Knowledge Sharing in Practice

In this volume organizational learning theory is used to analyse various practices of managing and facilitating knowledge sharing within companies. Experiences with three types of knowledge sharing, namely knowledge acquisition, knowledge reuse, and knowledge creation, at ten large companies are discussed and analyzed. This critical analysis leads to the identification of traps and obstacles when managing knowledge sharing, when supporting knowledge sharing with IT tools, and when organizations try to learn from knowledge sharing practices. The identification of these risks is followed by a discussion of how organizations can avoid them.

This work will be of interest to researchers and practitioners working in organization science and business administration. Also, consultants and organizations at large will find the book useful as it will provide them with insights into how other organizations manage and facilitate knowledge sharing and how potential failures can be prevented.

Inhalt

Preface. 1. Introduction. 1. Introduction. 2. Management of knowledge-sharing. 3. This book's contribution. 4. Which companies are involved? 5. Where are the limitations? 6. What does the book look like? Part 1: Theoretical background. 2. Theories on Managing Knowledge. 1. Introduction. 2. Background. 3. Knowledge management and ICT. 4. Knowledge management. 5. Towards an alternative approach to managing knowledge. 6. Summary. 3. Organizational learning. 1. Introduction. 2. The theoretical approach of organizational learning. 3. The process of institutionalizing knowledge. 4.Three types of knowledge-sharing. 5.Information and Communication Technology (ICT). 6.Summary. Part 2: Practices of knowledge-sharing. 4. Knowledge acquisition: Knowledge-sharing with the organization as the knowledge provider. 1. Introduction. 2. Postbank Savings: knowledge-sharing within a call center. 3. National Netherlands: knowledge database plus personal networks. 4. The railpocket, the mobile knowledge systems of the Railways. 5. Discussion: the organization as knowledge provider. 6. Summary. 5. Knowledge reuse: Knowledge-sharing with the individual as the knowledge provider. 1. Introduction. 2. Strategy-driven knowledge-sharing: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. 3. ING Barings: knowledge-sharing between countries. 4. Cap Gemini's mixed networks. 5. Knowledge-sharing and knowledge measurement at IBM. 6. Discussions: the individual as knowledge provider. 7. Summary. 6. Knowledge development: Communities as knowledge providers. 1. Introduction. 2. Communities as platforms for knowledge development. 3. Knowledge development via working groups at Stork. 4. Knowledge development via workshops at Unilever Research. 5. Knowledge development via digital platforms at the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment. 6. Discussion: the community as knowledge provider. 7. Summary. Part 3: A critical analysis. 7.The management trap. 1. Introduction. 2. Proactive management. 3. Knowledge-sharing from a management perspective. 4. Psychological obstacles to exchanging knowledge. 5. Fighting the management trap: increase the need for knowledge-sharing. 6. Summary. 8. The Individual Learning trap. 1. Introduction. 2. The practice of learning within and by the organizations. 3. Fight the learning trap: Stimulate collective involvement. 4. Summary. 9. The ICT trap. 1. Introduction. 2. ICT determinism. 3. Avoid the ICT trap: prevent determinism. 4. Summary. 10. Epilogue. 1. Introduction. 2. Towards the second wave of knowledge management. 3. Recommendation for managing knowledge-sharing. References. Index. Endnotes.