Communication tools as drivers of employees' knowledge sharing: Evidence from the Czech Republic

For many organizations, knowledge sharing is essential to keep their competitive ability. As characteristics of available communication media might influence knowledge flows in the organization, this study examines if the frequency of some communication media usage and their perceived usefulness relate to the extent of knowledge sharing. The study applied a quantitative research design and used opinion-based questionnaires. In total, 178 participants from the Czech Republic were involved, mainly from manufacturing industry. Significant positive correlations between “how often employees use the defined instruments for gathering and communicating information in work” and “how useful employees find the defined instruments for gathering and communicating information in work” to “the extent of knowledge sharing in the organization” were identified. Additionally, the frequency of the use of communication media predicted the extent of knowledge sharing in the organization. Specifically, the frequency of the use of meetings significantly predicted the extent of knowledge sharing (β =.54, p <.001). Moreover, perceived usefulness of communication media projected the frequency of the use of communication media. The findings confirm that if employees see the offered communication tools as being useful, they are willing to use them more often, and it has a positive effect on the extent of knowledge sharing. Therefore, the design of communication tools should take into account the needs and requirements of the workforce who will use it. Additionally, organizations should organize effective meetings if they want to enhance knowledge sharing in the organization. © Jana Matošková, 202

Measuring knowledge

Knowledge is a key to creating a sustainable competitive advantage. Measuring knowledge of an organization as a unit allows for, in addition to other things, benchmarking it against other organizations as well as comparing the development within the organization in the course of time. Additionally, measuring the knowledge of individuals and groups helps identify key workers and can also be used when recruiting a new work force, while evaluating employees’ work performances, or to check the course of the adaptation of a new employee. Even though the field of measuring knowledge belongs, in comparison with other topics, among the lesser-developed fields in the management of knowledge, a number of approaches that can be used to measure knowledge have been introduced. The aim of this study is to present an overview of methods which can be applied when measuring the knowledge of organizations, groups or individuals and thus provide a practical list of methods which feature in literature mostly for practitioners and novices in this field. The study is based on a content-analysis of literature.European Social Fund (ESF); national budget of the Czech Republic [CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0147

Human resource management practices stimulating knowledge sharing

The major goal of the paper was to develop a theoretical framework that conceptualizes the indirect impact on human resource management practice on knowledge sharing in the organization. In the current competitive environment, the ability to use knowledge assets and to continuously renovate it is required for organizational success. Therefore, the field of human resource management should dedicate great effort to understanding how to enhance the knowledge flows within the organization. Theoretical indications were provided about HRM practices that influence the quality and quantity of knowledge sharing within an organization. Further, a conceptual model of relations between HRM practices and factors influencing knowledge sharing within an organization was introduced. It is supposed that HRM practices have direct impacts on personality traits of employees, organizational culture, characteristics of managers, and instruments used for knowledge sharing. Subsequently, these factors have direct effects on the perceived intensity of knowledge sharing. The paper offers 12 testable propositions for the indirect relation between HRM practices and knowledge sharing in the organization. The suggested model could assist future research to examine the influence of HRM practices upon managing knowledge is a more complex way. Via a theoretical contribution to the debate on the influence on HRM practices upon managing knowledge, the study contributes to further research development in this field.European Social Fund (ESF); national budget of the Czech Republic [CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0147]; internal TBU project [RO/2016/07

Development of a cluster manager's competencies towards competitiveness

Cluster managers have less authority compared to managers in companies, with the work of cluster managers based rather on negotiation than on issuing instructions. Nevertheless, dynamic changes regarding environment and customer needs in general have taken place, and ensuring that employees have adequate knowledge and skills has become necessary for companies to gain a competitive advantage. Thus, the development of competencies in cluster management is more relevant in terms of the changing nature of competencies in order to enhance competitiveness. A research gap, however, has emerged in terms of studies analyzing developmental activities to increase the skills and knowledge of cluster managers, including their abilities to support cluster development and related competitiveness issues. The main objective of the present paper is to identify possible methods of developing cluster managers competencies in order to increase the competitiveness of cluster organizations. To accomplish these research goals, the paper employs semi-structured interviews with Czech cluster managers, with primary data analyzed via coding based on thematic analysis and codes subsequently grouped into categories for conceptualization. The findings indicate that development of cluster managers lags behind in terms of lack of motivation enhancement and time, lack of finance, idleness, negative experiences, administrative tasks as well as personal traits. The main criteria for developing competencies in cluster organizations are reflected in activities focused on the ability to innovate, lead and protect in terms of trust building, all skills essential for enhancing the competitiveness of cluster organizations. Cluster managers select development activities based on topics and references to educational activities which they estimate mainly from practical experience based on recommendations by experienced practitioners. Finally, the study puts forth practical guidelines regarding self-development methods recommended by the respondents for developing competencies in cluster development and competitiveness.[RO/2016/07

