How to pay for knowledge: illustration within an IT planning context

2002 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-168
Author(s):  
Sofiane Sahraoui
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
External Validity ◽  
Group Performance ◽  
Knowledge Workers ◽  
Reward System ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Critical Variable ◽  
It Planning ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Technology Resources

With the advent of knowledge-intensive environments, organizations have become ever more dependent on their knowledge workforce to plan appropriately for their information technology resources. IT planning effectiveness will depend a great deal on harnessing the knowledge and skills of knowledge workers. This paper looks at a critical variable in determining the extent of utilization of such knowledge and skills, namely the formal reward system in the organization. Four attributes of the reward system; fairness, competency, group performance, and openness were tested for their indirect effect on IT planning effectiveness. Except for competency where the scale did not achieve external validity, the three other attributes of the reward system were found to have a significant impact on IT planning effectiveness by increasing the level of utilization of knowledge workers' knowledge and skills. Implications for the management of knowledge workers are provided in light of the results of the study.

Promoting knowledge sharing performance in a knowledge management system: do knowledge workers’ behavior patterns matter?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Navid Nezafati ◽  
Shokouh Razaghi ◽  
Hossein Moradi ◽  
Sajjad Shokouhyar ◽  
Sepideh Jafari
Keyword(s):  
Data Mining ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Knowledge Workers ◽  
Reward System ◽  
Knowledge Management System ◽  
Behavior Patterns ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Variables ◽  
Top Managers ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to identify the impact of demographical and organizational variables such as age, gender, experiences use of knowledge management system (KMS), education and job level on knowledge sharing (KS) performance of knowledge workers in knowledge activities of a KMS. Specifically, it seeks to explore that is there any relationship between the KS behavior patterns of high KS performance knowledge workers with their performance. Furthermore, this study using its conceptual attitude model aims to show that whether knowledge workers’ behavior patterns in sharing information and knowledge throughout a KMS have any specific effect or not. Design/methodology/approach This paper proposed a framework to mine knowledge workers’ raw data using data mining techniques such as clustering and association rules mining. Also, this research uses a case-based approach to a knowledge-intensive company in Iran that works in the field of information technology with 730 numbers of workers. Findings Findings suggest that demographical and organizational variables such as age, education and experience use of KMS have positive effects on knowledge worker’s KS behavior in KMSs. In fact, people who have lower age, higher education degrees and more experience use of KMS, have more participation in KS in KMS. Also, results depict that the experienced use of KMS has the most impact on the intention of KS in this KMS. Findings emphasize on the importance of the influence of the behavioral, organizational environments and psychological factors such as reward system, top management support, openness and trust, on KS performance of knowledge workers in the KMS. In fact, according to data, the KMS reward system caused to increasing participation of the users in KS, also in each knowledge activity that top managers participate in, the scores were higher. Practical implications This research helps top managers in designing policies and strategies to improve the participation of knowledge workers in KS and helps human resource managers to improve their membership policies. Also, assist Information Technology (IT) managers to enhance KMSs’ design to leverage with organization strategies in the field of improving KS and encourage people to participate in KMS. Originality/value This research has two key values. First, this paper applies a data mining framework to mining and analyzing data and this paper uses actual data of a KMS in a specialist company in Iran, with about 27,740 real data points. Second, this paper investigates the impact of demographical and organizational attributes on KS behavior, which little is empirically known about the impact of demographical variables on KS intention.

Sharing Scientific and Social Knowledge in a Performance Oriented Industry

2012 ◽  
pp. 1085-1114
Author(s):  
Haris Papoutsakis
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Group Performance ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Business Community ◽  
Social Knowledge ◽  
Shared Knowledge ◽  
The Social ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Manufacturing Performance

The chapter evaluates the contribution of shared knowledge and information technology to manufacturing performance. For this purpose, a theoretical model was built and tested in praxis through a research study among manufacturing, quality and R&D groups. The social character of science is perceived as a matter of the aggregation of individuals, not their interactions, and social knowledge as simply the additive outcome of mostly scientists, members of the three groups, making sound scientific judgments. The study results verify the significant contribution of shared knowledge to the manufacturing group performance. They also demonstrate that information technology influences notably the manufacturing group performance and, in a less significant way, the sharing of knowledge. Study results are useful to researchers and the business community alike as they may be used as a springboard for further empirical studies and can help put together strategies involving knowledge management and information technology.

Optimizing Knowledge-Work Through Personal Knowledge Management

2019 ◽  
pp. 21-48
Author(s):  
Rezvan Hosseingholizadeh ◽  
Hadi El-Farr ◽  
Somayyeh Ebrahimi Koushk Mahdi
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Knowledge Workers ◽  
Knowledge Work ◽  
Personal Knowledge ◽  
Work Activities ◽  
Personal Knowledge Management ◽  
Individual Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Discretionary Behavior

Knowledge-work is a discretionary behavior, and knowledge-workers should be viewed as investors of their intellectual capital. That said, effective knowledge-work is mostly dependent on the performance of individual knowledge-workers who drive the success of knowledge-intensive organizations. Therefore, the study takes the perspective of personal knowledge management in enforcing the effectiveness of knowledge-work activities. This study empirically demonstrates that knowledge-workers' behaviors are dependent on their motivation, ability and opportunity to perform knowledge-work activities. This study provides insights and future directions for research on knowledge-work as a discretionary behavior in organization and the factors influencing it. Scholars can investigate the effect of empowerment of individuals on their tendency to knowledge-creation, knowledge-sharing and knowledge-application. Since personal-knowledge often raise the issue of knowledge ownership, further attention to ethical issues may bring valuable insights for KM in organizations.

