467,856 research outputs found

    Effects of Task Complexity, Management System and Infrastructure Support On Knowledge Sharing and Performance Enhancement

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    The acceleration of technological change and trade liberalization in the 1990s have significantly intensified market competition and transformed the world economic infrastructure from a resource- and manufacturing-based economy to one in which knowledge and services are the key drivers of economic growth. In order for an organization to capitalize on its knowledge and truly become a learning organization, it must systematically manage and leverage knowledge existing internally and externally to create and sustain its competitive advantage. Numerous empirical studies on knowledge management have examined the relative effectiveness of various enablers, such as organizational structure, technology, culture, managerial system and strategy for knowledge creation and sharing in organizations. While these studies play a critical role in helping us to appreciate the importance of organizational enablers in knowledge management, they have neglected to examine the possible effects of task complexity and management control system (MCS) on the nature and efficacy of knowledge sharing. Similarly, the role of motivation in the domain of knowledge sharing has been overlooked. This study investigates how task complexity, MCS design and infrastructure influence the mode and effectiveness of knowledge sharing in the accounting profession and the moderating role of an individual's intrinsic motivation on the knowledge sharing process. One thousand (1,000) copIes of structured questionnaires were mailed to the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA)'s members in the Klang Valley in December 2005. Of the 1,000 copies distributed, 120 completed questionnaires were returned to the researcher. After the initial stages of data analysis, follow-up interviews were carried out to obtain further insights to explain the empirical results. This study reveals that task complexity contributes significantly to knowledge sharing. It also highlights that it is not feasible to limit the professional accountants' duties to repetitive or clearly-defined procedural tasks only. Most of the tasks carried out by professional accountants are unstructured tasks which required professional judgment for task performance. While professional accountants are keen to tap into a knowledge-based system in their quest to seek possible solutions to the tasks performed, they generally hesitate to transform their tacit knowledge into a more comprehensible explicit form. The finding suggests that there may be culture-related factors which inhibit the diffusion of tacit knowledge totally and completely. The results also confirm that there is a relationship between MCS and knowledge sharing. However, different styles of MCS affect knowledge sharing differently. An interactive control system seems to support and facilitate knowledge sharing among professional accountants. Another finding of this study indicates that infrastructure has a positive effect on knowledge sharing. The results indicate that professional accountants are more willing to share knowledge within a supportive organizational infrastructure. This study also shows the significant relationship between knowledge sharing and professional competency. The results underscore the distinctive impact that the internalization mode of knowledge sharing has on professional competency. The finding implies that among the four modes of knowledge sharing, internalization is the most prolific mode of knowledge sharing among professional accountants. In addition, the study also finds that professional competency is strongly associated with firm performance. The results reveal that functional competency is the most important predictor of firm performance, particularly in its non-financial performance

    The Role of knowledge management in the Information system

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    We are living in a world in which the knowledge is a precious commodity. The fast pace of the development of the companies both for trade and service require management of the acquired knowledge in the best possible way. This paper would show the influence of the knowledge management in the information system that is what is achieved when knowledge management itself is applied to the information system. The accumulated knowledge in terms of innovation, management of the staff and its training, competitiveness on the wide market and improvement of the level of the business processes and performance tend to change the companies themselves and here the focus will be put what would be achieved by implementing them in the information system. There are points of view that discuss knowledge management and information systems as separate units or correspondent units, here they would be discussed as units that are somehow complementary to one another. The significance of sharing things between the two complementary systems is very important because they provide better access to the required information and in that way the human knowledge is improved in a faster way. Also, it would be given a brief reflection of the level of implementation of the knowledge management in the information systems by the companies in the 21st century and a background would be given on the first attempts of joining the two systems. Nevertheless, positive sides such as: the level of management support, the influence in the organisational structure, planning, design, coordination, and evaluation, and the measure of the benefits and performance indicators, and the negative sides as well would be also discussed

    Impact of Knowledge Management in Supply Chain of Creative Industry

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    Abstract- In Indonesia, creative economies are deemed as the alternative answers to difficulties facing stiff competition mainly brought by the technological revolution. This paper aims to contribute to the debate on the role of knowledge management (KM) in supply chain management. In this research literature focusing on the application of a KM in the supply chain system for creative industry in Indonesia presented. Results showed that KM is a commercial process that is allied to the production of new information and guaranteeing the espousal of the created knowledge in the company whenever it is needed. KM processes facilitate heightened organizational productivity, innovation, customer satisfaction, and enhanced productivity/process improvement in the supply chain context. The above business sustainability variables rely heavily on the capacity of creative workers to share knowledge, traditions, and experiences. Nonetheless, individuals in the creative world are inclined to hoard or hid knowledge for fear of knowledge risk and loss of livelihood. As a result, professional service firms (PSFs) should embrace. Recommendation of adopting nondisclosure or trade secrets’ contracts, patents, and trademarks to prevent creative staff from practicing knowledge hiding and knowledge hoarding, and consequently, promote knowledge sharing

    Organizational Dynamics and the Evolutionary Dilemma between Diversity and Standardization in Mission-Oriented Research Programmes: An Illustration

