Members of distributed teams often have difficulty sharing unique information with their teammates during decision making tasks. These communication problems may hinder the development of cognitions that allow team members to reach a similar understanding of the content and structure of task information. The C-MAP intervention (Rentsch, Delise, & Hutchison, 2008) was designed to assist team members in sharing their information through behaviors that convey the content and structure of information by using specific communication behaviors and developing a knowledge object. In the present study, the knowledge object took the form of a white board where information was posted and organized. The development of the team knowledge object was the focus of the study. Using the knowledge object, team members could post a piece of unique information, highlight it, and organize it into clusters, thereby illustrating the content and structure of information through knowledge object development (KOD) behaviors. The present study evaluated the relationships among four types of KOD behaviors (posting content, highlighting content, conveying structure within domain, and conveying structure across domains) used to externalize pieces of unique information and two team cognition variables (transferred and interoperable knowledge) that develop with respect to each piece of unique information. Results provided evidence that posting content behaviors and highlighting content behaviors were positively related to transferred knowledge. Results also indicated that conveying structure within domain behaviors were negatively related to interoperable knowledge. However, conveying structure across domains behaviors were positively related to interoperable knowledge. Implications of these findings for the C-MAP intervention and suggestions for future research are presented.

隨著商業競爭全球化與資訊科技的進步，知識管理也成為各大企業欲保有長期競爭優勢必要的策略。過去許多文獻指出，外派人員為組織學習不可或缺的要角，其在外派任務所獲取的知識與經驗，不僅有助於企業管理全球化的營運規模，也可針對地區性差異擬定最適策略，但文獻中也指出，多數企業依然無法妥善利用這些投入大筆資金所換取而來的資源。 近年來，國內外陸續有學者將外派領域的探討焦點由適應問題等延伸至知識移轉的績效與相關影響因素，但研究範圍多以國內母公司將知識移轉至海外子公司為主，對於從海外子公司移轉回國內母公司的外派或回任知識的相關研究相當少。 至今，知識移轉方面的議題仍屬於探索式的研究，質化研究相當有限，故本研究選擇以兩位外派人員與一位回任人員做為個案探討對象，將國內母公司定義為知識接收者，海外子公司為知識教授者，探討兩者之間的知識移轉概況與影響因素。 本研究發現，就個人層面而言，教授者的教授能力、教授動機是知識是否能成功移轉的第一步。過去學者將教授能力分為位階權力與專業能力並個別探討，但本研究發現此兩者間有相輔相成的綜效存在，隨著外派資歷的累積，可促進教授者的教授能力。不過位階權力要能發揮，還需該職務具有相當的重要性，組織才有知識移轉的需求。除了教授者被動的提供知識外，強烈的分享動機則可促使知識移轉主動地發生，倘若教授者與接受者間有良好的關係，更可促進教授者的動機。 但成功的知識移轉還需仰賴接受者能否確實將所學內化並善加利用，故接受者的學習意願、吸收能力、過往經驗的豐富程度與跨文化經驗等都會影響其內化程度。 就組織層面而言，母公司的技術保護策略會降低知識回傳的可能性，但當母公司與子公司間的營運項目差異愈大，甚至呈現互補式的分工，則知識交流會愈趨頻繁。此外，當海外營運據點在組織架構中的策略重要性越高時，母公司對該營運據點也就越關切，越可促使知識移轉的發生。

The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between knowledge transfer and innovation. The literature documents that increasing knowledge transfer can both increase and decrease an organisation's capability to innovate. This study proposes a model that integrates these two theoretical standpoints and in doing so hypothesizes a non-linear (parabolic) relationship between knowledge transfer and innovation. Empirical research to date, including the work of Storey and Kelly (2002), document a linear relationship between knowledge transfer and innovation. In order to investigate the possibility of a non-linear relationship this study proposes and tests refinements to Storey and Kelly's methodology. A refined survey questionnaire was sent to all the local government councils within two Australian states and both linear and quadratic statistical analyses were performed. The results of this pilot study revealed linear relationships between four of the six knowledge transfer questions and the innovation measurement question. A further refinement to the methodology is recommended before a non-linear relationship between knowledge transfer and innovation is rejected.

