Disruptive Innovation: Enabling Practitioners to Tackle the "Innovators Dilemma" With Graphical Techniques - A Focus on Resource Allocation

This paper presents the findings of part of a 30 month investigation, conducted to better understand the persistent failure of management practitioners to fund potentially disruptive innovations. A Mode 2 case study strategy was employed. The iterative transfer of knowledge, between four industrial cases and academia, has successfully culminated in new academic understanding of disruptive innovation and guidance for practitioners. It was found that funding decisions are mainly constrained by mental not physical processes. Organisations wishing to pursue disruptive innovations can challenge psychological attachments to incrementalism, and overcome the funding barrier, with a holistic understanding delivered through graphical portfolio tools

Organizational knowledge transfer through creation, mobilization and diffusion: A case analysis of InTouch within Schlumberger

There is a paucity of theory for the effective management of knowledge transfer within large organisations. Practitioners continue to rely upon ‘experimental’ approaches to address the problem. This research attempts to reduce the gap between theory and application, thereby improving conceptual clarity for the transfer of knowledge. The paper, through an in-depth case analysis conducted within Schlumberger, studies the adoption of an intranet-based knowledge management (KM) system (called InTouch) to support, strategically align and transfer knowledge resources. The investigation was undertaken through the adoption of a robust methodological approach (abductive strategy) incorporating the role of technology as an enabler of knowledge management application. Consequently, the study addressed the important question of translating theoretical benefits of KM into practical reality. The research formulates a set of theoretical propositions which are seen as key to the development of an effective knowledge based infrastructure. The findings identify 30 generic attributes that are essential to the creation, mobilisation and diffusion of organisational knowledge. The research makes a significant contribution to identifying a theoretical and empirically based agenda for successful intranet-based KM which will be of benefit to both the academic and practitioner communities. The paper also highlights and proposes important areas for further research

The Importance of Strategic Fit in Knowledge Management

Whilst a great deal of academic research and many methods used by consultants and practitioners in knowledge management have focused on developing successful strategies, few have reviewed strategic-fit. This project aims to fill this gap. A survey of over 150 organisations discovers distinct variations in the knowledge orientation of organisations with different strategic approaches. These findings support the notion that in order to achieve a more effective KM strategy it is important to match this closely to the strategic needs of the organisation. One size does not fit all. The study identifies a number of success factors for each of four strategic types of organisation and describes how these are correlated with overall performance. The focus is on adaptability to changes in the external environment and more generally on business agilit

Relationship marketing: the need for convergence in conceptual thinking and validation in practice

A generation has passed since the term relationship marketing was first defined, yet this concept remains illusive, fragmented, and dominated by isolated theoretical frameworks. As this paradigm moves uneasily into its second generation, it is now increasingly characterised by a polarization of opinion and would be better served by focusing on resolving two fundamental issues. Firstly, there needs to be some form of consensus and convergence in thinking regarding the actual nature of the paradigm in order to direct future research activities toward common ground and replication among its various conceptualisations. Secondly, this convergent position in the paradigm needs to be communicated to the practitioner more coherently in an attempt to move it from being an academic discipline and into the jurisdiction of the practitioner and implementable validity. The purpose of this paper is to articulate a new, but more importantly, convergent conceptual framework for relationship marketing. It draws on a range of traditional and contemporary theory, and importantly, considers how this theoretical base was used in a practitioner environment when developing a relationship marketing strategy. The convergent framework presented in this paper comprises of three fundamental elements, from which past and future research can be (re)focused, developed and extended to produce a paradigm that can be subjected to more rigorous and extensive interrogation. This paper takes a strategic, reflective and organisational look at relationship marketing and contributes to existing knowledge by proposing three fundamental elements, (Organisational Customer Focus, Customer Management Focus and Customer Knowledge Focus) which if successfully integrated by organisations, will converge to produce an effective relationship marketing strategy

Systemic organisational knowledge management: an action research study in a high-performance sport institute

