Information on the spot: Its role in product development.

The goal of this dissertation is to develop insights into the roles and character of information on the spot in product development. Information on the spot in product development is context-specific information which is obtained from the interaction of product development members with customers in naturalistic settings. Despite a significant body of work on product development, we still do not know the micro-level process by which customer needs, especially their tacit needs, are discerned and finally translated into product features. This dissertation intends to fill this gap by developing the concept of information on the spot in product development. Four case studies of product development projects were chosen as the sample for the study. Two were selected from a corporation with a reputation for innovation and two from a corporation with a less innovative reputation. There are two main research findings from the case study. The first concerns the role of information on the spot in the innovative company and the non-innovative company. At the innovative company, information on the spot was used consistently and intentionally. In contrast, at the non-innovative company, information on the spot happened, but took on a very idiosyncratic pattern. The consistency and intention in the use of information on the spot that characterized the innovative company could not be found. The second concerns the role of information on the spot. Information on the spot plays three roles in the product development process. During the idea-generation phase, it plays the role of conceptualization. During the planning and specification phase, it plays the role of organizational persuasion. During the test and evaluation phase, it plays the role of fine-tuning. From these findings, I developed nine hypotheses explaining the roles and application of information on the spot in product development. I contend that consistent and intentional use of information on the spot helps product development project members find tacit customer needs. Consistent and intentional use of information on the spot will also be facilitated by several macro-conditions: active organizational intrusiveness into the environment and organizational acceptance of experiments as learning mechanisms.Ph.D.Business AdministrationUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/104480/1/9527651.pdfDescription of 9527651.pdf : Restricted to UM users only

ドイツ シャカイ セイサク ガッカイ キュウセダイ ノ ゲンソウテキ カナイ コウギョウカン

論文タイプ||論

Enabling Knowledge Creation: How to Unlock Mystery of Tacit Knowledge and Release The Power of Innovation

In today world, where our companies are becoming more global and market develop at high speed, the ability to unleash the creativity and knowledge of our people is the essential enabler for meeting everyday needs of our consumers everywhere. This book ia an invaluable travel guide on this never-ending journey. The authors provide clear insights as well as practical tools for managers to enable the creation of knowledge that adds sustainable value to our consumers and our business

Develop knowledge activists!

Ikujiro Nonaka, Georg von Krogh and Kazuo Ichijo introduce the knowledge activist as a knowledge enabler. A knowledge activist is someone, some group or department that takes on particular responsibility for energizing and coordinating knowledge creation efforts throughout the corporation. Therefore, he acts in three roles: as a catalyst of knowledge creation, as a connector of knowledge creation initiatives and as a merchant of foresight. To catalyze social processes of knowledge creation, a knowledge activist formulates 'process triggers' and creates space or context for knowledge creation. The concepts of microcommunities of knowledge, imagined communities and shared maps of cooperation help the knowledge activist to connect knowledge creation initiatives: since there are limits to the number of participants in microcommunities, the knowledge activist establishes imagined communities, whereby shared maps of cooperation are important. As a merchant of foresight, the knowledge activist finally provides overall direction to the knowledge creation taking place in various microcommunities. The authors warn of three possible misconceptions and pitfalls of knowledge activism. First, the task of a knowledge activist is to enable, not control knowledge creation. Second, knowledge activism is not only about connecting others, but also about ensuring self-connections. Finally, lack of knowledge creation should not be covered up by establishing a knowledge activist. Knowledge activism finds different sources in different companies. As possible options, the corporate R&D center, strategists, knowledge and technology transfer units are discussed as well as individuals or departments as knowledge activists. The 'TORIDAS' project at Maekawa serves as an illustration of the knowledge activist concept.