AIDS Saskatoon (AS), a non-profit organization, has limited funding. Most of the funding and resources for the organization go into service provision and education/prevention activities, leaving little time for strategic planning. Essentially, organizational knowledge exists at an individual level, which causes concern in terms of sustainability, continuity, evaluation, raising funding, writing research proposals, and staff training. AS operations are largely based on tacit knowledge, or knowledge that resides within individuals, and little of it is explicit knowledge, or knowledge that can be examined by and shared with others. This problem yields the following research question: How does AIDS Saskatoon convert their tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge? This research study examines AS tacit knowledge and represents it in an explicit format with the combination of thematic analysis and an organizational model. <p>A Participatory Action Research (PAR) method is employed to gather and analyze qualitative data. The thematic analysis reveals the mental models and beliefs that are taken for granted at AS and therefore no longer articulated among the participants but simply a part of their daily practice. A metaphorical model of AS, using Nonakas theory of knowledge creation as a theoretical basis, is presented to convey some of the tacit knowledge that cannot be captured in words. <p>AS has had some challenges in their explicit knowledge documentation. This research takes one piece of their tacit knowledge and represents it explicitly through themes and image: themes articulated tacit knowledge at AS in an explicit format, and the organizational model framed the knowledge by using metaphor. <p>An important implication of this research for the larger body of knowledge management literature is that the overarching concepts in Nonakas theory of knowledge creation were applicable for a community-based organization, where most Knowledge Management literature has focused on for-profit contexts.

In the areas of Project Management and Knowledge Management, past and current literature have included studies on the project and project team levels, but a specific focus on the role of the Project Manager in managing knowledge within the team has not yet been explored. In order to add to the discussion and close the gap, this research illustrates how knowledge is created within the project team environment, and the specific role the Project Manager plays in the process. By combining a modified model of Nonaka’s SECI Knowledge Creation Theory and the role of the Project Manager, this research shows how PM’s act as a “mixing valve” in the flow of knowledge in a dynamic, multi-directional, process within the project team environment. By developing this view, this research contributes to the knowledge management literature by describing a more dynamic SECI Model of knowledge creation than previously discussed. It contributes to the project management literature by applying the SECI process model of knowledge creation to the field of project management, and the specific actions of the Project Manager when acting within the project team environment. By outlining these actions, this research identifies possibilities for future research in measuring knowledge creation.

AIDS Saskatoon (AS), a non-profit organization, has limited funding. Most of the funding and resources for the organization go into service provision and education/prevention activities, leaving little time for strategic planning. Essentially, organizational knowledge exists at an individual level, which causes concern in terms of sustainability, continuity, evaluation, raising funding, writing research proposals, and staff training. AS operations are largely based on tacit knowledge, or knowledge that resides within individuals, and little of it is explicit knowledge, or knowledge that can be examined by and shared with others. This problem yields the following research question: How does AIDS Saskatoon convert their tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge? This research study examines AS tacit knowledge and represents it in an explicit format with the combination of thematic analysis and an organizational model. <p>A Participatory Action Research (PAR) method is employed to gather and analyze qualitative data. The thematic analysis reveals the mental models and beliefs that are taken for granted at AS and therefore no longer articulated among the participants but simply a part of their daily practice. A metaphorical model of AS, using Nonakas theory of knowledge creation as a theoretical basis, is presented to convey some of the tacit knowledge that cannot be captured in words. <p>AS has had some challenges in their explicit knowledge documentation. This research takes one piece of their tacit knowledge and represents it explicitly through themes and image: themes articulated tacit knowledge at AS in an explicit format, and the organizational model framed the knowledge by using metaphor. <p>An important implication of this research for the larger body of knowledge management literature is that the overarching concepts in Nonakas theory of knowledge creation were applicable for a community-based organization, where most Knowledge Management literature has focused on for-profit contexts.

