Consequences of Implementing Knowledge Management Initaitives in Different Organizational Subcultures

Organizations implementing knowledge management (KM) initiatives are concerned with promoting sharing and transferring of knowledge, within and across different organizational units. Thus, gaining a deeper awareness of the diverse viewpoints and attributes of the various organizational units is one of the important challenges facing organization-wide knowledge management (KM) interventions. It is imperative for large organizations to be sensitive to the inherent differences within different units and align their KM strategies so that the differences are suitably reflected and accommodated in the organization-wide KM strategy. In this context, this paper focuses on the KM strategies of Infosys Technologies, a leading Indian software services and products company recognised globally as a successful KM exponent. Adopting the case study methodology, we conducted an intensive two-month study at Infosys and looked at the consequences of initiating organization-wide KM in two different organizational Business units (BU). Evidence from the case highlights the unfolding of unintended and intended consequences in the two units, and organizational efforts to reconcile them. Taking a subcultural perspective of the two units offered useful insights into the consequences. The Theoretical and managerial contributions of the study to the KM arena are discussed

Situated cultural approach versu predefined cultural archetypes models

Within the last 20 years, the practical relevance of researching cultural issues, and especially comparing phenomena across cultures, was questioned (Ferraro, 1990). However, the importance of cultural issues is becoming increasingly evident in many applied disciplines; these include the management of information technology (IT) (Davison and Martinsons, 2003). A normative literature review has been carried out in this paper to provide IS researchers with the milestones of studying culture in IS discipline. Although there are many different models of national culture, most IS research has tended to rely almost solely on Hofstede’s cultural model (Keil et al., 2000; Straub, 1994; Tan et al., 1995; Watson et al., 1994; Myers and Tan, 2002; Kirkman et al. 2006).). In this paper, the author provides a criticism of predefined cultural archetypes models and highlight the problems of using such approach in studying culture within IS discipline. The author demonstrates a comprehensive framework of situated culture approach to study culture within IS discipline, as alternative approach to avoid the criticism of predefined cultural archetypes models. This is achieved via an articulation of Structuration Theory. The author argues that using a practice lens for studying the use of technology by Orlikowski (2000), contributes to identifying the mediated shared structures between actors through understanding the actions of the actors within IS phenomena. Then, using a Structurational analysis approach by Walsham (2002) contributes to identifying the cultural dimensions that are embedded in the identified mediated shared structures

Achieving IT diffusion within the fragments: an IT culture perspective

Many organizations still fail to make a return from the huge investments they make in implementing complex Information Technology (IT). This is usually due to cultural forces that inhibit the level of usage required to facilitate IT Diffusion. An emerging stream of research highlights the IT culture perspective, a perspective vital for understanding individuals’ social practices when they interact with IT. This paper adopted a case study approach to explore how the IT culture perspective may explain how organizational diffusion of an IT may happen despite opposing cultural forces causing a stalemate to the diffusion process. This study identified three IT culture archetypes - embracing, rejecting and confused, depicting a fragmented IT culture during the adaption, acceptance and routinization stages of diffusion of an IT. This study highlights how a salient element of a fragmented IT culture-embracing IT culture archetype could explain how diffusion of an IT happened despite the manifestations of negative IT culture archetypes - ‘confused’ and ‘rejecting’ during the diffusion process

The influence of corporate social responsibility policy and initiatives on human resource management practices and experiences

