This study analyses the process that an IT refurbishing organisation used to socialise 15 IT graduates to the norms of the working world. In addition, 5 IT industry and 2 governmental agency interviews were used, and 60 online job advertisements were analysed to develop a System Dynamic model. The main motivation for this study was to develop a system dynamics model of the graduate socialisation process, in an attempt to understand the cause and effect of practical exposure, to bridge the IT skill-expectations gap. The main source of data for the model was from a-priori coding and content analysis of job adverts, online blogs and reports created by the students, supported by a review of the existing literature. System dynamics modelling and simulation uses computer generated software to test the behaviour of real world cross discipline problems over time (Sterman 2000). System dynamic studies have been conducted in project management, education, engineering, geography, sustainable fuel development and agriculture, etcetera. System dynamics is a flexible approach, as it uses both qualitative and quantitative data to model and address a problem situation, gathering data from intellectual and observation experiences, as well as written and verbal databases. This research advises on the successful integration of IT graduates into industry by identifying the relevant casual relationships. It recognises that graduates are genuinely interested in a career in IT, despite initial difficulties of adapting to a new career. The study was further strengthened by showing that organisational and governmental requirements vary and that they occasionally recruit based on these varying requirements. Primary and secondary data was combined to model a casual loop diagram as well as a stock and flow diagram, which could benefit curriculum advisors in academia, professors, human resource managers in industry and most importantly recently graduated IT graduates. / Magister Commercii - MCom

Thesis (MPhil (Information Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The thesis studies the relationship between knowledge creation and organisational culture. To do that the relations between Nonaka's enabling conditions and the four organisational culture types according to the competing value framework of Cameron and Quinn were tested in two organisations. Whilst many authors are critical of the specifics of Nonaka and Takeuchi’s model of knowledge conversion, most seem to agree with their argument about the requisite enabling conditions for knowledge creation. It is argued that these enabling conditions are shaped by the organisational culture and therefore this relation is of some importance. The empirical research was based on two part questionnaire. The first part of the questionnaire concerned the knowledge creation enablers. The indicators for this part of the instrument had to be developed from the knowledge creation literature. The second part of the questionnaire was based on the validated Cameron and Quinn organisational culture assessment instrument. Since Nonaka recommends a middle-up-down approach for managing knowledge creation in organisations, the questionnaire was directed at the middle management of the selected organisations. 140 questionnaires were sent out and two organisations had adequate responses for statistical data analysis. The results showed that one organisation has a strong market culture. This organisation displayed requisite variety, creative chaos and autonomy as enablers for knowledge creation. The market culture is an organisation’s response to an environment filled with complexities of the brand market which requires the presence of requisite variety and creative chaos. The organisation uses autonomous work teams, hence the prominence of autonomy. The second organisation competes in the business solutions market. Here, the dominant culture type was that of a clan and the organisation was strong in most knowledge creation enablers except redundancy and ba. The dominance in clan culture is in line with a medium size company that is competing in the big league of providers of business solutions and the organisation believes that its success is in providing unique business solutions thanks to teamwork and working like family. It is concluded that for an organization to be competitive requires one dominant appropriate culture and not necessarily all knowledge creating enablers. