A QUESTION OF METHODOLOGY – CREATING A CUSTOMIZED ROLLOUT-METHOD FOR A COLLABORATION PORTAL IN A DISTRIBUTED ENVIRONMENT

Cassidian Electronics, a globally operating business unit of EADS, aimed to implement a collaborative portal for its quality management department. After conducting a successful pilot phase producing a prototype for a small number of users it soon became apparent that a large scale roll-out would not be feasible without proper methodological support. As no methodology was available to be used directly, an evaluation process was started and two champion methodologies (PADEM of Fraunhofer Institut and G&K - Großman and Koschek) were identified. A framework was developed to transparently compare the merits of each methodology and G&K selected as the most suitable. This paper presents the selection process as well as the case study describing the adaption mechanism and subsequent application of G&K for the roll-out of a large scale distributed collaboration portal in a high quality environment. A key lesson learned is the strong benefit of an agile method for portal implementations and roll-outs to ensure high user satisfaction and technology acceptance leading to measurable financial benefits

Factors Influencing the Implementation and Use of a Portal for Knowledge Management in Higher Education

This study investigates the factors affecting the implementation and use of a portal to assist knowledge management objectives in higher education. The study explored factors influencing knowledge distribution by deriving a conceptual framework consisting of four (4) dimensions: knowledge volume, knowledge quality, knowledge dissemination, and information system management. This study found that there are many factors influencing the selection and structure of information and knowledge. The importance of information quality was also addressed and the study found that while it is imperative for a portal to focus on quality information, accountability for quality assurance of information rests with organizational policy imperatives. The study explored knowledge dissemination techniques available via portals and identified that personalisation of knowledge is a high priority. The characteristic of a portal to integrate many systems into one central repository and provide users with their personal view of many systems was acknowledged as a productive means to distribute information within a higher education institution

Mecanismos da gestão do conhecimento para avaliação dos portais hospitalares universitários do nordeste brasileiro

Hospital portals that manage health related data are becoming increasingly popular since they play an important role to provide, acquire and exchange information to its users. This study aims to verify how the hospital portals are contributing to the expansion of users knowledge by the analysis of interactive features associated with three mechanisms of knowledge management: Knowledge Access (KA); Knowledge Creation (KC); and Knowledge Transfer (KT). The study is exploratory, descriptive and qualitative, classified as a survey, and involves the standardization of data collection instruments (questionnaires and interviews) applied directly to people of a particular population to evaluate the knowledge management the portals present on the university hospitals from northeastern of Brazil. The results indicated that the proceeds of access to knowledge (AK) prevailed over other confirming the results found on the Asians and Americans hospital portals. Neste trabalho objetiva-se verificar de que forma os portais hospitalares universitários localizados no Nordeste Brasileiro estão contribuindo para a ampliação do conhecimento de seus usuários a partir da análise de recursos interativos associados aos três mecanismos da gestão do conhecimento: Acesso ao Conhecimento (AC), Criação de Conhecimento (CC) e Transferência de Conhecimento (TC). O estudo é do tipo exploratório, descritivo e qualitativo, classificando-se como um Survey, cujo modelo desenvolvido através de uma adaptação de Lee, Goh e Chua (2007), que envolve a padronização de instrumentos de coleta de dados (questionários e entrevistas) aplicados diretamente às pessoas de uma população específica, para avaliar as ferramentas de gestão de conhecimento presentes nos portais hospitalares universitários da região Nordeste do Brasil. Os resultados indicaram que os recursos provenientes de acesso ao conhecimento foram mais prevalentes que os demais, ratificando os resultados encontrados nas analises feitas por Lee, Goh e Chua (2007) nos portais hospitalares asiaticos e norte-americanos

Understanding Technology Decision Making

Recent innovations have integrated information and communication technology (ICT) into the fabric of people’s daily lives. Wireless technology, with its constant presence and transcendence of geographical boundaries, has profoundly influenced people’s behavior and the consumption of technology and related services. During the past few years, wireless technologies have shifted from simple devices offering mobile phone calling to multipurpose devices that incorporate the capabilities of other devices. The multiple uses of these devices, coupled with the blurring of the work-home and utilitarianhedonic technology, creates the need for a new understanding of technology adoption and use...

