Addis Ababa University

School of Information science

Graduate Program
INss 626: Knowledge Management and Organizational Learning
Knowledge Transfer and Sharing
 The Social nature of knowledge

 Once knowledge has been captured and codified, it needs to

be shared and disseminated throughout the organization
 Knowledge management needs to view knowledge as
something which is actively constructed in a social setting.
 Group members produce knowledge by their interactions, and
a group memory is created
 Social nature of knowledge….
 document management can be carried out in a
more or less automated manner,
 Knowledge management cannot be accomplished
without involving people as well as tangible content.
 There is collective acceptance of shared knowledge
as being the key method of generating value to the
organization.
 Until knowledge is collectively accepted and
institutionalized across the organization,
organizational-level learning cannot occur and
organizational memory cannot be developed.
(Lave and Wenger, 1991), (Huysman and deWit, 2002)
(Ortenblad, 2002).
 Social nature of knowledge….

 As the community grows and its knowledge base is

more broadly shared across the organization, the
community’s practices become regularly, widely,
and sufficiently adopted so as to be described as
institutionalized knowledge
(Huysman and DeWit, 2002).
 Social network analysis (SNA)
 the mapping and measuring of relationships and flows
between people, groups, organizations, computers, or
other information/knowledge processing entities
(Krebs, 2000);
 The nodes in the network are the people and groups,
while the links show relationships or flows between the
nodes;
 SNA is sometimes referred to as an organizational X ray,
showing the real networks that operate underneath
the surface organizational structure
 Social network analysis (SNA)

 SNA chart shows informal relationships

 enables relationships between people to be mapped
 in order to identify knowledge flows:
 from whom do people seek information and knowledge?
 With whom do they share their information and knowledge?

 In contrast to an organizational chart that shows formal

relationships—
 who works where
 Who reports to whom—
 who knows who
 who shares information and knowledge with whom
 SNA ….
The process of social network analysis
typically involves
the use of questionnaires and/or
interviews to gather information
about the relationships between a
defined group or network of
people.

Theresponses gathered are then

mapped using a software tool
specifically designed for the purpose.
 SNA process …..
 Key stages of the process will typically include:
 Identifying the network of people to be analyzed (e.g., team,
workgroup, department).
 Clarifying objectives and formulating hypotheses and questions.
 Developing the survey methodology and designing the
questionnaire.
 Surveying the individuals in the network to identify the relationships
and knowledge flows between them.
 Using a software mapping tool to visually map out the network.
 Analyzing the map and the problems and opportunities highlighted
using interviews and/or workshops.
 Designing and implementing actions to bring about desired
changes.
 Mapping the network again after a suitable period of time.
 SNA Questions
 Questions will be typically based on factors such as:
 Who knows who and how well?
 How well do people know each other’s knowledge
and skills?
 Who or what gives people information about xyz?
 What resources do people use to find
information/feedback/ideas/advice about xyz?
 What resources do people use to share information
about xyz?

 Read on the tools for social network analysis

 Knowledge sharing communities

 Traditional communities –
 which often use face to face meetings
 Virutal communities –
 who use the Internet or technology-mediated communication
 Video conferencing as instance
 worked well but only after participants had met in
person and established some sort of social
presence.
 If participants met one another for the first time
during a videoconference, or a teleconference, the
interactions were much more awkward and slower,
 the knowledge that was exchanged tended to be less
significant
 Communities of Practice
 Allcommunities share some basic characteristics,
regardless of the type of community
 There are membership rules,
 Each member agrees to carry out certain roles and
responsibilities in order to help achieve the goals of the
CoP.
 shared workspace in which members can
communicate with one another,
 They need one another to reach to a common goal
 COPs…..

 Thereare many types of CoPs, and they are typically

defined as a function of some common focal points
such as:
 A profession such as engineering, law, or medicine.
 A work-related function or process such as production,
distribution, marketing, sales, and customer service.
 A recurring, nagging problem situated in a process or
function.
 A topic such as technology, knowledge retention, or
innovation.
 An industry such as automotive, banking, or healthcare.
 COPs…

 How do we distinguish a community of practice from

other groups such as work teams or project groups.
 Many online communities may be termed communities
of interest because they have an open membership that
is catalyzed by interest in a common theme such as a
hobby.
 A community of practice is more like a professional
organization.
 CoPs
 Have a business case,
 Have code of ethics,
 Have a mission statement,
 Have Schedules
 Produce results that are of value to the profession.
 Benefits of knowledge sharing

