Work Groups, Structural Diversity, and Knowledge Sharing in a Global Organization

Purpose – Although the work group is the main context for knowledge exchange and combination in today’s organizations, few knowledge-sharing studies have been conducted at the group level. The purpose of this paper is to apply the concept of group social capital to determine how to promote knowledge sharing at the group level. The authors divided group social capital into two segments, conduits and resources, and argue that different group social capital conduits (i.e. work design in this study) lead to varied resources, which subsequently influence group knowledge sharing. Design/methodology/approach – In this study, group social capital conduits included social interaction and task interdependence, and group social capital resources included group trust and a supportive climate for knowledge sharing. The authors conducted a survey on work groups in the high-tech industry using a sample of 86 work groups. Findings – The results indicated that social interaction in a work group was positively related to group trust and that task interdependence was positively related to group trust and a supportive climate for knowledge sharing. Furthermore, group trust and a supportive climate for knowledge sharing were both found to have an influence on knowledge sharing. Originality/value – Applying the concept of group social capital, this paper is the first research to discuss how group social capital conduits and resources influence knowledge sharing. The results of this study lead us to a better understand the relationship between group social capital and knowledge sharing.

Download Full-text

Reflective Designing for Actors and Avatars in Virtual Worlds

Virtual Technologies ◽

10.4018/978-1-59904-955-7.ch027 ◽

2008 ◽

pp. 425-448

Author(s):

Sisse Siggaard Jensen

Keyword(s):

Knowledge Sharing ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Social Innovation ◽

Work Groups ◽

Sense Making ◽

Research Project ◽

Innovation Activities

This chapter proposes a designing strategy referred to as “virtual 3D exploratories”. It is a strategy by which to facilitate knowledge sharing and social innovation, activities important to many postmodern organizations and work groups—be they educational or commercial. The strategy will allow us to build virtual worlds, and universes, aimed at exploration—virtual worlds, where actors interact and communicate with each other by the means of avatars. To substantiate the designing strategy, this chapter calls attention to virtual phenomena such as: avatar-based interaction, communication, and scenarios designed for re?ective practices. Taking a ?rst step, the chapter presents narratives and video-based self-observations from 12 experiential sessions undertaken by the “Virtual 3D Agora-world” SIG as part of the EQUEL EU research project (2002-2004). Based on ?ndings and re?ections from these sessions, the designing strategy of virtual “exploratories” is outlined with reference to the “sense-making” theory (Dervin & Foreman-Wernet, 2003) and summarized in a “designing triangle”.

Download Full-text

Reflective Designing for Actors and Avatars in Virtual Worlds

Designing for Networked Communications ◽

10.4018/978-1-59904-069-1.ch009 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 187-216

Author(s):

Sisse Siggaard Jensen

Keyword(s):

Knowledge Sharing ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Social Innovation ◽

Work Groups ◽

Sense Making ◽

Research Project ◽

Innovation Activities

This chapter proposes a designing strategy referred to as “virtual 3D exploratories”. It is a strategy by which to facilitate knowledge sharing and social innovation, activities important to many postmodern organizations and work groups—be they educational or commercial. The strategy will allow us to build virtual worlds, and universes, aimed at exploration—virtual worlds, where actors interact and communicate with each other by the means of avatars. To substantiate the designing strategy, this chapter calls attention to virtual phenomena such as: avatar-based interaction, communication, and scenarios designed for re?ective practices. Taking a ?rst step, the chapter presents narratives and video-based self-observations from 12 experiential sessions undertaken by the “Virtual 3D Agora-world” SIG as part of the EQUEL EU research project (2002-2004). Based on ?ndings and re?ections from these sessions, the designing strategy of virtual “exploratories” is outlined with reference to the “sense-making” theory (Dervin & Foreman-Wernet, 2003) and summarized in a “designing triangle”.

Download Full-text

Knowledge Sharing: Wissen für den Pflegealltag

PADUA ◽

10.1024/1861-6186/a000326 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 265-267

Author(s):

Sabine Bohnet-Joschko

Keyword(s):

Knowledge Sharing

Zusammenfassung. Gesundheits- und Pflegeberufe gehören zu den wissensintensiven Dienstleistungsberufen, in denen einmal Erlerntes schnell an Aktualität verliert. So können klassische Fort- und Weiterbildungskonzepte die Dynamik der Wissensentwicklung in der Pflege kaum noch abbilden. Insbesondere für Führungskräfte gilt es, trotz zunehmender Arbeitsverdichtung eine Kultur des lebenslangen Lernens für Pflegende zu fördern. Das in den USA durchaus verbreitete, im deutschsprachigen Raum dagegen nahezu unbekannte Konzept «Lunch and Learn» soll hier vorgestellt werden.

Download Full-text