The literature in reading comprehension has demonstrated that both domain-specific knowledge and strategic knowledge are vital to good comprehension. However, few studies have actually compared the effects of the two types of knowledge on reading comprehension. Fewer studies have examined the effects of combining the two strategies even though cognitive theories indicate that true comprehension occurs when certain procedures act upon knowledge constructed from the text being read and "link" that knowledge with knowledge in the long-term memory. This study compared subjects receiving strategic knowledge and content knowledge to subjects receiving strategic knowledge only, subjects receiving content-knowledge only, and a control group. Subjects were 9- and 10-year-old students in four fourth-grade classrooms. The design was a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. Subjects were given the comprehension and verbal subtests of the Stanford Achievement Test. Based on these tests, subjects were identified as high- or low-ability readers. In addition, they were given a comprehension pretest designed by the instructor before intervention began. The intervention took place over a 4-week period and consisted of a different series of lessons presented by an independent instructor. After the intervention, subjects took the posttest. SAT subtest scores and pretest scores were used as covariates in the final analysis. Results showed a decrease in the posttest means and no differences among the four experimental groups. Lack of findings was attributed to several factors, including lack of interest in the reading material on the comprehension tests and brevity of the intervention.

Este trabalho tem como principal objetivo evidenciar e analisar o relacionamento entre os elementos que constituem a gestão estratégica do conhecimento: os fatores inerentes a gestão do conhecimento e as dimensões estratégicas organizacionais que apóiam esta gestão; no contexto das empresas residentes em parques tecnológicos do estado de São Paulo, apresentando mecanismos que sejam capazes de direcionar ao estabelecimento de posições de vantagem competitiva a situação peculiar destas empresas. Com intuito de atingir o objetivo proposto foi realizada uma ampla revisão bibliográfica que abrangeu muitos estudos sobre o processo de gestão do conhecimento e administração estratégica, buscou-se com isso: identificar os principais fatores do processo de gestão do conhecimento, por meio de atributos que os qualificassem e identificar as dimensões estratégicas que de alguma forma estavam relacionadas a gestão do conhecimento. Com isso, foi possível analisar a relação entre os fatores supracitados no contexto organizacional das empresas instaladas no: Parque Científico e Tecnológico de Campinas - Ciatec e o Parque Tecnológico de São Carlos - ParqTec. A pesquisa é caracterizada como exploratória e descritiva, por realizar descrições categóricas da situação, visando descobrir as relações existentes entre os elementos componentes da mesma, e por explorar um assunto pouco abordado. Para a pesquisa empírica, aplicou-se na coleta de dados um questionário fechado, por meio de correio eletrônico aos dirigentes das empresas, o questionário empregava a escala Likert e visou mensurar a percepção dos dirigentes em relação aos elementos da gestão estratégica do conhecimento. Com base nesses resultados foi possível realizar: a análise descritiva, a análise de correspondência, o teste binomial e o diagrama de correlação que permitiu avaliar a associação entre as variáveis investigadas. De modo geral, observou-se nos resultados que o comportamento dos parques em relação ao processo de gestão do conhecimento difere de forma significativa, demonstrando que aspectos como: a influência do ambiente, diferentes estilos de administração e distintos tamanhos de equipes de trabalho, entre outros, influenciam fortemente no gerenciamento das empresas. No que concernem as estratégias empregadas pelas empresas que subsidiam a gestão do conhecimento, uma maior proximidade de comportamentos foi verificada, indicando que elementos como: a equivalência na área de atuação das empresas e necessidades parecidas de mão-de-obra qualificada, requer estratégias similares. E por fim, a análise do relacionamento entre os fatores que caracterizam a gestão do conhecimento e as dimensões estratégicas expressou que esta relação gestão do conhecimento e dimensões estratégicas estava mais estruturada nas empresas instaladas no Parque Científico e Tecnológico de Campinas, apesar de tratar-se de uma infra-estrutura recente de incorporação de empresas. / The main objective of this work is to evidence and to analyse the relationship between the elements that characterized the strategic knowledge management: the knowledge management factors and strategical dimensions; in the context of companies located in technological parks in São Paulo?s state, presenting mechanisms that it may be capable to direct to the establishment of competitive advantage to the peculiar situation of