An empirical investigation of knowledge management support for software projects.

Projects are unique by definition. Due to this novelty software development projects, in common with all other projects, require knowledge for effective implementation. Most knowledge management frameworks reported in the literature address the organisational need to manage knowledge. The existing frameworks typically discuss the dichotomy between tacit and explicit knowledge, and lay an emphasis on managing the latter. However, software development projects rely upon the experience, creativity and intuition of individual team members to address unstructured situations typified by inherent uncertainty, ambiguity and change. Therefore software projects require the facilitation and interaction of tacit knowledge along with managing and leveraging explicit knowledge.This research examines how tacit and explicit knowledge generated while implementing a software development project can be leveraged and effectively reused in future software projects. In order to address the need to provide knowledge management support to software projects an extended case study was conducted at one of the world's largest software project-based organisations. The aim of the research was to identify and analyse the flow of knowledge, and the capabilities required to support this flow. The research design utilised a combination of open-ended interviews, survey questionnaires, observations of team functioning, work methods and development practices, and a detailed examination of the knowledge management infrastructure and process capabilities. The extensive and exceptional access negotiated for this project enabled the research to focus on a single organisation and resulted in 100 hours of interviews and 340 hours of observations from 98 ongoing projects. Established case study protocols were used for data collection. The data analysis focused on determining categories from the different streams of activities and assigning attributes using Nudist software for data reduction and displaying group-nodes, and conclusion drawing. This enabled the research to establish the 'processual' nature of knowledge, and identify the capabilities required to mobilise and utilise knowledge assets. The research critically analysed the three parallel themes of knowledge management, project management and software engineering, and the outcome of the conceptual synthesis and validation is a dynamic model which represents the knowledge processes that facilitate the flow of tacit and explicit knowledge between software projects. The model depicts the relationships and interactions between the functional areas of the development effort, and presents a continuous and long-term view of supporting the implementation of software projects and developing knowledge practices. For software project-based organisations this research has implications for their ability to manage context, provide feedback and facilitate interaction, and thus build upon their existing knowledge resources and capabilities. The research provides such organisations with a perspective to achieve excellence not only through optimisation of software process improvement, but also through learning, and, the creation and sharing of tacit and explicit knowledge as facilitated by the proposed model

Understanding the Support Needs of System Integrators in a Software-as-a-Service based Independent Software Vendor

The partner ecosystem in the software world is constantly evolving and rapidly growing. Small to medium sized independent software vendors (ISVs) are constantly looking to globally expand and to create new synergies with other organizations or enterprises such as system integrators (SIs) to achieve global expansion. The support needs are often overlooked when trying to strategically partner with SIs. The goal of the research study is to understand the type of support needs that SIs expect from the ISVs and how they can be addressed via dynamic capabilities. This study focuses on the dynamic capabilities that can help ISVs address the support needs of SIs. The dynamic capabilities utilized in the study are integrative, combinative, knowledge management and stakeholder engagement. Furthermore, these capabilities also facilitate a more stable functioning of the operational capabilities in an ISV in a constantly changing environment. This study is performed and presented as a case study of a Finnish software company that specializes in delivering document management solution that is planning to engage with new partners specifically SIs in their partner ecosystem. A total of 20 interviewees, 10 from the case company and 10 from SIs participated to share their insights on what SIs expect out of ISVs. The interviews were focused on understanding the types of capabilities and competencies an ISV needs to have in-order to support the SIs. The findings indicated the support needs which were categorized into primary and secondary needs. This categorization is meant to help the case company understand the measure of investment and resources that are needed to address the needs via the implementation or improvement of the dynamic capabilities. Furthermore, this study contributes to the dynamic capabilities literature by providing a new perspective of how support needs in a partner ecosystem can be addressed by the capabilities

Hacia un modelo de referencia de procesos de gestión del conocimiento para organizaciones desarrolladoras de software: validación por expertos