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die tesis ondersoek die verband tussen kennisskepping en organisasie kultuur. Dit word gedoen deur die relasie tussen Nonaka se omgewingsomstandighede vir kennisskepping en die vier organisatoriese kultuurtipes van Cameron en Quinn in twee organisasies te meet. Terwyl baie skrywers krities is oor die besonderhede van Nonaka en Takeuchi se model van kennisskepping, is die meeste met hulle eens oor die omgewingsomstandighede wat kennisskepping in staat stel. Daar word geargumenteer dat hierdie omgewingsomstandighede hoofsaaklik deur die organisasie kultuur beïnvloed word en daarom is hierdie verband belangrik. Die empiriese navorsing is gebaseer op ‘n tweeledige vraelys. Die eerste deel handel oor die omgewingsomstandighede en die indikatore hiervoor is uit die teorie ontwikkel. Die tweede deel van die vraelys is gebaseer op ‘n reeds gevalideerde instrument van Cameron en Quinn wat organisatoriese kultuurtipes probeer vasstel. Omdat Nonaka klem lê op die sentrale rol van middelbestuur in organisatoriese kennisskepping, is die vraelyste op middelbestuurders in geselekteerde organisasies gemik. 140 vraelyste is uitgestuur en twee organisasies het genoeg response gehad vir statistiese verwerking. Die resultate toon dat een organisasie ‘n sterk markkultuur het. Hierdie organisasie vertoon vereiste verskeidenheid, kreatiewe chaos en outonomie as omgewingsomstandighede wat kennisskepping sou instaat stel. Die markkultuur is ‘n organisasie se respons op ‘n omgewing gevul met kompleksiteit en dit vereis verskeidenheid. Die organisasie gebruik ook outonome werkspanne en daarom meet outonomie ook hoog. Die tweede organisasie kompeteer in die besigheidskonsultasiemark. Hier was die dominante kultuurtipe dié van klan. Die organisasie het hoog gemeet in al die omgewingsomstandighede behalwe oortolligheid en ba. Die dominansie van klan-tipe kultuur strook met ‘n mediumgrootte maatskappy wat unieke oplossings moet bied gebaseer op spanwerk in kompetisie met groter konsultasie maatskappye. Die gevolgtrekking is dat ‘n dominante kultuurtipe ‘n voordeel is vir ‘n organisasie om te kan kompeteer, eerder as die teenwoordigheid van al die omgewingsomstandighede vir kennisskepping.

Esta pesquisa investiga a construção de conhecimentos voltados a otimizar a gestão pública enquanto processo de equilibração majorante. Formulam-se desafios e promovem-se vinte ciclos de desequilibração reflexão coletiva ação reequilibração majorante, consistentes na concepção e implementação de novas ferramentas gerenciais, tendentes a aprimorar a Gestão Pública de Torres. O sujeito de pesquisa é coletivo e composto pelos Gestores de Torres – RS; o campo de pesquisa, a Administração Municipal de Torres; o tempo da pesquisa, de dezembro de 2004 a dezembro de 2006, em estudo longitunidal. Os desafios adotados como fatores de perturbação compreenderam a elaboração do planejamento estratégico, a instituição de equipes de gerenciamento de projetos; a reestruturação organizacional, com a criação de comitês gestores, de gerências municipais e de grupos executivos da modernização; a confecção do Manual de Procedimentos, do Guia dos Serviços Públicos e da Matriz de Capacitação; a instituição de Escola de Gestão, de Central de Atendimento ao Cidadão e de Portal na Internet. Três ambientes de Educação a Distância do Centro Interdisciplinar de Novas Tecnologias na Educação (CINTED/PPGIE/UFRGS), foram utilizados para ampliar a interação dos Gestores de Torres entre si e com o pesquisador. Os dados coletados foram compartilhados no ambiente virtual e analisados em conjunto com os Gestores de Torres. Provocou-se a interação dos Gestores de Torres com lideranças comunitárias, com Gestores de Gramado e com acadêmicos, a fim de averiguar se tal interação potencializa a equilibração majorante da Gestão Pública. A formulação da problemática e a estruturação do Método foram impulsionadas por leituras exploratórias sobre: gênese das cidades; características das Eras Agrícola, Industrial e Digital; origens e expansão do Estado; evolução tecnológica, interligação em rede e mudanças nos governos e na educação. Os paradoxos do crescimento da riqueza e da miséria, da ampliação dos mecanismos de controle social e da corrupção, da gestão participativa imposta e da hegemonia do individualismo em detrimento à comunidade são descritos para contextualizar o ambiente em que opera a Administração Pública hoje. Assume-se que tais paradoxos interferem na capacidade de criar conhecimentos na Gestão Pública. Além disto, dão ensejo à elaboração de Representações Sociais tendentes a justificar e a conservar situações ética e socialmente questionáveis. As Representações Sociais, criações coletivas consensuais, subsidiam a leitura da realidade, emergem e se transformam, ou