these companies. It was realized an ample bibliographical revision about many studies of knowledge management process and strategical management, searched: to identify the main factors of the knowledge management process, by attributes that characterize them; to identify the strategical dimensions related to the knowledge management. So it was possible to analyze the relation between the above mentioned factors in the organizational context of the companies resident in: Scientific and Technological Park of Campinas - Ciatec and the São Carlos Technological Park - ParqTec. The research is characterized as exploratory - descriptive, for carrying through categorical descriptions of the situation, aiming at to discover the existing relations between the elements, and for exploring a subject little discussed. For the empirical research, a closed questionnaire was applied in the collection of data, by e-mail to the companies managers, the questionnaire used the Likert scale and aimed at to calculated the perception of managers in relation to the strategical knowledge management. With these results, it was possible to realize: the descriptive analysis, correspondence analysis, the binomial test and the correlation diagram that allowed evaluating the association between the investigated variables. In general way, it was observed in the results that the behavior of the parks in relation to the knowledge management process differs from significant form, demonstrating that aspects as: the influence of the environment, different styles of administration and distinct sizes of work teams, etc, influences strongly companies management. In related to the strategies, that subsidize the knowledge management, used for the companies, a stronger proximity of behaviors was verified, indicating that elements as: equivalence in the performance area and similar necessities of qualified manpower requires similar strategies. And finally, the analysis of the relationship between the factors that characterize the knowledge management and strategical dimensions expressed that it was more structuralized in the companies of the Scientific and Technological Park of Campinas, surprising, a time that it deals with a recent infrastructure to the incorporation of companies.

Este trabalho tem como principal objetivo evidenciar e analisar o relacionamento entre os elementos que constituem a gestão estratégica do conhecimento: os fatores inerentes a gestão do conhecimento e as dimensões estratégicas organizacionais que apóiam esta gestão; no contexto das empresas residentes em parques tecnológicos do estado de São Paulo, apresentando mecanismos que sejam capazes de direcionar ao estabelecimento de posições de vantagem competitiva a situação peculiar destas empresas. Com intuito de atingir o objetivo proposto foi realizada uma ampla revisão bibliográfica que abrangeu muitos estudos sobre o processo de gestão do conhecimento e administração estratégica, buscou-se com isso: identificar os principais fatores do processo de gestão do conhecimento, por meio de atributos que os qualificassem e identificar as dimensões estratégicas que de alguma forma estavam relacionadas a gestão do conhecimento. Com isso, foi possível analisar a relação entre os fatores supracitados no contexto organizacional das empresas instaladas no: Parque Científico e Tecnológico de Campinas - Ciatec e o Parque Tecnológico de São Carlos - ParqTec. A pesquisa é caracterizada como exploratória e descritiva, por realizar descrições categóricas da situação, visando descobrir as relações existentes entre os elementos componentes da mesma, e por explorar um assunto pouco abordado. Para a pesquisa empírica, aplicou-se na coleta de dados um questionário fechado, por meio de correio eletrônico aos dirigentes das empresas, o questionário empregava a escala Likert e visou mensurar a percepção dos dirigentes em relação aos elementos da gestão estratégica do conhecimento. Com base nesses resultados foi possível realizar: a análise descritiva, a análise de correspondência, o teste binomial e o diagrama de correlação que permitiu avaliar a associação entre as variáveis investigadas. De modo geral, observou-se nos resultados que o comportamento dos parques em relação ao processo de gestão do conhecimento difere de forma significativa, demonstrando que aspectos como: a influência do ambiente, diferentes estilos de administração e distintos tamanhos de equipes de trabalho, entre outros, influenciam fortemente no gerenciamento das empresas. No que concernem as estratégias empregadas pelas empresas que subsidiam a gestão do conhecimento, uma maior proximidade de comportamentos foi verificada, indicando que elementos como: a equivalência na área de atuação das empresas e necessidades parecidas de mão-de-obra qualificada, requer estratégias similares. E por fim, a análise do relacionamento entre os fatores que caracterizam a gestão do conhecimento e as dimensões estratégicas expressou que esta relação gestão do conhecimento e dimensões estratégicas estava mais estruturada nas empresas