Collaborative Approaches for Communities of Practice Activities Enrichment

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.

Entrepreneurial Knowledge-Based Strategies for Organizational Development

Combined with leadership, transformational entrepreneurship led to higher levels of creativity. In this business-related process, knowledge-based strategies have a vital role to play, as they enhance productivity, efficiency, and EBITDA. The objective of this chapter is to analyze which success factors grounded in knowledge-based strategies determine organizational development. To cope with this goal, the author examines how the Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico) achieves this objective through a complex entrepreneurial ecosystem described in the chapter. The main finding is that the creation of business incubators and accelerators in higher education institutions fosters transformational entrepreneurship, especially when are linked to technology parks.

Alternate Techniques to Chart Practicality in Organizations

The discourse presented in this chapter is about alternative change management techniques hinged on pragmatic social construction ontology to champion productivity. All companies are designed and up-shoot specific goals. In those entities, talented individuals can be hired to play exact roles in the production of goods and services valued by customers. In addition, they collaborate to enhance explicit understanding needed in triumphant businesses. Data available show that corporations that prioritize activities by re-engineering the division of labor and comprehending emotional intelligence in organization yield increased outputs. The new specialists can define the explicitness critical to optimization of production and minimization of liabilities and typify that practice makes perfect in supporting extraordinary performance. Dividing work in the value-creation process enables innovative thinking to happen. The structure should be assessed and evaluated to match talents to tasks and to use the comparatives to advance team play necessary to win.

Knowledge Management as a Key Factor for Value Addition in IT Services

This chapter presents a background about Knowledge Management, and the importance it has in the Information Technologies Services market. Knowledge Management may have several advantages and benefits for an IT company. But sometimes, IT companies are not aware of all the importance knowledge deserves. In fact, Knowledge Management could help an IT enterprise to save costs, increase the quality of Service or increase the market share. That is because the design of a suitable Knowledge Management Model may be very important for an IT company, together with all the critical factors that may contribute to a successful Knowledge Management process implementation.

Knowledge Dynamics in Supply Chain Management

The main purpose of this paper is to examine usage and peculiarities of knowledge management in supply chain. The paper first emphasizes the role and importance of knowledge management in contemporary organizations and heightened need for management of knowledge in organizations. In nowadays business environment, there is an intensive collaboration between organizations outside their boundaries and where supply chains are becoming important element, knowledge management represent an important tool for knowledge application process among supply chain partners. The paper examines usage of knowledge in frame of supply chain and outline potentials and possible drawbacks of knowledge utilization in supply chain. Results reveal that knowledge management is not among top used management practices worldwide and well-developed areas, like North America and well-developed parts of Europe, while knowledge management is higher ranked in emerging economies from Central and East Europe (i.e., Slovenia and Croatia) than other areas, like North America, Latin America, well-developed part of Europe.

Knowledge for Business Innovation in Software Industries

Business innovation is almost limitless with the advent of software industries and latest technology. The purpose of this chapter is to explore different concepts regarding knowledge for Business Innovation and describe it for Software Industries. The chapter contributes to the literature by describing Business Innovation, their types, role, scope, opportunities and its requirement especially in Software Industries; and role played by knowledge for Business Innovation. The outcome shows how knowledge helps for robustness in decision making. Whereas traditional business innovation often focuses on balancing engineering and finances in order to create functional utility for consumers, design thinking focuses first on what customers desire in order to create emotional values.

Empowering Hub

Young people throughout their school careers have high aspirations and expectations regarding the value of all its educational degree's diplomas for employability. However due to the recent economic crisis, these factors were largely set aside. A lot of the Portuguese youth is living hard professional insertion processes and are suffering from low self-esteem and social exclusion. Youth unemployment leaves a “wage scar” that can hold on into middle age, developing a passive attitude and lack of social participation, which in the long run turns out to have negative implications for society. By being aware of this reality, this chapter presents a strategic plan focused on the School of Industrial Studies and Management (ESEIG), in Portugal, but with the potential to be applied elsewhere. The author wishes to contribute for the resolution of the economic crisis that the country is facing.

Knowledge Management and Ergonomics Implementation in Manufacturing Systems

This chapter presents a knowledge management and Ergonomics implementation in manufacturing systems, through the development and validation of a critical success factors questionnaire. The instrument developed measures the frequency of inclusion of critical success factors for the implementation of Ergonomics and its benefits, validated in the manufacturing industry. The frequency is based on a five-point Likert scale. So far, no instrument able to measure such factors has been found in the literature. The questionnaire comprises 73 questions presented in four main stages: planning, process startup stage, work improvement cycle and long-term development. In addition, it contains a section of benefits regarding health and safety, operational and quality of life at work. The instrument was validated through a pilot test involving 140 participants from seven companies in the manufacturing sector of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México, through the use of an intentional selective method.

Innovation and Inclusiveness Through Knowledge Management in Indian SMEs

Small is the new big. Globally SMEs are taking a centre stage in the promotion of economic development to employment generation and women empowerment. The SMEs constitute over 90% of total enterprises in most of the economies. Due to changing global economic scenario SMEs are visualizing a ray of hope. On the other hand, due to fierce competition they are forced to work on competitive advantage for sustainable growth. Innovations are required to achieve competitiveness. and for Innovation requires proper Knowledge Management. Intellectual capital is a new buzz word. Globally organizations have acknowledged the importance of knowledge workers and their knowledge. Many SMEs have also realized the importance of Knowledge Management and implemented it successfully, while some are working on it.

Opportunities and Challenges of Knowledge Retention in SMEs

This chapter presented discussions on the opportunities and challenges of knowledge retention in SMEs. SMEs are defined as formal enterprises with less than 50-250 staff and a turnover of less or equal to10-50 million Euros or a balance sheet total of less or equal to10-43 million Euros based on the European Commission criteria among other defined characteristics while also being identified as knowledge organizations. The conceptualization of knowledge retention in SMEs provided evidence of SMEs as knowledge creators and knowledge users in their quest to effectively retain organizational knowledge as part of their knowledge management strategies to remain relevant in the society.