se mantêm, no convívio quotidiano das pessoas, influenciando-o. O modelo teórico sobre o qual se assenta a análise da equilibração majorante na Gestão Pública adota as concepções teóricas de Jean Piaget como principal substrato, adicionando-se contribuições sobre Representações Sociais (Moscovici), Criação do Conhecimento nas Empresas (Nonaka e Takeuchi), aprendizagem organizacional de circuito único e duplo (Argyris) e organização enquanto estrutura e processos (Richard Hall). O Método Clínico Organizacional foi delineado e aperfeiçoado de forma progressiva, promovendo-se um processo cíclico em espiral, inspirado no Método Clínico piagetiano e na Pesquisa ação. Identificaram-se fatores inibidores e potencializadores da equilibração majorante na Gestão Pública e constatou-se a potencialidade das concepções piagetianas para orientar pesquisas voltadas a analisar a aprendizagem organizacional enquanto a promovem. / This study developed the Clinical Organizational Method to promote and analyze the knowledge creation processes oriented towards the optimization of the City of Torres Administration, RS, Brazil. This longitudinal analysis was sponsored by the Distance Learning Project (EAD). The body of research was the collective public management staff and the field of research was the City of Torres Administration. The research was carried out between December 2004 and December 2006. The researcher put forward several challenges that tended to disturb cognitive structures and to stir up the interaction and collective thinking over the City of Torres Administration, with a view to analyzing the knowledge creation process inherent to public administration improvement. The challenges were implemented to disturb and to re-organize higher knowledge background, and consisted in the conception and implementation of new managerial tools that encompassed strategic planning, organizational restructuring, the formation of project management teams, as well as the establishment of municipal management groups, the implementation of a Procedures Manual, of a Guide to Public Services, of a Training Resource Program, and of the Civil Servant Training School. Three Distance Learning environments of the Multi-disciplinary Center for New Technologies, Federal University of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, were the sites of interaction between the Torres Administration and the researcher. The definition of the problem under study and the structure of the Clinical Organizational Method were based on investigational readings of: the characteristics of the agricultural, industrial and digital eras; the origins and causes of state expansion; and on the technological evolution, digital network progress and changes in government and education policies. Today’s public administration scenario is sketched out by the paradoxes of wealth versus poverty expansion, of the inconsistencies lying in the growth of corruption mechanisms against social control structures, of imposed social participation, and of the hegemony by the individual over the community. The reciprocal influence of knowledge creation in public management and the paradoxes listed was detected. Besides, these contradictions allow the generation of Social Representations that vindicate and protect ethically and socially debatable situations. These Social Representations are collective consensual designs that sustain the interpretation of reality, and that rise, suffer changes, or are upheld in and influence everyday life. A theory based on the teachings of Jean Piaget is defined, on which the concept of the Clinical Organizational Method is built. The theoretical model is complemented and made suitable to support the structuring of organizational research-learning processes by cognitive developments as Serge Moscovici’s Social Representations theory, by Nonaka & Takeuchi’s Theory of The Knowledge-Creating Company, by Chris Argyris’ Double-Loop and Single- Loop Learning method, and by the Organization seen as structure and process studied by Richard Hall. The Clinical Organizational Method was progressively developed and implemented during this research. The individual thinking and teamwork conclusions following the imbalances purposely created led to decisions towards the optimization of public administration. The progressively implemented transformations defined at each step were implemented, generating a new management model directed to optimization. Piaget’s views were proved potentially positive to support a research that concomitantly affords the analysis and the promotion of organizational learning.