In the areas of Project Management and Knowledge Management, past and current literature have included studies on the project and project team levels, but a specific focus on the role of the Project Manager in managing knowledge within the team has not yet been explored. In order to add to the discussion and close the gap, this research illustrates how knowledge is created within the project team environment, and the specific role the Project Manager plays in the process. By combining a modified model of Nonaka’s SECI Knowledge Creation Theory and the role of the Project Manager, this research shows how PM’s act as a “mixing valve” in the flow of knowledge in a dynamic, multi-directional, process within the project team environment. By developing this view, this research contributes to the knowledge management literature by describing a more dynamic SECI Model of knowledge creation than previously discussed. It contributes to the project management literature by applying the SECI process model of knowledge creation to the field of project management, and the specific actions of the Project Manager when acting within the project team environment. By outlining these actions, this research identifies possibilities for future research in measuring knowledge creation.

Det finns idag en utbredd förståelse för att företagets inneboende kunskap och kompetens utgör en allt viktigare roll för att kunna möta framtida utmaningar. Att utveckla kompetens och utbyta kunskap kan därför ses som centralt i de flesta företag, men detta framhävs som än mer betydelsefullt i familjeföretag eftersom kompetensen är direkt nödvändig för dess framtida överlevnad och utveckling. Det som skiljer familjeföretag från övriga är den familjära anknytningen vilken sätter sin prägel på hur företaget drivs samt dess kultur. Studiens syfte har varit att undersöka hur kunskapsöverföringen ser ut i mindre familjeföretag. Den forskning vilken genomsyrat denna studie har varit flerfallsstudie där djupgående granskningar av tre företag har skett. Insamlingen för det empiriska materialet har skett genom semistrukturerade intervjuer och studiens metodologiska tillvägagångssätt har följt en abduktiv ansats. Utifrån analysresultaten framgick det att kunskapsöverföringen i alla tre företag främst sker genom sociala samspel. I företag C förefinns dock även kompletterande metoder i form av bland annat arbetsinstruktioner vilka de övriga företagen uppvisade en avsaknad av. Denna avsaknad kan medföra en risk att kunskaper dels försvinner eller att dessa inte utvecklas. Den familjära inblandningen inverkar på samtliga företag och sätter sin prägel på bland annat företagskulturen, då det har framkommit att de genomsyras av en inbjudande och lättsam stämning vilken inbjuder till idé- och kunskapsinteraktion. Det har även uppvisat sig förefinnas svårigheter i samtliga företag att helt hålla isär de privata och professionella rollerna, vilket har visat sig medföra såväl positiva som negativa effekter på kunskapsöverföringen. / Today, there is a widespread understanding that the company’s inherent knowledge and competence play an increasingly important role in order to meet future challenges. Developing competence and exchanging knowledge can therefore be seen as central in most companies, but this is emphasized as even more important in family businesses because competence is directly necessary for its future survival and development. What distinguishes family businesses from the rest, is the familiar affiliation which sets its mark on how the company is run and its culture. The aim of the study has been to investigate how the knowledge transfer appears in smaller family businesses. The research that permeated this study has been a multi-case study in which in-depth reviews of three companies have taken place. The collection of the empirical material has been done through semi-structured interviews and the methodological procedure of the study has followed an abductive approach. Based on the analysis results, it appeared that the knowledge transfer in all three companies mainly takes place through social interaction. In company C, however, there are also supplementary methods in the form of, among other things, work instructions which the other companies showed a lack of. This absence may entail a risk that knowledge will disappear or not develop. The family involvement affects all companies and sets its mark on the corporate culture, as it has come to light that the cultures are permeated by an inviting and easy-going atmosphere which invites to idea- and knowledge interaction. There have also been found to be difficulties in all companies to completely disassociate the private and professional roles, which has proved to bring both positive and negative effects on the knowledge transfer.

The thesis studies the potential contribution of projects of Quality Management and Lean Six Sigma Specialization for the knowledge development in the participating organizations. Students taking class in compulsory subject Quality Management and Lean Six Sigma Practical were participating in those projects. Mentors from participating organizations were interviewed. The theoretical part of the thesis deals with the history and selected tools of Lean Management. The significance of continuous improvement, as an integral part of Lean Management, is discussed. The thesis describes knowledge management and selected models of knowledge creation and transfer. The practical part includes a description of an employed methodology and interviews results. The thesis concludes a proposal of changes that can result in improvement of projects contribution for the knowledge development in the participating organizations.

