Browsing Research documents by Title
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what can organizational economics contribute?Foss, Nicolai J.; Mahnke, Volker (København, 2003)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Knowledge management has emerged as a very successful organization practice and has been extensively treated in a large body of academic work. Surprisingly, however, organizational economics (i.e., transaction cost economics, agency theory, team theory and property rights theory) has played no role in the development of knowledge management. We argue that organizational economics insights can further the theory and practice of knowledge management in several ways. Specifically, we apply notions of contracting, team production, complementaries, hold-up, etc. to knowledge management issues (i.e., creating and integration knowledge, rewarding knowledge workers, etc.) , and derive refutable implications that are novel to the knowledge management field from our discussion. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6863 Files in this item: 1
03-02.pdf (480.3Kb) -
What Can Organizational Economics Contribute?Foss, Nicolai J.; Mahnke, Volker (Frederiksberg, 2003)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Knowledge management has emerged as a very successful organization practice and has been extensively treated in a large body of academic work. Surprisingly, however, organizational economics (i.e., transaction cost economics, agency theory, team theory and property rights theory) has played no role in the development of knowledge management. We argue that organizational economics insights can further the theory and practice of knowledge management in several ways. Specifically, we apply notions of contracting, team production, complementaries, hold-up, etc. to knowledge management issues (i.e., creating and integration knowledge, rewarding knowledge workers, etc.) , and derive refutable implications that are novel to the knowledge management field from our discussion. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7892 Files in this item: 1
DRUID_03_02.pdf (480.3Kb) -
Kreiner, Kristian (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This article explores the case of product development for insights into the potential role of knowledge management. Current literature on knowledge management entertains the notion that knowledge management is a specific set of practices – separate enough to allow specialization of responsibility. By common standard, the proclaimed responsibility of knowledge management is shared knowledge, saved learning costs and coordinated action in an organization. The significance of the practices of knowledge management is the intention of shared knowledge, saved learning costs and coordinated action. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6682 Files in this item: 1
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a study of knowledge management in management consultanciesJacoby Petersen, Nicoline; Poulfelt, Flemming (København, 2002)[More information][Less information]
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Mahnke, Volker; Venzin, Markus (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
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Abstract: This dissertation contributes to the existing body of knowledge on how we design computer systems, particularly multiuser software for knowledge sharing and creation in globally diffused companies. This is achieved by conducting a work place study of a global industrial engineering conglomerate which has the strategy of working with knowledge in the form of “best practices” meant to boost performance. The thesis explores the situation that workers are in, since they are meant to share and develop “best practices” knowledge in a portal based Knowledge Management System (KMS). The study indentifies a set of problems that prevents knowledge sharing from taking place to the degree to which management was specifically aiming. It was explored whether these problems could, to some degree, be mitigated by employing persuasive design, which is a new stance towards design where the aim is to directly seek to change the user’s behavior, i.e., persuading more knowledge sharing. The main contribution is an indication of an anomaly with regards to the strategic approach towards knowledge management, where knowledge sharing is seen as an effort by which companies can gain a competitive advantage by working with knowledge in a structured fashion. The issue is that the descriptions found in literature on strategic knowledge management do not address the many issues uncovered when conducting prolonged fieldwork among workers who engage in the activities that the literature seemingly takes for granted. Thus, many practical problems were uncovered that would need some level of mitigation before a company could hope to gain a strategic advantage from working with knowledge. This challenges the “stock" approach towards knowledge management, which seems to address only the management level of the organization. A contribution is also made in exploring the state-of-the-art of the emerging field of persuasive design. Persuasive design aims at enabling designers to create designs that deliberately change the user’s attitude or behavior. According to this new design tradition, the designer specifically designs with the aim of behavior transformation. The goal is a deliberate behavioral change, rather than supporting a set of existing tasks or a set of existing behaviors. The work presented shows how persuasive design is a very conceptual area of research, and that it is not a fitting approach for attaining a higher degree of participation in computer systems for knowledge sharing and creation. Persuasive design is thus not the remedy for the many problems found that prevent knowledge sharing from taking place URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8168 Files in this item: 1
Kristian_Toerning.pdf (62.64Mb) -
Campbell, John L.; Pedersen, Ove K. (København, 2008)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Comparative political economy has been dominated since the 1970s by two waves of research. The first one examined how different types of policy-making regimes affect policy making and, in turn, national economic competitiveness (e.g., Katzenstein 1978). The second one studied how different types of production regimes affect national competitiveness (e.g., Hall and Soskice 2001). Absent from all of this is much discussion about knowledge regimes. Knowledge regimes are sets of actors, organizations, and institutions that produce and disseminate policy ideas that affect how policy-making and production regimes are organized and operate in the first place. Knowledge regimes are important because they contribute data, research, theories, policy recommendations, and other ideas that influence public policy and, thus, national economic competitiveness (Baab 2001; Campbell 1998; Pedersen 2006). URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7352 Files in this item: 1
