The Canadian population is aging, as is the Canadian workforce. Today, four generations find themselves cohabiting in the workforce together. This may have an impact on workplace collaboration and communication, as both of these processes are influenced by group perceptions. Academic research has focused upon workplace interactions mainly from a younger worker’s perspective; hence, the older worker’s voice has been overlooked. The objective of this study is thereby from an older worker’s perspective, to understand how generations perceive each other in the workplace, and further, understand how these perceptions influence intergenerational communication and collaboration. To do so, we have relied upon Communication Accommodation Theory and Social Identity Theory, and have conducted a survey to measure the influence of ageist stereotypes on communication and its accommodation, in addition to such influences on knowledge transfer. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Le transfert interorganisationnel de connaissances a un intérêt central à la fois comme sujet académique et dans la pratique des affaires. Cependant, les conséquences du transfert interorganisationnel sur la firme émettrice restent méconnues. Notre recherche tente de combler cette lacune et vise deux objectifs complémentaires. En premier lieu, elle vise une meilleure compréhension des effets du transfert interorganisationnel de connaissances et de leur utilité pour la firme émettrice, et en second lieu, elle cherche à identifier les facteurs qui facilitent ou entravent ces effets.Nous avons adopté une démarche scientifique exploratoire structurée en deux parties. La première partie est classiquement consacrée à une revue de littérature visant à la construction d’un modèle théorique de recherche, et la deuxième permet de confronter le modèle théorique à la réalité empirique.Les données recueillies auprès de 126 relations client-fournisseur dans l'industrie française ont fait l’objet d’analyses statistiques quantitatives. A partir de ces éléments, l’étude fournit une vérification empirique de l'importance du transfert interorganisationnel de connaissances. Elle identifie notamment la distance cognitive entre les partenaires, la qualité de la relation, la capacité de l’émetteur, la portée du transfert de connaissances et la mise en adéquation des connaissances transférées comme des facteurs essentiels au succès du transfert. En outre, notre recherche apporte une valeur prescriptive pour les praticiens qui cherchent à développer un transfert de connaissances efficace et efficient dans le cadre de la relation client-fournisseur. / The interorganizational knowledge transfer is central for both scholars and practitioners. However, despite the attention given to the importance of this subject from different viewpoints and in different contexts, the effects of interorganizational transfer on the source firm (the sender) remain unclear. Our research attempts to fill this gap and has two complementary objectives: understanding the effects of interorganizational knowledge transfer and their usefulness for the source firm, and identifying factors that facilitate or inhibit these effects.To achieve these goals, we adopted an exploratory approach structured in two parts. The first part is dedicated to a literature review to construct a theoretical model of research, and the second allows us to compare the theoretical model to empirical reality.The study is a part of the interpretive paradigm. Data collected from 126 customer-supplier relationships in the French industry were analyzed through various statistical techniques.The study provides empirical verification of the importance of inter-organizational knowledge transfer. It also identifies the cognitive distance between partners, the quality of the relationship, the sender capability, the scope of knowledge transfer and the alignment of knowledge transfer as key factors in the success of the transfer. Finally, our research provides prescriptive tools for experts who aim to develop an effective and efficient knowledge transfer in the context of customer-supplier relationship.

Competitive advantage and financial performance of an organization is influenced by the knowledge it possesses, making Knowledge Management (KM) a vital field. Components of KM were often studied separately and in specific settings, while research regarding Knowledge Transfer (KT) and Knowledge Storage (KST) in the steel manufacturing industry is limited. The aim of this thesis is to address this research gap by creating a conceptual framework regarding storing and transferring knowledge in the steel manufacturing industry and explaining how steel manufacturers can transfer tacit knowledge. In order to achieve the aim, a single case study with a Swedish steel manufacturing company was conducted. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews on three levels; managers, production leaders and floor workers, and through direct non-participant observations of the production floor and KM systems. The findings of this thesis contribute to the theory by exploring similarities and differences between the context of steel manufacturing industry and the current KM, KT and KST literature. The findings also propose practical implications that can facilitate the process of managing knowledge for companies in similar contexts. Firstly, this thesis suggests three approaches in which tacit knowledge can be transferred, through; socialization, externalization, and learning-by-doing and mentoring; and secondly, suggests a Knowledge Flow Framework in which the interplay between KT and KST is presented. / En organisations konkurrensfördelar och finansiella resultat påverkas av den kunskap den besitter, vilket gör Kunskapshantering till ett viktigt område. Komponenter i Kunskapshantering har ofta studerats separat och i specifika kontexter, medan forskningen om Kunskapsöverföring och Kunskapsbevaring inom ståltillverkningsindustrin är begränsad. Syftet med denna studie är att ta itu med denna forskningsklyfta genom att skapa ett konceptuellt ramverk för att bevara och överföra kunskap inom ståltillverkningsindustrin och förklara hur ståltillverkare kan överföra tyst kunskap. För att uppnå syftet har en enskild fallstudie genomförts med ett svenskt ståltillverkande företag. Data har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer på tre nivåer; chefer, produktionsledare och golvarbetare, och genom direkta icke-deltagande observationer av produktionsgolvet och kunskapshanteringssystem. Fynden av denna studie bidrar till teorin genom att utforska likheter och skillnader mellan kontexten för ståltillverkningsindustrin och den aktuella litteraturen gällande Kunskapshantering, Kunskapsöverföring och Kunskapsbevaring. Fynden föreslår också praktiska implikationer som kan underlätta hantering av kunskap för företag i liknande kontexter. För det första föreslår denna studie tre tillvägagångssätt där tyst kunskap kan överföras, genom; socialisering, externalisering, och learning-by-doing och mentorskap; och för det andra föreslås ett Knowledge Flow Framework där samspelet mellan Kunskapsöverföring och Kunskapsbevaring presenteras.