 Some of the strategically important benefits of knowledge

sharing include:
 Connecting professionals across platforms, across distances.
 Standardizing professional practices.
 Avoiding mistakes.
 Leveraging best practices.
 Reducing time to talent.
 Building reputation.
 Obstacles to knowledge sharing

 Keyobstacles to knowledge sharing are the notions

such as
 knowledge is property,
 knowledge is power,
 credibility of the content and the source,
 organizational culture, and
 the presence of undernets
 specialties tend to separate into their own groups. the
communities develop different ways of working and even
adopt different vocabularies, and they no longer
understand each other. Knowledge still flows easily within
specialties but not across them
Categories of Knowledge Transfer
 Near Transfer (“transferring knowledge from a source team to a
receiving team that is doing a similar task in a similar context but in a
different location”)

 Different task but same location

 Different tasks and different location
 Similar task in different context but in different location

 Serial Transfer (“the source team and the receiving team are one and
the same”). Dixon then describes

 Factors that affect knowledge transfer:

 Characteristics of the receiver (skills, shared language,
technical knowledge),
 the type of knowledge being transferred (explicit to
tacit).
 Summary

 Knowledge resides in communities in the form of social

capital. The key is often connecting people
 to solve problems,
 to develop new capabilities (learn),
 to improve work practices, and
 to share what is new in the field.

 The type of knowledge that is transferred is shared

expertise. Unlike formal education and training where
public knowledge is transferred, CoPs provide situations
to learn over long periods of time.

 These need a shared background (context) and shared

language in order to share expertise and will also need
to be technology-mediated using e-mail, the telephone,
groupware, videoconferencing, and intranets or
websites.
 Organizational Culture
 Corporate Culture
 a composite of the common values, attitudes,
standards, policies, performance and actions of
management and employees
 the set of beliefs, assumptions, symbols, values,
priorities, rituals and practices that are shared,
mostly unconsciously, amongst members of an
organization.
 Most unconsciously  informal culture
 The role of organizational culture
Two dimensions of organizational culture
 sociability,
 a measure for friendliness.
 A high sociable culture indicates that people within the
culture tend to be friendly to each other without
expecting something in return.
 consistent with a high people orientation, high team
orientation, and focus on process rather than outcomes.
 Solidarity,
 measures the task orientation.
 High solidarity means that people can work well
together toward common goals, even when they have
personal disputes or conflicts.
 Types of organizational culture
 communal culture
 gives its members a sense of belonging, though it also
is task-driven.
 Leaders of this culture are usually very inspirational and
charismatic.
 employees are friendly to one another and all think
alike
 Types of organizational culture……

 Networked culture,
 members are treated as friends and family.
 People have close contact with each other and love each other.
 They are willing to help each other and share information.
 people are so kind to each other that they are reluctant to point
out and criticize the poor performance.
Types of organizational culture……

 mercenary culture
 focuses on strict goals. Members are expected to
meet the goals and to get the job done quickly.
 Since everyone focuses on goals and objectivity, there
is little room for political cliques.
 employees think alike but are not friendly to one
another
 those with poor performance may be treated
inhumanely.
 Types of organizational culture……

 fragmented culture,
 the sense of belonging to and identification with the
organization is usually very weak.
 Commitment is given first to individual members and
task work.
 Lack of cooperation
 employees are distant and disconnected from one
another
 High Low
Solidarity Solidarity
High Communal Networked
Sociability Culture Culture

Low Mercenary Fragmented

Sociability Culture Culture
 Summary
 organizational cultural analysis must be one of the
first steps to be taken in any KM initiative.
 When organizational members feel that they are
respected,
 When they can expect to be treated in a professional
manner,
 When they can trust the other members of their group,
-- then knowledge sharing is greatly enhanced.
 Implementations of knowledge management almost
always require a cultural change
A knowledge-sharing culture is one where
knowledge sharing is the norm, not the exception,
 where people are encouraged to work together, to
collaborate and share,
 Where people are rewarded for doing so.

A paradigm shift has to occur from “knowledge is

power” to “sharing knowledge is more powerful”
 Culture will determine what you can and will do
with the knowledge assets of the organization.
 Reading assignment

 Cultural transformation to a knowledge sharing culture’

 Organization maturity model
 Capability maturity model
 Strategic implications of organizational culture