Diversos estudos exploram temas relacionados ao monitoramento do ambiente com o intuito de auxiliar empresas a se protegerem contra ameaças e a aproveitarem oportunidades provenientes do ambiente externo. Outros pesquisadores se dedicaram aos tópicos relacionados à gestão do conhecimento, colocando o conhecimento como elemento central para o desenvolvimento e o sucesso empresarial. Contudo, identificaram-se poucos estudos que explorem as temáticas de monitoramento do ambiente e gestão do conhecimento em conjunto. Com o propósito de contribuir para o preenchimento desta lacuna, o presente estudo investiga o desenvolvimento da capacidade absortiva em processos de exploração de sinais fracos, sob a perspectiva da criação do conhecimento organizacional. Para tal investigação se utilizou método qualitativo e exploratório; tendo como técnicas de coleta de dados entrevistas semiestruturadas e análise de conteúdo para exploração dos mesmos. Constatou-se que o desempenho do processo de Inteligência pode contribuir para o desenvolvimento da capacidade absortiva, além de propiciar a criação, expansão e renovação de conhecimentos individuais e organizacionais. Observou-se, também, que a realização das atividades de Inteligência incentiva a ação e influencia na tomada de decisão de colaboradores e gestores. Os profissionais ao se sentirem melhor informados sobre oportunidades e ameaças provenientes do ambiente externo à organização passam a refletir e se responsabilizar mais por ações e decisões. / Many studies explore topics related to the environmental scanning process in order to assist companies with protecting themselves against threats and seizing opportunities that arise from external environments. Furthermore, a number of researchers have focused broadly and deeply on topics related to knowledge management, placing knowledge as a central resource to a business’s development and success. Nevertheless, there are few studies that combine the themes of environmental scanning and knowledge management. Aiming contribute to fill this gap, this study investigates the absorptive capacity developing in weak signals’ exploration process through the organization knowledge creation’ perspectives. The employed method to this qualitative and explorative research will be interviews by means of techniques for collecting data; and a content analysis for an exploitation of these data. It was found that the Intelligence process performance contributes to the development of absorptive capacity. Futhermore, the practice of Intelligence process facilitates the creation, expansion and renewal of individual and organizational knowledge. It was also observed that the realization of intelligence activities encourages action and influence in employees and managers decision making. Professionals who feel better informed about opportunities and threats from the external environment in regards to the organization start to further reflect and be more accountable for actions and decisions.

Esta pesquisa investiga a construção de conhecimentos voltados a otimizar a gestão pública enquanto processo de equilibração majorante. Formulam-se desafios e promovem-se vinte ciclos de desequilibração reflexão coletiva ação reequilibração majorante, consistentes na concepção e implementação de novas ferramentas gerenciais, tendentes a aprimorar a Gestão Pública de Torres. O sujeito de pesquisa é coletivo e composto pelos Gestores de Torres – RS; o campo de pesquisa, a Administração Municipal de Torres; o tempo da pesquisa, de dezembro de 2004 a dezembro de 2006, em estudo longitunidal. Os desafios adotados como fatores de perturbação compreenderam a elaboração do planejamento estratégico, a instituição de equipes de gerenciamento de projetos; a reestruturação organizacional, com a criação de comitês gestores, de gerências municipais e de grupos executivos da modernização; a confecção do Manual de Procedimentos, do Guia dos Serviços Públicos e da Matriz de Capacitação; a instituição de Escola de Gestão, de Central de Atendimento ao Cidadão e de Portal na Internet. Três ambientes de Educação a Distância do Centro Interdisciplinar de Novas Tecnologias na Educação (CINTED/PPGIE/UFRGS), foram utilizados para ampliar a interação dos Gestores de Torres entre si e com o pesquisador. Os dados coletados foram compartilhados no ambiente virtual e analisados em conjunto com os Gestores de Torres. Provocou-se a interação dos Gestores de Torres com lideranças comunitárias, com Gestores de Gramado e com acadêmicos, a fim de averiguar se tal interação potencializa a equilibração majorante da Gestão Pública. A formulação da problemática e a estruturação do Método foram impulsionadas por leituras exploratórias sobre: gênese das cidades; características das Eras Agrícola, Industrial e Digital; origens e expansão do Estado; evolução tecnológica, interligação em rede e mudanças nos governos e na educação. Os paradoxos do crescimento da riqueza e da miséria, da ampliação dos mecanismos de controle social e da corrupção, da gestão participativa imposta e da hegemonia do individualismo em