Meliha Handzic, John S. Edwards, Sandra Moffett, Alexeis Garcia-Perez, Aino Kianto and Ettore Bolisani
The purpose of this paper is to discuss key aspects of knowledge management (KM) education in response to challenges posed by the necessity to improve KM as a discipline and an…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss key aspects of knowledge management (KM) education in response to challenges posed by the necessity to improve KM as a discipline and an established professional field.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on a systematic review of the current literature. This review was used as input in a recent panel held at the 2016 International Conference on Knowledge Management (ICKM). The paper brings together current literature with thought-provoking panelists’ presentations and subsequent debates with the audience.
Findings
KM education from the “why, what, who, where and when” perspectives were first addressed and analyzed, and the end result was a reflection on “how” to approach KM education in the future.
Research limitations/implications
This paper effectively underlines that, KM being a relatively new phenomenon, there is no clear consensus about roles that KM employees should play in an organization, what KM competencies and skills are needed, and where and when these should be obtained. Broad guidelines on how to approach KM education in the future may serve as a basis for further research.
Practical implications
The study provides suggestions on how to place KM in adult education.
Originality/value
The paper tackles the research questions through an innovative combination of a systematic literature review and a panel discussion on the topic of KM and education. Overall, the paper provides a fresh view of the state of the art of knowledge and research on the topic and also shows the common vision of a group of KM researchers and educators.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine the validity of the proposed integrated socio‐technical knowledge management (KM) model, and to determine the relative importance of social…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the validity of the proposed integrated socio‐technical knowledge management (KM) model, and to determine the relative importance of social and technical initiatives in organizational KM.
Design/methodology/approach
The conceptual model was proposed with three inter‐related concepts (knowledge stocks, processes, and socio‐technical enablers) and was tested via a survey‐based study in the context of public administration of a small European country using 185 senior Civil Servants as subjects.
Findings
The findings provided a confirmatory test of the proposed model and revealed social factors to be of greater importance than technical factors in advancing organizational knowledge in the case of public administration organizations. They also pointed to leadership as the single most important enabler of organizational KM in these organizations.
Research limitations/implications
Findings are based on European public administration and may not reflect other geographic, economic and cultural contexts. Variables were perceptual and measurement items proxies for the real phenomena. There is a need for including objective data, improving measurement, and extending research towards deeper analysis of contextual influences on and consequences of KM.
Practical implications
The model may be useful to managers for predicting organizational learning, as well as intervening to enhance organizational social environment and to increase the likelihood of technology use in KM.
Originality/value
The main contribution of this research is the discovery of complex interactions among knowledge enablers and processes influencing knowledge stocks. Another contribution of this research is the revelation that (at least in the context of public administration) leadership may be the single most important enabler of successful KM.
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Meliha Handzic, Nermina Durmic, Adnan Kraljic and Tarik Kraljic
The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the relationship between project-specific intellectual capital (IC) and project success in the context of information…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the relationship between project-specific intellectual capital (IC) and project success in the context of information technology (IT) projects.
Design/methodology/approach
Using data collected from surveys of 603 IT professionals across a variety of projects, the authors constructed a structural (structural equation model) model in AMOS to examine the relationships between three dimensions of project-specific IC (project team, project customer and project process) and project success.
Findings
The empirical results support the proposition that IC has a positive impact on project success, and thus may be a good indicator of future projects’ performance. More importantly, the authors found out an important mediating role of a project’s structural capital (process) in exploiting its human (team) and relational (customer) capital for realising project success.
Research limitations/implications
Interpretation of current results should be considered in light of the following methodological limitations: convenient rather than systematic sampling, use of previously untested measures and prevailing European subjects.
Practical implications
These results suggest that project-based organisations need to invest heavily in their project workforce talent and then translate it into superior project practices in order to produce successful IT projects. They also need to maintain close relationships with their project customers and involve them during the entire project process.
Originality/value
The current empirical evidence extends the understanding of the role of IC in improving project success and thus helps project-based organisations create and maintain competitive advantage in emerging economies.
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Ettore Bolisani and Constantin Bratianu
Knowledge strategy and its planning are affected by uncertainty and environmental turbulence. This paper aims to discuss these issues and present knowledge strategy planning as an…
Abstract
Purpose
Knowledge strategy and its planning are affected by uncertainty and environmental turbulence. This paper aims to discuss these issues and present knowledge strategy planning as an integrated approach for facing these conditions.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on an extensive survey and an original re-elaboration of the literature, the paper addresses these research questions: What is the meaning of knowledge strategy, and how can it be related to concepts such as strategic thinking, business strategy and knowledge management (KM) in organizations? What are the limitations of a pure rational approach to knowledge strategy in turbulent environments and under uncertainty? and What approaches can be consequently proposed to formulate knowledge strategies?
Findings
The study provides a critical reading of the current literature. Also, it proposes an integrated approach that sees planning as a continuous effort of learning and adaptation to needs and opportunities that dynamically emerge from daily practices.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed framework can inspire a new research agenda to detect how knowledge strategies are planned in companies and how they are continuously adapted on the basis of a dialog between rational contributions and perceptions of reality, practical views, intuitions and emotions. This can also inspire a new agenda for company strategists and KM professionals.
Originality/value
In the literature, little attention has been devoted to knowledge strategy planning. The paper contributes to fill this gap and proposes a new way to see knowledge strategy as an integration of rational thinking and dynamic learning.