Knowledge management (KM) is increasingly gaining significance in the academic and professional realms as a source of organisational competitive advantage. However, despite the promise of competitive advantage, knowledge management initiatives can sometimes be unsuccessful. Historically, the discipline of knowledge management has multidisciplinary roots in various organisational sciences. Added to that, there exist multiple definitions and perspectives in the field, all influencing the way in which knowledge management is implemented in organisations. Further, the organisational context in turn plays a key role in outlining the knowledge management strategy. As such, there is a lack of a standard framework for knowledge management implementation, adding to the dilemma of how organisations plan and implement knowledge management.The knowledge management literature points to the need for an integrated effort for knowledge management implementation, embracing the complexity inherent in the field marked by the interconnectedness of multiple critical success factors, networks of knowledge and the critical role of knowledge management in facilitating competitive advantage. Knowledge audits have been cited as the critical first step in the design and implementation of knowledge management practice. However, the current knowledge audit methodologies in the literature predominantly adopt a systematic, snapshot and fragmented approach to inquiry conducted by external consultants in order to recommend and design independent knowledge management solutions. This appears to be at odds with the need for an integrated effort for knowledge management implementation.This research contributes to the knowledge audit literature by rethinking the audit methodology. A knowledge management review methodology is proposed emphasising a systemic and iterative approach to inquiry, facilitated by the embeddedness of the researcher in the context. The study contributes by arguing that knowledge management practice that is systemically embedded across the organisation is more likely to be sustainable and resilient to changes in the context and provide continuous competitive advantage. The knowledge management review methodology draws from an interaction of three action research approaches, insider action research, systemic action research and critical participatory action research, to contribute to theoretical understanding and practice of knowledge audits.The research is conducted in a high-performance sport institute where the researcher was embedded as an employee. The case study organisation is further recognised as a knowledge intensive firm and a public-sector organisation, with specialised and esoteric knowledge that interacts in multilinear ways to facilitate the attainment of the organisation’s strategic objectives. As such, the case study organisation presents a unique opportunity to conduct and review the methodology for informing their knowledge management practice. The iterative and systemic approach to inquiry, facilitated by the interaction between the three action research approaches, was instrumental in simultaneously enhancing the learning across the organisation and facilitating systemic organisational knowledge management.The research further positions itself amongst the ongoing debates on the future of the discipline of knowledge management, emphasising true systemic integration of knowledge management practice in the organisational context, functions and objectives for sustained competitive advantage.</div

Construction informatics in Turkey: strategic role of ICT and future research directions

Construction Informatics deals with subjects ranging from strategic management of ICTs to interoperability and information integration in the construction industry. Studies on defining research directions for Construction Informatics have a history over 20 years. The recent studies in the area highlight the priority themes for Construction Informatics research as interoperability, collaboration support, intelligent sites and knowledge sharing. In parallel, today it is widely accepted in the Architecture/Engineering/Construction (AEC) industry that ICT is becoming a strategic asset for any organisation to deliver business improvement and achieve sustainable competitive advantage. However, traditionally the AEC industry has approached investing in ICT with a lack of strategic focus and low level of priority to the business. This paper presents a recent study from Turkey that is focused on two themes. The first theme investigates the strategic role of ICT implementations from an industrial perspective, and explores if organisations within the AEC industry view ICT as a strategic resource for their business practice. The second theme investigates the ‘perspective of academia’ in terms of future research directions of Construction Informatics. The results of the industrial study indicates that ICT is seen as a value-adding resource, but a shift towards the recognition of the importance of ICT in terms of value adding in winning work and achieving strategic competitive advantage is observed. On the other hand, ICT Training is found to be the theme of highest priority from the academia point of view

Re-conceptualising strategy in design management education

The aim of this paper is to explain the current place of ‘strategy’ in design management education in the UK. The research questions concern the extent to which design management education meets the needs of future strategic roles in management and secondly the ways in which design management education is keeping abreast with current theory and practice of management strategy. The paper draws on research from a UK research council project, The Metamorphosis of Design Management Network (MDMN).The methodology uses a qualitative approach to analyse the transcripts and activities undertaken in symposia over a five year period from 2007-2012, with a focus on four events held from 2010-12. The findings on education and strategic designer development were matched against the content analysis of strategy in conference papers presented at British Academy of Management from 2009-13. The findings demonstrate the exposure of students to organisations and different design contexts. However other strategic management developments in strategy-as-practice, dynamic capabilities and scenario building provide new opportunities to extend design management education. The conclusion summarises the opportunities for design education and the development of students as strategic designers through new interdisciplinary approaches