This thesis reports on a research program to study learning in economics utilising non-traditional research methodology. The study aimed to achieve four inter-related objectives. Research in other disciplines (Meyer and Cleary, 1998; Meyer and Eley, 1999; Eley and Meyer, 2004) show that there are important factors influencing learning that are unique to the discourse of a discipline. The first objective of this study was to construct an instrument that captured students' cognitive ability that was specific to learning in economics. The psychometric properties and validity of this construct (called economic thinking ability), and the influence of students' pre-course economic thinking on their learning approaches and academic performance were investigated. Traditional economics education research typically utilises a single end-of-semester score as a measure of learning output. This research program utilised multiple measures of academic performance. By investigating the determinants of academic performance in three assessment types commonly used in introductory economics, namely essay assignment, multiple choice question (MCQ) exam and exam essay, it examined the limitations of the traditional single-score approach. Most traditional input-output learning models in economics education bypass the learning 'black box' (Shanahan et al., 1997), which is the learning approach the student utilises. The third objective of the research program was to construct a learning approach instrument that was sensitive to different assessment contexts so as to investigate the mechanism by which the learning inputs influenced academic performance in economics. This research program also measured students' general learning approaches for assessments utilised before the commencement of their economics unit, and investigated the stability and changes of learning approaches. Based on empirical research evidence and survey findings, it has been observed that many economics students do not possess the ability to apply economic concepts in real world situations. The fourth objective of this research program was to explore the issue of knowledge transfer in economics education. To investigate this issue, students' economic thinking ability was examined at the end of the course using both quantitative and qualitative methodology. The key findings obtained from this research program are: The discipline-specific construct of economic thinking ability possesses sound psychometric properties and predictive validity. Students' pre-course economic thinking ability was found to measure cognitive ability different from pre-course academic aptitude and have important effects on learning approaches. The determinants of academic performance were shown to be assessment specific. This observation provides an explanation of the inconsistency of findings by the traditional input-output approach that utilises a single measure of learning output in economics education. By examining the mediating role of learning approaches in the learning process, it was found that there were important differences in the mechanism by which different personal learning inputs impacted on academic performance in different assessment contexts. Lastly academic performance and post-course economic thinking ability were found to measure different dimensions of learning outcome. The thesis concluded that economics education as investigated in this research program focused mainly on acquisition and reproduction of knowledge and technical skills in routine academic situations rather than making connections of economic concepts to real world experiences. Implications for teaching and further research in economics education were also discussed in this thesis.

<p>In the purest sense of the term, the transfer of knowledge deals with certain activities that attempt to pass on knowledge to another unit. In the course of globalization, companies seek nowadays the collaboration with other companies or organizations in developing countries, in order to benefit from several advantages like reduced labor costs. Next to that, a myriad of companies or organizations carry out projects with partners that are situated in developing countries, only with the attempt to fill the gap of knowledge between developed and developing world – knowledge that is particularly needed in those countries in order for them to reach certain standards of living and to keep up with the rapid development that takes place in other parts of the world.</p><p>This paper investigates with the help of five selected cases the impact of the main influencing factors and barriers on the success of this type of knowledge transfer, as they are perceived by companies from developed countries. Thereby, this paper aims at providing information about their importance in the corresponding contexts and at giving inspiration on the ways these factors can be dealt with.</p><p>The exploratory results suggest that by covering specific aspects from the beginning, the companies or organizations involved can overcome the majority of the factors and barriers. Furthermore, it is pointed out that the importance of each factor varies heavily depending on the context: the process of internal knowledge transfer requires the companies to concentrate their attention on different aspects than in the context of external knowledge transfer.</p>

Individers specifika, inneboende kunskap har kommit att bli ett allt viktigare redskap för att generera konkurrensfördelar i dagens föränderliga samhälle. Det ställer därmed krav på ledningen att kunna hantera organisationens komplexa tillgång och främja kunskapsöverföring mellan organisationsmedlemmarna genom tillämpliga processer. Lyckas detta, bevaras kunskapen inom organisationen. Syftet med studien är att skapa en ökad förståelse för ledningsdrivna processer och aktiviteter som avser att omvandla individbaserad kunskap till organisatorisk kunskap.  Studien belyser ett antal olika kunskapsöverföringsprocesser som nyttjas av organisationer i praktiken. Face-to-face metoder har visat sig föredras vid överföring av kunskap särskilt den tysta kunskapen, medan de tekniska/virtuella verktygen anses vara till fördel vid informationsspridning. En central slutsats för studien är att en verbal tvåvägskommunikation, såsom fysiska möten och telefonkommunikation, är mest tillämplig vid förmedling av den tysta kunskapen. Ytterligare ett centralt bidrag är att den individbaserade kunskapens betydelse för organisationen inte är branschspecifik utan värdesätts och uppmärksammas likvärdigt mellan de studerade företagsledarna. Tidigare studier har dock fokuserat på kunskapsintensiva organisationer.