instaladas no Parque Científico e Tecnológico de Campinas, apesar de tratar-se de uma infra-estrutura recente de incorporação de empresas. / The main objective of this work is to evidence and to analyse the relationship between the elements that characterized the strategic knowledge management: the knowledge management factors and strategical dimensions; in the context of companies located in technological parks in São Paulo?s state, presenting mechanisms that it may be capable to direct to the establishment of competitive advantage to the peculiar situation of these companies. It was realized an ample bibliographical revision about many studies of knowledge management process and strategical management, searched: to identify the main factors of the knowledge management process, by attributes that characterize them; to identify the strategical dimensions related to the knowledge management. So it was possible to analyze the relation between the above mentioned factors in the organizational context of the companies resident in: Scientific and Technological Park of Campinas - Ciatec and the São Carlos Technological Park - ParqTec. The research is characterized as exploratory - descriptive, for carrying through categorical descriptions of the situation, aiming at to discover the existing relations between the elements, and for exploring a subject little discussed. For the empirical research, a closed questionnaire was applied in the collection of data, by e-mail to the companies managers, the questionnaire used the Likert scale and aimed at to calculated the perception of managers in relation to the strategical knowledge management. With these results, it was possible to realize: the descriptive analysis, correspondence analysis, the binomial test and the correlation diagram that allowed evaluating the association between the investigated variables. In general way, it was observed in the results that the behavior of the parks in relation to the knowledge management process differs from significant form, demonstrating that aspects as: the influence of the environment, different styles of administration and distinct sizes of work teams, etc, influences strongly companies management. In related to the strategies, that subsidize the knowledge management, used for the companies, a stronger proximity of behaviors was verified, indicating that elements as: equivalence in the performance area and similar necessities of qualified manpower requires similar strategies. And finally, the analysis of the relationship between the factors that characterize the knowledge management and strategical dimensions expressed that it was more structuralized in the companies of the Scientific and Technological Park of Campinas, surprising, a time that it deals with a recent infrastructure to the incorporation of companies.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies to undergo a rapid digital transformation, including a shift towards remote-hybrid work structures. This has disrupted traditional ways of working, including strategic knowledge management (SKM). Effective SKM is crucial for organizations to succeed under remote-hybrid working arrangements and requires modernization of knowledge management strategies. Despite significant research on SKM and remote-hybrid work separately, there is a lack of understanding of how remote- hybrid work structures affect SKM, and the development of effective strategies to manage strategic knowledge in this new digital environment. Purpose: This thesis aims to investigate how remote-hybrid work structures influence the management of strategic knowledge in organizations. It aims to bridge the fields of SKM and hybrid organizations by exploring how organizations can design their infrastructures and processes to succeed with SKM under a remote-hybrid work structure. Method: This study adopts a critical realism research philosophy, an abductive research approach, and an exploratory single case study design to explore SKM in the context of remote- hybrid work structures. Data was collected through seven semi-structured interviews with CEOs and partners at different offices of the case company, as well as four observation sessions. The analysis of data was conducted in three steps, namely empirical analysis, abstraction, and retroduction. Conclusion: This study offers a unique perspective on the relationship between remote-hybrid work structures and SKM processes in organizations. By highlighting the importance of digital infrastructure and knowledge-sharing culture, the study identifies key factors for successfully managing strategic knowledge in this new work context. The study also provides a new conceptual framework that bridges the fields of remote-hybrid work and SKM, emphasizing the interlinks between infrastructures, organizational culture, and SKM processes. These insights provide a valuable contribution to both SKM research and practical implications for managers seeking to design effective SKM infrastructures and processes that provide a strategic advantage.