Offentlig upphandling av byggentreprenader är en komplex process som involverar både generell kompetens inom upphandling relaterad till upphandlingsförfaranden enligt Lagen om offentlig upphandling och kompetens inom projektledning för att välja entreprenadform, ersättningsform, samverkansform och för att utforma tilldelningskriterier. En utveckling av upphandlingen förutsätter att projektledare, och upphandlare, samarbetar och är involverade i utvecklingsprocessen. För att de två olika kunskapsområden ska integreras med varandra krävs det att socialisation sker mellan rollerna enligt SECI-modellen. Kunskapen behöver vidare överföras på en högre, organisatorisk nivå för att utveckla upphandlingsarbetet. En förutsättning är att kunskapen kodifieras för att, enligt SECI-modellen, kunna internaliseras av andra medarbetare inom en organisation. Syftet med detta arbete är att undersöka hur samarbetet mellan upphandlare och projektledare fungerar när det kommer till utveckling av det offentliga upphandlingsarbetet av byggentreprenader och hur kunskapsöverföring kan se ut i upphandlingsfasen. En fallstudie genomfördes med fyra upphandlande myndigheter med empiri som hämtades in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med upphandlare och projektledare i de fyra olika fallen. En intervju med en representant från Upphandlingsmyndigheten genomfördes också för att undersöka hur de stödjer utvecklingsarbetet hos de upphandlande myndigheterna. Empirin analyserades med teorier om kunskapsöverföring och kunskapsintegration. Resultatet visade att samarbetet påverkas av hur centraliserad organisationen av upphandlingsfunktionen är. Ju mer centraliserad en organisation av upphandlingsfunktionen var desto färre tillfällen för kontakt verkade ske mellan rollerna. Detta kan leda till att processen socialisation inte sker i tillräckligt hög utsträckning vilket i sin tur kan påverka tillgången till kodifierad kunskap. Arbetet med kunskapsöverföring varierade mellan de fyra olika fallen och kan förklaras med att de har olika förutsättningar och resurser för att åstadkomma kunskapsöverföring på kollektiv nivå. Detta visar sig även i utnyttjandet av Upphandlingsmyndighetens stödfunktioner där interna resurser inom de upphandlande myndigheterna kan täcka detta behov av stöd. Däremot utnyttjades den kodifierade kunskapen i form av exempelvis kriteriedatabaser frekvent av samtliga upphandlande myndigheter i studien. / Public procurement of construction contracts is a complex process that involves both general competence in procurement related to procurement procedures according to the laws of public procurement, and competences in project management to choose contract delivery form, payment form, collaboration form and to design the selection of supplier. A development of the procurement requires that project managers, and procurers, cooperate and are involved in the development process. In order for the two different areas of knowledge to be integrated with each other, it is required that socialization takes place between the roles according to the SECI model. The knowledge also needs to be transferred on a higher, organizational level to develop the procurement work. A prerequisite is that the knowledge is codified so that, according to the SECI model, it can be internalized by other employees within an organization. The purpose of this work is to investigate how the cooperation between procurers and project managers works when it comes to the development of the public procurement of construction contracts and how knowledge transfer can look like in the procurement phase. A case study was conducted with four contracting authorities and empirical data was obtained through semistructured interviews with procurers and project managers in the four different cases. An interview with a representative from The National Agency for Public Procurement was also conducted to investigate how they support the development of the contracting authorities. The data were analyzed with theories of knowledge transfer and knowledge integration. The results showed that the collaboration is affected by how centralized the organization of the procurement function is. The more centralized the organization is, the fewer opportunities of contact are taking place between the roles. This can lead to the socialization process not taking place to a sufficient extent, which in turn can affect the availability of codified knowledge. The work with knowledge transfer varies between the four different cases and can be explained by the fact that they have different prerequisites and resources for achieving knowledge transfer at a collective level. This is also evident in the utilization of the support functions of The National  Agency for Public Procurement, where internal resources within the contracting authorities can cover this need for support. On the other hand, codified knowledge in the form of, for example, criteria databases are used frequently by all contracting authorities in the study.