Development of a Situational Judgment Test as a Predictor of College Student Performance

It has been suggested that tacit knowledge may be a good predictor of performance in college. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which a situational judgment test developed to measure tacit knowledge correlates with predictors and indicators of college performance. This situational judgment test includes eight situations relevant to the life of college (undergraduate) students and is comprised of 211 behavioral strategies. Four hundred forty-eight college students participated in the study. The results of this study suggest that tacit knowledge has small, statistically nonsignificant correlations with cumulative grade point average (GPA), the percentage of the academic requirements passed on the first attempt, cognitive abilities, achievement motivation, and attention. However, tacit knowledge was found to correlate moderately with the personality factor of agreeableness. The findings do not support claims about the importance of tacit knowledge in academic settings and question what tacit knowledge really is and if it is a useful construct for performance prediction. © 2016, © The Author(s) 2016.GA CR (Czech Science Foundation) [407/12/0821]; GA C

The influence of the smart factory concept on corporate culture

Cíle: Cílem příspěvku je podat informaci o výzkumném projektu zaměřeném na podporu implementace konceptu Smart Factory v prostředí výrobního závodu ALPS, s ohledem na identifikaci vlivu konceptu Smart Factory na stávající firemní kulturu. Metoda: První sběr dat formou strukturovaných rozhovorů zaměřených na hodnocení pracovních podmínek a technologických změn se zaměstnanci kategorie „O“ tj. operátoři ve výrobě. Druhý sběr dat formou dotazníků zaměřených na hodnocení organizační kultury mezi zaměstnanci kategorie „M“ tj. manažeři a technici. Výsledky: Odpovědi operátorů naznačují, že je jim dostatečně komunikováno, co se od nich očekává a mají také vše co je potřebné pro kvalitní práci. Vnímaný přínos větší míry využívání technologií a digitalizace pro práci na výrobní lince vyznívá spíše optimisticky a pozitivně, avšak u některých respondentů vyvolává zavádění větší míry automatizace strach o práci. Z odpovědí manažerů vyplývá, že současnou kulturu organizace lze označit za převážně hierarchickou a i za pět let bude mít převážně charakteristiky hierarchické organizační kultury. Odpovědi ale také naznačují mírný posun směrem k organizační kultuře adhokracie. Závěry: Závěry výzkumu pomohou vedení ALPS iniciovat žádoucí změnu podnikové kultury a podporovat průběh její postupné realizace. Limity: Malý počet respondentů v dotazníkovém šetření ovlivněný organizačními komplikacemi. S ohledem na tuto skutečnost nebylo možné analyzovat data ve vztahu k identifikačním údajům o respondentech.Goals: The aim of the paper is to provide information about a research project focused on supporting the implementation of the Smart Factory concept in the environment of the ALPS production plant, with regard to identifying the impact of the Smart Factory concept on the organizational culture. Method: The first data collection in a sample of employees of the "O" category (operators in production) the form of structured interviews focused on the evaluation of working conditions and technological changes. The second data collection in the form of questionnaires focused on the evaluation of organizational culture in a sample of employees of category "M" (managers and technicians). Results: The answers of the operators indicate that they are sufficiently informed about what is expected of them and they also have everything that is needed for quality work. The perceived benefits of higher use of technology and digitization for production line work are rather optimistic and positive, but for some respondents, the introduction of higher automation makes them worry about job security. The analysis of the questionnaire data shows that the current culture of the organization can be described as predominantly hierarchical and even in five years it will have predominantly the characteristics of a hierarchical organizational culture. But the managers ' answers also suggest a slight shift - toward the organizational culture of adhocracy. Conclusions: The conclusions of the research will help the ALPS management to initiate the desired change in the organizational culture and to support the course of its gradual implementation. Limits: A small number of respondents in the questionnaire survey was caused by organizational complications. With regard to this fact, it was not possible to analyze the data in relation to the identification data of the respondents

Essential factors for building customer relationships on facebook: Evidence from the Czech republic