Although studies on L2 learning strategies are a major strand of second language research, recent research has shifted its focus onto language learners’ metacognitive awareness and use of strategies. Previous studies shed important light on the amelioration in L2 educational practices, but research on learners’ metacognition in the reading process in EFL contexts remains insufficient, especially at the university level in terms of the emic view of the participants studied in Taiwan. Based on an interpretive stance, this exploratory case study aimed at probing 12 Taiwanese first year university EFL learners’ metacognitive awareness and use of reading strategies during their strategic reading process, and the relationship with proficiency levels and texts of both the narrative and the expository type. This study relies on the think aloud and immediately retrospective protocols of 6 high proficient and 6 low proficient readers as the principal sources of data. The think aloud protocols and the immediately retrospective interviews were transcribed and subjected to content analysis by means of coding them. Taiwanese first year university EFL readers’ metacognitive awareness and use of reading strategies were then analysed and interpreted from a broad metacognitive perspective within the information processing model in terms of strategy application for reading comprehension problem-solving. The findings revealed that the participants demonstrated an awareness and control of their cognitive activities while reading. The strategies they employed were grouped into the categories of supporting reading strategies (SRSs), cognitive reading strategies (CRSs), and metacognitive reading strategies (MRSs). The study found that these learners’ metacognitive awareness and use of reading strategies in learning to read were closely related to L2 proficiency. The low proficient readers’ unfamiliarity with L2 is a hindrance to their reading comprehension which, in turn, disabled them from using the strategies appropriately and effectively. Furthermore, the high proficient readers outperformed their low proficient counterparts in terms of both the quality and quantity of strategies used. Both groups did not use the same strategy types. The findings also revealed that certain types of reading strategy were used differently due to the texts of the narrative and the expository type across the different ability levels. The existing literature on metacognitive awareness and use of reading strategies in learning to read is discussed and pedagogical implications for teachers of L2 reading are offered. These implications include suggestions made for providing learners with explicit reading and strategy instruction and texts with different structure in relation to strategy use. Finally, the limitations of the current research study and recommendations for further research were stated.

This study set out to provide important empirical evidence on the role of knowledge management (KM) within Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in New Zealand and the United Kingdom and to explore how such companies handle their planning and strategic choices. In today’s knowledge economies the management of knowledge has become vital. In the context of SMEs, this is even more critical because they often operate under difficult conditions and are subject to global pressures from large corporations and demanding customers. In spite of the significance of SMEs as essential for any nation’s growth and success, and even though many scholars and business managers claim that knowledge management is highly relevant for SMEs, there has been little research about this concept in SMEs, in general, and in New Zealand, in particular. The few studies in the literature conclude that this concept is mostly neglected by SMEs even though it is vital and has high potential benefits for them. A quantitative research method approach was adopted. Self-completion questionnaires were sent to the senior management of firms with 100 employees or less, from a cross-section of industries. As part of this process an original knowledge management model was developed. The basic research questions were deduced from this model and the items in the questionnaire were created to answer these research questions. In New Zealand, a total of 417 SMEs were contacted by mail and 180 useable questionnaires were returned. In the United Kingdom, 1268 SMEs were contacted and 241 useable responses were received. The response rates of 43.2% in New Zealand, of 19% for the United Kingdom and of 25% in total, are satisfactory. Therefore, the basis of this study was a large (421 responses) and high quality transnational sample, which allowed for sound quantitative analyses. The claim by previous researchers that knowledge management in the SME sector is not yet fully developed appears to be supported by the results of this research. The large majority of respondents regard themselves as not familiar enough with the concept of knowledge management to actually benefit from it in practice. Even though the respondents in both countries seem to appreciate knowledge management as a relevant and useful concept with potential, many do not seem to be sufficiently informed about this concept. Few have a knowledge management initiative in place or are planning or in the process of setting up one. The responses, which vary little between the two sub-samples, point to a short-term rather than a long-term management perspective being dominant. Major barriers in terms of the deliberate creation and sharing of knowledge are a lack of time and higher importance given to daily operational activities. The respondents - predominantly senior managers - indicate that they primarily consider themselves to be responsible for ensuring that knowledge is captured and shared and relatively little responsibility is given to other employees or specialists. SMEs do apply several aspects of knowledge management, however, this is generally informal and with an operational rather than a strategic focus. From the responses it is apparent that knowledge is shared internally mostly via people-based mechanisms. More advanced measures such as the systematic collection, organisation and storage of knowledge are less common. The results indicate a number of differences between the respondents. In this regard it is most evident that the more familiar respondents are with the concept of knowledge management the more proactive they are in terms of managing knowledge on an operational and strategic level. This transnational research strongly links knowledge management to strategy and it clarifies how this concept can impact the formulation of strategy and the strategic competence of SMEs. Therefore, the results add new knowledge to the areas of SME research and strategic knowledge management.

