Integrating IS Security With Knowledge Management

Knowledge management focuses on capturing and sharing knowledge. Because of this, KM researchers tend to focus on issues related to knowledge capture, storage, and sharing. However, because knowledge is valuable, it is a target needing to be protected. This chapter posits that KM researchers and practitioners also need to think about security and explores how important security skills are to KM practitioners and researchers. A literature review was performed to determine how much attention is paid by KM researchers to knowledge security. Additionally, KM job postings were examined to determine if security skills are considered important by those hiring KM practitioners. Next, a survey was prepared for exploring security attitudes of KM practitioners as an area of future research. Finally, future research areas for IS security are proposed that can greatly benefit from lessons learned in the areas of both knowledge sharing and knowledge sourcing.

Team and Individual Interactions With Reciprocity in Individual Knowledge Sharing

The study investigated the effects of expected reciprocity on knowledge sharing, as moderated by team and individual variables. Data (n = 84) were collected in an experimental study from undergraduate business student participants. The effects of expected reciprocity on knowledge sharing depend on the levels of individual competence, positive team attitudes, functional diversity, and demographic diversity. Implications include that the effectiveness of reciprocity in knowledge sharing depends on several factors relating to the team and individual. Encouraging reciprocity may have positive effects, but these can be overridden by poor team attitudes, low ability perceptions, and team diversity. Future research suggestions are offered.

Exploring Knowledge-Sharing Barriers and Their Implications

This chapter focuses on knowledge-sharing barriers and their implications over knowledge sharing and individual innovative behavior and explores the role of knowledge sharing on individual innovative behavior. Considering limited studies in the literature, this study provides further evidences regarding the implications of knowledge-sharing barriers and knowledge sharing in the workplace. Data was collected from 83 academic staff in a higher education institution and analyzed with Smart PLS. The results showed that organization-related knowledge-sharing barriers were negatively related to knowledge sharing. The results also indicated that individual knowledge-sharing barriers had a negative effect on individual innovative behaviors. There was no link found in this study between knowledge sharing and individual innovative behavior. These findings provided empirical evidences to the further development of knowledge management and innovation research, and insights regarding how to better foster knowledge sharing and innovative behavior in academe.

Knowledge and Innovation Management

This qualitative research examined the relationship between knowledge management (KM) and systematic innovation capability in 16 Australian manufacturing and service organizations that exhibited both successful innovation and robust KM practices. A review of the literature indicated a number of areas where KM enhances and supports innovation capability. Using a multiple crosscase analysis methodology and applying a framework of systematic innovation capability, in-depth interviews were conducted with managers of the case study organizations. The analysis of the data revealed the main contributions of KM to systematic and sustained forms of innovation. Finally, a model of knowledge and innovation capability was developed to guide the development of knowledge and innovation management as a dynamic capability to support value capture, value creation, and value delivery from innovation.

Knowledge Management in Support of Enterprise Risk Management

This chapter examines possible relationships between knowledge management constructs related to knowledge sharing and two risk management concepts: perceived quality of risk control and perceived value of enterprise risk management. From a literature review, relationships with eight knowledge management variables covering people, process, and technology aspects were hypothesized. The results showed that the perceived quality of risk control is significantly associated with four knowledge management variables: perceived quality of risk knowledge sharing, perceived quality of communication among people, web channel functionality, and risk management information system functionality. However, the relationships of the knowledge management variables to the perceived value of enterprise risk management are not significant. The authors conclude that better knowledge management is associated with better risk control, but that more effort needs to be made to break down organizational silos in order to support true enterprise risk management.

A Business-Driven Process Model for Knowledge Security Risk Management

This chapter introduces a model to manage knowledge security risks in organizations. Knowledge security risk management is a process that should always be done in connection with the business benefits assessment and realization. The process model presented helps to identify knowledge security risks and provides a comprehensive approach to evaluating and balancing the costs and benefits of knowledge sharing and knowledge risk management and is discussed in light of the benefits realization process. The process model can be a valuable tool for practitioners aiming to develop knowledge sharing practices in companies, and at the same time need to consider the security of knowledge. It is also a communication tool for managers to identify possible risk sources and sources for business benefits, and as such works as a translation tool in many business contexts.

Practical Relevance of Management Research

Recently, a number of academics and practitioners have questioned the relevance and practical impact of management research. This study, based on an analysis of interviews with 20 doctoral program graduates, demonstrates that such claims are not fully warranted. Instead, academic research reaches practitioners because graduates of doctoral business programs act as knowledge-transfer intermediaries that aggregate, summarize, communicate, and implement findings reported in academic publications. Demand for evidence-based knowledge in the practitioner's environment determines his or her probability of applying academic knowledge. However, not all academic knowledge is perceived as useful by practitioners, and limited access to academic literature is a major impediment to the application of scholarly findings in practice. The practitioners' connection with academia after graduation influences their probability of using academic literature. Academic journals also have the potential to disseminate scholarly knowledge beyond the academic world.

Knowledge Management Strategy Implementation Through Knowledge Ambassadors

The aim of this chapter is to explore and explain how knowledge management strategies are implemented effectively across divisions through the application of change agents in the shape of so-called “knowledge ambassadors.” Knowledge ambassadors can play an active role in supporting knowledge sharing and effective integration of knowledge management strategies. The chapter is based on a three-year longitudinal participative case study of the implementation of a knowledge management strategy across an organization and its seven geographically dispersed divisions. The results of the study reveal different steps and key activities in effective implementation of a knowledge management strategy and how knowledge ambassadors play a vital role in effective integration of knowledge management tools, continuous support of knowledge sharing practices, and in developing a knowledge culture within the organization.

A Contingency Perspective for Knowledge Management Solutions in Different Decision-Making Contexts

A contingency perspective of knowledge management, as one of the popular ways of promoting decision making capabilities, recognizes the need for a fit between knowledge management solutions (KMS) and decision-making contexts which they support. In order to determine the best fit, a field survey was carried out to investigate the impact of two different types of KMS (technical and social) on decision makers' behavior and performance in different decision contexts (simple and complex). According to the results, there is a partial support for the contingency view. As expected, social KMS appears as the best fit for complex contexts, based on subjects' superior performance from comparable adoption of both KMS. In contrast, the results suggest that both KMS were an equally good fit for simple contexts, based on similar levels of subjects' performance, but social KMS was preferred in terms of adoption. These findings contribute to much necessary empirical evidence for research and provide useful guidance for practice. However, their limitations necessitate further study.

Using a Revised Knowledge Pyramid to Redefine Knowledge Management Strategy

The knowledge pyramid has been used for several years to illustrate the hierarchical relationships between data, information, knowledge, and wisdom. This chapter posits that the knowledge pyramid is too basic and fails to represent reality and presents a revised knowledge-KM pyramid. One key difference is that the revised knowledge-KM pyramid includes knowledge management as an extraction of reality with a focus on organizational learning. The revised pyramid includes newer initiatives such as business and/or customer intelligence, big data, analytics, internet of things. Finally, this chapter discusses how KM strategy can be generated using the final revised pyramid.