detrimento à comunidade são descritos para contextualizar o ambiente em que opera a Administração Pública hoje. Assume-se que tais paradoxos interferem na capacidade de criar conhecimentos na Gestão Pública. Além disto, dão ensejo à elaboração de Representações Sociais tendentes a justificar e a conservar situações ética e socialmente questionáveis. As Representações Sociais, criações coletivas consensuais, subsidiam a leitura da realidade, emergem e se transformam, ou se mantêm, no convívio quotidiano das pessoas, influenciando-o. O modelo teórico sobre o qual se assenta a análise da equilibração majorante na Gestão Pública adota as concepções teóricas de Jean Piaget como principal substrato, adicionando-se contribuições sobre Representações Sociais (Moscovici), Criação do Conhecimento nas Empresas (Nonaka e Takeuchi), aprendizagem organizacional de circuito único e duplo (Argyris) e organização enquanto estrutura e processos (Richard Hall). O Método Clínico Organizacional foi delineado e aperfeiçoado de forma progressiva, promovendo-se um processo cíclico em espiral, inspirado no Método Clínico piagetiano e na Pesquisa ação. Identificaram-se fatores inibidores e potencializadores da equilibração majorante na Gestão Pública e constatou-se a potencialidade das concepções piagetianas para orientar pesquisas voltadas a analisar a aprendizagem organizacional enquanto a promovem. / This study developed the Clinical Organizational Method to promote and analyze the knowledge creation processes oriented towards the optimization of the City of Torres Administration, RS, Brazil. This longitudinal analysis was sponsored by the Distance Learning Project (EAD). The body of research was the collective public management staff and the field of research was the City of Torres Administration. The research was carried out between December 2004 and December 2006. The researcher put forward several challenges that tended to disturb cognitive structures and to stir up the interaction and collective thinking over the City of Torres Administration, with a view to analyzing the knowledge creation process inherent to public administration improvement. The challenges were implemented to disturb and to re-organize higher knowledge background, and consisted in the conception and implementation of new managerial tools that encompassed strategic planning, organizational restructuring, the formation of project management teams, as well as the establishment of municipal management groups, the implementation of a Procedures Manual, of a Guide to Public Services, of a Training Resource Program, and of the Civil Servant Training School. Three Distance Learning environments of the Multi-disciplinary Center for New Technologies, Federal University of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, were the sites of interaction between the Torres Administration and the researcher. The definition of the problem under study and the structure of the Clinical Organizational Method were based on investigational readings of: the characteristics of the agricultural, industrial and digital eras; the origins and causes of state expansion; and on the technological evolution, digital network progress and changes in government and education policies. Today’s public administration scenario is sketched out by the paradoxes of wealth versus poverty expansion, of the inconsistencies lying in the growth of corruption mechanisms against social control structures, of imposed social participation, and of the hegemony by the individual over the community. The reciprocal influence of knowledge creation in public management and the paradoxes listed was detected. Besides, these contradictions allow the generation of Social Representations that vindicate and protect ethically and socially debatable situations. These Social Representations are collective consensual designs that sustain the interpretation of reality, and that rise, suffer changes, or are upheld in and influence everyday life. A theory based on the teachings of Jean Piaget is defined, on which the concept of the Clinical Organizational Method is built. The theoretical model is complemented and made suitable to support the structuring of organizational research-learning processes by cognitive developments as Serge Moscovici’s Social Representations theory, by Nonaka & Takeuchi’s Theory of The Knowledge-Creating Company, by Chris Argyris’ Double-Loop and Single- Loop Learning method, and by the Organization seen as structure and process studied by Richard Hall. The Clinical Organizational Method was progressively developed and implemented during this research. The individual thinking and teamwork conclusions following the imbalances purposely created led to decisions towards the optimization of public administration. The progressively implemented transformations defined at each step were implemented, generating a new management model directed to optimization. Piaget’s views were proved potentially positive to support a research that concomitantly affords the analysis and the promotion of organizational learning.