The wave of knowledge loss that organisations are facing on account of layoffs, retirements, staff turnover and mergers gave rise to this research. The main research aim was to identify the organisational and behavioural factors that could enhance or impede tacit knowledge retention. A multidisciplinary approach focusing on knowledge management, organisational behaviour and organisational development was followed. The nature of knowledge in organisations was explored by following a contextualised theorybuilding process, focusing on epistemology, and the appearance and application of knowledge. Knowledge in the context of this research is the knowledge and experience that reside in the minds of people. It is not easily documented, and is referred to as tacit knowing. A theoretical model was developed that revealed the factors that could influence tacit knowledge retention. The model focused on human input factors taking into account knowledge loss risks, strategic risks and behavioural threats that could cause knowledge loss.The main purpose of the empirical research was to operationalise the theoretically derived knowledge retention constructs, determine statistically the enhancing and impeding factors that influence knowledge retention and develop a structural equation model to verify the theoretical model. A quantitative empirical research paradigm using the survey method was followed. A questionnaire was compiled, and a survey conducted in the water supply industry. The principal component factor analysis postulated nine factors. A composite factor, knowledge retention, as the dependent variable was compiled. The questionnaire was found to be reliable, with a Cronbach alpha coefficient of .975. A structural equation model development strategy produced a new best-fitting knowledge retention model based on the new constructs postulated in the factor analysis. The model indicated that there is a direct causal relationship between strategy implementation and knowledge retention and between knowledge behaviours and knowledge retention. The regression analysis showed that most of the intercorrelations are significant, thus confirming the theory. The research contributed towards a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence tacit knowledge retention. The questionnaire and the new knowledge retention model could assist organisations in determining the extent to which knowledge is retained and where to focus in developing and implementing a knowledge retention strategy. The study encourages practitioners to take cognisance of the fact that organisations are different and that the enhacing and impeding factors of knowledge retention are to be considered. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

The wave of knowledge loss that organisations are facing on account of layoffs, retirements, staff turnover and mergers gave rise to this research. The main research aim was to identify the organisational and behavioural factors that could enhance or impede tacit knowledge retention. A multidisciplinary approach focusing on knowledge management, organisational behaviour and organisational development was followed. The nature of knowledge in organisations was explored by following a contextualised theorybuilding process, focusing on epistemology, and the appearance and application of knowledge. Knowledge in the context of this research is the knowledge and experience that reside in the minds of people. It is not easily documented, and is referred to as tacit knowing. A theoretical model was developed that revealed the factors that could influence tacit knowledge retention. The model focused on human input factors taking into account knowledge loss risks, strategic risks and behavioural threats that could cause knowledge loss.The main purpose of the empirical research was to operationalise the theoretically derived knowledge retention constructs, determine statistically the enhancing and impeding factors that influence knowledge retention and develop a structural equation model to verify the theoretical model. A quantitative empirical research paradigm using the survey method was followed. A questionnaire was compiled, and a survey conducted in the water supply industry. The principal component factor analysis postulated nine factors. A composite factor, knowledge retention, as the dependent variable was compiled. The questionnaire was found to be reliable, with a Cronbach alpha coefficient of .975. A structural equation model development strategy produced a new best-fitting knowledge retention model based on the new constructs postulated in the factor analysis. The model indicated that there is a direct causal relationship between strategy implementation and knowledge retention and between knowledge behaviours and knowledge retention. The regression analysis showed that most of the intercorrelations are significant, thus confirming the theory. The research contributed towards a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence tacit knowledge retention. The questionnaire and the new knowledge retention model could assist organisations in determining the extent to which knowledge is retained and where to focus in developing and implementing a knowledge retention strategy. The study encourages practitioners to take cognisance of the fact that organisations are different and that the enhacing and impeding factors of knowledge retention are to be considered. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