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    The American NASP programme -- National Aero Space Plane -- is a good illustration of the evolutionary dilemma between variety and standardization in management of mission-oriented R&D. This dilemma relates to the trade-off between the need to explore the technological diversity in order to avoid the risk of being locked-in on the wrong technological option, and the need to share the knowledge produce through the experiments. In this regard, two main organizational designs can be considered: the "mainlining" strategy gathering all the partners in a "club", exploring the potential of one alternative, allowing the sharing knowledge; and a network of simultaneous competing technological projects, allowing a synchronic exploration of the technological variety. The NASP programme was dedicated to the design of radical technology innovation system, and then was basically characterized by a structural uncertainty arising from the structural change it involved in the technological basis. In this case the lack of guide mark resulted from technological discontinuities in the innovation process. Moreover, the research activities were impeded by strong indivisibilities in the research outcomes needed for the design and demonstration of an hypersonic airbreathing propulsion system. This situation was due to the specific properties of the knowledge about hypersonic technology - strong compacity, low scalability and low analogic connections with other scientific and/or technological fields. This creates a strong need for the production of new infratechnologies, instrumentalities and research infrastructures, i.e. infrastructural knowledge and infrastructure facilities. In this case, the adoption of the "mainlining approach" in the management of the programme can be justified

    System properties determine food security and biodiversity outcomes at landscape scale: a case study from West Flores, Indonesia

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    The food-biodiversity nexus is a concept that defines and characterizes the complex interactions between agricultural systems and biodiversity conservation. Here we use a social-ecological systems approach that combines fuzzy cognitive mapping and graph theoretic analyses to uncover system properties that determine food security and biodiversity outcomes at a landscape scale. We studied a rice-based agricultural landscape system situated in Mbeliling district of West Flores, Indonesia. A graphical representation of the Mbeliling district food-biodiversity nexus was created by local experts. The representation revealed system properties that help reconcile the trade-offs between food security and biodiversity conservation. The graph represented a diverse set of food security and biodiversity nodes, and showed that there is not a simple dichotomy between 'production and protection'. The analysis captured greater complexity than popular academic concepts such as land sparing-land sharing or sustainable intensification. Three major themes emerged from the graph. We found distinct clusters of factors influencing biodiversity and food security. We named these sources of influence (1) Modernisation and sustainable farming; (2) Knowledge and management; and (3) Governance and processes. Component 2 was the most representative of emergent system properties that contribute positively to managing a sustainable food-biodiversity nexus in the Mbeliling landscape. The key determinants of outcomes were: improving agronomic practices, diversifying production, maintaining forest cover and connectivity, and using knowledge and natural resource management processes to mitigate the main drivers of change. Our approach highlights the complexities in the food-biodiversity nexus, and could have wide application in other locations

    A social network-based organizational model for improving knowledge management in supply chains

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    Purpose: This paper aims to provide a social network-based model for improving knowledge management in multi-level supply chains formed by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach: This approach uses social network analysis techniques to propose and represent a knowledge network for supply chains. Also, an empirical experience from an exploratory case study in the construction sector is presented. Findings: This proposal improves the establishment of inter-organizational relationships into networks to exchange the knowledge among the companies along the supply chain and create specific knowledge by promoting confidence and motivation. Originality/value: This proposed model is useful for academics and practitioners in supply chain management to gain a better understanding of knowledge management processes, particularly for the supply chains formed by SMEs. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.Capó-Vicedo, J.; Mula, J.; Capó I Vicedo, J. (2011). 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    Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity in South Africa : CSIR case

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    The focus of this paper is traditional knowledge (TK) and indigenous biological resources protection in South Africa, through the analysis of the existing policies and legislations, in order to provide a useful insight for a developed country such as Japan which has recently adopted the guidelines for the protection of TK and biological resources and promotion of access and benefit sharing (ABS). South Africa is the 3rd most diverse country in terms of natural resources, culture and traditions, languages and geology and its comprehensive legislative framework system shows the country\u27s seriousness to safeguard TK and conserve biological resources for future generations. The paper uses the South Africa\u27s government owned research and technology development institution, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), as an example to demonstrate the application of the TK protection and biodiversity conservation (including access and benefit sharing) laws, through case studies approach for lessons learned for other African countries, contemplating creation of their own TK protection and environmental conservation. Due to the repositioning of CSIR within the local and global research and develop, the organisation has adopted Industrialisation Strategy, and TK will play a significant role in technology development and new business models in rural agroprocessing and production to enhance inclusive development (through benefit sharing) and support economic growth. The paper concludes that TK and indigenous biological resources protection through the relevant government laws, as well as value addition to TK and biodiversity through research and development supported by government funding, is necessary for socioeconomic attainment, especially for local and indigenous communities and rural agroprocessing businesses as part of benefit sharing

    Plant Variety Protection in Africa – Towards Compliance with the TRIPS Agreement

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    Thought for Food: the impact of ICT on agribusiness

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    This report outlines the impact of ICT on the food economy. On the basis of a literature review from four disciplines - knowledge management, management information systems, operations research and logistics, and economics - the demand for new ICT applications, the supply of new applications and the match between demand and supply are identified. Subsequently the impact of new ICT applications on the food economy is discussed. The report relates the development of new technologies to innovation and adoption processes and economic growth, and to concepts of open innovations and living lab
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