Kunskap är en av de viktigaste och mest värdefulla tillgångarna för företag. Under de senaste decennierna har Knowledge Management (KM) fått utökat fokus av både företag och forskare. Parallellt med denna utveckling organiserar allt fler organisationer sitt arbete i projektform. Projektformen innebär ytterligare utmaningar avseende kunskapsöverföring i jämförelse med en typisk hierarkisk organisation, då projekten är temporära vilket påverkar lärandet och kunskapsöverföringen mellan projekt. Med detta som utgångspunkt ämnar detta examensarbete närmre undersöka kunskapsöverföring i en projektorienterad organisation. De frågeställningar som ska besvaras lyder enligt följande: Vilka problem finns vid kunskapsöverföring i en projektorienterad organisation Vilken KM-strategi är lämplig i denna typ av organisation? Vilken nytta kan förbättrad kunskapsöverföring generera för organisationen? För att besvara dessa frågor har en djupgående fallstudie utförts på Sweco Management. Sweco Management är ett teknikkonsultföretag som säljer projektledartjänster inom främst bygg- och fastighetssektorn. Bolaget ingår i Sweco-koncernen. Forskningen tar upp följande faktorer som viktiga för effektiv KM; Stöd från ledningsnivå, Organisationskultur, Strategi, Organisationsstruktur, Processer, Teknisk infrastruktur, Utbildning, Mätning och nyckeltal, Incitament, samt KM-team. Med utgångspunkt i dessa områden har en intervjuguide skapats för att senare användas vid intervjuer med 13 projektledare på Sweco Management. Baserat på den empiri som insamlats har ett antal slutsatser dragits. Vad gäller problematik inom KM som kan uppstå i en projektorienterad organisation identifierades ett antal områden såsom: Prioritering av andra uppgifter vid tidspress Upplevd svårighet med att dokumentera tyst kunskap Begränsad möjlighet att träffas då mycket tid spenderas hos beställarorganisationen Rädsla för betungande överdokumentation då organisationen är platt Otydlighet kring vilken kunskap som är värdefullt att dela KM som inte är kopplad till användarnas behov Bristande utbildning i KM och dess verktyg Upplevt bristande stöd från ledningshåll vad gäller kunskapsöverföring Vid intervjuerna identifierades vilken typ av kunskap som projektledarna anser värdefull att dela. Viss del bestod av explicit kunskap, men främst tyst kunskap efterfrågades. Vikten av det personliga nätverket och möjligheten till att ta del av relevant kunskap genom detta benämndes som oerhört viktigt. Då den kompetens som krävs hos en projektledare är varierande och bred efterfrågas metoder för att förenkla kopplingen av rätt kunskap till rätt plats. Majoriteten efterfrågade inte utökad dokumentation, utan snarare att spridningen av nuvarande dokumentation skulle bli mer lättillgänglig. Avseende nyttan med effektivare kunskapsöverföring diskuteras möjligheten till att koppla rätt kompetens till rätt plats, möjlighet till förhöjd kvalitet på tjänsten, och ekonomisk vinning vid styrning mot fastprisuppdrag då tidigare kunskap återanvänds. I detta examensarbete lyfts värdet av kunskapsöverföring genom det personliga nätverket i en projektorienterad organisation. För att ta del av relevant kunskap behöver metoder som gynnar nätverksbyggande fokuseras. Som stödjande strategi krävs även dokumentation för att överföra erfarenhetsdata från tidigare projekt. För att skapa kontaktytor mellan organisatoriska grupper rekommenderas delning av en projektorienterad organisation i ytterligare en dimension. Indelningen baseras på kunskaps- och intresseområden såsom exempelvis tidplanering, ekonomistyrning eller liknande. Med utgångspunkt ur denna matrisstruktur kan relevant kunskap kopplas till rätt personer och det blir tydligt var specifik kompetens finns. Dessutom rekommenderas nyttjande av IT-verktyg som stödjer koppling och kommunikation mellan medarbetare. / Knowledge has become one of the most valuable and important assets of a company. During the last decades Knowledge Management (KM) has got increased focus within companies and academic research. In the same time more organisations organise their daily work in projects. The combination generates new challenges for KM in this type of organisations due to its temporary form that affect learning and knowledge transfer between projects. This master thesis will examine KM within a project-oriented organisation. Question formulations to be answered in this thesis are: What problems may occur within KM in project-oriented organisations? What kind of KM strategy is preferable in this kind of organisation? What positive outcome can effective knowledge transfer generate for the organisation? To answer these questions, a case study has been performed at Sweco Management. Sweco Management is a consulting engineering company providing project management and administration services, primarily in the construction and property sectors. Sweco Management is a part of the Sweco Group. Accordingly to present research, following factors have identified to be important for effective and successful KM; Management Support, Organisational Culture, Strategy, Organisational Structure, Processes, Technology Infrastructure, Training and Education, Measurement, Incentives, and KM-Team. An interview guide has been formed based on these factors. This guide has been used in interviews with 13 project managers at Sweco Management. Based on empirical material in performed case study, some conclusions have been pointed out. Problems with knowledge transfer that have been identified in this case study include: Prioritising of "more important" work assignments due to lack of time Perceived difficulty of documenting tacit knowledge Limited opportunity to meet other project managers as a large amount of time is spent within client organisations Fear of burdensome documentation for the project managers since the organisation is flat Ambiguity in what kind of knowledge that is valuable to share KM not connected to user needs Lack of education in KM and its tools and methods Perceived lack of support from management regarding knowledge transfer Based on interviews the type of knowledge valuable to share, according to project managers, has been identified. Some of this knowledge was explicit, but mainly tacit knowledge sharing was asked for. The possibility to acquire knowledge through personal networks was of great importance according to the project managers. The majority of the respondents did not request more documentation, and would rather like to ease distribution of current documentation level. The benefit of more effective knowledge transfer is also discussed. One benefit is the possibility to connect right knowledge to right place. Also, there is an opportunity to increase quality of services and economic profit in the long term. By effectively taking advantage of former obtained knowledge, it is possible to reuse this in future projects. In this master thesis, the value of knowledge transfer through personal networks is clarified. To ease knowledge transfer in a flat project-oriented organisation it is important to create and use methods that simplify networking. As a supporting strategy, some documentation of former project experiences should be used as well. Dividing a flat project-oriented organisation in an additional dimension is recommended to create interfaces between organisational groups. This division will be based on interests and fields of knowledge e.g. time planning, financial control or similar. Due to the matrix structure relevant knowledge can be connected to right personnel and it becomes clear where specific competence is located. Also, usage of IT-tools that support connection and communication between co-workers are recommended.