Diversos estudos exploram temas relacionados ao monitoramento do ambiente com o intuito de auxiliar empresas a se protegerem contra ameaças e a aproveitarem oportunidades provenientes do ambiente externo. Outros pesquisadores se dedicaram aos tópicos relacionados à gestão do conhecimento, colocando o conhecimento como elemento central para o desenvolvimento e o sucesso empresarial. Contudo, identificaram-se poucos estudos que explorem as temáticas de monitoramento do ambiente e gestão do conhecimento em conjunto. Com o propósito de contribuir para o preenchimento desta lacuna, o presente estudo investiga o desenvolvimento da capacidade absortiva em processos de exploração de sinais fracos, sob a perspectiva da criação do conhecimento organizacional. Para tal investigação se utilizou método qualitativo e exploratório; tendo como técnicas de coleta de dados entrevistas semiestruturadas e análise de conteúdo para exploração dos mesmos. Constatou-se que o desempenho do processo de Inteligência pode contribuir para o desenvolvimento da capacidade absortiva, além de propiciar a criação, expansão e renovação de conhecimentos individuais e organizacionais. Observou-se, também, que a realização das atividades de Inteligência incentiva a ação e influencia na tomada de decisão de colaboradores e gestores. Os profissionais ao se sentirem melhor informados sobre oportunidades e ameaças provenientes do ambiente externo à organização passam a refletir e se responsabilizar mais por ações e decisões. / Many studies explore topics related to the environmental scanning process in order to assist companies with protecting themselves against threats and seizing opportunities that arise from external environments. Furthermore, a number of researchers have focused broadly and deeply on topics related to knowledge management, placing knowledge as a central resource to a business’s development and success. Nevertheless, there are few studies that combine the themes of environmental scanning and knowledge management. Aiming contribute to fill this gap, this study investigates the absorptive capacity developing in weak signals’ exploration process through the organization knowledge creation’ perspectives. The employed method to this qualitative and explorative research will be interviews by means of techniques for collecting data; and a content analysis for an exploitation of these data. It was found that the Intelligence process performance contributes to the development of absorptive capacity. Futhermore, the practice of Intelligence process facilitates the creation, expansion and renewal of individual and organizational knowledge. It was also observed that the realization of intelligence activities encourages action and influence in employees and managers decision making. Professionals who feel better informed about opportunities and threats from the external environment in regards to the organization start to further reflect and be more accountable for actions and decisions.

Submitted by Liliane Ferreira (ljuvencia30@gmail.com) on 2018-06-04T12:38:23Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Dágma Thábatta Sueyd de Freitas Pereira - 2018.pdf: 3461335 bytes, checksum: 698852d0fc696ad33377a701e485ccf2 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2018-06-04T13:54:25Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Dágma Thábatta Sueyd de Freitas Pereira - 2018.pdf: 3461335 bytes, checksum: 698852d0fc696ad33377a701e485ccf2 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-04T13:54:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Dágma Thábatta Sueyd de Freitas Pereira - 2018.pdf: 3461335 bytes, checksum: 698852d0fc696ad33377a701e485ccf2 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-04-30 / The purpose of this study was to analyze the ways of creating knowledge in the incubated companies' experiences during the incubation process. As specific objectives, the research aimed to describe and analyze the incubation process of companies; to demonstrate the most recurrent knowledge conversion modes during incubation; characterize the experiences of incubated companies that influence the creation of knowledge and contribute to the reflection of entrepreneurs incubated on the preponderance of knowledge creation in their practices. The study strategy adopted was that of multiple cases, where six cases were selected. The data collection was through the autoscopy, observation and questionnaire applied to the incubated companies and university incubator of technology-based, considering the perspectives of knowledge creation in incubated companies. The analytical approach adopted was the qualitative one where the interpretation and analysis of the data counted on the software MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2018 and auxiliary softwares of shooting and editing of videos, listening and transcription of reflexive sessions for the organization of qualitative data regarding the extraction, compilation and analysis of information of the elements raised. The study examined the creation of the knowledge of incubated companies, explaining the organizational knowledge and incubation process, as well as using as an analysis model the four ways of converting organizational knowledge and the five conditions promoting the creation of organizational knowledge. It was considered therefore to examine how the incubated companies create knowledge during the incubation process. It was identified activities or daily actions that configure the existence of one or more ways of converting organizational knowledge within incubated companies, as well as the experiences that contribute to the creation of organizational knowledge considering the five promoting conditions, besides the five prevailing experiences discovered by this study that promote the creation of organizational knowledge. It was observed that the incubated companies undergo experiences of knowledge creation during incubation, and that many of these experiments are related to the incubation environment, being the incubator a ba of knowledge. It was also observed that in reflecting on the actions that provide the creation of organizational knowledge, entrepreneurs end up re-meaning the meanings of the activities they perform, giving greater importance to them. The conclusions of the study also stimulated the verbalization about the use of the autoscopy method, which was well evaluated and conceptualized as a very important method by leading to reflection on the actions, which allows the personal measurement of the state of performance of this action. / Este estudo teve como objetivo geral a pretensão de analisar os modos de criação do conhecimento nas experiências das empresas incubadas, durante o processo de incubação. Como objetivos específicos, a pesquisa pretendeu descrever e analisar o processo de incubação de empresas; evidenciar os modos de conversão do conhecimento mais recorrentes durante a incubação; caracterizar as experiências das empresas incubadas que influenciam na criação do conhecimento e contribuir para a reflexão dos empreendedores incubados sobre a preponderância da criação do conhecimento em suas práticas. A estratégia de estudo adotada foi a de múltiplos casos, onde selecionou-se seis casos. O levantamento dos dados se deu por meio da autoscopia, observação e questionário aplicados às empresas incubadas e à incubadora universitária de base tecnológica, considerando as perspectivas da criação do conhecimento nas empresas incubadas. A abordagem analítica adotada foi a qualitativa onde a interpretação e análise dos dados contou com auxílio do software MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2018 e de softwares auxiliares de rodagem e edição dos vídeos, escuta e transcrição das sessões reflexivas para a organização dos dados qualitativos quanto á extração, compilação e análise de informação dos elementos levantados. O estudo examinou a criação do conhecimento das empresas incubadas, cabendo explanar sobre o conhecimento organizacional e o processo de incubação, assim como utilizou-se como modelo de análise os quatro modos de conversão de conhecimento organizacional e as cinco condições promotoras de criação do conhecimento organizacional. Considerou-se examinar portanto de que forma as empresas incubadas criam o conhecimento durante o processo de incubação. Foram identificadas atividades ou ações cotidianas que configuram a existência de um ou mais modos de conversão do conhecimento organizacional dentro das empresas incubadas, bem como foram apontadas as experiências que contribuem para a criação do conhecimento organizacional considerando as cinco condições promotoras, além das cinco experiências preponderantes descobertas por este estudo que promovem a criação do conhecimento organizacional. Foi observado que as empresas incubadas passam por experiências de criação de conhecimento durante a incubação, e que muitas destas experiências estão relacionadas ao ambiente de incubação, sendo a incubadora um ba do conhecimento. Constatou-se ainda que ao refletirem sobre as ações que proporcionam a criação do conhecimento organizacional, os empreendedores acabam por ressignificar os sentidos das atividades que realizam, dando maior importância a elas. As conclusões do estudo ainda estimularam a verbalização sobre o uso do método autoscopia, que foi bem avaliado e conceituado como um método muito importante por levar à reflexão sobre as ações, o que permite a mensuração pessoal do estado de realização desta ação.