Thesis (MScEng (Industrial Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The evolution of the university’s role in national innovation systems has lately received increasing attention in international academic circles, with emphasis on its role in stimulating and sustaining national and regional economic growth. Universities in leading economies have adopted economic development as a third mission, along with the traditional objectives of teaching and research, directly leading to the inception of a technology transfer facilitator as an institutional unit. Translating this mission shift into the context of the Innovation Life Cycle, it seems that universities are involved in a larger part of the innovation process, rather than simply supplying inputs for the innovation funnel of industry. The subsequent need to gain maximum value from research has led innovation management practitioners to consider ways in which the innovation capability of universities can be improved. Several approaches have been documented to improve the performance of a university’s technology transfer office as an isolated entity. Most of these studies, however, have neglected to consider the technology transfer office in the context of the organisation-wide innovation process. The aim of this research is therefore to evaluate the innovation capability of a research institution to enable the improvement of their research commercialisation system. As a foundation the state of research commercialisation, innovation, and the relationship between the two are investigated. This process resulted in the validation that research commercialisation can be modelled by utilising an innovation model. The Innovation Capability Maturity Model version 2 (ICMMv2) of Essmann (1) is subsequently investigated with the aim of applying the model. This in turn leads to the application of the Innovation Capability Improvement Methodology accompanying the ICMMv2 in case study format on Stellenbosch University. The results obtained from the case study are presented in terms of the strengths and weaknesses of the innovation capability of the University. The results were found to be an accurate description of the current issues in the commercialisation system at Stellenbosch University. The latter was validated by individuals tasked with the execution of the research commercialisation process at the University. This, in turn, validates the use of the Innovation Capability Maturity Model for the identification of any aspects that need improvement in order to streamline a university’s research commercialisation efforts. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die evolusie van die universiteit se rol in nasionale innovasie stelsels kry toenemend aandag in internasionale akademiese kringe. Dit beklemtoon universiteite se rol in die stimulering en handhawing van nasionale en plaaslike ekonomiese groei. Universiteite in voorste ekonomieë het ekonomiese ontwikkeling aangeneem as 'n derde missie, saam met die tradisionele missies van onderrig en navorsing. Dit het direk gelei tot die inlywing van ‘n tegnologie-oordrag fasiliteerder as 'n institusionele eenheid. Die verskuiwing van missie in die konteks van die Innovasie lewensiklus, dui daarop dat universiteite betrokke raak in 'n groter deel van die innovasie proses, eerder as om net die verskaffer van insette vir die innovasie tregter van die industrie te wees. Die daaropvolgende vereiste om maksimum waarde te verkry uit navorsing, het veroorsaak dat innovasie bestuur praktisyns verskeie maniere ondersoek waarop die innovasie vermoë van universiteite verbeter kan word. Verskeie benaderings om die prestasie van 'n universiteit se tegnologie-oordrag eenheid as 'n geïsoleerde entiteit te verbeter, is gedokumenteer. Die meeste van hierdie studies het egter nagelaat om die tegnologie-oordrag eenheid te oorweeg in die konteks van die organisasie-wye innovasie proses. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is dus om die innovasie vermoë van 'n navorsingsinrigting te evalueer om die verbetering van hul navorsing kommersialisering stelsel moontlik te maak. As 'n basis word die stand van navorsing kommersialisering, innovasie en die verhouding tussen die twee ondersoek. Hierdie proses het gelei tot die validasie dat navorsing kommersialisering gemodelleer kan word deur middel van 'n innovasie model. Daarna is die Innovation Capability Maturity Model weergawe 2 (ICMMv2) van Essmann(1) ondersoek om ten einde die model toe te pas. Dit word gevolg deur die uitvoering van die Innovation Capability Improvement metodologie, as deel van die ICMMv2, op die Universiteit van Stellenbosch, in ‘n gevallestudie-formaat. Die resultate wat verkry is uit die gevallestudie word in terme van sterk en swak punte met betrekking tot die innovasie vermoë van die Universiteit bespreek. Die resultate is bevind om 'n akkurate beskrywing van die huidige kwessies in die kommersialiseringstelsel by die Universiteit van Stellenbosch te wees. Dit is dan ook bevestig deur sekere individue gemoeid met die uitvoering van die navorsing kommersialiseringproses by die Universiteit. Dit op sy beurt, bekragtig die gebruik van die ICMMv2 vir die identifisering van die aspekte wat verbeter moet word om 'n universiteit se navorsing kommersialiseringpoging vaartbelyn te maak.