Syftet med denna uppsats är att identifiera hur erfarenhetsbaserad kunskap överförs inom CentralaStudiestödsnämnden, CSN, och hur samarbetsklimatet påverkar kunskapsöverföringen. Det är enkvalitativ fallstudie som är inriktad på de ärenden som kräver bedömning. Dessa benämnskomplexa ärenden. Genom att överföra den erfarenhetsbaserade kunskap som fås av att hanterakomplexa ärenden kan CSN uppnå ett gemensamt synsätt för att säkerställa att liknande ärendenbehandlas på likartat sätt. Totalt fem semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med personer påolika positioner inom CSN. Intervjuerna har analyserats med hjälp av en analysmodell. Utifrånanalysmodellen formulerades en hypotes: om samarbetsklimatet är bra är kunskapsöverföringenhög och därigenom kan CSN uppnå ett gemensamt synsätt i hanteringen av komplexa ärenden.Resultatet visar att trots att samarbetsklimatet är bra är kunskapsöverföringen låg. Den lågakunskapsöverföringen kan i sin tur förklara de brister som finns i det gemensamma synsättet ibehandlingen av komplexa ärenden. / The purpose of this thesis is to identify how experience-based knowledge is transferred withinCSN (the National Board of Student Aid) and how the collaborative climate affects theknowledge transfer. It is a qualitative case study that is focused on the handling of such studentaid applications that need to be individually judged. These are called complex applications. Bytransferring the experience-based knowledge that is acquired by handling complex applications,CSN can reach a common viewpoint to secure that similar applications is being judged in asimilar way. A total of five semi-structured interviews have been conducted with individuals ofdifferent positions within CSN. The interviews have been analyzed with the help of an analyzemodel. With the model as a base a hypothesis was formulated: if the collaborative climate is good,the level of knowledge transfer is high and as a follow, CSN can reach a common viewpoint in thehandling of complex student aid applications. The results show that even though the collaborativeclimate is good, the knowledge transfer is low. This could explain the shortcomings of thecommon viewpoint that exists when it comes to handling complex student aid applications.

Organisationer möter nya utmaningar då IT möjliggör för delning av information att ske i stora mängder och i hög hastighet. De alltmer utsuddade gränserna mellan privatliv och arbetsliv leder till att privat teknik används för arbetsrelaterade syften, så kallad shadow IT [SIT]. För att anskaffa sig konkurrensfördelar ställs krav på organisationer att hantera informationsteknologier, men också en av de största tillgångarna organisationer besitter: medarbetarnas kunskap. Denna uppsats ämnar till att undersöka relationen mellan shadow IT och tyst kunskap. SECI-modellen som innehåller konverteringar mellan tyst och explicit kunskap har använts som ett verktyg för att undersöka kunskapsdimensioner (socialisering, internalisering, kombination och externalisering) och hur dessa förhåller sig till SIT. Inom ramen för denna kvalitativa studie har 7 intervjuer genomförts, varav 3 telefonintervjuer och 4 besöksintervjuer. Resultatet visar att kunskapkonverteringarna residerar i olika informationstyper, där indikationer visar att shadow it [SIT] är kopplat till tyst kunskap och target IT [TIT] är kopplat till explicit kunskap. SIT spelar en stor roll i socialiseringsprocessen på grund av teknikens förmåga att bygga relationer som kan ligga till grund för delningen av tyst kunskap. SIT utgör vidare en plattform för internalisering genom att skapa ett forum för att skapa och dela arbetsmaterial på ett informellt sätt. Utan SIT finns det en risk att delningen av tyst kunskap inte skulle ske i samma utsträckning, vilket är något organisationer måste ta i beaktning. I och med SITs inbyggda ‘sense of urgency’-design kan kunskapskonverteringar även ske i en hög hastighet då medarbetarna behandlar förfrågningar mer brådskande. / Organizations face new challenges as IT enables information sharing in large quantities and at a high speed. The increasingly blurred boundaries between private and working life lead to usage of private technology for work-related purposes, so called shadow IT [SIT]. In order to gain competitive advantages organizations must manage its information technologies, but also one of the largest assets an organization possess: the knowledge that resides within their employees. This paper aims to explore the relationship between shadow IT and tacit knowledge. The SECI-model that contains conversions between tacit and explicit knowledge has been used as a tool for exploring knowledge dimensions (socialization, internalization, combination and externalization) and how these