This paper aims to explore the potential contribution of inter-unit network structure and intra-unit task environment to the overall knowledge management (KM) effectiveness of an…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the potential contribution of inter-unit network structure and intra-unit task environment to the overall knowledge management (KM) effectiveness of an organization through different KM strategies.
Design/methodology/approach
The survey method was used to empirically test the hypotheses. The authors administered two survey forms: a member-survey form that obtained responses from members of each work unit and a leader-survey form issued only to the leader of each unit to obtain his/her perception on inter-unit communications.
Findings
The findings indicate that both a unit’s boundary-spanning role and its extensive interaction with other units help promote the unit’s overall KM effectiveness. In addition, the authors found that task variety was significantly related to the use of both personalization and codification of KM strategies in the unit, and that a unit’s KM strategy played a mediating role between intra-unit task characteristics and KM effectiveness.
Originality/value
Few studies have attempted to address what makes some work units within an organization more effective in their use of knowledge than others. This study provides an understanding of the influence of inter-unit social network structure on KM effectiveness, as well as the influence of intra-unit task environment and KM strategies on KM effectiveness. The findings suggest that inter-unit knowledge exchange and a unit’s brokering role can be a vital component of a work unit’s KM strategy, and that for successful KM in a work unit, an organization should not only establish appropriate inter-unit relationship but also develop the unit’s own KM strategies.
Details
Keywords
James T.C. Teng and Seokwoo Song
Knowledge sharing (KS) has been a central concern in knowledge management (KM) practice and research. However, KS has remained largely a simplistic concept. This study aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
Knowledge sharing (KS) has been a central concern in knowledge management (KM) practice and research. However, KS has remained largely a simplistic concept. This study aims to differentiate between solicited KS and voluntary KS and also to attempt to examine the role of both types of KS in relation to task, culture, technology and KM processes at the work unit level.
Design/methodology/approach
The survey method was used. The questionnaire was issued to MBA students enrolled in a major southern university's cohort‐based program for working professionals, and a total of 149 usable responses were collected.
Findings
It was found that task routineness and open communication facilitate only solicited sharing behaviors, while perception of solidarity is significantly related to voluntary sharing behaviors. In addition, knowledge tools and tacit‐oriented KM processes were found to play a significant role in both voluntary and solicited KS.
Research limitations/implications
Exploratory analysis points to differentiated influence of these environmental conditions on the two KS types, suggesting further implications for research and practice. With the realization that voluntary sharing is a more proactive form of KS, KM practitioners may find it beneficial to monitor different forms of KS.
Originality/value
While KS has been the focus of intensive research in recent years, the concept itself has remained surprisingly simplistic among researchers. This study differentiates between two forms of KS: solicited KS and voluntary KS.