The expectation that organisations will act in a socially responsible manner under the guise of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now one of the most significant contextual influences organisations face. This is particularly relevant to organisations located in industries that have the potential for significant environmental impact such as the cement industry. One often-acknowledged key element in CSR is the role of people in the successful implementation of CSR policy and practice. However, CSR research is rarely focused on the influence of people management in this process. This research has specifically brought back into focus the complexities, tensions and contradictions evident in the employment relationship via insights from the field of Human Resource Management (HRM) and the utilisation of the HR Causal Chain Model (Purcell et al., 2009) as a broad research framework. Using a single-case systematic combining approach (Dubois & Gadde, 2002, 2014) within a social constructionist perspective, this study aimed to address the question: How does Corporate Social Responsibility policy and initiatives influence Human Resource practices and stakeholder experiences? The case organisation used in this study was an Australian cement manufacturing plant, known for the purposes of this research as CementCo. The study utilised in-depth interviews, observation, analysis of secondary documentation, and thematic analysis to explore both the intended HR and CSR policies and practices of CementCo, and the processes involved in how these practices are enacted by line managers and experienced by employees in consideration of workplace culture and subcultures. The process-based approach provides significant insights into the HR and CSR implementation process and the ‘black box’ of HRM research. The findings demonstrate that while it is important to design and commit to strategically aligned and integrated HR and CSR strategies and policies, the dynamic and unpredictable process of implementation has a much larger impact on the success of these strategies than is recognised in contemporary CSR research. As such, one of the key contributions of this research is that within HRM and HRM-CSR research the implementation process should be considered, and it should be considered as a process that relies on the actions and attitudes of multiple stakeholders. The study has acknowledged and embraced the complexities, tensions and contradictions often neglected in mainstream HRM, and more broadly the organisation of work and people. It has explored the realities of organisational life, the perspectives and perceptions of those often forgotten in mainstream literature, and the processes of how work is organised and how people are managed. It has also contributed to the broadening of the field through the inclusion of more than just traditional HR functions, by exploring HR’s broader role in the organisation and its social responsibility. In doing so, this study has shifted the HR research approach to one that incorporates the broader realities, processes, experiences, and perceptions, and thus redefined what a HR thesis can look like

A situated cultural approach for cross-cultural studies in IS

Cultural anthropology seeks to understand the similarities and differences among groups of people in the contemporary world. Although there are many different models of national culture, most IS research has tended to rely almost solely on Hofstede’s cultural model (Keil et al., 2000; Straub, 1994; Tan et al., 1995; Watson et al., 1994; Myers and Tan, 2002; Kirkman et al. 2006).). This paper, provides a comprehensive framework of situated culture approach to study culture within IS discipline. This is achieved via an articulation of Structuration Theory and the provision of an approach to study cross-cultural phenomena within IS discipline. The paper proposes two main components of the Structuration Theory based analysis model which is proposed as a way to study culture within IS discipline. First, the paper presents ideas behind the practice lens for studying the use of technology, as proposed by Orlikowski (2000). Secondly, the paper presents a Structurational analysis approach as detailed by Walsham (2002). The paper argues that using a practice lens contributes to identifying the mediated shared structures between actors through understanding the actions of the actors within the phenomena. Then, using a Structurational analysis approach contributes to identifying the cultural dimensions that are embedded in the identified mediated shared structures

Information Security Practices in Organizations: A Literature Review on Challenges and Related Measures

This paper reports a systematic literature review that explores challenges related to information security practices in organizations and the ways these challenges are managed to avoid security breaches. We focused on empirical evidence from extant research studies and identified four general challenges re-lated to: (1) security rules and procedures, (2) individual and personal risks, (3) culture and security awareness, and (4) organizational and power relations. To manage these risks, nine measures were prominent in the selected studies. Training and organizational collaboration across the hierarchical levels were widely used to enhance the security culture. In addition, awareness campaigns for the work-force, as well as continuously measuring and improving security initiatives were highly recommended. Our literature review points to the socio-technical aspects of information security. Although many or-ganizations have both administrative and technical infrastructures in place, they must also think about employee attitudes, knowledge, and behavior. Information systems research towards this direction needs to be further developed. More qualitative studies are needed for exploring how to develop a cul-ture of security awareness and for gaining insights on how security rules and training courses can become more appealing and accessible

"Not My Responsibility!" - A Comparative Case Study of Organizational Cybersecurity Subcultures