O processo de desenvolvimento de produto é reconhecido pela literatura como sendo de importância estratégica, mas, apesar disso, existe uma grande dificuldade para se gerenciar este processo, devido a existência de diversas visões parciais sobre sua abrangência e importância, as quais dificultam a integração entre os profissionais que atuam nessa área. No campo de ensino e pesquisa esse fenômeno também ocorre, pois o desenvolvimento de produtos é tratado de maneira incompleta pelas diferentes áreas de conhecimento especializado, criando visões parciais que apresentam linguagem e características próprias, as quais dificultam um entendimento comum dos aspectos desse processo. Para enfrentar esta situação, esse trabalho apresenta a experiência de grupos de pesquisa que formaram uma comunidade de prática em desenvolvimento de produtos, chamada PDPNet (Product Development Process Network), visando minimizar essas visões parciais. Para isso, os membros de tal comunidade envolveram-se no desenvolvimento de iniciativas e atividades conjuntas e têm a sua disposição um portal de conhecimentos para favorecer a sinergia entre os membros, apoiando o ambiente voltado à cooperação e facilitando a troca e criação de conhecimentos, o que é objetivo primordial de uma comunidade de prática. Este trabalho visa relatar e analisar criticamente as características principais da PDPNet, enfocando sua formação, estabelecimento, gestão das iniciativas e atividades para criação de conhecimentos, bem como a tecnologia de informação utilizada. Com esse trabalho, espera-se divulgar essa experiência para o meio acadêmico e empresarial interessado, de forma que suas práticas possam ser propagadas e as dificuldades consideradas. Além disso, espera-se que a análise crítica permita obter subsídios para que seus principais benefícios e dificuldades possam ser identificados e tratados pelos gestores da comunidade. / The product development process is recognized by literature as being of strategically importance, but a great difficulty exists to manage this process due to the existence of several partial visions concerning its scope. This causes some problems to integrate the professionals who work with this area. In the education & research field this phenomenon also occurs, as the product development process is incompletely treated by the different areas of specialized knowledge, creating also partial visions that have their own language and characteristics. This makes it difficult to establish a commom agreement of the aspects involved and they are not understood as complementary visions. To face this problem, this work presents the experience of some research groups that have built a community of practice on product development process in order to minimize these partial visions. The community of practice is called PDPNet (Product Development Process Network) and its practioners have been involved in a set of initiatives and joint activities. They have at hand a knowledge management portal to stimulate its members\'s synergy, supporting the cooperation environment and facilitating the exchange and creation of knowledge, which is the main objective of a community of practice. Thus, this work aims to present and to analyze the main characteristics of the PDPNet, focusing on its formation, establishment, management of the initiatives and activities for knowledge creation and management, as well as the information technology used. With this work, it is expected to disseminate the PDPNet experience for interested people from academic and organization environment, so that its success practices and difficulties can be known. Moreover, it is expected that the critical analysis give subsidies so that its main benefits and difficulties can be identified and treated by the community managers.

Magister Commercii - MCom / This study analyses the process that an IT refurbishing organisation used to socialise 15 IT graduates to the norms of the working world. In addition, 5 IT industry and 2 governmental agency interviews were used, and 60 online job advertisements were analysed to develop a system dynamic model. The main motivation for this study was to develop a system dynamics model of the graduate socialisation process, in an attempt to understand the cause and effect of practical exposure, to bridge the IT skill-expectations gap. The main source of data for the model was from a-priori coding and content analysis of job adverts, online blogs and reports created by the students, supported by a review of the existing literature

According to some commentary, employees are empowered by simple, flexible and lightweight social software such as blogs and wikis. Using such software, it is claimed they will be able to connect and collaborate beyond boundaries and to benefit organisations in innovation and growth. Extending such claims, commentators also argue that social software challenges existing ways of networking, communicating and collaborating and is likely to cause disruption to some organisations. However, a literature search reveals that it is still unclear for both researchers and practitioners how social software can be exploited for work purposes, and what are the grounds for its adoption. Systematic investigation of the adoption of social software for work collaboration is found to be absent in academic writing. Organisations continue experimenting on social software, seeking ways to encourage their employees to adopt the tools, and expect to benefit from self-organised, distributed collaboration. This technology adoption is a contingent process. The way members use social software is embedded within the social interaction process, group characteristics, tasks and environments. Adaptive structuration theory (AST) is adopted for social software-supported collaboration in a way that emphasised its value as a contextual analysis approach. A conceptual framework was developed from the researcher's experiential knowledge, AST and empirical evidence, and then revised with the findings from exploratory studies. The main theoretical insights induced from empirical evidence are: influence from 'meta-users', e.g., supervisors and managers, affects both users' use intention and behaviour. Social structures embedded in social capital can enable or inhibit the adoption of social software. Nevertheless, new social structures do emerge from online conversations. Additionally, the results show that task-technology fit has little relevance to social software adoption. A case study approach with mixed methods is adopted in this study. Social network analysis and statistical analysis provide complementary support to qualitative analysis. The UK public sector was chosen as the research context. Individuals are knowledge workers in distributed and cross-boundary groups. The asynchronous social software applications studied are blogs and wikis.