This paper aims to present the results of content and structure validation of a proposal of a reference model for knowledge management (KM) processes for software-developing organizations. Particularly, experts on KM affiliated with Latin America based institutions were surveyed. They completed an online survey asking about the descriptive elements of the model processes, the potential relevance and feasibility of implementing the model processes across Latin American organizations, as well as the influence that a set of factors might have on successfully implementing the model processes. The results obtained showed a high level of consensus among experts with respect to meeting the criteria established for validation. In addition, areas for improvement were detected in the description of the model processes which serve as a departure point for adjusting and developing a new version of the model.El propósito de este artículo es presentar el resultado de la validación del contenido y la estructura de una propuesta de modelo de referencia de procesos de Gestión del Conocimiento (GC) para organizaciones desarrolladoras de software. Específicamente se realizó una consulta a expertos en GC afiliados a instituciones ubicadas en América Latina por medio de un cuestionario en línea, en el que se indagó sobre los elementos descriptivos de los procesos del modelo, la importancia y la viabilidad que tendría la implementación de los procesos del modelo en las organizaciones de América Latina, y el nivel de influencia que puede ejercer un grupo de factores sobre el éxito de la implementación de los procesos del modelo. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron altos niveles de consenso entre los expertos sobre el cumplimiento de los criterios establecidos para la validación. Además, se detectaron aspectos a mejorar en la descripción de los procesos del modelo los cuales sirven de punto de partida para el ajuste y la elaboración de una nueva versión del modelo

The improvement of organisational performance and healthcare service delivery through knowledge management practices in the Gauteng Department of Health

This research was instigated by testimony of the failure and the subsequent crisis in the South African public healthcare system. Official investigations had brought to light alarming operational deficiencies in institutions under the aegis of the Gauteng Department of Health. The South African public sector and government departments, in general, are currently challenged by a complex transformation process which has a prime objective to ameliorate public accountability, service delivery and budgetary control. They are likewise faced with the equally labyrinthine and demanding task of establishing a public-sector organisation with meaningful and effective operational processes that are, in addition, expected to synchronise with the modern economy. The researcher is unequivocal: the success of the GDH in responding to the challenges of improving organisational performance and healthcare service delivery depends essentially on their knowledge management strategy. Knowledge, across public-sector organisations, is increasingly being acknowledged, not only as a strategic resource but also as a valuable organisational asset. In the context of this research, knowledge is defined as the experience that resides in the minds of people; termed tacit knowledge (as opposed to formal, codified or explicit knowledge). In an analogous manner, research studies abound with evidence that has identified knowledge management as having an influence on operational performance for healthcare service delivery. Yet, a brief inquest indicated that our overall understanding of the existence of the relationship between knowledge management and operational performance for healthcare service delivery in the South African public sector is, at best, exiguous. With these appraisals in mind, the researcher developed a theoretical model that revealed factors that could influence organisational performance and healthcare service delivery. The model focused on knowledge management capabilities and organisational performance. The prime objective was to operationalise the theoretically derived knowledge management capabilities constructs, identify statistically the enhancing or impeding factors that impact on organisational performance and develop a structural equation model to verify this theoretical paradigm. The ambition of this study was similarly to investigate the use of knowledge management by the Gauteng Department of Health for its transformation to achieve improved organisational performance and healthcare service delivery. This study in essence addressed four research questions: Firstly, what was the level of understanding of knowledge management in the Gauteng Department of Health and related healthcare facilities? Secondly, how were knowledge management strategies and practices aligned with the Gauteng Department of Health strategies and operational objectives? Thirdly, how was knowledge management used by the employees in the Gauteng Department of Health? and fourthly, how could the results of the literature review and the empirical data be used to create a knowledge-management culture and a collaborative working environment for the Gauteng Department of Health? The elemental, hypothesised pursuit governing the study was to determine the existence of a relationship between the use of knowledge management and an improvement in organisational performance and healthcare service delivery. Collaterally, what enabling environment would be instituted by the gatekeepers of the institutional praxes to capacitate other staff members specifically so as to include the succession planning conundrum? To accomplish this and after reviewing the literature, the effective factors in knowledge management were identified, namely, knowledge infrastructure proficiencies and knowledge process capabilities. The research followed the parallel mixed-methods approach in gathering and analysing research data. Data was collected using questionnaires with 496 respondents and interviews with 35 interviewees. The sample used in this study comprised employees of the Gauteng Department of Health and its regional healthcare centres. The survey respondents and interview participants were the general staff and executive/senior managers of the Gauteng Department of Health. These individuals were considered to possess the most comprehensive knowledge about their organisation’s characteristics and strategy, which included knowledge management adoption. In order to identify the relationships between the model elements, appropriate tests were initiated using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modelling were utilised and the proposed model was then extracted and content analysis was applied in evaluating the resulting qualitative data. The findings of this study furthermore indicated that knowledge management concepts were not universally understood in the Gauteng Department of Health. A structural equation model development strategy, postulated in the factor analysis, also produced a new best-fitting knowledge management capability model based on the new constructs. The structural equation model suggested that significant factors influencing the improvement of the organisational performance and healthcare service delivery are those of knowledge management capability. The regression analysis showed that most of the inter-correlations were significant, thus confirming the theory that knowledge management capabilities have a direct influence on organisational performance and healthcare service delivery. The research contributed theoretically to a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between knowledge management principles and factors that influence organisational performance and healthcare service delivery. Practically, the research contributed to confirming the use of knowledge management by the Gauteng Department of Health could to the improvement of its overall organisational performance and healthcare service delivery. The study further demonstrated the impact of knowledge management activities as a driving force for organisational change and the effect of knowledge management on the improvement of workforce productivity and organisational effectiveness. The new knowledge management capability model could additionally assist the Gauteng Department of Health determining the extent to which knowledge management is used and where to focus in developing and implementing knowledge management strategy. The study encourages practitioners to take cognisance of the fact that organisations are unique and that the factors which enhance or impede knowledge management are to be thoroughly examined. This case study was endorsed for its significant contribution to regional healthcare system, as well as the broader national healthcare structure.School of computingPh. D. (Information Systems