relate to SIT. Within the framework of this qualitative study, 7 interviews have been conducted, of which 3 telephone interviews and 4 visit interviews. The result shows that the knowledge conversation resides in various information concepts, where indications show that shadow IT [SIT] is linked to tacit knowledge and target IT [TIT] is linked to explicit knowledge. SIT plays a major role in the socialization process due to its ability to build relationships that can form the basis for tacit knowledge sharing. SIT further provides a platform for internalizing by creating a forum for creating and sharing work materials in a informative manner. Without SIT, the sharing of tacit knowledge might not happen to the same extent, which is something organization must take into consideration. Due to the build-in ‘sense of urgency’-design in SIT, knowledge conversions can also happen at a high rate since employees process request more urgently.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:16:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5824.pdf: 4342046 bytes, checksum: 01c5bb0dd5348e19859b6a4c827a65be (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-25 / In an environment where competitive advantage and taking appropriate decisions are essential to business success, the use of mechanisms that facilitate the storage and retrieval of informational sources and knowledge management can become an ally in the "race" by the market. In this scenario also, are micro and small enterprises, competing directly with companies of medium to large, national and international. How micro and small enterprises can reach levels of excellence and quality in their products and services when encountered a macroeconomic scenario so diverse? This research, using as a basis the state of the art in Knowledge Management, intends to structure a model of knowledge management that provides the generation and exchange of knowledge capable of external aid in the decision-making mechanism. For this exploratory research, a survey of secondary sources and primary data was performed. The proposed model aims to demonstrate the processes of knowledge generation, filtering, disclose, store and retrieve such knowledge, based on the characteristics and needs related to business associations and companies that integrate and propose mechanisms for analysis of the use in order to provide tools to classify the levels of improvement in organizational learning and performance together in the organization, is also defined the role of the participating members of the Association for each step, demonstrating the importance of the human factor for an effective Knowledge Management. , Filtering, DSI for businesses; Storage; Use, Decision Making, Organizational Performance and Professional Knowledge Generation of Knowledge: As a final result a model of knowledge management consists of 8 steps was obtained. / Em um ambiente onde a vantagem competitiva e tomada de decisões adequadas são imprescindíveis para o sucesso empresarial, a utilização de mecanismos que facilitem o armazenamento e recuperação de fontes informacionais e a Gestão do Conhecimento organizacional podem se tornar um aliado na corrida pelo mercado. Neste cenário encontram-se também as Micro e Pequenas empresas (MPEs), competindo diretamente com empresas de Médio a Grande Porte, nacionais e internacionais. Como MPEs podem atingir níveis de excelência e qualidade em seus produtos e serviços quando deparadas a um cenário macroeconômico tão diverso? A presente pesquisa, utilizando como base o estado-da-arte em Gestão do Conhecimento, pretende estruturar um modelo de Gestão do Conhecimento que proporcione a geração e troca de conhecimentos externos capazes de auxiliar no mecanismo de tomada de decisões. Para tal foi realizada uma pesquisa exploratória, com levantamento em fontes de informação secundárias e primárias. O modelo aqui proposto pretende demonstrar os processos de geração do conhecimento, como filtrar, divulgar, armazenar e recuperar tais conhecimentos, tendo como base as características e necessidades relacionadas às Associações Empresariais e as empresas que a integram, e propor mecanismos de análise da utilização afim de proporcionar ferramentas para classificar os níveis de melhoria na aprendizagem organizacional e conjuntamente no desempenho da organização, também é definido o papel dos membros participantes da Associação para cada etapa, demonstrando a importância do fator humano para uma efetiva Gestão do Conhecimento. Como resultado final foi obtido um modelo de Gestão do conhecimento composto por 8 etapas: Geração do Conhecimento; Filtragem; DSI para empresas; Armazenagem; Utilização; Tomada de Decisões; Desempenho Organizacional e Profissionais do Conhecimento.