A technique to capture multi-disciplinary tacit knowledge during the conceptual design phase of a building project

The construction industry is suffering from incomplete knowledge flow that results in time and cost over-runs. Many researchers believe that a large part of this problem is related to the design phase being a tacit knowledge-dominated area. Since tacitness of knowledge contributes to incomplete flow of knowledge, we posit that facilitating the conversion of tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge can improve the overall knowledge flow. Within this context, this paper analyses recognised knowledge-capturing techniques and compares them in view of the operating characteristics of the conceptual design phase. This paper proposes a new tacit knowledge-capturing technique for this phase. The outcomes include a new knowledge-capturing technique, a method for validation of the proposed technique, and recommendations on how to deal with the challenges concomitant with the application and utilisation of the proposed technique in the building industry. By proposing a combinational tacit knowledge-capturing technique, this study attempts to mitigate the impact of the potential incomplete knowledge flow during the conceptual design phase in building projects

Cognitive approach using SFL theory in capturing tacit knowledge in business intelligence

The complexity of Business Intelligence (BI) processes need to be explored in order to ensure BI system properly treats the tacit knowledge as part of data source in BI framework. Therefore, a new approach in handling tacit knowledge in BI system still needs to be developed. The library is an ideal place to gather tacit knowledge. It is a place full of explicit knowledge stored in various bookshelves. Nevertheless, tacit knowledge is very abundant in the head of the librarians. The explicit knowledge they gained from education in the field of libraries and information was not sufficient to deal with a complex and contextual work environment. Complexity comes from many interconnected affairs that connect librarians with the surrounding environment such as supra-organizations, employees, the physical environment, and library users. This knowledge is contextual because there are various types of libraries and there are different types of library users who demand different management. Since tacit knowledge hard to capture, we need to use all possible sources of externalization of tacit knowledge. The effort to capture this knowledge is done through a social process where the transfer of knowledge takes place from an expert to an interviewer. For this reason, it is important for the interview process to be based on SFL theory (Systemic Functional Linguistics)

The differentiated functions of sketch and digital modalities in architectural collaboration design

Architectural collaboration is seen by many as an essential strategy that produces an outcome that is beyond individual vision. The majority of literature defines collaboration as two or more people sharing their differences constructively to search for a common goal. However, defining collaboration in the context of conceptual architectural design as two or more designers working together to achieve a common design goal appears to be very basic, as the definition does not in any way indicate how multiple designers can transform their tacit knowledge into an explicit building product. Instead, the definition undermines the rationale that collaboration can improve efficiency and effectiveness in sharing design ideas. This also implies that there is no clear understanding as to whether complex design activities such as actions, transformation, and reasoning can be readily circumscribed into collaborative settings. It presents one of the most significant challenges in realizing the much anticipated collaborative approach to design problem-solving. Therefore, there is a need to investigate key characteristics of collaboration in architectural design and their implications for the building development process. Thus this research aims to investigate the phenomenon of conceptual architectural collaboration design using the protocol study technique. The protocol consists of eight different design teams subjected to the usage of sketch modality to design a bus stand and a digital modality to design a commercial kiosk. A coding scheme based on design action, transformation, reasoning and knowledge transformation is employed to generate empirical data from the design protocol of the two modalities. Statistical analysis using Chi-Square cross tabulation has established a significant association between the two modalities and design activities. The results indicate that the design activities of the two modalities are statistically different concerning the distributed frequencies and duration of parameters of cognitive actions, tacit knowledge transformation, reasoning strategies and transformation. Higher framing action, abduction reasoning strategy and lateral transformation are not affected by the sketch modality but are affected by the change to the digital modality. Similarly, higher moving action, deduction reasoning strategy, and vertical transformation are not affected by the digital modality but are affected by the sketch modality. The correlation analysis of the sketch modality also established a significant relationship between parameters of tacit knowledge transformation, cognitive actions, reasoning strategies and design transformation. This findings provide answers to the types of modality that can influence or affect the process of socialization in the knowledge transformation during design collaboration. In conclusion, an integrated thinking pattern for conceptual architectural collaboration design is proposed