wp cbp 2008-48.pdf (176.0Kb) -
Campbelle, John L.; Pedersen, Ove K. (, 2005)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This paper develops the concept of knowledge regime and shows how knowledge regimes vary across the two most basic varieties of capitalism: liberal and coordinated market economies. The key questions motivating this paper are whether there are different types of knowledge regimes associated with different varieties of capitalism during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries; how they generate policy ideas; and how they disseminate these ideas to policy makers. Hence, this paper begins to fill an important blind spot in the comparative political economy and varieties of capitalism literatures. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7911 Files in this item: 1
WP CBP 2005-20.pdf (85.38Kb) -
Codification and Personification as Separate StrategiesGammelgård, Jens; Ritter, Thomas (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Abstract Previous discussions of knowledge transfer within multinational corporations tended to focus on the process as an isolated phenomenon and on the factors that impede the process. Less attention has been given to how the individual knowledge worker retrieves or identifies, and then decodes knowledge accessed from the corporate memory. We suggest that multinational companies (MNCs) solve knowledge retrieval problems by implementing virtual communities of practice - intranet-based collaborative forums. Codification and personalization strategies have previously been emphasized as an either-or solution. These virtual communities of practice combine the codification and personalization strategies, simultaneously utilizing the advantages of two approaches. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7318 Files in this item: 1
ckg-wp202004-10.pdf (85.2Kb) -
Gammelgaard, Jens; Ritter, Thomas (København, 2003)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Previous discussions of knowledge transfers within multinational corporations (MNC’s) tended to focus on the process as an isolated phenomenon, and the factors that impede these transfers. Less attention has been given to the identification and personal codification processes of knowledge prior to transfer. A model for understanding how knowledge is retrieved in MNC’s is proposed in this paper, with a specific focus on the retrieval of information located in information technology (IT) systems. The model is derived from (1) a critical examination of knowledge management theory, and (2) the empirical research results gathered from Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC). Our survey of CSC reveals that the company is able to overcome the problem of identifying valuable knowledge in a geographical dispersed organization by establishing virtual communities of practice via its portal system. Virtual communities of practice are seen as a combination of the codification and the personalization strategies in this paper. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6551 Files in this item: 1
jg-3.pdf (260.9Kb) -
time sensitiveness and push-pull strategies in a non-hype organisationHoldt Christensen, Peter (København, 2003)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The concept of knowledge management has, indeed, become a buzzword that every single organization is expected to practice and live by. Knowledge management is about managing the organization’s knowledge for the common good of the organization – but practicing knowledge management is not as simple as that. This article focuses on knowledge sharing as the process seeking to reduce the resources spent on reinventing the wheel. The article introduces the concept of time sensitiveness; i.e. that knowledge is either urgently needed, or not that urgently needed. Furthermore, knowledge sharing is considered as either a push or pull system. Four strategies for sharing knowledge – help, post-it, manuals and meeting, and advice are introduced. Each strategy requires different channels for sharing knowledge. An empirical analysis in a production facility highlights how the strategies can be practiced. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6331 Files in this item: 1
wp12-2003phc.pdf (360.5Kb) -
A Comparison Between China and RussiaMichailova, Snejina; Hutchings, Kate (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Much of the knowledge management literature tends to assume a rather universalist understanding of knowledge sharing. Yet, attitudes to knowledge sharing as well as actual knowledge-sharing behaviour depend on conditions that vary across institutional and cultural environments. This paper contributes to the knowledge-sharing literature by specifically discussing the interplay between knowledge-sharing and national cultural factors in the context of transition countries. The paper engages in a comparative examination of two major transition societies, China and Russia, and contributes to understanding the complexity of differences between transition economies. The paper is written as a set of theoretical arguments and propositions that is designed to elucidate more nuanced ways of thinking about knowledge sharing in China and Russia. We argue that in the case of China and Russia, vertical individualism and particularist social relations facilitate knowledge sharing. We also maintain that there are important differences between China and Russia in terms of motivation for knowledge sharing and propose that the differences between the two countries in terms of origins of collectivism and degree of collectivism impact on knowledge sharing in organisations in these two countries. Research and management implications are also outlined. Keywords: China, knowledge sharing, national culture, Russia URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7306 Files in this item: 1
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Gammelgård, Jens; Husted, Kenneth; Michailova, Snejina (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Abstract Not achieving the anticipated synergy effects in the post-acquisition integration context is a serious cause for the high acquisition failure rate. While existing studies on failures of acquisitions exist from economics, finance, strategy, organization theory, and human resources management, this paper applies insights from the knowledge-sharing literature. The paper establishes a conceptual link between obstacles in the post-acquisition integration processes and individual knowledge-sharing behavior as related to knowledge transmitters and knowledge receivers. We argue that such an angle offers important insights to explaining the high failure rate in acquisitions. Descriptors: post-acquisition integration, acquisition failure, individual knowledge-sharing behavior URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7319 Files in this item: 1
