Reading: Knowledge Management in Organizations: A Critical Introduction. Chapter 9: Objectivist Perspectives on ICTs and Knowledge Management. Chapter 10: Practice-Based Perspectives on ICT-Enabled Knowledge Management
Reading: Knowledge Management in Organizations: A Critical Introduction
○ Chapter 9: Objectivist Perspectives on ICTs and Knowledge Management
○ Chapter 10: Practice-Based Perspectives on ICT-Enabled Knowledge Management
Discussion Question 1 – CLO 1, CLO 2, CLO 3, CLO 4, CLO 5, CLO 6, CLO 7
Increased computing power and big data make it possible to analyze large amounts of data to search for new insights and knowledge. One way of doing this is an unsupervised search that uses regression techniques to find possible relations between data items in the data set.
● What are possible downsides of this method of data exploration?
● Under what conditions would you recommend it to organizations?
After discussing these questions, have a look at https://goo.gl/3BQNd5.
● Provide an example of an instance where the use of big data does not allow for performance increases in business key performance metrics. If you cannot find any in your research, then make one up.
Reading: Knowledge Management in Organizations: A Critical Introduction
○ Chapter 11: The Influence of Socio-cultural factors in Motivating Workers to Participate in Knowledge Management Initiatives
○ Chapter 12: Communities of Practice
○ Chapter 13: Boundary-Spanning Knowledge Processes in Heterogeneous Collaborations
Discussion Question 1 – CLO 1, CLO 2, CLO 3, CLO 4
Using everything you learned throughout this course, reflect on the following questions. Write a detailed analysis making your position clear (regarding IT knowledge and the ability/inability of people to share knowledge) and submit it in the discussion board for question 1.
● Based on your own experience, what has been the attitude of work colleagues to sharing their IT knowledge?
● Have you found them to be willing to share, or has hoarding been more typical?
● What are the most important factors which explain this behavior?
● Provide an example where you may have experienced this phenomenon. If you have not experienced this then make one up (can come from television shows, movies, etc.).
Professional Assignment 2 – CLO 1, CLO 2, CLO 3, CLO 4, CLO 5, CLO 6, CLO 7
In a 3-5-page, APA-formatted written report, address the following concepts by providing in-depth analysis and details pertaining to implementation and planning:
Following what you learned throughout the class so far and the case study on “Cross-functional knowledge sharing in R&D via co-location: the case of Novartis,” write a 3-5 page paper summarizing your position on the following questions:
What Boundary-Spanning Knowledge Processes in Heterogeneous Collaborations were used in Novartis?
Why were they used?
In your opinion, was knowledge facilitated/managed between communities at Novartis?
Was relationship management used? How?
Why or why not?
Do you think communities of practice could help an instance like Novartis? How?
What should be done?
What communities of practice?
What Socio-cultural factors did you identify at Novartis?
Managers must bridge across their firms’ geographic, cultural and institutional diversity to gain a unique competitive advantage.
By their very nature, multinational corporations (MNCs) straddle many boundaries, most obviously national, cultural, economic, institutional and organisational. Adding to the challenge is the fact that these boundaries span both the external and internal contexts in which the firm’s units operate. As such, they can become a source of conflict as organisations try to reconcile the search for efficient global integration with the need to compete in diverse local environments.
External boundaries range from tangible ones such as accounting practices, reporting standards or labour laws, to more subtle ones such as customers’ cultural preferences or channel practices. Internal boundaries include cognition and modes of action across geographies and cultures, as well as functional and knowledge domains. As many managers will be aware, mergers and alliances can add further layers of professional and organisational boundaries which are difficult to erase. For example, even though they merged in 2004, Air France and KLM still retain distinct cultures, attitudes and behaviours. And years after the merger that led to the creation of Novartis, staff continued to identify as either Ciba-Geigy or Sandoz employees.