Modelo de referencia de procesos de gestión de conocimiento aplicable a organizaciones desarrolladoras de software del contexto colombiano

En esta disertación doctoral se construyó un modelo de referencia de procesos de Gestión de Conocimiento (GC) aplicable a organizaciones desarrolladoras de software (ODS) del contexto colombiano (MRPGC). Para lograr este objetivo se definió un diseño metodológico compuesto de cinco fases que se ejecutaron de forma secuencial y dentro de algunas fases se utilizaron varios métodos de forma concurrente. Este diseño metodológico permitió que al finalizar cada una de las primeras cuatro fases se obtuviera una versión del MRPGC, la cual fue el punto de partida para la ejecución de la siguiente fase. Específicamente, en la primera fase se construyó la primera versión del MRPGC con base en los resultados obtenidos de una revisión sistemática de literatura sobre procesos de GC. En la segunda fase se construyó la segunda versión del MRPGC a partir de la ejecución de estudios exploratorios desarrollados con actores de la Industria de Software de Colombia, en los cuales se utilizó como fundamento la primera versión del modelo. En la tercera fase se construyó la tercera versión del MRPGC a partir de la comparación de la segunda versión con otro modelo de procesos de GC creado en América Latina y a partir de un ejercicio de consulta a expertos en GC de América Latina. En la cuarta fase se construyó la versión final del MRPGC a partir de la verificación de la conformidad de la tercera versión en relación con los requisitos establecidos en el estándar ISO/IEC 15504 para modelos de referencia de procesos. Por último, en la quinta fase se desarrolló un diagnóstico inicial en organizaciones de la Industria de Software de Colombia sobre el estado de implementación de los procesos definidos en la versión final del MRPGC, con el fin de tener una primera evidencia empírica de su aplicación en la comunidad de interés. El principal resultado de esta investigación es el MRPGC, el cual contiene la descripción del dominio de aplicación, es decir, la GC y los procesos de GC; la especificación de ocho procesos de GC aplicables a ODS del contexto colombiano de conformidad con la estructura definida en la norma ISO/IEC 15504, es decir, en términos de sus propósitos y los resultados esperados de su implementación exitosa; y la especificación de la arquitectura de relaciones entre los ocho procesos de GC que componen el modelo. Con los resultados de esta investigación, la Industria de Software de Colombia tiene a su disposición un modelo con el cual pensar o repensar sus procesos de GC, con el ánimo de mejorar y aprovechar al máximo el potencial que tiene el conocimiento en este sector. También, se pone a disposición una línea base del estado actual de los procesos en las organizaciones de este sector, la cual sirve de elemento de comparación y de punto de referencia a tener en cuenta en la formulación y ejecución de iniciativas de implementación de procesos de GC. Por su parte, la comunidad de investigadores en procesos de software y en procesos de GC tienen en el MRPGC un referente que puede ser el fundamento y el punto de partida para desarrollar otras iniciativas de investigación. Así mismo, el diseño metodológico utilizado en esta investigación puede servir de guía para el desarrollo de estudios en el área.Abstract. In this dissertation, a Knowledge Management (KM) Process Reference Model (MRPGC) applicable to software development organizations (SDO) in the Colombian context was built. To achieve this goal, it was defined a methodological design of five phases that were executed sequentially and in some phases several methods were used concurrently. This methodological design allowed that, at the end of each of the first four phases, a new version of the MRPGC was obtained and it was used as the starting point for executing the next phase. Specifically, in the first phase, the first version of the MRPGC was built based on the results of a systematic literature review on KM processes. In the second phase, the second version of MRPGC was built by executing two exploratory studies, based on the first version of the model, conducted with