The Extended Knowledge Management Adoption Model.

Knowledge Management (KM) adoption theory, research and practice appears to have its primary foundations in generic organisational change theory. Recent research into KM adoption by individuals indicates diffusion of innovation theory may better explain individual adoption. This paper presents the Extended KM Adoption (EKMA) model and proposed research to test and further develop this model. The EKMA is a research framework which recognises the changing dynamics at play across four phases in the lifecycle of KM adoption by organisations. The EKMA model builds on research into the factors that influence the volitional adoption by individuals of KM

Factors affecting the adoption and practice of knowledge management in the life insurance industry in Taiwan

In the trend of globalization and coordination of banks, insurance and security companies, Taiwan life insurance industry has been facing tremendous competitive pressure. As a result of the shift from focusing on tangible resources to intangible resources, enterprises are seeking for gaining more and more competitive advantages through managing and maximizing their most valuable asset, i.e., knowledge. While knowledge management (KM) has been used and operated in the business world for decades, its applications, which involve recognition of knowledge, development of information system and support of organization, have just been initiated in Taiwan life insurance industry recently. The issues of knowledge management have been discussed widely by a number of researchers. However, there is a genuine lack of knowledge management adoption and practice model for the life insurance industry. This study addresses this research gap via conducting empirical surveys with an embedded qualitative field study among the life insurance enterprises in Taiwan. The research aims to examine the value of knowledge, perception of knowledge management and the factors of knowledge management adoption and practice in the context of Taiwan life insurance industry.The research was carried out in three main phases. In the first phase, a tentative research model was developed through a comprehensive literature review. A qualitative field study was then undertaken to fine-tune the research model. Six life insurance companies participated in the field study, resulting in ten interviews with key persons in the companies. A semi-structured interview protocol was used to collect the data. Via the procedures of content analysis, twelve factors and ninety-three variables were identified from the field study. The combined research model was thus developed by incorporating the results from the field study and the tentative research model which was proposed based on the extensive literature review.In the second phase, a questionnaire was developed, according to the combined research model. The research instrument was pilot tested by surveying several managers and staff in a life insurance company in Taiwan. The findings from the empirical pilot survey indicated that the research instrument was relatively reliable. However, some minor amendments were made based on the feedback from pilot test.In the third phase, a nation-wide main survey was administered among 605 managers and staff within different departments and sections in the life insurance companies in Taiwan. 362 valid responses were collected in this phase which yielded a 59.8% effective response rate. The national survey data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares (PLS) based Structural Equation Modeling technique.The findings revealed that “environments and industrial factors”, “knowledge management promotion” as well as “cultural factors” significantly influenced the “perceived usefulness” of knowledge management. However, the effect of the “complexity” concerning knowledge management on employees’ attitudes toward its adoption was found to be insignificant in this study. It was “individual characteristics”, “perceived usefulness” and “subjective norm” that significantly influenced the employees’ attitudes toward knowledge management adoption. It thus implied that the employees would attempt to overcome the difficulties involved in knowledge management as it was perceived useful for them and there was an environment in which knowledge management activities were valued and encouraged. Moreover, the results indicated that “attitude toward KM adoption” significantly influenced knowledge management practice, which in turn affected the perceived performance of the organization.The research model well explained how knowledge management was adopted and applied in Taiwan life insurance enterprises. This study thus contributes significantly to the existing literature since there was little research available in investigating life insurance enterprises’ adopting and applying knowledge management. In the meantime, the findings of this study also provide managerial implications to the life insurance business, particularly that embarking on knowledge management in Taiwan. Finally, the applications of this study can be extended through further adaptation in other financial industries and various geographic contexts

The adoption process in management innovation: A Knowledge Management case study

is based on the findings of a study that explores and discusses in depth a Knowledge Management programme that was introduced within a large distributed public sector agency in Europe. The aim of this research was to provide insight into the adoption process associated with management innovation. A qualitative case study strategy generates an account of the process of adoption through three phases (initiation; implementation; and outcomes), the episodes within each phase, and decision-makingacross the entire process. The findings contribute to the development of an extended and refined model of the process of adoption of management innovation through the consideration of the labelling, sequence and transition of phases and episodes, and decisionmaking.In this extended and refined model there are three phases with nine episodes, two of which are recursive; the phasesoccur in a linear sequence but may overlap, whilst the episodes occur in a non-linear sequence; and decision-making occurs within episodes, between phases, and between episodes. The study makes three primary contributions to knowledge. First, it considersthe process of adoption (as opposed to the more commonly examined process of generation) of management innovation. Second, it identifies decision-making related to the changes required for adoption of a management innovation. Finally, it develops a model ofthe process of adoption of management innovation that includes decision-making. In addition, the output of the study can be used as a tool for project management by identifying the questions to be addressed, and the decisions to be made, at particular points ofthe management innovation process, taking into account local contexts

Analysis of behavioral intention to use cloud-based tools in a MOOC: a technology acceptance model approach

