Organizational knowledge creation is a multifaceted process, and thus its representation needs to have the potential to be easily linked with, i.e. connected, associated or related with and informed by or inform, the extensive literature on its different facets. These linkages are easier to be made if the representation is able to or has the potential to reflect these facets. This study focuses on two such facets - an innovation process and dynamic interactions. Organizational knowledge creation in its influential models has been approached from an innovation-process, learning-process or tacit/explicit knowledge perspective. The innovation-process models focus predominantly on innovation stages and activities, and inadequately reflect dynamic interactions across these stages, even though the innovation process, i.e. the process through which an innovative idea is translated into innovative outcomes, such as products, services and systems, has the potential to specifically reflect the knowledge creation process, i.e. the dynamic process through which an innovative idea, generated by an individual(s), is amplified, as well as crystallized and connected with an organization's knowledge system. Learning-process models emphasise learning processes per se, and are unable to reflect either dynamic interactions or an innovation process. Tacit/explicit knowledge models, being the most influential on the subject, focus predominantly on dynamic interactions, and inadequately reflect the innovation process. The inadequate reflection of the innovation process makes learning-process and tacit/explicit knowledge models difficult to be linked with extensive literature on innovations in terms of the divergent and convergent processes/activities, how these complement and conflict one another, and how their conflict is synthesised. This study approaches organizational knowledge creation from an innovation-process perspective.

This research investigates information practices issues in a time constrained, uncertain and complex environment with a focus on emergency management. During a major incident, commanders from the multi-agency emergency services such as from the police, fire and rescue, and ambulance need to come together to manage the incident. Depending on the nature of the incident, commanders involved in emergency management vary; hence they meet on an ad-hoc basis. The literature states that information should be shared among members of a team for coordination. It is thus necessary to understand issues underlying information sharing. Also, one of the major tasks in emergency management is to make decisions. From an information science perspective, it is imperative to understand how information is used by decision makers to make decisions. Thus, two research questions of interest are (1) the issues which impact information sharing and (2) how information is used for making decisions. This research takes an interpretive approach in which activity theory is used as a methodological and analytical framework to address these research questions. Investigating the first research question, it was found that different components impact information sharing. These components are grouped into six dimensions providing more holistic understanding of the context, which is advocated in information practices research. A model (the POSSTT model) is proposed as a framework to study information sharing of such ad-hoc multi-agency groups. Addressing the second research question, contributions are made to the ongoing debate on types of decision making. In theory, type 2 (analytical) decision making is promoted by many researchers; however, in practice it was found that in a time constrained environment, decision makers may use a combination of type 1 (intuitive) and type 2 (albeit not deliberative) decision making. A model for how experienced people use information to make decision is proposed. In addition, a need is realised for sub-dividing the experienced decision making model into an "experienced decision maker" model, and, an "experienced and confident decision maker" model. These contributions have practical implication for policy making and system design.

This research analyses how two social housing providers in South Africa Johannesburg Housing Company and COPE transferred knowledge from two social housing organisations in Europe - Notting Hill Housing Trust in England and Norske Boligbyggelags Landsforbund also known as the Norwegian Federation of Cooperative Housing Associations (NBBL) in Norway. Following the knowledge transfer, Johannesburg Housing Company has gone on to become a successful organisation while COPE closed down in 2005. This research analyses the knowledge transfer and the dominant organisational learning culture in the two organisations to try and explain why COPE closed down and why Johannesburg Housing Company has succeeded. This research uses knowledge transfer ideas that are within the broader knowledge management field and ideas on organisational learning culture to develop an analytical framework. The framework identifies three key areas for analysis, these are, analysis of the mechanisms used for the knowledge transfer process, the messages that were transferred during this process and analysis and identification ofthe dominant learning culture in each organisation. The main method for the data gathering and analysis was done through interviews with key actors in the four organisations - Johannesburg Housing Company, COPE, Notting Hill Housing Trust and NBBL. Analysis of key relevant documentation was also carried out. It was possible from the findings of the research to conclude that having a successful process ofknowledge transfer does not necessarily translate into success for the knowledge importing organisation. Secondly, that the dominant organisational learning culture in an organisation can have an impact on whether the outcome ofthe knowledge transfer process will be successful or not.

Although people in organisations often recognise, and suffer, broken and distorted communications; the way organisations share information internally is seldom considered seriously. Often it is tucked in human resources as low- impact Employee Communications (EC) or hijacked and/or over-shadowed by Knowledge Management (KM). Investment seems justifiable for external but not Internal Communications (IC). This work looks at the author's concept of Internal or Organisational Communications (I/OC); a fusion of IC, EC and KM. An Action Research (AR) approach which was both interpretive and iterative was conducted in three organisations; two vertically integrated businesses and a strategically selected network (in order to improve the transferability of investigative methodology). The purpose was to explore factors which influence the flow of communications/information around a corporate structure. Multiple research cycles were undertaken in Organisation One before spiralling into Organisation Two then Three. This resulted in research cycles informing each- other as they progressed, whilst a similar methodology was applied in three settings. After chronologically telling these stories, 18 themes were systematically drawn out which emerged, developed and sometimes dominated the work. Further analysis caused these themes to form seven groupings to be considered when seeking to improve communications. These groups represent a mode of engagement with an organisation, underpinned by a consistent set of values/beliefs. It is not appropriate to separate the themes and valueslbeliefs from the AR process itself; they will help improve communications when used within the framework of AR. This approach provides a methodology for enabling the analysis of communication issues in organisations. It seeks to understand the organisation before developing sustainable systems and processes built upon what is already working. It helps engender a sense of belonging whilst supporting increased productivity. As it is applied practically it is continuously developing conceptually making it adaptive. Finally, it makes substantive contributions in the areas of research methodology, methods in practice and KM and communications theory.

Theorists and practitioners alike recognise knowledge as the principal source of value in today's knowledge economy. The timely and effective dissemination of knowledge throughout the firm is a pre-requisite for strategic advantage in today's competitive economic environment. However, motivating employees to share their knowledge remains a prime concern for many firms today. Past research on knowledge sharing has failed to emphasize the importance of ownership in influencing human attitudes, motivation and behaviour. A direct consequence of this failure is that the devising of effective incentives for knowledge sharing remains unclear.

This thesis examines how deeply institutionalized IT governance arrangements change over time. The research captured in this work focuses on the transformation journey of the IT organization and its governance mechanisms within one state government in America. Our case study analyzes the breakdown of a historically dominant IT governance arrangement and the process that gave rise to a fundamentally different regime. This process was captured through a longitudinal case study lasting one and one-half years. This aim of this thesis is to provide an alternative perspective to the planned change models that dominate the literature related to the transformation of the IT function and its governance mechanisms. This is accomplished by drawing on neo-institutional theory and conceptualizing the IT governance regime as an institution. This perspective suggests that IT governance arrangements within some organizations possess a deeply ingrained status that is resistant to change. The process of institutional change captured in our case study is analyzed and explained by coupling two innovative analytic frameworks found within the larger neo-institutional literature. The first framework provides insight into the deinstitutionalization process; the second framework focuses on the process of institutional construction. The neo-institutional approach employed in this work enables us to provide an insightful and nuanced interpretation of the IT governance transformation process, which has important implications for theory, practice, and pedagogy.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.