A Study of Best Practices in Designing and Supporting Effective Organizational Memory Systems

The use of information technologies to support organizational memory and assist in intelligence analysis and decision making has been examined by several authors (e.g., Stein and Zwass, 1995; Conklin, 1996; Huyhn et al. 1995; Chen et al. 1992; Ackerman, 1994; Walsh and Ungson, 1991; Huber, 1990). Information systems can turn informal knowledge and stored information (i.e., organizational memory) from media rich systems into actionable organizational knowledge (e.g. Conklin, 1996; Shum, 1997). Such systems make extensive use of organizational knowledge to effect shared understanding and learning by capturing and leveraging valuable information and making it widely available for use throughout the organization. The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of organizational memory systems in learning organizations. A conceptual model will be developed to provide managers with guidelines for developing and supporting organizational memory systems. In addition, the study will attempt to provide justification for investment in information technologies to support organizational memory

Understanding organizational memory from the integrated management systems (ERP)

Com esta pesquisa, no formato de ensaio teórico abordou-se o tema da Memória Organizacional e os Sistemas Integrados de Gestão (ERP), buscando apresentar alguns indícios de como este tipo de sistema pode colaborar para a consolidação de algumas funcionalidades da Memória Organizacional. A partir de uma revisão teórica sobre os conceitos da Memória Humana, com extensão à Memória Organizacional e Sistemas de Informação, com ênfase nos Sistemas Integrados de Gestão (ERP), procurou-se estabelecer um paralelo entre as funcionalidades e estruturas da Memória Organizacional e as funcionalidades e características dos ERPs. A escolha do sistema ERP para este estudo deveu-se à complexidade e escopo abrangente deste sistema. Pôde-se constatar que os ERPs suportam de forma adequada algumas funções da Memória Organizacional, com destaque à implementação das lógicas, processos, práticas e regras vigentes de negócio. Espera-se que o diálogo aqui apresentado possa contribuir para o avanço do entendimento da Memória Organizacional, visto que à semelhança da Memória Humana, é um campo fértil e ainda existe muito a ser pesquisado.With this research, in the form of theoretical essay addressed to the theme of Organizational Memory and Integrated Management Systems (ERP) we tried to present some evidence of how this type of system can contribute to the consolidation of certain features of Organizational Memory. From a theoretical review of the concepts of Human Memory, extending to the Organizational Memory and Information Systems, with emphasis on Integrated Management Systems (ERP) we tried to draw a parallel between the functions and structures of Organizational Memory and features and characteristics of ERPs. The choice of ERP system for this study was due to the complexity and broad scope of this system which adequately support many of the functions of the Organizational Memory, highlighting the implementation of logical, processes, practices and rules in business. It is hoped that the dialogue presented here can contribute to the advancement of the understanding of organizational memory, since the similarity of Human Memory, is a fertile field and there is still much to be researched

Storytelling of business innovation leaders

This paper explores innovation narratives as mobilized by business innovation leaders. Twenty seven semi-structured interviews have been conducted with senior managers from UK construction and infrastructure firms. Retrospective narratives of innovation focus on past experiences and activities, activating an organizational memory and informing future generations of employees. The real-time narratives of innovation are focused on the ways interviewees tend to shape industrial development and changes, enabling organizational members to generate action nets around people and data. Prospective narratives of innovation generate creative imaginings, linking an understanding of industrial trends with a knowledge of relevant organizational resources and business strategies. The paper advances an understanding of the connection between retrospective, real-time and prospective narratives that generates organizational learning

Compreendendo a memória organizacional a partir dos Sistemas Integrados de Gestão (ERP)

Com esta pesquisa, no formato de ensaio teórico abordou-se o tema da Memória Organizacional e os Sistemas Integrados de Gestão (ERP), buscando apresentar alguns indícios de como este tipo de sistema pode colaborar para a consolidação de algumas funcionalidades da Memória Organizacional. A partir de uma revisão teórica sobre os conceitos da Memória Humana, com extensão à Memória Organizacional e Sistemas de Informação, com ênfase nos Sistemas Integrados de Gestão (ERP), procurou-se estabelecer um paralelo entre as funcionalidades e estruturas da Memória Organizacional e as funcionalidades e características dos ERPs. A escolha do sistema ERP para este estudo deveu-se à complexidade e escopo abrangente deste sistema. Pôde-se constatar que os ERPs suportam de forma adequada algumas funções da Memória Organizacional, com destaque à implementação das lógicas, processos, práticas e regras vigentes de negócio. Espera-se que o diálogo aqui apresentado possa contribuir para o avanço do entendimento da Memória Organizacional, visto que à semelhança da Memória Humana, é um campo fértil e ainda existe muito a ser pesquisado.With this research, in the form of a theoretical essay addressing the theme of Organizational Memory and Integrated Management Systems (ERP), we tried to present some evidence of how this type of system can contribute to the consolidation of certain features of Organizational Memory. From a theoretical review of the concepts of Human Memory, extending to the Organizational Memory and Information Systems, with emphasis on Integrated Management Systems (ERP) we tried to draw a parallel between the functions and structures of Organizational Memory and features and characteristics of ERPs. The choice of the ERP system for this study was made due to the complexity and broad scope of this system. It was verified that the ERPs adequately support many functions of the Organizational Memory, highlighting the implementation of logical processes, practices and rules in business. It is hoped that the dialogue presented here can contribute to the advancement of the understanding of organizational memory, since the similarity of Human Memory is a fertile field and there is still much to be researched

