Knowledge-Based Organization Evaluation

Knowledge has become the main value driver for organizations nowadays. In particular, knowledge-based organizations (KBOs) allocate resources for intangible assets (e.g., R&D) in the rapidly changing and highly competitive environment in order to gain competitive advantages. Therefore, how to evaluate knowledge-based organizations has become one of the most important issues in knowledge management. This paper aims to provide a framework for the evaluation of KBOs under uncertainty, using the state-ofthe- art methodology in Real Options. We specify the unique features of KBOs and explain their value drivers. This paper makes three contributions: (1) it bridges the gaps existent in the knowledge management literature on evaluating knowledge capital, (2) it provides a systematic application of Real Options models in the context of knowledge-based organization evaluation, (3) it uses a real world case to demonstrate the implications of the main findings for management

KNOWLEDGE STRATEGIES TOOLS FOR MANAGING ENTERPRISE CRISIS

The current economy is granting a widely interest to any activities involving knowledge. In the recent years, the number of the so-called knowledge-based organizations has reached a phenomenal rate of growth. Along with knowledge organizations, knowledge management started to play an important role in building the business strategy. Current paper identifies the knowledge gaps which threaten companies’ existence and underlines some knowledge tools based on competency-models to mitigate these gaps. Some statistical measurements for quantifying the strategic impact of using such intelligent tools are also described.knowledge, management, enterprises, crisis, competences

Knowledge management : critical perspectives on e-business activities

This article is both a review and an agenda-setting piece. It argues that knowledge management suffers from conceptual and definitional ambiguity, oversimplification of its development processes, and methodological limitations. Nevertheless, there is a consensus in business and academia that knowledge is a key component of success and allows firms to achieve and sustains competitive advantages. In a digital era, these advantages arise from the potential of data and information that can be gathered, processed, shared, and used to improve e-business activities. Thus, this research bridges the gap in the assessment of knowledge management and e-business relationship, by applying an SEM to a large database sample of KM activities performed by European firms.N/

Knowledge IT-based Cycle and Territorial Digital Patterns Influence

Knowledge management, competitive intelligence, data mining are all buzzwords in a more digital and complex world. Nowadays, digital information and IT-based knowledge creation and application are present in most successful business initiatives. Unveil the surrounding factors of these successes is critical and therefore, this article discusses the relationship of digital patterns to knowledge management creation and application. It argues that some of the enablers and inhibitors come from firms’ regional and/or local environment. Understanding the factors that determine technology and knowledge management adoption is thus a highly relevant topic from the policy point of view. Considering the growing impact of e-business on regions, this research sets the background for the assessment of the relationship among ICT, knowledge management, and e-business practices

Knowledge, technology and innovation cycle

There is a common thought both in business and academia that some factos such as technology, innovation and knowledge are key components of success and allowing firms to achieve and sustain competitive advantages. There is a considerable amount of research performed around these three concepts and some of them analyzed their relationship. However, it still suffers from oversimplification of its development processes and methodological limitations. Nevertheless, there is a consensus in business and academia that knowledge is a key component of success and allows firms to achieve and sustains competitive advantages. In a digital era, these advantages arise from the potential of data and information that can be gathered, processed, shared, and used to improve e-business activities. Thus, this research bridges the gap in the assessment of knowledge management and e-business relationship, by applying an SEM to a large database sample of KM activities performed by European firms

DIPKIP: A connectionist Knowledge Management System to Identify Knowledge Deficits in Practical Cases

This study presents a novel, multidisciplinary research project entitled DIPKIP (data acquisition, intelligent processing, knowledge identification and proposal), which is a Knowledge Management (KM) system that profiles the KM status of a company. Qualitative data is fed into the system that allows it not only to assess the KM situation in the company in a straightforward and intuitive manner, but also to propose corrective actions to improve that situation. DIPKIP is based on four separate steps. An initial “Data Acquisition” step, in which key data is captured, is followed by an “Intelligent Processing” step, using neural projection architectures. Subsequently, the “Knowledge Identification” step catalogues the company into three categories, which define a set of possible theoretical strategic knowledge situations: knowledge deficit, partial knowledge deficit, and no knowledge deficit. Finally, a “Proposal” step is performed, in which the “knowledge processes”—creation/acquisition, transference/distribution, and putting into practice/updating—are appraised to arrive at a coherent recommendation. The knowledge updating process (increasing the knowledge held and removing obsolete knowledge) is in itself a novel contribution. DIPKIP may be applied as a decision support system, which, under the supervision of a KM expert, can provide useful and practical proposals to senior management for the improvement of KM, leading to flexibility, cost savings, and greater competitiveness. The research also analyses the future for powerful neural projection models in the emerging field of KM by reviewing a variety of robust unsupervised projection architectures, all of which are used to visualize the intrinsic structure of high-dimensional data sets. The main projection architecture in this research, known as Cooperative Maximum-Likelihood Hebbian Learning (CMLHL), manages to capture a degree of KM topological ordering based on the application of cooperative lateral connections. The results of two real-life case studies in very different industrial sectors corroborated the relevance and viability of the DIPKIP system and the concepts upon which it is founded