The purpose of this research was to conduct case studies to explore and describe Thai university students' awareness and application of cognitive and metacognitive strategies when reading and writing in English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL). Four participants, including two high and two low English language proficiency learners, were selected from 14 students enrolled in a five-week course called English for Social Sciences offered at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand in 2005. The major sources of data for the analyses included the transcripts of the participants' pair discussions, think-aloud protocols, interviews, and daily journal entries. In addition, field work observations, reading and writing strategy checklists, participants' written work, and the comparison of the pretest and posttest results were also instrumental to the analyses. The interpretive approach of content analysis was employed for these four case studies. Findings were initially derived from the single-case analyses, and then from cross-case analyses. Major findings revealed that strategic knowledge enhanced these English-as-a-foreign- language (EFL) learners' proficiency in English reading and writing. However, applying elaborative strategies for higher-level reading was challenging for most of the participants. Two crucial factors that impeded their development were the learners' uncertain procedural and conditional knowledge of strategy uses and their limited English language proficiency due to limited exposure to the second language (L2). The teacher's explanations and modeling of strategies, the participants' opportunities to discuss strategy use with peers, and extensive practice positively enhanced their development. Additionally, the learners' schema and knowledge of text structures played significant roles in their development of the two skills. These English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners also developed metacognitive awareness and strategy applications, but not to the level that always enhanced effective regulation and control of their reading and writing behaviors. Combining reading and writing in English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) instruction promoted the learners' awareness of the relationships of certain strategies for the two skills, and developed their literacy skills holistically.

Syftet med denna studie har varit att undersöka vad elever ges möjlighet att lära sig samt genom vilka läraraktiviteter sker kunskapsutvecklingen inom CAD (Computer-Aided-Design). Studien är baserad på en kvalitativ analys av intervjuer som genomförts med sju olika lärare som alla undervisar på gymnasiets teknikprogram i årskurserna 1 och 2. Av resultatet framgår det att elevers lärande kan kopplas till lärarnas kunskaper inom CAD. Kunskaper följer en hierarkisk struktur där kunskaper om kommandon är en förutsättning för att elever skall utveckla kunskaper om procedurer och vidare utveckla högre strategiska kunskaper och kreativt tänkande. Lärarna strävar efter att eleverna utveckla ett mer självständigt lärande. Eleverna skall även förbereda sig för yrkesförberedande samarbete genom att kunna nyttja gemensamma protokoll och standarder som förekommer i näringslivet. De läraktivitet som framkommer som tydliga inslag i CAD-undervisningen är att läraren överför sina expertkunskaper till eleverna genom planerade övningar, laborationer och visualiseringar i CAD. Stöttning förekommer i flera former som feedback, anpassningar i olika former, dialoger med frågor, samt genom digitalt stöd. Samarbete förekommer i olika former där elever lär sig att utveckla kunskaper tillsammans med andra elever. Lärarnas kollegiala ämnesöverskridande samarbete beskrivs också som en betydelsefull form i CAD-undervisningen. / The purpose of this study has been to investigate what knowledge students develop and through which teacher activities the knowledge development takes place within CAD (Computer-Aided-Design). The study is based on a qualitative analysis of interviews conducted with seven different teachers who all teach in the senior high school's technology program in grades 1 and 2. The results show that students learning can be linked to teachers CAD knowledge. Knowledge development follows a hierarchical structure where command knowledge is a prerequisite for students to develop procedural knowledge and further development of higher strategic knowledge and creative thinking. The teachers strive for the students to develop a more independent learning. Students will also learn to prepare for a more professional environment by being able to use common protocols and standards. The results indicate that, during the CAD teaching, the teachers transfer their expert knowledge to the students through planned exercises, laboratory work and visualizations in CAD. Furthermore, teachers support student through feedback, individual/group adaptations in various forms, dialogues and through digital support. Collaboration occurs in different forms where students learn to work with each other and develop knowledge together. The teachers' collegial cross-disciplinary collaboration is also described as an important form of CAD teaching.