Paperback
Handbook of Research on Knowledge Management
Adaptation and Context
9781786431707 Edward Elgar Publishing
This innovative Handbook aims to examine whether there is a need to adapt and widen our understanding of knowledge management. A common definition of knowledge management is taken as the starting point for discussions on its relevance in various contexts, such as Buddhist organizations, law firms, the army and indigenous organizations. Moreover, the universality of Ikujiro Nonaka’s ideas on knowledge management is explored, and some alternative definitions are suggested. This book will appeal to academics and students of business and management, business administration, sociology and organizational behavior. Practitioners, managers and business-owners will also find this an invaluable resource.
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Critical Acclaim
Contributors
Contents
More Information
This innovative Handbook widens our understanding of knowledge management, a field that has risen to prominence in recent decades. It collects contemporary insights from more than 30 contributors into the rich tapestry of knowledge management practices across a broad landscape of cultures and socio-political contexts. The contributors offer authoritative analyses to inform practical applications of knowledge management, along with provoking reinterpretations of its developmental potential to guide future innovation and research in this field.
The starting point for discussion centers around establishing a common definition for knowledge management, a concept that has remained nebulous since its inception. Expert contributions examine the relevance of this common definition within various contexts, such as Buddhist organizations, law firms, the army and indigenous organizations. The contributors explore how knowledge management could be effectively applied in these very diverse contexts. Some contributors analyze the universality of Ikujiro Nonaka’s concept of knowledge management. Other contributors suggest alternative definitions of knowledge management. While previous literature has primarily focused on how knowledge management is practiced currently, this handbook sets out alternative visions and conceptualizations of knowledge management in diverse settings and is, thus, focused on how knowledge management ideally should be practiced in various contexts.
This Handbook of Research on Knowledge Management will appeal as a point of reference for academics and students of business and management, business administration, sociology and organizational behavior. Practitioners, managers and business-owners alike will also find this an invaluable resource.
The starting point for discussion centers around establishing a common definition for knowledge management, a concept that has remained nebulous since its inception. Expert contributions examine the relevance of this common definition within various contexts, such as Buddhist organizations, law firms, the army and indigenous organizations. The contributors explore how knowledge management could be effectively applied in these very diverse contexts. Some contributors analyze the universality of Ikujiro Nonaka’s concept of knowledge management. Other contributors suggest alternative definitions of knowledge management. While previous literature has primarily focused on how knowledge management is practiced currently, this handbook sets out alternative visions and conceptualizations of knowledge management in diverse settings and is, thus, focused on how knowledge management ideally should be practiced in various contexts.
This Handbook of Research on Knowledge Management will appeal as a point of reference for academics and students of business and management, business administration, sociology and organizational behavior. Practitioners, managers and business-owners alike will also find this an invaluable resource.
Critical Acclaim
‘I heartily recommend that those for whom the KM area is meaningful come at this volume hammer and tongs, challenge it, and make it groan. It merits that degree of respect.’
– Management Learning
‘The Handbook of Research on Knowledge Management Adaptation and Context is a good book for knowledge management researchers.’
– Murray E Jennex, International Journal of Knowledge Management
‘This knowledge management Handbook is an excellent addition to the knowledge management literature. As the Handbook is very international in its approach, it will be an excellent resource for international policy analysts wanting to know more about knowledge management and scholars and practitioners wanting to update and further extend their understanding of knowledge management in the international context.’
– Vanessa Ratten, Thunderbird International Business Review
‘Knowledge Management as a popular management movement is about 25 years old and unsurprisingly it has inspired many theories, practices and methods. So much so, that it is sometimes difficult to define what it stands for. The Handbook of Research on Knowledge Management is an interesting and innovative volume that has appealing features to add to the discussion. It is consistently interesting, has a very wide diversity of contributing scholars and practitioners and has several useful and informative chapters on actual knowledge practices and situations. It also offers historical reflections as well as its own contingency theory of how to best go about working with knowledge. All in all this Handbook is a fine and original contribution to the literature.’