MOOC students' adoption of cloud-based tools has the potential to enrich the learning process and enhance the management of knowledge. The aims of this study are to evaluate the behavioral intention to use cloud-based tools in MOOC context, and to explore the factors that influence this intention, based on extended technology of acceptance model (TAM). This paper reports the findings of a case study conducted on the edX platform. Survey data collected from 133 end-users were analyzed by using structured equation modeling (SEM) to validate the causal relationship among the various constructs of the research model proposed. The findings suggested that the perceived ease of use and the perceived usefulness influence the attitude toward the cloud-based tools used in a MOOC.This study has been co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, project MOOC-Maker (561533-EPP-1-2015-1-ES-EPPKA2- CBHE-JP

Transforming traditional CRM into social CRM: an empirical investigation in Iraqi healthcare industry

The unprecedented growth of social media usage questions the conventional customer relationship management (CRM). Social CRM strategy is a novel version of CRM empowered by social media technology that offers a new way of managing relationships with customers effectively. The aims of this study are two-fold, examining the important determinants of the successful adoption of the social CRM; and to validate the outcomes on this novel social CRM adoption in the healthcare industry. The proposed adoption model of this study derived with theoretical support from TOE, DOI and ISS theories in IS/IT, social media, and CRM literatures. This undertaking focuses on the use of structural equations modelling, to examine a theoretical social CRM (Social Customer Relationship Management) model involving 17 Iraqi hospitals, and a sample total of 428. The model's principal independent constructs are associated to the viewpoint of top management, IT staff and operational staff, regarding the grounds for social CRM adoption, the operations performed on social CRM, and the themes employed. PLS-SEM was applied for statistical analysis, to evaluate the hypnotized linkages between the variables. The results show that, social CRM adoption has a tremendous impact on healthcare organizations with its perceived benefits. According to the results attained, all constructs have significant impact on social CRM adoption except for leadership knowledge. Consequently, adoption results in remarkable outcomes that gives credence to the intervening performance of social CRM. Following an examination of the model, which included a scrutiny of its pathways, we are of the view that the concerns, past history, and potential let-downs with regards to social CRM adoption, need to be thoroughly investigated. This study is one of the few researches that provide the in-depth knowledge about the constructs impacting CRM transformation and the benefits attained. The results can guide healthcare providers during their efforts to develop effective marketing techniques, and advance the perceived benefits, particularly in the healthcare profession. Moreover, this study contributes to the IS literature by suggesting the empirically extended TOE model which advances the conventional TOE model

Knowledge Reuse Through Electronic Knowledge Repositories: An Empirical Study And Ontological Improvement Effort For The Manufacturing Industry

Knowledge management adoption is growing, and will continue to grow in no small part because of its recent inclusion into the ISO 9001 quality standard. As organizations look towards ways in which to manage their knowledge, the codification of explicit knowledge through Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) and Electronic Knowledge Repositories (EKRs) will undoubtedly gain more interest. An EKR is a form of KMS that emphasizes the codification and storage of organizational expertise for the purposes of Knowledge Reuse (KRU). Unfortunately, the factors surrounding KRU are not well understood. While previous studies have viewed EKR usage from a narrow perspective, a broader and interconnected view of KRU via EKRs has yet to emerge. Additionally, while there have been numerous benefits linked to EKRs, there are still issues that limit their utility, particularly in the manufacturing arena where information complexity and geography have made it increasingly difficult to share knowledge. Hence, this research employed a two pronged approach. First, using a multi-theoretical perspective to model KRU via EKRs, a quantitative study was conducted and identified several socio-technical factors that predicted greater KRU. These factors had not been previously modeled within the context of KRU via EKRs, and hence add to both the theoretical and practical implications of the domain. Additionally, the KRU construct was also tied to a back end resulting outcome view that was informed by the Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM). Through this view, the research quantitatively validated that KRU not only predicted greater performance, but also impacted greater knowledge sharing and continuance of use. This ancillary benefit helps to reinforce the importance of EKRs in that additional gains are manifested along with the core component of KRU. Second, the research extended the capability of manufacturing EKRs by developing a holistic design and process based ontology that connects key concepts within these domains to provide an overall interconnected view. Additionally, to ensure the relevance of the ontology, a mature and globally recognized industry standard was used as the basis to develop it. The ontology was then formalized and tested via Semantic Web tools: Protege, RDF, and SPARQL. The results demonstrate an improved approach to knowledge recall by providing rich and accurate query returns. The ability to use standalone and federated queries to effectively cull the complexity of this interconnected domain is an enhancement to keyword based and traditional relational database approaches. Additionally, to assist with greater industry adoption a systematic and constructive approach for developing and operationalizing the ontology is provided. Finally, in the spirit of the program in which this dissertation is presented, rounding out the research effort are broader organizational management recommendations for overall knowledge management. Referencing industry targeted literature and syncing them with findings from these two research efforts, several pragmatic and sequentially logical approaches to knowledge management are offered

Development of an Extended Product Lifecycle Management through Service Oriented Architecture.