E-commerce has become an integral part of the modern age. The behaviour of e-commerce customers has some specifics, which is useful for firms to understand. As customers’ trust and willingness to accept risk influence the decision to buy a product in e-commerce, it is evident that some unique factors must be in e-commerce which is needed to pay attention to be a successful seller. One of the trends affecting how to manage relations with customers is the use of firm profiles on social networks. This paper identifies factors related to the company’s Facebook profile that influence customer Satisfaction and Loyalty in e-commerce. Furthermore, non-traditional factors such as Self-efficacy or Data security are used. The study provides a primary basis for further research in this area. Data collection was done among e-commerce customers using a questionnaire survey (n = 602). For data analysis, structural equation modelling (SEM) was used. The determined construct contained a total of 9 variables. The findings confirmed that the following factors affect customer satisfaction and loyalty: the perceived usefulness and the amount of information on the Facebook company profile, the perceived Credibility of information given on this profile, the Data security offered by the social network, customer Self-efficacy and Ease of use of the given social network. The results supported the idea that it is possible to build relationships with customers in e-commerce via social networks. To offer credible information in an adequate frequency on the company profile is essential. Furthermore, it is helpful to consider customers’ perceived safety and Self-efficacy, which have also proven to be important in the online environment. These results can serve business practice

The relation between employee characteristics and knowledge sharing

Purpose Knowledge sharing becomes crucial in today's competitive world to foster organizational performance. This paper aims to explore which employee characteristics facilitate knowledge sharing in the organizations and to examine the dimensions of these characteristics. Design/methodology/approach Opinion-based questionnaires among employees in Czech companies were applied. The research design in this study was cross-sectional. The hypotheses were tested by Pearson's correlations and regression analyses. Findings The findings support the idea that specific individual employee characteristics increase knowledge sharing in the organization. Four categories of potentially appropriate employee individual characteristics were suggested: social and communication skills; positive work feelings; competences for problem-solving; and employee's self-efficacy. However, only employee's positive work feelings and self-efficacy significantly predicted the extent of knowledge sharing in the organization. Practical implications The findings offer a basis for future research. The results of the study can be used in recruiting new employees and managerial decision-making. The recruitment methods and the selection methods deployed should enable the firm to attract those whose values are in harmony with the organization's values. Managers should build a work environment that promotes greater and more trusting ties among employees via organizing social activities for employees, a supervisor's acceptance of an employee's autonomy and responsibility and increasing employees' confidence in their abilities. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to investigate dimensions of employee knowledge-oriented characteristics. It supports the idea that some individual employee characteristics boost spontaneous knowledge sharing behaviour.TBU projects [RO/2016/07, RO/2018/04

Linking employer branding and firm-level performance: The case of Azerbaijani firms registered on Glassdoor

In today's competitive labor market, firms use employer branding strategies to engage their workforce for better performance. However, the current understanding of the role of employer branding in firm-level performance in the context of developing countries is very limited. This study aims to investigate the importance of employee retention and recruitment efficiency to strengthen the relationship between employer branding and firm-level performance. Data are collected from 316 Azerbaijani firms that are tagged by the Glassdoor and reviewed by former employees. Structural equation modeling is used to test the hypotheses. The results of the study show that employer branding can enhance firm-level performance through employee retention and recruitment efficiency. However, online employee reviews on the Glassdoor do not moderate the connection between employer branding and employee retention. Current employees feel motivated to continue working with those companies which show excellent employer strategies. Furthermore, a firm's strategy to attract the best employee pool improves firm-level performance. It is also concluded that employees working in developing countries do not concern about online reviews on their employer, and prefer to continue working despite contrary thoughts. © Aydan Huseynova, Jana Matošková, Aleš Gregar, 2022IGA/FaME/2019/008; Univerzita Tomáše Bati ve Zlín

Smart factory. What employees will the company need in the future?

Objective. The purpose of the paper is to provide information about a research project aimed at supporting the implementation of the Smart Factory concept (management system with support of digitization and robotization) in the production plant ALPS Electric CZ, Sebranice, regarding changes in working roles, working conditions, development of employees, changes in conditionsfor in-company communication and overall changes in corporate culture in ALPS Electric CZ, Sebranice. For research purposes, the research problem was formulated and six research questions were set. Method About 400 employees work at ALPS, of which about 350 are in production. The research target groups are six work groups that are directly related to production - process engineers, foremen, purchasing, planning and production preparation, logistics (focusing on material supply), manufacturing operators and middle management. Methods for data collection: document analysis, interviews, questionnaire, and findings from selected companies. With regard to the realization of research in one company, we will use descriptive statistics for the analysis and interpretation of data. Conclusion. The findings of the research will help ALPS management to identify and eliminate potential barriers concerning employees when implementing the Smart Factory concept. We will propose measures to support the implementation of the Smart Factory concept in the ALPS specifically focused on work positions and system measures supporting the "smart" change of the ALPS Electric corporate culture. Limitations. The conclusions of the research are based on one medium-sizedproduction plant, and are not generally valid. The Smart Factory concept focuses only on the range ofjobs that are directly related to production; it does not take into account the need to assess the impact of digitizingjobs indirectly related to production (ECO, HR, MKT)