A gestão do capital intelectual: factor determinante da competividade das PME em rede

Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências Sociais na especialidade de Comportamento OrganizacionalA compreensão dos factores determinantes da sustentabilidade organizacional ocupa esta investigação, incidindo no estudo do capital intelectual, tema de crescente importância nas organizações. Com o recurso a dois estudos de caso (um transversal a vários sectores, durante 5 anos e outro focado no subsector das agências de viagens e turismo, ao longo de 4 anos), num total de 6295 questionários, encontra - se evidência científica sobre a relação do capital intelectual e o incremento da produtividade organizaci onal. O elemento diferenciador das organizações reside na combinação de 4 factores (capital individual, de processos, de clientes e de equipa): a parceria efectiva com os clientes permite antecipar as suas necessidades e melhorar a qualidade; a melhoria co ntínua dos processos possibilita a optimização dos recursos; o incremento do trabalho em equipa faz emergir soluções multidisciplinares; e a existência de políticas potenciadoras dos talentos individuais promove a diferenciação e inovação. Conclui - se que a s organizações que adoptam políticas efectivas de gestão do capital intelectual apresentam melhores indicadores de criação de valorABSTRACT This research is dedicated to the understanding of organizational sustainability, a n increasingly important issue within organizations. Using two case studies (one study is transversal to various areas and comprehends a five years period; and the other focuses on travel agencies for a period of four years) and 6295 questionnaires, there i s scientific evidence of the connection between intellectual capital and the increase of organizational productivity. The combination of 4 factors lies on the companies distinct elements: individual capital, procedure, clients and team. Effective partnersh ip with clients allows organizations to anticipate their clients needs as well to improve quality. Improving processes allows optimizing of resources and increasing team work helps to get multidisciplinary solutions. On the other hand, investing in individ ual talent can improve innovation levels. In conclusion, it can be said that those organizations that adopt effective policies of intellectual capital management show better levels of value creation

The impact of organisational climate on information communication technology support for knowledge management

Knowledge management (KM) has emerged as a vital concept for improving organizational performance through better use of knowledge and for minimizing the loss of valuable knowledge when employees leave. Information communication technology (ICT) is often seen as a key enabler of KM. However, ICT alone cannot make organizations more 'knowledgeable'; nor can it create the necessary trust and interpersonal environment necessary to achieve an optimally effective network. Thus, KM 'solutions' may fail to meet their expectations. Much of the literature in this field addresses the question of why the relationship between ICT and KM is so problematic. Many authors identify 'culture' as the most significant barrier to effective KM implementation. Only a few authors identify the right organizational 'climate' as the key to persuade people to create, reveal, share and use knowledge. However, too little attention has been paid to the impact of climate on technological support for KM; hence, the objective of this study is to explore the relationships between organizational climate, ICT support and KM. This study utilizes a mixed method that would capture an 'overall picture' of knowledge management in the case of one Saudi Arabian organization. While chiefly a qualitative study, quantitative data were used to assist in answering the research question that concerned the diagnosis of organizational climate. Because our understanding of the development of knowledge management is incomplete, particularly in the context of Saudi Arabia, the research reported here is exploratory in nature. At the heart of this thesis is a detailed analysis of the overarching aim of this study: to examine the impact of the organizational climate on information communication technology support for knowledge management. This issue is of considerable importance for the contemporary business environment and practice. The empirical investigation focuses upon the extent and utility of knowledge management activities and information communication technologies in an R&D centre located in Saudi Arabia. This investigation was supported by a survey that asks respondents to reflect on their current work climate, and to elaborate on their perceptions of the climate regarding knowledge management activities. Of 150 people who were invited to take part, 77 participants completed the questionnaire in 2007. Alongside this, 34 interviewees took part in the qualitative semi-structured investigation; the interviews were carried out to explore the research question above in more depth. In 2008, an additional 17 semi-structured qualitative interviews were undertaken with the aim of understanding in further depth the impact of organizational climate on information communication technology support for knowledge management. This brought the total number of interview participants to 51. The empirical findings of this study indicate that organizational climate plays an important role in affecting the dynamics and ease of access of knowledge management initiatives through the use of ICT support. This can be done by shaping employees' attitudes, behaviour and feelings, which characterize life in the organization. Results also identify the methods through which ICT supports knowledge management. Based on the findings, the results of this study further suggest some improvements for knowledge management practices. This study provides a better understanding of the relationship between organizational climate, information communication technology and knowledge management practices