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Gammelgaard, Jens; Husted, Kenneth; Michailova, Snejina (København, 2002)[More information][Less information]
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Opportuniites and Limitations of Knowledge CodificationGupta, Akshey; Michailova, Snejina (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This paper is a study of the knowledge-sharing difficulties experienced by three departments in a knowledge-intensive firm. The case organization is a global consulting firm that has been on the forefront of knowledge management and has won several knowledge management related international acclaims. Our analysis shows that there are strong disincentives in place for departments to share knowledge. We found that the nature of the businesses of the departments was very different and so were their knowledge requirements and their preferred ways to seek knowledge. Additionally, confidentiality agreements with clients and lack of cross-departmental interaction inhibited knowledge sharing outside departmental boundaries. Contrary to the common belief in the organization, we found that one single IT system could not satisfy the contextspecific knowledge-sharing needs of the different departments. We suggest that some very recent breakthrough technologies could be applied to facilitate cross-departmental knowledge sharing provided they are implemented at the strategic organizational level. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7314 Files in this item: 1
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Husted, Kenneth; Michailova, Snejina (København, 2000)[More information][Less information]
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Laursen, Keld; Mahnke, Volker (København, 2000)[More information][Less information]
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Dos, Yves; Foss, Nicolai J.; Santos, José (København, 2008)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The role of knowledge, organizational learning, and innovation as levers of competitive advantage is now a commonly acknowledged insight in research in international management. However, while the agglomeration of insights of described as the "knowledge-based view” is a promising theoretical lens, insights are not organized into a unifying framework and there are significant holes in the understanding of how knowledge may be turned into a source of competitive advantage for MNCs. In order to advance the knowledge-based theory of the MNC, we develop the notion of the MNC as a global knowledge system linking local knowledge structures and combining local knowledge elements that are complementary to confer strategic advantage, and relate this to the theory of complex systems deriving from the work of Herbert Simon. These ideas are used to frame the changing environments, strategic intents, and learning stances that characterize MNCs, and to derive a set of research challenges for MNC research. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7442 Files in this item: 1
smg wp 2008-20.pdf (275.1Kb) -
the role of disseminative capacityMinbaeva, Dana; Michailova, Snejina (København, 2003)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: There is a limited amount of studies, which investigate how different managerial practices may influence the behavior of knowledge senders in multinational corporations (MNCs). This paper addresses this gap by looking at whether and how certain expatriation practices can enhance a) the ability and b) the willingness of expatriates to transfer the knowledge they possess from the headquarters to the respective subsidiaries. By stepping on two bodies of literature, namely the knowledge transfer literature and the expatriation literature, we suggest that MNCs may enhance the expatriates’ willingness to transfer their knowledge through the employment of long-term expatriation practices. Expatriates’ ability to transfer knowledge may be increased through their involvement in short-term assignments, frequent flyers arrangements and international commuters practices. We test empirically the hypotheses on the basis of data from 92 subsidiaries of Danish MNCs located in 11 countries. Key words: knowledge transfer, MNC, expatriation, dissemination capacity URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7295 Files in this item: 1
knowledge transfer.pdf (66.95Kb) -
Do the Codes of Conduct and Ethics reflect Reality in Management Consulting?Maula, Marjatta; Poulfelt, Flemming (København, 2000)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The management consulting firms’ competence and capacity to provide high quality services and thereby create, transfer and develop managerial knowledge have an important role for the client firms and the society. The international management consulting associations have formulated Codes of Conduct and Codes of Ethics that aim to regulate and provide guidelines for the management consulting firms’ activities. This paper investigates whether there is a fit between the Codes and (a) the current modes of management consulting, and (b) the needs of the consulting firms to learn and develop continually their knowledge base and competencies. The analysis indicates that the majority of the Codes tend to support one-directional, i.e., ‘directive’, ‘content-based’, and ‘transplantation-based’ type of consulting. In the cases where the Codes recommend interaction, they could emphasize two-directionality and mutual interaction between the consultant and the client more clearly and explicitly, in the spirit of ‘nondirective’, ‘process-based’, and ‘translation-based’ consulting models. As to the development of the consulting firms’ knowledge and competencies, the analysis reveals that the Codes emphasize necessary qualifications and the quality of advice. With two exceptions the Codes do not directly and explicitly indicate the dynamic aspect, i.e., that the consulting firms should develop their skills and knowledge continually. Also, there is variation concerning the methods to develop competencies. Therefore, there are several unutilized opportunities to develop the Codes to meet better the needs of the knowledge society. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6313 Files in this item: 1
wp92000.pdf (60.84Kb)