Der Beitrag zeigt einige Potenziale und Restriktionen des Wissenstransfers zwischen Hochschulen und Zivilgesellschaft auf und konkretisiert dieses Thema aufgrund einer mittlerweile über zehnjährigen Erfahrung mit Lernen im Engagement bzw. mit der Lehr- und Lernmethode Service Learning im Kontext von Universität und Zivilgesellschaft. Im ersten Kapitel wird der Wissenstransfer zwischen Hochschulen und Zivilgesellschaft erläutert, dabei die normativ aufgeladene Idee einer „Third Mission“ verworfen, ein sehr kurzer Blick in die Binnen- und Außenwelt von Hochschulen geworfen und die Konturen der organisierten Zivilgesellschaft umrissen. Anschließend wird im zweiten Teil des Beitrags Service Learning als ein wichtiger Baustein des Transfers kurz dargestellt und erläutert. Der Beitrag schließt mit einer ersten Einschätzung zur Entwicklungsperspektive des Wissenstransfers.

Das E-Learning Modul MUVE-STAT (Statistische Grundbegriffe und Grundlagen multivariater Verfahren) ermöglicht Psychologiestudierenden einen anwendungsorientierten und interaktiven Erwerb statistischer Methodenkenntnisse. Die Inhalte umfassen anschauliche Darstellungen statistischer Grundbegriffe bis hin zur Anwendung multivariater Verfahren. MUVE-STAT soll Lehrende und Studierende in unterschiedlichen, insbesondere in interdisziplinären Bachelorstudiengängen unterstützen und eine erfolgreiche Fortsetzung des Studiums im Rahmen eines konsekutiven Masterstudiengangs, wie dem Studiengang „Psychologie: Human Performance in Socio- Technical Systems” (HPSTS) an der TU Dresden, gewährleisten.