The Role of Market Knowledge Type on Product Innovation Performance

While it is understood that market knowledge can positively impact product innovation performance (PIP), a better understanding on the nuanced roles of different aspects of market knowledge is needed. More specifically, we aim to gain an understanding of how different types of market knowledge, such as tacit knowledge, are developed and utilised, especially in high uncertainty environments. This research was conducted with a sample of in-depth interviews with industry experts in new product development in the UK grocery sector (N=8) followed up by a survey of 193 companies from the UK grocery sector. The study proposes two measures of market information-gathering activities (MIGA) and market knowledge volume informed by input from experts in the UK grocery sector. Results show that MIGA have a positive effect on market knowledge volume and specificity. Market knowledge volume and specificity consequently have a direct effect on PIP. Finally, market knowledge tacitness is positively moderated by market uncertainty. That is, market knowledge tacitness is most impactful in high uncertainty environments, but offers limited benefit in low uncertainty environments. This study provides evidence of how market knowledge-gathering activities and types can positively impact new product performance, especially in high uncertainty environments

Framework para compartilhamento de conhecimento sob a ótica de um sistema de representações simbólico

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia e Gestão do Conhecimento, Florianópolis, 2010Esta pesquisa propõe um framework para compartilhamento de conhecimento sob a ótica de um sistema de representações simbólico. A pesquisa é realizada com base em estudos sobre o tema e utiliza a lógica dedutiva para análise dos resultados. É apresentada uma estrutura para compartilhamento de conhecimentos visando integrar as dimensões estruturais (infraestrutura, cultura, processos, capital humano), epistemológica, ontológica e de comunicação. A estrutura, representada pelo framework considera relevante a dimensão comunicação para interligar a organização, promovendo a criação e compartilhamento de conhecimento. A aplicação deste estudo é relevante tanto nos processos de Gestão do Conhecimento, quanto no mapeamento da Engenharia de Conhecimento.This research proposes a framework for knowledge sharing from the perspective of system symbolic of representations. The research is performed based on studies on the subject and uses deductive logic to analyze the results. It presents a framework for sharing knowledge in order to integrate the dimensions structural (infrastructure, processes culture, human capital), epistemological, ontological and communication. The structure, represented by the framework considers relevant dimension communication link to the organization, promoting the creation and sharing of knowledge. The application of this study is relevant both in the process of Knowledge Management, as the mapping of Knowledge Engineerin

Ferramenta para análise do estado de evolução do conhecimento em organizações

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia e Gestão do Conhecimento, Florianópolis, 2009O objetivo fundamental deste trabalho é construir uma ferramenta que permita a autoavaliação (avaliação pelos próprios membros da organização), da evolução do conhecimento sob a estrutura do modelo da cabala, que define o compartilhamento e o fluxo do conhecimento, e a avaliação da tensão nas quatro grandes dimensões: Física; Agente; Processo e Cultura, que compõem uma organização. Para o diagnóstico do estado de evolução do conhecimento são aplicados dois tipos de questionários, um de indicadores, outro de atributos, nos quais os itens são métricas de avaliação dos ativos de conhecimento. As tensões das dimensões são obtidas através da aplicação de questionário próprio que avaliam as tensões das dimensões. Para classificar o estado de evolução da organização é proposto um modelo de evolução do conhecimento com quatro estágios. A abordagem proposta fornece ao gestor a visão do atual estágio de evolução do conhecimento e as tensões das dimensões, indicando a direção das ações corretivas que devem ser propostas. Uma aplicação é realizada e seus resultados discutidos.The main objective of this work is to build a tool that enables to self evaluation (evaluation by the own members of the organization), of knowledge evolution and the dimension tension, under the structure of the cabbala model, which defines the knowledge sharing and flow, and evaluation of tension in the four broad dimension: Physics; Agent, Process and Culture, which make up an organization. For the diagnosis the state of knowledge evolution are applied two kinds of questionnaires, one of indicator, another of attributes, where items are metrics for assessing knowledge assets. The dimensions tensions are obtained through by applying the questionnaire to assess the dimensions tension. To classify the state of knowledge evolution of the organization is proposed a knowledge evolution model, with have four stages. The proposed approach provides the manager to view the current stage of knowledge evolution and the dimensions tensions, indicating the direction of the corrective actions that should be proposed. An application is carried out and his results discussed