O conhecimento é uma ferramenta chave e um recurso para o diferencial competitivo das empresas. Esta dissertação contempla essa realidade considerando a necessidade que as empresas têm de aproveitar e armazenar os conhecimentos gerados no ambiente de chão de fábrica, utilizando para tanto o incentivo à transferência de conhecimentos (TC) entre as equipes desse ambiente. Quando considerada a TC entre equipes, a literatura acadêmica contém diversos estudos que aprofundam este assunto. Porém, essa literatura concentra-se em ambientes de equipes com maior grau de formação, como por exemplo as equipes de engenharia de produtos, e são escassos os trabalhos que contemplam ambientes de menor formação como o das equipes de chão de fábrica. Assim sendo, o objetivo deste trabalho é desenvolver um modelo para o incentivo da TC entre equipes de chão de fábrica baseado na explicação das relações existentes entre os diversos fatores que influenciam a TC. Para tanto, partiu-se da avaliação de um modelo proposto por Frank et al. (2014) para o a ambiente de desenvolvimento de produtos, o qual considera que existem fatores desse ambiente que podem ajudar a incentivar a TC e adaptou-se este modelo à realidade das equipes chão de fábrica. Este trabalho apresenta uma abordagem de pesquisa combinada de aspectos qualitativos (como entrevistas e estudos de caso) e quantitativos (como modelagem e priorização de fatores do modelo). A adaptação do modelo de Frank et al. (2014) à realidade de chão de fábrica baseou-se na avaliação de especialistas na área de gestão do conhecimento. A aplicação do método foi feita em uma empresa cuja realidade de equipes de chão de fábrica é presente. Por meio da utilização destes métodos obtiveram-se os seguintes resultados: (i) a proposição de uma taxonomia que classifica os fatores de influência na TC para realidade de equipes de chão de fábrica em diferentes subsistemas; (ii) a adaptação de um modelo para os relacionamentos entre os fatores, que explica de maneira sistêmica a interação que ocorre entre os mesmos. Do ponto de vista acadêmico, os resultados ajudam a ampliar a visão teórica e pouco abordada sobre a TC no contexto das equipes de chão de fábrica. Do ponto de vista profissional, foco principal do trabalho, os resultados permitem direcionar ações de melhoria da TC entre equipes de chão de fábrica da empresa estudada, mas também permite uma fácil extrapolação para outras realidades no mesmo contexto. / Knowledge is a key tool and resource for the competitive advantage of companies. This work addresses this reality by considering the need that companies have to take advantage and store the knowledge generated in the shop floor environment, using as support knowledge transfer (KT) activities. When considering the TC process between teams, prior research has been concerned mostly with high educational-level teams, such as product engineering teams or quality teams. However, few studies include lower educational-level environments such as the shop floor teams. In these environments, knowledge dynamic can be different, resulting in different needs to foster the KT process. Therefore, the objective of this work is to develop a model for the KT incentive between shop floor teams based on the explanation of the relationship between the various factors that can influence KT in this context. Aiming this, we started from the evaluation of a model proposed by Frank et al. (2014) for product development teams, which considers that there are organizational factors that can help encourage KT. We followed this approach and adapted this model to the reality of the shop floor teams. In order to propose such an adaptation, we combined qualitative aspects (such as interviews and case studies) and quantitative analysis (such as modeling and factors prioritization model). The adaptation of Frank et al (2014) model to the shop floor reality was based on the assessment of experts in knowledge management and was after applied in a practical study of a Brazilian company. By using this approach, the following results were obtained: (i) the proposal of a taxonomy that classifies the KT influencing factors for the reality of the shop floor teams; and (ii) the adaptation of a relationship model for the KT factors aiming its usefulness for shop floor environments. From the academic point of view, the results helped to extend the theoretical and little discussed vision about the KT in the context of shop floor teams. From a professional point of view, the main focus of this work, the results allowed to improve actions of KT between the shop floor teams at the studied company. Such results can be also useful to contribute for other companies.

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Purpose – The research purpose of this thesis project is to develop a framework that presents how project-based organizations can improve their knowledge transfer through the implementation of more digital solutions. Method – To fulfil the research purpose, the study took an exploratory and qualitative research approach. Due to the chosen approach, an abductive research strategy paved the way for a successful performance of this project. The data collection was conducted through 18 semi-structured interviews, where 12 of them consisted of interviews with various employees of the case study organization and six semi-structured interviews with purposely selected customers of the organization. The conducted data was analysed through the thematic analysis method. Results – The results consist of an in-depth understanding regarding how project-based organizations can improve their knowledge transfer processes and benefit from increased implementation of digitalization. The conducted data lead to the development of a framework that include guidelines and next steps for implementing more digital solutions for improved knowledge transfer and an increased organizational knowledge base. Theoretical contribution – The theoretical contribution of this single case study is addressing the gap of the research on temporary organizations such as project-based organizations and their knowledge transfer processes. By connecting project-based organizations’ knowledge transfer processes to the eminent phenomenon, digitalization, this study also contributes to the inadequate research area of how project-based organizations can utilize the benefits of a higher implementation of digital solutions. Practical implications – The findings are based on an organization within the area of consulting and professional services. Hence, the findings are intended to be general guidelines how digitalization can be beneficial for all types of project-based organizations. The overall findings present how successful assimilation of knowledge is enabled through utilization of digital solutions, routines of knowledge transfer and that each project participant is granted enough resources.