Background Exploring the literature stream of the knowledge perspective as well as that of start-ups andincubation, and subsequently bringing the two together. Aim To construct propositions regarding the process of developing managerial capability in incubatedstart-ups. Methodology The study entails 3 start-ups that provide a high technology product. The development ofmanagerial capability was explored through a comparative case study in which founders, businesscoaches and externally recruited employees where interviewed. Findings The process of managerial capability development in incubated start-ups can be deconstructedinto two processes, knowledge acquisition and knowledge integration, where each process presentdistinct attributes in different stages of development of the start-up. This managerial capabilityformation is an incremental process that drives growth.

Machine reading is the artificial-intelligence task of automatically reading a corpus of texts and, from the contents, building a knowledge base that supports automated reasoning and question answering. Success at this task could fundamentally solve the knowledge acquisition bottleneck – the widely recognized problem that knowledge-based AI systems are difficult and expensive to build because of the difficulty of acquiring knowledge from authoritative sources and building useful knowledge bases. One challenge inherent in machine reading is knowledge integration – the task of correctly and coherently combining knowledge snippets extracted from texts. This dissertation shows that knowledge integration can be automated and that it can significantly improve the performance of machine reading. We specifically focus on two contributions of knowledge integration. The first contribution is for improving the coherence of learned knowledge bases to better support automated reasoning and question answering. Knowledge integration achieves this benefit by aligning knowledge snippets that contain overlapping content. The alignment is difficult because the snippets can use significantly different surface forms. In one common type of variation, two snippets might contain overlapping content that is expressed at different levels of granularity or detail. Our matcher can “see past” this difference to align knowledge snippets drawn from a single document, from multiple documents, or from a document and a background knowledge base. The second contribution is for improving text interpretation. Our approach is to delay ambiguity resolution to enable a machine-reading system to maintain multiple candidate interpretations. This is useful because typically, as the system reads through texts, evidence accumulates to help the knowledge integration system resolve ambiguities correctly. To avoid a combinatorial explosion in the number of candidate interpretations, we propose the packed representation to compactly encode all the candidates. Also, we present an algorithm that prunes interpretations from the packed representation as evidence accumulates. We evaluate our work by building and testing two prototype machine reading systems and measuring the quality of the knowledge bases they construct. The evaluation shows that our knowledge integration algorithms improve the cohesiveness of the knowledge bases, indicating their improved ability to support automated reasoning and question answering. The evaluation also shows that our approach to postponing ambiguity resolution improves the system’s accuracy at text interpretation. / text

Watershed planning and management relies on a diverse range of stakeholders. Collabora-tive planning can provide an opportunity for those stakeholders to equitably share their knowledge and learn from other participants, but such an outcome cannot be assumed. This re-search explores the potential for improved knowledge integration in watershed planning through research of a community-based watershed planning initiative in rural Saskatchewan, Canada. Us-ing semi-structured interviews and document review, this research identifies different knowledge types involved in watershed planning, explains how that knowledge is integrated through the planning process, and derives lessons for future watershed planning initiatives. Four general knowledge types identified in the analysis—bureaucratic, administrative, local, and scientific—were also evident in the literature. Specifically, this research affirms local knowledge characteris-tics—that it is spatially constrained, heterogeneous, generated through a relationship with place, and accrued over time—described in the literature. Results also reinforce claims that clearly de-fining boundaries between knowledge types is difficult and even undesirable. Differing from the descriptions in the literature of bureaucratic knowledge as including aspects of administrative knowledge, this research proposes that a greater delineation between the two is advantageous to ensure adequate knowledge is present to support the planning process. Two broad themes of how different types of knowledge influenced the planning initiative are presented: cooperation for long-term planning—highly influenced by administrative and bureaucratic knowledge; and set-ting and achieving goals—dominated by scientific knowledge as an ecological narrative through-out the process. These themes echo the collaborative planning literature on the importance of in-cluding as many knowledge types as possible throughout the process, while also revealing the necessity of ensuring that all participants are engaged in deliberations in order to contribute their knowledge. To meet this need, context-appropriate planning activities must be selected to sup-port collaborative planning; amendments to the planning process used in the community-based planning initiative are proposed to meet these needs.