– Laurence Prusak, founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Knowledge Management
– Management Learning
‘The Handbook of Research on Knowledge Management Adaptation and Context is a good book for knowledge management researchers.’
– Murray E Jennex, International Journal of Knowledge Management
‘This knowledge management Handbook is an excellent addition to the knowledge management literature. As the Handbook is very international in its approach, it will be an excellent resource for international policy analysts wanting to know more about knowledge management and scholars and practitioners wanting to update and further extend their understanding of knowledge management in the international context.’
– Vanessa Ratten, Thunderbird International Business Review
‘Knowledge Management as a popular management movement is about 25 years old and unsurprisingly it has inspired many theories, practices and methods. So much so, that it is sometimes difficult to define what it stands for. The Handbook of Research on Knowledge Management is an interesting and innovative volume that has appealing features to add to the discussion. It is consistently interesting, has a very wide diversity of contributing scholars and practitioners and has several useful and informative chapters on actual knowledge practices and situations. It also offers historical reflections as well as its own contingency theory of how to best go about working with knowledge. All in all this Handbook is a fine and original contribution to the literature.’
– Laurence Prusak, founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Knowledge Management
Contributors
Contributors: C. Abrahamson Löfström, A. Ahmad, E. Antonacopoulou, D.A. Blackman, O. Chang, D. Coldwell, D.J. Delgado-Hernández, J.S. Edwards, C. Filstad, A. Fried, T. Garavan, M. Glisby, P. Gottschalk, S. Harris, N. Holden, J. Hong, S.-W. Hsu, C. Mak, R. McDermott, D. McDowall, A. Mitra, K. Moon, E. Murphy, P.S. Myers, G. Neumann, P. Ngulube, F. O’Brien, A. Örtenblad, X. Ruan, A. Rynne, S.D. Sarre, R. Snell, C. Stilwell, S. Talbot, E. Tandi Lwoga, E. Tomé, J. Van Beveren
Contents
Contents:
Foreword
John Van Beveren and Richard McDermott
Preface
Anders Örtenblad
PART I: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
1. Introduction: Towards the Contextualization of Knowledge Management as a Research Field
Anders Örtenblad
2. Previous Research on Knowledge Management in Various Contexts
Anders Örtenblad
3. A Normative Model of Knowledge Management Effectiveness
Paul S. Myers
PART II: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN CONTEXT
Section A: Industries and Sectors
4. Knowledge Management in Law Firms
Cathrine Filstad and Petter Gottschalk
5. Knowledge Management in the Police Force
Cathrine Filstad and Petter Gottschalk
6. The Australian Army’s KM Strategy: A Reflexive Organisational Approach to Knowledge Capture and Sharing
Denise McDowall, Anita Rynne and Steven Talbot
7. Knowledge Management in Elderly Care
Carina Abrahamson Löfström
8. Cross-cultural Knowledge Management in Collaborative Aacademic Research
David Coldwell and Andrea Fried
9. Knowledge Management in Energy Sector Organizations
John S. Edwards
10. Knowledge Management in Logistics Industry Organizations
Eduardo Tomé and Gaby Neumann
11. Knowledge Management in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: Navigating Informality and Resource Constraints
Thomas Garavan, Fergal O’Brien and Eamonn Murphy
12. Knowledge Management, Context and Public Policy: Developing an Analysis Framework
Deborah A. Blackman, Katie Moon, Stephen Harris and Stephen D. Sarre
Section B: Religion and National Culture
13. Islamic Perspective of Knowledge Management
Aini Ahmad
14. Buddhist Perspective on Knowledge Management
Otto Chang
15. Knowledge Management Case Studies in Mexico
David Joaquin Delgado-Hernández
16. Knowledge Management in China’s Organizations