Organised by: Cranfield UniversityThe aim of this work is to define new business opportunities through the concept of Extended Product Lifecycle Management (ExtPLM), analysing its potential implementation within a Service Oriented Architecture. ExtPLM merges the concepts of Extended Product, Avatar and PLM. It aims at allowing a closer interaction between enterprises and their customers, who are integrated in all phases of the life cycle, creating new technical functionalities and services, improving both the practical (e.g. improving usage, improving safety, allowing predictive maintenance) and the emotional side (e.g. extreme customization) of the product.Mori Seiki – The Machine Tool Company; BAE Systems; S4T – Support Service Solutions: Strategy and Transitio

Investigating e-procurement barriers within six Saudi Arabian SMEs

Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Bedfordshire.This study aims to investigate factors affecting the adoption of e-procurement in Saudi Arabian SMEs. The study adopted the Gunasekaran and Ngai (2009) model as a theoretical framework and foundation for the research to investigate current status and readiness, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, perceived critical success factors and perceived future organisational performance. Through an extensive literature review and detailed data analysis, the study extended the model to incorporate perceived cultural and external factors that were found to be necessary for the adoption of e-procurement in Saudi Arabian SMEs. Through case studies and AHP analysis, the proposed model elements were validated and prioritised in the Saudi Arabian context. Three different methods were adopted for data collection. First, an exploratory study was conducted to understand the current status of e-procurement and provide an overview of the factors that affect the adoption of e-procurement using the Gunasekaran and Ngai (2009) model.Second, a detailed survey was conducted to find the relative importance of various factors related to each of the five elements of the Gunasekaran and Ngai (2009) model. Third, detailed interviews were conducted across four selected SMEs to gain an insight into the factors that affect the adoption of e-procurement. The results of the exploratory study were helpful in identifying perceived factors that affect the adoption of e-procurement. Detailed survey analysis using AHP validated the theoretical framework and the relevance of the factors of the Gunasekaran and Ngai (2009) model. However, some of the factors were found to be more important than in the Gunasekaran and Ngai (2009) model, while others were less important. Results of the qualitative study (interviews) found additional factors that were relevant to each of the five elements of the GN model. They further suggested that “Current e-procurement activities” was an additional factor in the “current status and readiness” element and “Increased transparency” was an additional factor in the “perceived benefits” element. Similarly, the analysis of the qualitative results found two additional factors in the “perceived barriers” element (i.e. absence of e-procurement specific laws and regulations and lack of trust in the electronic transfer of funds), three additional critical success factors (i.e. cost-benefit analysis of the solution, technical maturity of the marketplace and user-friendliness of the solution) and two additional factors in perceived future organisational performance (i.e. strategic alliance and networking and knowledge management and data warehousing). Further, analysis of the qualitative findings revealed two additional elements (i.e. perceived external and perceived cultural factors). The study thus suggests that organisational culture, cultural inertia and business culture of the country are three important cultural factors that are perceived to affect the adoption of e-procurement, while government support, having one’s own postal addresses and delivery services, providing secure and trustworthy online payment options, low cost and high speed internet connection, suppliers’ willingness and readiness, pressure from competitors, policy and regulations are the seven important perceived external factors that affect the adoption of e-procurement in Saudi Arabian SMEs. The results of the qualitative data analysis led to the development of an extended Gunasekaran and Ngai (2009) model to incorporate perceived culture and perceived external factors. The study has significant implications in terms of further e-procurement research for SMEs in Saudi Arabia and also its adoption in the developing world in general

Intention to use mobile customer relationship management systems

© Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the behavioral intentions of business-to-business (B2B) sales managers to use mobile customer relationship management (CRM) systems in the course of their day-to-day activities. Design/methodology/approach - An extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) of mobile CRM system adoption is developed and tested with data from 105 international sales managers representing five B2B companies. Findings - The study extends the TAM framework with three additional constructs derived from mobile technology and sales force automation literature, namely personal innovativeness in the domain of IT, perceived risk, and perceived reachability. The model demonstrates that personal innovativeness and perceived reachability have significant effects on the TAM framework. Research limitations/implications - The relatively small sample size limits the generalization of the results. Practical implications - Sales managers' intention to adopt mobile CRM can be explained by the extended TAM framework. Understanding the key factors that influence intention to adopt a mobile CRM system will aid companies in implementing it among their sales force. Companies willing to foster adoption of a mobile CRM system among the sales force could focus on communicating the usefulness of using the system and benefits gained from enhanced reachability. Recruiting sales people with strong personal innovativeness is beneficial. Originality/value - This study responds the calls for studies on mobile platforms and on the use of mobile B2B applications in sales force management. It is among the first attempts to incorporate variables derived from mobile technology acceptance literature among the sales force into the TAM framework, to better explain acceptance of mobile CRM systems