Im Masterkurs „Sustainable Supply Chain Management“ wurde ein innovatives und vielschichtiges Seminar entwickelt. Es bietet Studierenden die besondere Herausforderung, Wissen durch eigene Forschung sowie in Teams und durch die Kooperation mit Partnern aus der Wirtschaft/der Industrie zu erlangen und dabei dieses Wissen mit kreativen Methoden zu systematisieren und weiter zu entwickeln, um am Ende eigene Ideen, Lösungen und Konzepte zu kreieren. Die Studierenden sind von Anfang an aktive Gestalter_innen der Unterrichtsinhalte, verfolgen das klare Lernziel, Resultate und Erkenntnisse aus der Forschung kreativ für Industriepartner aufzubereiten, und tragen dadurch zum Wissenstransfer bei.

Magister Commercii - MCom / The humble Pong arcade game at the corner store ignited a fundamental culture shift in the 1970s and it is increasingly gaining momentum. A generation of gamers is already permeating organisations. The socio-cultural phenomenon of digital gaming has become pervasive. The intersection point of the three trends, Ubiquitous Computing, Ubiquitous Gaming and Social Networking, is the focus point of this study. It is at this intersection point that both social online gaming and cutting-edge leadership competencies co-exist and have the potential to flourish when implemented with caution and circumspection. Leadership is frequently touted as an almost mystical holy grail in modern business. Leadership :pevelopment is therefore often recognised as a critical pivot for business success. If business leaders can successfully utilise game-based learning to maximise their return on investment in Leadership Development initiatives, this may not only increase business metrics, but also enable business leaders to leave a lasting legacy by sculpting new generations of leaders who are ready and able to face the future. Social Online Simulation Gaming (SOSG) as a learning design and learning technology can prove particularly valuable as a leadership and skills development tool within the "digimodem" world. Current literature, however, does not provide a clearly focused framework for the implementation of ICT supported game-based Leadership Development technologies within the information economy. Current literature fails to integrate and take into account aspects critical to the successful utilisation of SOSG, such as the principles of "Flow Design", the often "Puppet Master" role and the interrelatedness, even interdependence, of the required utilisation competencies There is currently not a clear and specific framework for evaluating the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) competencies, knowledge, skills and attitudes required to successfully use Socia1 ·bnline Simulation Games software within the context of Organisational Leaden;hip Development. This study aimed to create and refine a framework for evaluating the ICT competencies required to successfully implement SOSG as Leadership Development tool.

Despite the impact of Information Technology (IT) in today's service economy, its nature and role are elusive or ambiguous to say the least. This ambiguity has made it so difficult to measure the value of IT. To clarify the ambiguity, this study, with a focus on the strategic dimension of IT application in the web of organizational activities, proposes a conceptual model that relates IT application to Knowledge Management and then to Strategy. In this effort, incorporating the Co-alignment model as a theoretical binding agent, the role of IT is defined as a facilitator of organizational knowledge management that is regarded as the core of strategic management. The conceptual model proposed is further developed into a structural model for empirical testing. The goodness of fit of the model is assessed through the technique of the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) along with first-order and second-order confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) using the survey responses of unit managers of multi-unit restaurant companies of the U.S. and Korea. Since the mail survey was conducted in two different nations, relevant multi cultural issues are also addressed to justify the use of combined samples for the study. The results of the statistical analyses indicate that IT application can be incorporated successfully into the domain of strategic management of restaurant companies as the facilitator of Knowledge Management activities. The hypotheses of the links between IT application and financial performance remained unsolved due to invalid data. However, this study made a certain degree of contribution in identifying the dynamics of IT application in the process of strategic management incorporating the principle of the Co-alignment model. / Ph. D.

The problem was the lack of effective succession planning strategies to facilitate the transfer of technical expertise from retiring employees to younger employees. A rebound of oil exploration activities in Nigeria would adversely affect the drilling sector due to lack of preparation and succession planning to meet the demand for technical expertise. The purpose of this case study was to explore how a succession planning program contributes to knowledge transfer and development of expertise for business continuity and prevents loss of knowledge in the oil-drilling sector in Nigeria. Twenty-four participants from one oil-drilling contractor in Nigeria participated in the study. The conceptual framework was guided by knowledge creation theory, succession planning concepts, and transformational leadership theory. Data collection included semistructured face-to-face interviews supplemented with document review. Data analysis involved a traditional text method where data coder pace each piece of data into various categories by hand. This study revealed 4 themes: individual development program, mentoring, on-the-job training, and 360-degree communication. Findings may affect oil-drilling practices by contributing to enhanced succession planning and knowledge transfer initiatives. The implication for positive social change may include the development of individuals for leadership roles and could add to the organization talent bench, and reduce knowledge gaps while ensuring business continuity.