Amit Mitra and Ximing Ruan
17. Knowledge Management and Indigenous Organizations with Special Reference to Tanzania and South Africa
Edda Tandi Lwoga, Christine Stilwell and Patrick Ngulube
Section C: The Universality of SECI
18. Contextualizing Nonaka’s Ttheory of Knowledge in China: When Samurai Meets Bruce Lee
Jacky Hong, Robin Snell and Carry Mak
19. The Nonaka-Takeuchi Model of Knowledge Conversion: A Discussion of Many Contexts of
Japanese History and Culture
Nigel Holden and Martin Glisby
PART III: REFLECTIONS ON KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
20. On the Complexity of Knowledge Management given the Tacitness of Kknowledge in Organisations
Thomas Garavan, Fergal O’Brien and Eamonn Murphy
21. Tensions and Extensions in Knowledge Integration and Dis-integration: Rethinking the Man-agement of
Knowledge in Organisations
Elena P. Antonacopoulou
22. Alternative Knowledge Management
Shih-wei Hsu
23. Conclusions, A Contingency Mmodel of Knowledge Management and Recommendations for
Further Research
Anders Örtenblad
Index
Foreword
John Van Beveren and Richard McDermott
Preface
Anders Örtenblad
PART I: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
1. Introduction: Towards the Contextualization of Knowledge Management as a Research Field
Anders Örtenblad
2. Previous Research on Knowledge Management in Various Contexts
Anders Örtenblad
3. A Normative Model of Knowledge Management Effectiveness
Paul S. Myers
PART II: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN CONTEXT
Section A: Industries and Sectors
4. Knowledge Management in Law Firms
Cathrine Filstad and Petter Gottschalk
5. Knowledge Management in the Police Force
Cathrine Filstad and Petter Gottschalk
6. The Australian Army’s KM Strategy: A Reflexive Organisational Approach to Knowledge Capture and Sharing
Denise McDowall, Anita Rynne and Steven Talbot
7. Knowledge Management in Elderly Care
Carina Abrahamson Löfström
8. Cross-cultural Knowledge Management in Collaborative Aacademic Research
David Coldwell and Andrea Fried
9. Knowledge Management in Energy Sector Organizations
John S. Edwards
10. Knowledge Management in Logistics Industry Organizations
Eduardo Tomé and Gaby Neumann
11. Knowledge Management in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: Navigating Informality and Resource Constraints
Thomas Garavan, Fergal O’Brien and Eamonn Murphy
12. Knowledge Management, Context and Public Policy: Developing an Analysis Framework
Deborah A. Blackman, Katie Moon, Stephen Harris and Stephen D. Sarre
Section B: Religion and National Culture
13. Islamic Perspective of Knowledge Management
Aini Ahmad
14. Buddhist Perspective on Knowledge Management
Otto Chang
15. Knowledge Management Case Studies in Mexico
David Joaquin Delgado-Hernández
16. Knowledge Management in China’s Organizations
Amit Mitra and Ximing Ruan
17. Knowledge Management and Indigenous Organizations with Special Reference to Tanzania and South Africa
Edda Tandi Lwoga, Christine Stilwell and Patrick Ngulube
Section C: The Universality of SECI
18. Contextualizing Nonaka’s Ttheory of Knowledge in China: When Samurai Meets Bruce Lee
Jacky Hong, Robin Snell and Carry Mak
19. The Nonaka-Takeuchi Model of Knowledge Conversion: A Discussion of Many Contexts of
Japanese History and Culture
Nigel Holden and Martin Glisby
PART III: REFLECTIONS ON KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
20. On the Complexity of Knowledge Management given the Tacitness of Kknowledge in Organisations
Thomas Garavan, Fergal O’Brien and Eamonn Murphy
21. Tensions and Extensions in Knowledge Integration and Dis-integration: Rethinking the Man-agement of
Knowledge in Organisations
Elena P. Antonacopoulou
22. Alternative Knowledge Management
Shih-wei Hsu
23. Conclusions, A Contingency Mmodel of Knowledge Management and Recommendations for
Further Research
Anders Örtenblad
Index