The number of project-based organizations is increasing every year; this increase indicates the need to understand the complexities and ascertain the best ways of managing them. In these organizations, where the multi-project complex environment is dominant, one of the main challenges is dealing with project interdependencies. Interdependency relationships among the projects can be better understood and managed if appropriate tools and techniques are used efficiently. Thus, the ultimate goal of this study is to investigate and evaluate the best methods practiced by project-based organizations to effectively manage the interdependencies among the projects and suggest a new approach to view and understand those relationships better. A number of past researches have emphasized that effective project interdependency management results in an increase of the project and portfolio success. This research examines and explainsthe impacts of knowledge creation and knowledge transfer on interdependency management and vice-versa, by reviewing the existing literature and collecting data through multi-method qualitative study. In addition, the role of visual interdependency management and visual knowledge management tools are analyzed and compared, with the purpose of filling the gaps in the currently available literature, and investigating their moderating effects on interdependency management. Previous studies have found supporting evidence for the impacts of project interdependency management, knowledge creation and knowledge transfer on project success and organizational performance. However, there is no research targeted on how project interdependencies interact with knowledge creation and knowledge transfer. In order to investigate these interactions four project-based organizations from IT, multinational event management and consulting areas are involved in the semi-structured interviews. Additionally, as a part of qualitative study, questionnaires were undertaken to get access to valuable insights into the project and portfolio managers’ experience in dealing with interdependencies among the projects in the selected cases. The study is explanatory, cross- sectional in nature and takes a mixed approach to theory. The findings showed the presence of mutual impacts between knowledge creation, knowledge transfer processes and project interdependencies. The results revealed that the visual knowledge management tools, which are employed for the knowledge management, are beneficial in terms of project interdependency management as well. The visual interdependency management tools that are separately discussed in the existing literature, were found to be suitable for the knowledge management practices. Thus, it was found reasonable to integrate the visual interdependency management tools into the knowledge management area. As a result, these tools altogether serve to the efficient project interdependency management and lead to more successful project outcomes, which affect the organization’s performance as well.

Knowledge integration is rather a new and not fully explored  concept in  business management. However there are many scholars, who have  researched knowledge integration in recent decades. This thesis is conducted in order to draw attention towards knowledge integration and its processual phenomena. Moreover, some scholars have mentioned that knowledge integration is dynamic. The dynamics of knowledge integration lead to the fact that the actual knowledge integration process is also dynamic and constituted of performance practices, while being dependent on different factors and conditions. In further understanding, knowledge ingratiation process cannot be implemented in a straight forward lineal fashion. For this reason it changes during the time of the knowledge integration project implementation. The interest of this research is to find out how does the knowledge integration process change during the evolution ofproject. For this purpose, we have researched a real company’s project, the objective of which is to reach the knowledge integration amongst different back office teams in a newly established Shared Service Centre (SSC). The study led us through the discovery of different aspects of knowledge integration process, including challenges that occur during its implementation and mechanisms that are adopted as the project evolves. The analysis of existent theory and practical interpretation of the company’s project allowed us to conduct a visualization of the change of knowledge integration process. This visualization summarizes the occurrence of knowledge integration challenges, which call the company management to alternate different performance practices in combination with the use of practice-based coordination’s. In this essence it becomes visible, that as project evolves, the process of knowledge integration adopts a non-lineal progression. This in later perspective builds a reason to argue that the more knowledge is integrated more challenges occur in this integration process and as a result more mechanism are needed to be adopted to sustain successful knowledge integration in the project.