Business Informatization Level

2011 ◽  
pp. 438-444
Author(s):  
Ronaldo Zwicker
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Measurement Method ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Simple Problem ◽  
It Business Value ◽  
It Diffusion ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Concept Of Information ◽  
Technology Resources

IT diffusion is central to the new economy and is reflected in a process of informatization of society and businesses. Although initially coined to represent the diffusion and adoption of information technology (IT) in all levels of society, the term informatization is also employed to represent the use of information technology resources in organizations. Weissbach (2003), for instance, defines informatization as being the process of gradual and increasing application of “planned and systematic use of IT penetrating the organization’s functions”. As pointed out by Lim (2001), the evaluation of an organization’s Informatization Level (IL) is an important managerial concern. The author also points out the difficulties associated with this evaluation, stating that “this is not a simple problem because informatization includes many intangible factors such as the quality of information and the organization’s culture”. The purpose of evaluating a company’s IL is to provide information for the organization to improve precisely its informatization level. It is also a means of benchmarking the efficacy and efficiency of IT investments in order to set up the baseline for improvement. This topic depicts a measurement method for the IL of companies and shows results of its application in 830 Brazilian industries (Zwicker, Vidal, & Souza, 2005). The development of this method was based on the principle that IT results in companies are not obtained merely through investments and the implementation of systems but rather through its proper use in business processes. The proposed method extends the informatization dimensions proposed by Lim (2001), using the process-based view of the IT business value creation model proposed by Soh and Markus (1995) and the concept of “information systems coverage” proposed by Ravarini, Tagliavini, Buonanno, and Sciuto (2002).

Could Web 2.0 Technologies Support Knowledge Management in Organizations?

2010 ◽  
pp. 197-210
Author(s):  
Luiz Fernando de Barros Campos
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Web 2.0 Technologies ◽  
Work Processes ◽  
Privacy And Security ◽  
Technology Tools ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
The Web

This chapter investigates whether information technology tools typical of Web 2.0 can support Knowledge Management (KM) practices in organizations. An investigation on the Web is conducted and the appropriate literature examined. The information technology tools employed in organizations nowadays are discussed with the help of three guidelines which each present two opposing ideas: knowledge creation versus knowledge sharing, tacit knowledge versus explicit knowledge and hierarchical KM versus organic KM. It is argued that these tools reveal an innate contradiction: they are based on a centralized conception and production but aim to deal with informal, fluid processes, which resist structuring. The term Enterprise 2.0 is defined and examined, since it brings out a critical view of traditional KM technology. In this context, the prevailing technologies on the Web are described as well as the associated use practices. The technologies and practices highlighted are those that enhance the collective creation of information and knowledge-intensive products and the active, rich user participation which influences the development of own technologies. Subsequently, many Web 2.0 tools and services that are, or could be, used in KM practices are described and the sites that provide them are indicated. It is noted that these new technologies are inducing cooperative and decentralized work processes that lead to emerging products of high quality and complexity. Furthermore, they are characterized by net effects, simplicity, ease of use, low cost and rastreability. Nevertheless, there are some difficulties in the application of Web 2.0 technologies, among them, the attainment of performance requisites, privacy and security, the possible emergence of counterproductive results and the need to motivate people to create content. The challenges and opportunities in the organizational use of Web 2.0 technologies are remarked. Finally, the managerial interventions appropriate to enable the success of KM projects based on Web 2.0 technologies are discussed.

scholarly journals Group-works: exploring multiplex networks, leadership and group performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 227-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Yeow ◽  
Alison Dean ◽  
Danielle Tucker ◽  
Linda Pomeroy
Keyword(s):  
Positive Reinforcement ◽  
Group Performance ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Group Effectiveness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiplex Networks ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Knowledge Intensive

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of “multiplex” (multiple overlapping) networks and leadership on group performance in a higher education setting. Design/methodology/approach Using a combination of social network analysis and interviews, the authors employ a case study approach to map the connections between academic group members. This paper analyses the relationship between this mapping and academic performance. Findings The authors identified two dimensions which influence group effectiveness: multiplex networks and distributed–coordinated leadership. Where networks are built across tasks, inter-relationships develop that lead to greater group performance. Practical implications Where group members create a dense hive of interconnectivity and are active across all group tasks, and also informally, this increases the opportunity for knowledge sharing. When this is similarly experienced by a majority of group members, there is positive reinforcement, resulting in greater group effectiveness. Originality/value This paper highlights the importance of the richness of formal ties in knowledge-intensive settings. This paper is the first to differentiate between formal connections between colleagues related to different tasks within their role. This suggests that dense configurations of informal ties are insufficient; they must be coupled with strong ties around formal activity and demonstrative leadership.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document