Sustainable construction materials and assemblies for Nigerian low cost housing

Sustainable construction is a way to achieve environmental-friendly building design and construction. Construction activity has impact on the environment and users of naturally occurring and synthesized resources. The recent rise in environmental conscious design mandates the development of a new tool for pre-use stage decision-making in the materials and assemblies process. It is crucial in building life-cycle decision making, to integrate environmental issues in the evaluation process. The study developed an evaluation-tool to aid in the pre-use stage decision-making process of low cost housing projects by integrating sustainable construction principles into the materials and assemblies process. The study identified the decision making tool; then investigated the environmental awareness issues in sustainable materials and assemblies at pre-use stage; and finally, evaluated and compared the pre-use stage overall environmental impacts of a building life cycle. An explanatory sequential mixed method research design was adopted. 43.1% of 480 architects and designers in Abuja-Nigeria, through stratified random sampling participated in the survey. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics analysis, relative index analysis and Kendall‘s Concordance. The findings showed the need for a new materials and assemblies tool for environmental impact evaluation, and designers do have the knowledge and are concerned about environmental issues of sustainable materials and assemblies. Based on the findings, an evaluation system was developed. Two case studies of a traditional construction method (TCM) and a contemporary construction method (CCM) for low cost housing were chosen to test the system. Data were analysed using linear programming coupled with a process life cycle assessment (LCA) framework and international energy and carbon protocols. The findings showed that the environmental performance of the building life-cycle pre-use stage can be improved by up to 126% embodied energy and 165% embodied carbon emissions. Furthermore, it was much easier to compare the environmental performances of whole-building assemblies, instead of separate materials and elements that do not represent the performance of the function of a building. The study has shown that the evaluation system provides design guidelines and criterion to achieve environmental conscious design. Based on the findings from the evaluation system, a decision-making tool, the Optimum Life Cycle Assessment Performance (OLCAP) was developed. This tool can be used to guide local authorities, academicians and stakeholders to develop a structure for effective implementation of pre-use stage sustainable materials and assemblies. The tool developed was validated by the application of REVIT. Furthermore, the tool exposes the true environmental and economic sustainability in materials and assemblies with the help of simple multiplication and REVIT, which is readily available in the market. As a conclusion, OLCAP, the tool developed in this research can reduce the environmental impact of design and construction

Tacit knowledge for business intelligence framework using cognitive-based approach

Tacit knowledge becoming a key issue in business intelligence approach to knowledge systems. Capturing the tacit knowledge is not a straightforward task, since it consists of unstructured data and related to a variety of information that is not always accessible through traditional means. This work presents a systematic approach for capturing tacit knowledge to be used in a business intelligence framework. The approach is based on the theory of systematic functional linguistics, developed into interview protocols to be asked to tacit knowledge owners. The data transformed into cognitive maps to supply the data warehouse. The framework was tested on 23 librarians from several university libraries in West Java and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The algorithm starts with a content targeted interview to identify the list of problems faced by librarians. The problems were then converted into a questionnaire to identify qualities of the problems such as frequency, urgency, severity, and importance. From the questionnaire results, the best tacit knowledge performers were identified. They are respondents who can solve the problems, while the majority of the respondents are unable to solve them. The best performers were then subjected to grammar targeted interview to collect the solutions they made to the problems. The transcription of the interview results is then converted into cognitive maps that visualize the solutions. These cognitive maps are then stored in a data warehouse and ready to collect anytime for analytics purposes. The framework is validated through Power BI and reviewed by seven experts. Its applicability to other domains is justified as long as the domain, e.g., manufacturing, have experienced problems related to technical, managerial, and empirical problems faced by employees at work. This research contributes to the methods of capturing tacit knowledge using a cognitive-based approach, which important to ensure the continuity of business in various domains