Knowledge integration is a fundamental capability for Global New Product Development(NPD) success that allows exploiting windows of opportunity and foster innovation.Although Global NPD projects are recipients of project management methodologies,literature emphasizes a gap in how project management tools can support a knowledgeintegration capability. Therefore, this study aims to explore how project lessons learned,a project management tool, can enable knowledge integration in a global NPD context. To this extent, this study presents the case study of Company X, applying a qualitativemethod which follows an interpretivist philosophical stance and an inductive approach.The case study was conducted through semi-structured interviews with project managersand team members from two Research & Development (R&D) Centers. The datacollected was analyzed using a template analysis and matrix display. The literature review of this study introduces knowledge integration as a capability forglobal NPD, its mechanisms and influencing organizational factors. Project lessonslearned are presented as a project management tool that encompass experiences fromprojects and hence serve as a source of knowledge. This results in a theoretical frameworkfor knowledge integration and project lessons learned as an enabler of this capability,which works as a foundation for the empirical research. The findings of the applied methodology confirmed the elements of the theoreticalframework, and contributed to develop a framework that illustrates how project lessonslearned enable knowledge integration capability. Moreover, the findings explored theorganizational context of Global NPD projects, the tacit and explicit mechanisms tointegrate knowledge in and between projects and the different levels on which theorganizational factors influence the knowledge integration process. Recommendationsfor an effective knowledge integration are suggested for both academics and practitioners,as well as potential areas of research to continue extending the knowledge on this field.

知識資源是組織競爭優勢的重要來源，而專業服務業則是知識經濟中知識型企業的類型之一，其知識資源的運作是值得深入探討的問題。本研究以組織能力的角度觀察知識整合與維持，探討專業服務業知識整合與組織能力的關係，分析其知識整合與知識維持的模式，以及影響知識整合與知識維持模式之因素。 研究採用個案研究方法，透過資料文獻的收集整理，以及四家個案公司的深度訪談分析，主要得到以下的研究發現。 一、專業服務業的知識整合模式 知識資源整合模式由「整合層次」、「整合機制」、「組織文化」三者觀察，共有三種類型。 1.「有機多元團隊模式」採跨部門整合，組織文化偏有機式。對話溝通與共同語言使用頻繁，專業個人機制常與例規的搭配。跨部門層次知識整合機制非常多元，共同會議具有重要地位，團隊由T型人員擔任整合者角色。 2.「機械流程模式」採跨部門整合，組織文化偏機械式。部門間少有對話溝通，有清楚的工作規則與作業準則。跨部門層次知識整合機制以流程的整合機制為主導。 3.「專業個人主導模式」採部門內整合，具有有機式的組織文化。個人層次的專業個人判斷是完成組織任務的關鍵，專業共同語言體系複雜，對話溝通主要是資訊交流，非任務決策的討論。 二、組織能力任務知識特性與知識整合模式的關係 專業服務業中，組織能力的任務知識特性不同，知識整合模式亦不同。當任務知識複雜性高、內隱性高時，採用「有機多元團隊模式」。當任務知識複雜性高、內隱性低時，採用「機械流程模式」。當任務知識複雜性低、內隱性高時，則採用「專業個人主導模式」。 三、專業服務業的知識維持模式 組織能力的知識資源維持模式可以由「減少依賴策略」、「減少不確定策略」二者觀察，共有三種類型。 1.「知識擴散模式」透過工作過程中的知識交流，以及教育訓練或師徒制的傳承制度，使得知識能擴散開來。不同類型專家各自參與部分任務，透過團隊默契的建立與組織認同，使得知識能夠長期累積與彈性運用。 2.「知識外化模式」將完成任務的主要知識不斷地有系統地紀錄下來，使組織能降低因員工離去而帶走知識的風險。 3.「知識穩定模式」則是組織提供良好的工作環境以及有吸引力的報酬制度，使得關鍵員工願意繼續留在組織中。組織並會致力於專業知識分享之機制，使其減少對少數關鍵專業員工的依賴程度。 四、組織能力任務知識特性與知識維持模式的關係 專業服務業中，組織能力的任務知識特性不同，組織能力的知識維持模式亦不同。當任務知識複雜性高、內隱性高時，採用「知識擴散模式」。當任務知識複雜性高、內隱性低時，採用「知識外化模式」。當任務知識複雜性低、內隱性高時，則是採用「知識穩定模式」。