Despite significant technological advancements and the increasing sophistication of cyber- attacks in today’s modern society, organizations underestimate the human link in cybersecu- rity. Many still overlook that human behavior and decision-making are crucial in protecting sensitive information and mitigating risks. Organizations seemingly prioritize investigating time and resources into improving their technological cybersecurity measures rather than increasing the employees’ cybersecurity knowledge. These actions significantly impact the cybersecurity culture of the company. Cybersecurity culture refers to the shared values, beliefs, and actions of the employees in an organization that emphasize the importance of safeguarding digital assets, data, and systems against cyber threats. It encompasses the organization’s dedication, awareness, protocols, and ability to manage cybersecurity risks and promote a security-focused environment. Re- cent studies have primarily focused on discussing cybersecurity culture as a singular concept within an organization. This qualitative research aims to investigate the impact of cybersecurity subcultures within organizations. A systematic literature review was conducted to gain an overview of the existing theoretical background on cybersecurity subcultures. This process proved that there is a research gap in the topic of subcultures, as most of the current literature encompasses cybersecurity culture as a collective concept. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with ten employees from two IT companies. Cybersecurity leaders from each company agreed that the sales and IT subcultures had the most significant differences; hence, employees from each subculture in both companies were interviewed. The results prove that the security leaders’ suspicions were correct. The sales subcultures need to gain more knowledge about cybersecurity. Cybersecurity measures are seen more as obstacles instead of improving their cybersecurity. There is also a significant need for more responsibility. They believe that someone better qualified will take care of their mistakes if they cause a cybersecurity incident. On the other hand, the IT subculture seems to understand cybersecurity better. They have comprehensive knowledge of the topic. However, they also share this uncertainty regarding responsibilities, stating they feel pressured to share their expertise with colleagues. This leaves them with limited time to complete their actual work tasks. They point to a lack of management responsibility as one of the critical reasons for this. This research sheds light on cybersecurity subcultures and challenges the notion that orga- nizations have only one cybersecurity culture. Organizations need to allocate their time and resources differently and acknowledge the significance of subcultures in maintaining overall cybersecurity. The findings and insights are meant to assist organizations in enhancing their cybersecurity operations and protocols

Perspectives of Organizational Change Initiatives and Culture in a University’s Department

The current state of contemporary higher education institutions reveals challenges such as changing enrolment patterns (Association of American Colleges and Universities [AACU], 2002; Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada [AUCC], 2007; Levac & Newman, 2009), greater calls for accountability (AACU, 2002; Usher, 2015) and decreased public funding (AACU, 2002; Charbonneau, 2013; Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations [OCUFA], 2016). In addition to the external challenges of the higher education landscape, institutions are confronted with intersecting organizational issues such as the need for increasing productivity, improving communication processes, and motivating workforces (Jackson, 2010). These challenges require action, which often make change a constant in organizational life (Kogetsidis, 2012). Organizational culture encompasses those beliefs, values and meanings of the organization’s members (Kezar, 2014; Shultz, 1995) and, therefore, should be considered whenever trying to understand the change in an organization. However, due to the implicit nature of an organization’s culture, leaders tend to overlook the role of culture in the change process. In addressing the often neglected understandings of organizational change and culture, this qualitative, interpretivist intrinsic case study in one university department in Canada explored staff members’ understanding of organizational change initiatives and cultural shifts through semi-structured interviews. Using the framework of interpretive communities (Yanow, 2000), the intent was to explore staff members’ perspectives of change initiatives and their understandings of culture changes in the department. The findings of this exploration revealed that participants identified the practices of leaders, including behaviour, strategy and purpose, and unity, and departmental arrangements, including staffing, structure, and role as the change initiatives that had been the most significant. The participants understood the changes through three interpretive communities including a community of frustration, a community of apprehension, and a community of willingness. The findings from the cultural analysis of the department portrayed a past culture of division and conflict, toxicity, and disrespect. A cultural shift was perceived by participants through their description of a more optimistic culture, although they still questioned a culture of “us” as a result of the artifact of locale which perpetuated the lingering feelings of separation among staff members, and a lack of department-wide traditions. In response to the study’s findings, three recommendations can be made to build on the already identified improvements to the department. The first recommendation is for leaders to thoroughly consider the implementation and communication plans for future change initiatives in the department as a community of staff members was found to need more information to help them become more accepting of change initiatives. The second recommendation would be for leaders to build on the perceived culture of optimism by emphasizing the identified need to establish department-wide traditions. The last recommendation is for leaders to explore staff members’ understanding of the re-location of the department’s units to one centralized building. The participants provided initial understandings of this change initiative, so once the re-location takes place, it may be in the leaders’ interests to follow-up to see if the initial understandings of the change initiative have shifted in any way. As change initiatives have been perceived to result in cultural shifts, another cultural analysis department may also be informative. The goal of this study was to provide insight for educational leaders about the importance of recognizing organizational cultures when implementing change initiatives as well as to inform educational leaders of the potential impact of staff members’ understanding of organizational change and cultural shifts