The sound of concepts: The link between auditory and conceptual brain systems

Concepts in long-term memory are important building blocks of human cognition and are the basis for object recognition, language and thought. While it is well accepted that concepts are comprised of features related to sensory object attributes, it is still unclear how these features are represented in the brain. Of central interest is whether concepts are essentially grounded in perception. This would imply a common neuroanatomical substrate for perceptual and conceptual processing. Here we show using functional magnetic resonance imaging and recordings of event-related potentials that acoustic conceptual features rapidly recruit auditory areas even when implicitly presented through visual words. Recognizing words denoting objects for which acoustic features are highly relevant (e.g. "telephone") suffices to ignite cell assemblies in the posterior superior and middle temporal gyrus (pSTG/MTG) that were also activated by listening to real sounds. Activity in pSTG/MTG had an onset of 150 ms and increased parametrically as a function of acoustic feature relevance. Both findings suggest a conceptual origin of this effect rather than post-conceptual strategies such as imagery. The presently demonstrated link between auditory and conceptual brain systems parallels observations in other memory systems suggesting that modality-specificity represents a general organizational principle in cortical memory representation. The understanding of concepts as a partial reinstatement of brain activity during perception stresses the necessity of rich sensory experiences for concept acquisition. The modality-specific nature of concepts could also explain the difficulties in achieving a consensus about overall definitions of abstract concepts such as freedom or justice unless embedded in a concrete, experienced situation

Are Routines Reducible or Mere Cognitive Automatisms? Some contributions from cognitive science to help shed light on change in routines

The aim of this article is to understand permanence and changes inside organizational routines. For this purpose, it seems important to explain how individual and collective memorisation occurs, so as to grasp how knowledge can be converted into routines. Although memorisation mechanisms imply a degree of durability, our procedural and declarative knowledge, and our memorisation processes, evolve so that individuals and organisations can project themselves into the future and innovate. Some authors highlight the necessity of dreaming and forgetting (Bergson 1896); others believe that emotions play a role in our memorisation processes (Damasio 1994). These dimensions are not only important at the individual level but also in an organisational context (Lazaric and Denis 2005; Reynaud 2005; Pentland and Feldman 2005).I review the individual dimension of these memorisation processes, with the Anderson’s distinction between procedural knowledge and declarative knowledge. I discuss the notion of cognitive automatisms in order to show why routines should be investigated beyond their first literal assumption (Bargh, 1997). This leads to a clear understanding of the micro level that underpins organisational flexibility and adaptation (notably the motivational triggers). Within organisations, the memorisation mechanisms are at once similar and diverse. Indeed, organisations use their own filters and mechanisms to generate organisational coordination. Organizational memory has its own dimension as it does not merely consist of the sum of individual knowledge and must be able to survive when individuals leave. Routines depend on the organisational memory implemented and on the procedural knowledge and representations of it (individual and collective representations).Knowledge; memorisation; organizations; individuals

Learning from Semantic Inconsistencies as the Origin of Dynamic Capabilities in MNCs: Evidence from Pharmaceutical MNCs

This paper focuses on origins of dynamic capabilities in multinational corporations (MNCs). Building on literature in the area of organizational memory and organizational learning, we investigate factors that contribute to subsidiaries of MNCs ability to detach themselves from obsolete knowledge and practices. To construct the theoretical framework, 11 extensive interviews with marketing and sales executives from three pharmaceutical MNCs operated in Iran were conducted. We test our hypotheses using statistical quantitative analysis of data related to 459 observations from subsidiaries of 51 pharmaceutical MNCs during years 2005-2009. We examine the quality of corrective actions taken by subsidiaries of pharmaceutical MNCs subsequent to subsidiaries failing to meet expected performance objectives. Our findings confirm a moderating role for internationalization, span, and the composition of human resources on the quality of corrective actions pursued

Team Learning: A Theoretical Integration and Review

With the increasing emphasis on work teams as the primary architecture of organizational structure, scholars have begun to focus attention on team learning, the processes that support it, and the important outcomes that depend on it. Although the literature addressing learning in teams is broad, it is also messy and fraught with conceptual confusion. This chapter presents a theoretical integration and review. The goal is to organize theory and research on team learning, identify actionable frameworks and findings, and emphasize promising targets for future research. We emphasize three theoretical foci in our examination of team learning, treating it as multilevel (individual and team, not individual or team), dynamic (iterative and progressive; a process not an outcome), and emergent (outcomes of team learning can manifest in different ways over time). The integrative theoretical heuristic distinguishes team learning process theories, supporting emergent states, team knowledge representations, and respective influences on team performance and effectiveness. Promising directions for theory development and research are discussed