I många företag finns komplexa arbetsuppgifter vars utförande är beroende av tillämpningen av kunskaper från flera olika områden. Oavsett om målet är att utveckla en ny produkt eller tjänst, eller att utforma och implementera en ny organisationslösning, så krävs kompletterande kunskaper från olika områden. Samtidigt är dessa kunskaper vanligen lokaliserade hos en stor mängd aktörer i och utanför organisationen, och omöjliga för en enskild aktör att samla och förstå. Kunskapen i organisationen kan därför sägas vara distribuerad till sin natur. Dessa olikartade och distribuerade kunskaper behöver därför integreras och företaget behöver utveckla en förmåga att åstadkomma kunskapsintegration . Därmed blir en viktig fråga för personer i ledande ställning som till exempel företagsledare, chefer, eller anställda som arbetar med så kallad kunskapshantering (knowledge management), hur man kan leda en verksamhet för att åstadkomma kunskapsintegration i företaget. I avhandlingen undersöks denna fråga genom en fallstudie av en fusion mellan managementkonsulter och IT-konsulter. Resultaten visar att kunskapsintegration är förknippad med ett flertal praktiska och politiska hinder, och att framgångsrik ledning av kunskapsintegration därför är beroende av att vissa förutsättningar är uppfyllda. I den här avhandlingen beskrivs dessa hinder och förutsättningar i en modell för ledning av kunskapsintegration.

Background and problem: There are a number of benefits that can be gained from an inter-firm R&D collaboration, however it is at the same time a challenging task. An important factor to achieve a sucessful R&D collaboration is the knowledge integration between the companies. Handling the two problems of cooperation and coordination are key to this success and can be done by using different mechanisms. These mechanisms suggest that the increasing degree of problems with cooperation and coordination requires increased control. As a result, an interesting aspect is how to manage the contradiction between control of knowledge integration and the need for flexibility which are both necessary for the explorative phase of an innovation process. Objective: The purpose of this thesis is to explore how an inter-firm R&D collaboration in the explortive phase of innovation can manage the knowledge integration contradiction of flexibility and control. Method: To fulfill our purpose we have made a ethnographically inspired case study on an inter-firm R&D collaboration in the explorative phase of innovation. Definitions: Knowledge integration: Taking advantage of specialists’ knowledge that exists in collaboration. Inter-firm R&D collaboration: A partnership between external companies undertaking research and developing something together. The explorative phase of innovation: The early phase before the architecture of the innovation has been set. Conclusion: Our results indicate that a loose structure, high trust, bigness as a source of power, vertical collaboration, close collaboration and limited size of the collaboration are mechanisms that the collaborators use to manage the contradiction between flexibility and control in the explorative phase of innovation.

The impact of user risks on project performance has long been acknowledged by researchers. Identifying approaches or capabilities to reduce the likelihood of the occurrence of user risks and their consequences is then critical. By viewing information system development (ISD) as a knowledge intensive process, this study attempts to explore possible knowledge or capabilities that must be present to counter risks related to user risk elicited from the information processing perspective. We adopted the uncertainty reduction and coping concepts, and extended their study by restructuring the theoretical model to align it with the proposed reduction and coping concepts. Specifically, the effects of user risk reduction capabilities are reflected in the impacts of user participation, the relation between user with information system developer and user informance experience. At the same time, risk coping is demonstrated by hypothesizing the moderating role of ISD business expertise on the relationship between user risk and project performance. Data collected from 235 IS professionals on the basis of their experiences of recently completed ISD projects confirmed all of our hypotheses. The results successfully demonstrated that the eliciting of user risk can be reduced when users participate in the project, users and developers have wonderful relationship and users have good experiences. Furthermore, the impact of risk on project performance can be eased when developers have sufficient ISD business expertise. This study concludes with a presentation of the implication and conclusion.