The Project Manager as the Driver of Organizational Knowledge Creation

The areas Project Management and Knowledge Management include studies on the project and project team levels, but a specific focus on the role of the Project Manager in managing knowledge within the team has received less focus. The authors show how knowledge is created within the project team environment, and the specific role of the Project Manager as an individual uniquely situated to drive the creation of knowledge in the environment by facilitating, directing, and controlling team activities through the four SECI model phases. Using a single case study approach, this research shows how the PM acts as a “mixing valve” in the flow of knowledge in a dynamic, multi-directional, process within the project team environment.

Data in the Wild

Knowledge Societies strive to better their citizens by maximizing services while minimizing costs. One of the more expensive activities is conducting a census. This chapter explores the feasibility of conducting a smart census by using a knowledge management strategy of focusing on actionable intelligence and the use of open source data sources to conduct a national census that collects data to answer the issues the census is designed to address. Both technical and data privacy feasibility is discussed.

E-Collaboration in Virtual Teams

This chapter examines the relationship between task-communication and five collaborative processes by exploring the mediating effect of interpersonal trust in a virtual team's environment. First, a multiple mediation model was developed to examine this relationship where cognitive-based trust and affective-based trust are defined as mediation variables between task-communication and five processes of collaboration. Then, employing qualitative thematic analysis, authors constructed a conceptual model to identify factors that generate lower or higher level of collaboration. The main results of this study show a significant correlation with a large effect size between task-oriented communication, trust, and collaboration. Also, interpersonal trust is playing an important role as a mediator in the relationship between task-oriented communication and collaboration, when the emotional side of trust is no less important than the rational side, if not even more, in some collaborative processes.

Evaluation of Strategic Opportunities and Resulting Business Models for SMEs

This chapter focuses on ubiquitous sensing devices, enabled by Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) technologies, that cut across every area of modern day living, affecting individuals and businesses and offering the ability to measure and understand environmental indicators. The proliferation of these devices in a communicating-actuating network creates the internet of things (IoT). The IoT provides the tools to establish a major global data-driven ecosystem with its emphasis on Big Data. Currently, business models may focus on the provision of services, i.e., the internet of services (IoS). These models assume the presence and development of the necessary IoT measurement and control instruments, communications infrastructure, and easy access to the data collected and information generated. Different business models may support creating revenue and value for different types of customers. This chapter contributes to the literature by considering, innovatively, knowledge-based management practices, strategic opportunities and resulting business models for third-party data analysis services.

Artificial Intelligence and Human-Robot Teaming

Artificial Intelligence or AI is the theory and development of computer systems that can think and act humanly and rationally. AI is gradually transforming our work and life. Along with the increasing presence of robots in our lives arises the fear that AI may take away human jobs. Debates or worries notwithstanding, AI and robots are increasingly brought into the teams of human workers, but our understanding of this emerging human-robot teaming phenomenon remains limited. This chapter presents a brief overview of AI and discusses the relationship between AI and knowledge management. Moreover, it focuses on understanding key issues arising in the collaboration between human and intelligent agents (i.e. robots) in the team setting, and coping strategies and design considerations. This chapter also discusses the value sensitive design framework as a useful tool for incorporating the values of agent transparency and team trust into the design of human-robotic systems. The chapter concludes with the new perspective of augmented intelligence and promising avenues for future research.

Organizational Learning and Technological Innovation Practices

This chapter investigates the relationships among organizational learning, knowledge donation, knowledge collection, and technological innovation practices. The collected data based on a total of 157 managers from the manufacturing industries will be evaluated by applying the PLS-SEM and fsQCA. The empirical outcomes based on PLS-SEM analysis demonstrate that organizational learning positively impacts knowledge donation and knowledge collection. This chapter confirms that both knowledge donation and knowledge collection act as mediators in mediating the positive relationship between organizational learning and technological innovation practices. The fsQCA results indicated that the conditional support for the proposed antecedent and outcome expectation of knowledge donation and knowledge collection are organizational learning and technological innovation practices. The findings of fsQCA analysis show that the complex solutions with three combinations of organizational learning, knowledge donation, and knowledge collection sufficiently explain the technological innovation practices.

Connecting Knowledge Management and Entrepreneurship

This chapter reviews examples of how technologies that support knowledge management (KM) can link it to entrepreneurship, and in doing so, can increase the possibility of connecting domains that have traditionally been separated, both in the literature and in the practice of entrepreneurship. In particular, authors describe the utilization of KM processes and tools in a variety of organizations. They also link extant models of processes that support KM and entrepreneurship and propose their integration. Previous work examined the uneven track record of KM utilization in entrepreneurial organizations. In this analysis, authors take a broader view of its application with a specific eye towards KM technologies and by linking entrepreneurial and KM processes of new ventures.

Using Knowledge Management and Machine Learning to Identify Victims of Human Sex Trafficking

Social media and the interactive Web have enabled human traffickers to lure victims and then sell them faster and in greater safety than ever before. However, these same tools have also enabled investigators in their search for victims and criminals. Authors used system development action research methodology to create and apply a prototype designed to identify victims of human sex trafficking by analyzing online ads. The prototype used a knowledge management approach of generating actionable intelligence by applying a set of strong filters based on an ontology to identify potential victims. Authors used the prototype to analyze a dataset generated from online ads from southern California and used the results of this process to generate a revised prototype that included the use of machine learning and text mining enhancements. An unexpected outcome of the second dataset was the discovery of the use of emojis in an expanded ontology.

An Agricultural Knowledge Management System for Ethiopia

Agricultural KMS development involves various participants from different communities of practice (CoPs) who possess their own knowledge. However, the current development of technology neglected the local communities who possess indigenous knowledge, which is the key success factor for agricultural development. This chapter discusses how to integrate scientific and IK in agricultural KMS development and use. An interpretive analysis of primary qualitative data acquired through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and participant observations was carried out following system development action research approach. The research result yields concepts for understanding the process conceptual framework in KMS development and use for knowledge sharing and integration.

Innovation as a Mediator Between Knowledge Management and Organisational Performance

This chapter provides important empirical evidence to support the role of individual knowledge management processes and separate innovation types within firms. Specifically, knowledge acquisition and knowledge application are analyzed and empirically tested in relation to product and process innovation as well as business performance. The results support the direct impact of product and process innovation on business performance. In addition, the results show the indirect effect of knowledge acquisition and knowledge application on firm business performance through product and process innovation.