harnessing the innovative potential of knowledge in the digital enterprise
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Harnessing the innovative potential of knowledge in the digital enterprise. Dr Niamh O Riordan National University of Ireland Galway Dr Philip O’Reilly University College Cork Prof. Frederic Adam University College Cork. Saturday, June 8 th 2013. Agenda. Motivation - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Harnessing the innovative potential of knowledge in the digital enterprise
Dr Niamh O Riordan National University of Ireland Galway
Dr Philip O’Reilly University College Cork
Prof. Frederic Adam University College Cork
Saturday, June 8th 2013
Motivation Evolving perspectives in the literature Research Approach Findings Conclusion
Agenda
It is well established that…
Knowledge is a key organisational resource and a core performance driver
∴The literature on storing, capturing and retrieving knowledge (information?) is mature
However…
We know a lot less about how knowledge is created in the first place
and we’ve only just started to think about IS/IT as generative platforms
Motivation
Individuals’ generative capacity: their “ability to produce something ingenious or at least new in a particular context”
Evolving Perspectives
Innovation
Initial theory building using propositions
1. Knowledge exists in declarative and procedural forms2. Knowledge is created when changes take place in mental frameworks 3. Knowledge creation occurs through experience and ongoing social processes4. Knowledge creation is shaped by one’s needs and initial mental frameworks5. Knowledge creation affects one’s capacity for action
Innovation and knowledge creation are intertwined such that innovations are conceived and enacted at that point in the knowledge creation process where existing knowledge structures are changed
Multiple case studies investigating 2 questions
1. If knowledge creation is shaped by initial stocks of knowledge, then is it possible to (empirically) classify initial knowledge stocks?
2. If knowledge creation is triggered by experiences, then are there particular kinds of experience that are more likely to lead to knowledge creation than others (taking into account the importance of prior knowledge)?
Research Approach
6 case studies of innovative VW projects
Findings
1. Knowledge stocks
2. Knowledge behaviours
Know
ledge c
reati
on
pro
cess
Recreates or reconstructs
Existing knowledge frameworks:
Enables and shapes the
Opportunistic co-operation
Purposeful self-reliance
Opportunistic self-reliance
Purposeful co-operation
New experiences
and new information
TIME
TIME
Conclusions Core contributions:
◦ Addresses a gap in research on knowledge creation and its relationship with innovation
◦ Also contributes to our understanding of emerging technologies as generative platforms
◦ Provides a starting point for managers wishing to better utilise organisational knowledge
Limitations:◦ Case studies are used to illustrate the utility of the
framework but there are issues associated with the generalisability of the findings
◦ The analysis operates at the level of the individual
1. Knowledge exists in the minds of individualsTo understand how knowledge is created, we
must concentrate on how individuals’ mental structures are changed over time
2. Knowledge exists in declarative and procedural forms
It is time to look beyond SECI and the (flawed) tacit / explicit classification
3. Knowledge is created when existing mental structures change
We cannot afford to ignore existing or prior knowledge
Take aways