Organizational learning as participants’ knowledge harvesting from product development

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to introduce the term, knowledge harvesting, as an aid for researchers in comprehending what knowledge strategies influences projects, where to find knowledge, how to visualize knowledge, how to cultivate knowledge, who distributes project knowledge and how to gain former project knowledge.

Design/methodology/approach

The term knowledge harvesting emerged after having analyzed employees interviews at a Danish welding machine manufacturer using an adjusted grounded theory.

Findings

Employees’ knowledge harvesting strategies involve collecting knowledge, making knowledge visible in projects, introducing knowledge in projects, identifying knowledge deficiencies, cultivating knowledge to support projects and ensuring readily available historical knowledge termed para-knowledge.

Practical implications

To strengthen how significant and relevant knowledge harvesting can be, researchers need to apply knowledge harvesting as an explanation in their own research projects. Only then will knowledge harvesting becomes a solid explanation of what knowledge strategies employees apply and their implications for organization learning.

Originality/value

Knowledge harvesting introduces new understandings regarding employees’ knowledge acquisition processes during product development. Knowledge harvesting can help researchers to understand and identify how, why and what knowledge processes take place throughout product development.

Citation

Tolsby, J. (2018), "Organizational learning as participants’ knowledge harvesting from product development", The Learning Organization, Vol. 25 No. 6, pp. 422-433. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLO-05-2018-0088