actors from Colombia’s Software Industry. In the third phase, the third version of MRPGC was built by comparing the second version with another KM process model created in Latin America and from an exercise of gathering opinions from KM experts from Latin America. In the fourth phase, the final version of the MRPGC was built by performing a compliance verification of the third version in relation to the requirements for process reference models, established in the ISO/IEC 15504 standard. Finally, in the fifth phase, an initial diagnosis of the status of implementation of the processes defined in the final version of the MRPGC was performed in Colombian SDO, in order to have preliminary empirical evidence of their application in the community of interest. The main result of this research is the MRPGC, which contains a description of the application domain (KM and KM processes); a specification of eight KM processes applicable to ODS in the Colombian context, in accordance with the structure defined in the ISO/IEC 15504 standard, that is, in terms of their purposes and their expected results of their successful implementation; and a specification of the relationships architecture between the eight KM processes that conform the model. With the results of this research, the Colombian Software Industry has a model to think or rethink their KM processes with the aim of improving and maximizing the potential of knowledge in this sector. Also, this research provides a baseline for the current state KM processes in organizations in this sector, which serves as a comparator and reference point to consider the design and execution of initiatives to implement KM processes. Meanwhile, the research community on software processes and KM processes has the MRPGC a reference that could be used as the foundation and starting point for developing further research initiatives. Also, the methodological design used in this research can provide guidance for performing studies in the area.Doctorad

Knowledge Management Capability framework

This paper presents a Knowledge Management Capability framework based upon an empirical case study conducted at a CMM Level 5 software project organisation. The paper discusses the development of the organisation's knowledge management (KM) initiative from its initial state, to an organisational state where the KM practices are institutionalised and embedded within the daily activities and work methods of the organisation. The organisation's KM initiative is analysed through the development of two KM capabilities, namely infrastructure and processes, which were examined in depth while conducting the case study, and form the basis for the KM Capability Framework. The resulting framework helps organisations to analyse any imbalance that may exist in their KM initiative and needs to be addressed. In doing so, the framework benefits organisations in making corrections and restoring balance between their KM infrastructure and process capabilities, thereby improving the path of successful KM implementation towards a state of organisational KM capability

Knowledge management capability framework.

This paper presents a Knowledge Management Capability framework based upon an empirical case study conducted at a CMM Level 5 software project organisation. The paper discusses the development of the organisations knowledge management (KM) initiative from its initial state, to an organisational state where the KM practices are institutionalised and embedded within the daily activities and work methods of the organisation. The organisations KM initiative is analysed through the development of two KM capabilities, namely infrastructure and processes, which were examined in depth while conducting the case study, and form the basis for the KM Capability Framework. The resulting framework helps organisations to analyse any imbalance that may exist in their KM initiative and needs to be addressed. In doing so, the framework benefits organisations in making corrections and restoring balance between their KM infrastructure and process capabilities, thereby improving the path of successful KM implementation towards a state of organisational KM capability