects of the study reveal that women have been struggling to access food from the diversity of retail vents that are obtainable in town because of low income and limitations of transport service. This is a constraint to women who depend on the off-farm sources of income because their household’s livelihood depends on purchasing food from retail vents. Those who rely on home gardens were experiencing low productivity and the unsustainability of their gardens. This has been caused by water scarcity and climate change. Therefore, women must be provided with training that seeks to develop their skills on how to make effective use of home gardens so that food security can be ensured.

scholarly journals Supporting Ghanaian micro-entrepreneurships: the role of mobile technology

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 306-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Mensah Asiedu ◽  
Susan Shortland ◽  
Yehia Sabri Nawar ◽  
Paul J. Jackson ◽  
Laura Baker
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Technology ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rural Ghana ◽  
Business Confidence

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the role of mobile technology and related service platforms in supporting informal micro-entrepreneurships in rural Ghana. It aims to extend our knowledge through the development of a conceptual model.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research design used in-depth semi-structured interviews with five micro-entrepreneurship owners in the Kwahu South District in the Eastern region of Ghana. Identification of potential case firms was facilitated by a local official. Interview data were analysed thematically.FindingsMobile technology engendered pride and emotional connectedness and, being easy to use, helped to increase business confidence. Adoption advantages included improved communications with customers and business partners, and effective stock control, providing competitive advantage. Further understanding of mobile technology’s role in improving business processes is needed.Research limitations/implicationsThis exploratory research is based on five micro-entrepreneurships in one Ghanaian rural area. Further research is needed using larger samples, additional locations and sectors and larger businesses, to identify other factors influencing mobile technology adoption and associated benefits and problems.Practical implicationsGovernment policy supporting growth of informal micro-entrepreneurships using mobile phone technology could increase economic advantage. Micro-business owners need education and training in understanding business processes. Telecommunications companies can highlight technological, business and socio-cultural benefits of mobile phone adoption in rural Ghana.Originality/valueThe paper draws upon the experiences of a range of rural-based Ghanaian micro-entrepreneurships to propose a model setting out and linking the technical, business and socio-cultural benefits of mobile phone adoption in supporting business processes.

Knowledge Management, Communities of Practice, and the Role of Technology

2011 ◽  
pp. 573-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Tan Wee Hin ◽  
Thiam-Seng Koh ◽  
Wei-Loong David Hung
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Situated Cognition ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Current Work ◽  
Community Of Learners ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
K 12

This chapter reviews the current work in knowledge management (KM) and attempts to draw lessons from research work in situated cognition about the nature of knowledge which can be useful to the field of KM. The role of technologies and the issues of literacy in technology are discussed in the context of communities of practice (CoPs) and the KM framework with some examples described for K-12 settings. Implications are drawn in terms of how teachers and students can be a community of learners-practitioners through technologies which support their work and learning processes.

Collaborative Approaches for Communities of Practice Activities Enrichment

2018 ◽  
pp. 304-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ziska Fields ◽  
Sulaiman Olusegun Atiku
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Collective Learning ◽  
Organisational Structure ◽  
Collaborative Practices

This chapter explores the role of communities of practice (CoPs) in knowledge management (KM) and how various collaborative practices can be used to enrich the activities of CoPs in organisations. The objectives of the chapter are firstly to define and explain the role of CoPs as a form of social and team networks in KM, secondly to identify the role and importance of collaborative approaches, specifically focusing on collective learning, creativity, innovation and problem-solving in CoPs and how these impact on the KM process, and thirdly to make recommendations to enhance the collaborative approaches to ultimately enrich the activities of CoPs in a digital age in organisations. Recommendations are made that management needs to support the forming and activities of CoPs in KM strategies, and that a suitable organisational structure and culture are needed to stimulate and support collaborative approaches to enrich the activities of CoPs.

Viable Communities within Organizational Contexts

2011 ◽  
pp. 133-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Frost ◽  
Stefan Schoen
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Common Factors ◽  
Organizational Contexts ◽  
Five Factors

This chapter is about the question of what creates and sustains viability in Communities of Practice (CoPs) embedded in an organizational context. Experience with successful CoPs at Siemens AG has shown that even though most of them differ greatly from each other in many aspects, they all share five common factors that are necessary for the viability of a CoP. These five factors are introduced in the following pages. They represent an approach that can be used to analyse and improve CoPs that do not seem to be viable and as a guide for CoP members and moderators to maintain viability in their own CoPs.