Estudo da eficiência de processos de reabilitação em obras públicas

Rehabilitation is a sustainable alternative to civil construction, bringing several benefits with the reduction of demolitions and reuse of already built systems. However, it appears that these typologies of works need better detailing and characterization, thus resulting in specific bibliographies. The low existence of these technical literatures determines less scientific rigor in their procedures, which makes these works, often more expensive and unviable in the view of productive sectors. Thus, the importance of studies focused on this type of enterprise is verified, verifying its main problems and proposing solutions. It is common the emergence of pathologies originated in the productive process and use of the building, these problems can be solved, amplified or have recurrence when performing a rehabilitation. When the object of study is public works, rehabilitation appears with greater relevance; Therefore, a poor rehabilitation in a public building will require another rehabilitation in a shorter time than if the process had been elaborated with more quality and precision, thus generating greater expenses to the public coffers. Thus, in order to know the feedback and the process of rehabilitation of public works, the present study will verify the efficiency of rehabilitation proposals executed.CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível SuperiorDissertação (Mestrado)A reabilitação é uma alternativa sustentável para a construção civil trazendo diversos benefícios com a redução de demolições e reaproveitamento de sistemas já construídos. Porém, verifica-se que estas tipologias de obras necessitam de melhor detalhamento e caracterização, resultando assim, em bibliografias específicas. Observa-se poucas literaturas técnicas em relação a esse tema o que resulta em menor controle e conhecimento quanto aos seus procedimentos. Essas falhas, em relação ao domínio da literatura da tecnologia de reabilitação, podem, muitas vezes, gerar obras mais onerosas e inviáveis na visão de setores produtivos. Deste modo, verifica-se a importância de estudos voltados a esse tipo de empreendimento analisando os seus principais problemas e propondo soluções. É comum o surgimento de manifestações patológicas originadas no processo produtivo e de uso da edificação, esses defeitos podem ser solucionados, amplificados ou terem reincidência quando se executa uma reabilitação. Quando o objeto de estudo são obras públicas a reabilitação aparece com maior relevância; pois, uma reabilitação malfeita em um edifício público vai exigir outra intervenção em um prazo menor do que o previsto, no caso de um processo elaborado com mais qualidade e precisão; gerando, assim, despesas maiores aos cofres públicos. Deste modo, com o objetivo de conhecer e retroalimentar o processo de reabilitação de obras públicas, o presente estudo verificará a eficiência de propostas de reabilitação executadas

Revealing knowledge workers’ tacit knowledge usage in the product development department of an automotive manufacturer

This study seeks to explore the application of tacit knowledge by knowledge workers in the development department of a multinational auto manufacturer. While the existing literature on tacit knowledge outlines the importance of tacit knowledge to organisational performance (Nelson and Winter, 1982; Sternberg et al., 1995; Spender, 1996; Baumard, 1999; Gore and Gore, 1999; Jafari, Akhavan and Nourizadeh, 2013), research on tacit knowledge is still underrepresented (Brown and Duguid, 1998; Holtshouse, 1998; Leonard and Sensiper, 1998; Zack, Rand and Wilsh, 1999; Garcia-Perez and Mitra, 2007; McAdam, Mason and McCrory, 2007). Authors in the field of tacit knowledge including Kabir (2013), McAdam, Mason and McCrory (2007), Sumbal et al. (2017), Holtshouse (2010) call for further research in the field of tacit knowledge related to the identification of tacit knowledge and the potential of using specific methods in research on and management of tacit knowledge. Furthermore only a few studies on tacit knowledge in the automotive sector exist. Hence relatively little is known about tacit knowledge usage in the automotive sector. The aims of this study are 1) to identify specific tacit knowledge frequently used by knowledge workers in the product development department of a multinational car manufacturer and 2) to further explore the tacit knowledge usage by eliciting how and why it is used in achieving organisational goals. This embedded researcher single case study in the product development department of a multinational automotive company employed a mixed methods approach conducted in two sequential steps. The quantitative first step analysed internal job advertisements for evidence of epitomes of tacit knowledge (Haldin-Herrgard, 2003) and discovered the areas of the highest concentration of application of such. The second step used semi-structured interviews to discover the “hows” and “whys” of tacit knowledge application in the frequently used forms – skills, experience, and abilities – in achieving organisational objectives of automotive development. This research contributes new knowledge in research on tacit knowledge in the automotive sector as called for by Jafari, Akhavan and Nourizadeh (2013) as well as the call by Kabir (2013) for the development of an approach to identify tacit knowledge in organisational data. The concept of epitomes of tacit knowledge (ETK) developed by Haldin-Herrgard (2003) is employed in this research and makes use of quantitative content analysis and elicits tacit knowledge from organisational data. Although it contributes new knowledge on how epitomes of tacit knowledge can be conceptualized to act as a construct for managing tacit knowledge as demanded by McAdam, Mason and McCrory (2007). ETK were used in the context of content analysis to quantify the amount of tacit knowledge and to identify frequently applied forms of tacit knowledge in different knowledge worker positions. With the approach of quantifying the amount of applied tacit knowledge by knowledge workers in different positions employed in this research, this research contributes new knowledge on assessing the risk of possible knowledge loss in case of employee leavings, thus answering a request from Sumbal et al. (2017) and Holtshouse, (2010). The upshot is that tacit knowledge intensive positions can be identified and classified according to the amount of potential tacit knowledge loss. Finally, the results provide new insights into individual applications of 1) tacit knowledge in the form of social skills to facilitate development work in this department 2) tacit knowledge in the form of experience in knowing what has or has not worked in the past so as to avoid problem-related inefficiencies, and 3) tacit knowledge in the form of abilities to approach and solve problems – all three of which are combined and applied as means of reaching the product development goals of this multinational automotive manufacturer