The Role of Ambiguity in the Transfer of Knowledge within Organizational Networks

2011 ◽  
pp. 211-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Priestley ◽  
Subhashish Samaddar
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Organizational Networks ◽  
Transfer Of Knowledge ◽  
Causal Ambiguity ◽  
Access To Knowledge

Organizations join multi-organizational networks in part to mitigate environmental uncertainties and to access knowledge. However, the transfer of knowledge cannot be assumed simply as a function of network membership. Researchers in the area of knowledge management have identified several factors that have been found to affect the transfer of knowledge within, between, and among organizations. This chapter investigates specifically how organizational ambiguity impacts the transfer of knowledge within multi-organizational networks. The authors explore the effects of causal ambiguity, defined as the ambiguity related to inputs and factors, in a multi-organizational context, and discuss the existence of a previously undefined ambiguity, the ambiguity related to outcomes or “outcome ambiguity.” The authors provide a discussion on why outcome ambiguity is particularly relevant when multiple organizations are engaged in a network, where the objective is access to knowledge.

Building a fitting context for knowledge management and innovativeness

Kybernetes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayşe Günsel ◽  
Serdar Bozkurt ◽  
Özge Mehtap
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Top Management ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Mutual Trust ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Top Management Support ◽  
Firm Innovativeness ◽  
Organizational Rewards

Purpose In the hyper-dynamic business world of today, innovation has become the lifeblood of organizations. Knowledge management (KM) is widely considered an essential antecedent of innovation. However, very little empirical research has specifically addressed how KM is nurtured as support for innovation from a behavioral point of view. This paper aims to operationalize the characteristics of a fitting context – in terms of top management support, organizational rewards and mutual trust – and to clarify the role of organizational context on knowledge management strategies (KMS) and ultimately on firm innovativeness. Design/methodology/approach By studying 98 surveys from 23 companies from Technology Fast 50 list, based on using the partial least squares method, the authors find that this organizational context has a significant impact on the formulation and implementation of KMS. Findings Organizational/behavioral context has significant effects on the formulation and implementation of KMS as well as firm innovativeness. The results also demonstrate that the tacit KMS has a crucial impact on firm innovativeness. Originality/value From a behavioral perspective, this study empirically examines the role of organizational context (top management support, organizational rewards and mutual trust), KMS and firm innovativeness in a holistic manner in Turkey, a developing country. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no researcher has undergone those relationships in literature.

scholarly journals Knowledge Management Practices and the Focus on the Individual

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Rechberg ◽  
Jawad Syed
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Organisational Culture ◽  
Knowledge Management Practices ◽  
The Individual

This paper reviews the current knowledge management (KM) practices to examine the attention (or lack thereof) paid to the individual in managing knowledge in organisations. It identifies and reviews four key practices of KM - i.e., information technology, organisational culture and structure, communities of practice, and human resource practices - to examine how knowledge is interpreted, processed and managed, and the role individuals play in such interpretations, processing and management. The review shows that existing KM practices may be improved through an increased focus on the role of individuals (an individual-centric approach) in designing and implementing KM in organisations.

scholarly journals Knowledge Management Practices and the Focus on the Individual

2016 ◽  
pp. 1539-1556
Author(s):  
Isabel Rechberg ◽  
Jawad Syed
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Organisational Culture ◽  
Knowledge Management Practices ◽  
The Individual

This chapter reviews the current knowledge management (KM) practices to examine the attention (or lack thereof) paid to the individual in managing knowledge in organisations. It identifies and reviews four key practices of KM - i.e., information technology, organisational culture and structure, communities of practice, and human resource practices - to examine how knowledge is interpreted, processed and managed, and the role individuals play in such interpretations, processing and management. The review shows that existing KM practices may be improved through an increased focus on the role of individuals (an individual-centric approach) in designing and implementing KM in organisations.

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