Purpose The purpose of this case study is to understand how inter-organizational knowledge management is conducted in an economic association by analysing how different actor representatives perceive the inter-organizational collaboration. Design/methodology/approach The method of this study is qualitative, with a single case study of an economic association in Dalarna, Sweden. The interviews were of semi-structured character. A total of nine respondents were interviewed; four respondents from private member organizations, three respondents from public member organizations and two respondents employed by the economic association. Findings and conclusion Six themes were found that together answers the purpose of this study. These themes are personalization, codification, collaboration, conditions, capabilities and challenges. The personalization strategy from the knowledge management framework by Hansen et al (1999) is suggested to be the main strategy in the case of the economic association, while the codification strategy is the supporting strategy working in relation to each other. In order to use those strategies in this interorganizational context, four other themes are added in a model created by the authors of this study. The four additional themes need to be taken in consideration and as the theme capabilities points out; the inter-organizational collaboration gives not only challenges, but also opportunities for the participating organizations. Furthermore, the conditions and the reasons for collaborating can be used for improving the structure of an inter-organizational collaboration. Practical Information A Swedish economic association can be described as a legal entity which involves a minimum of three partners, with a common interest and where all members of the economic association are required to participate in the activities of the economic association. Originality/Value This study contributes to the field of inter-organizational knowledge management by providing insight from a Swedish economic association perspective. There is an apparent gap pointed out between theory driven and practical driven research, where this single case study aims to contribute to the practical field of applying inter-organizational knowledge management perspective into a real case scenario. The case is particularly interesting to study since there are 33 organizations involved in knowledge management, with knowledge bases of both private and public sectors, small- and middlesized organizations and from different branches.

Submitted by Maike Costa (maiksebas@gmail.com) on 2016-02-12T13:58:54Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 2891430 bytes, checksum: bed15c6f5d3a58753c45ded045177247 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-12T13:58:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 2891430 bytes, checksum: bed15c6f5d3a58753c45ded045177247 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-27 / This research studies the importance of knowledge management in a company in the industrial sector of the construction, considering the competitive and ever-expanding market. It is believed that the Knowledge Management (KM) can contribute, at first, with the productivity and competitiveness in organizational business and, as a consequence, stimulate social and economic development of the country. The overall objective is to analyze the process of knowledge management in Cerâmica Salema company, in view of Information Science. As specific objectives, we sought to identify existing practices in every step of the GC, they are: creation/acquisition; explicitness, filing and access; sharing/dissemination; editing/adaptation and disposal. In the methodological aspect, the research used the inductive method, being identified as an applied, exploratory and descriptive research with quantiqualitative approach. The research universe is composed of the members that make up the three organizational levels of Cerâmica Salema. As for the data collection procedures, it is a literature and field, whose instrument was a mixed questionnaire, applied with the leader of the strategic level, the managers of the intermediate level, the operational level of employees (administrative area) and operational level employees (industrial production sector). The data analysis was done through content analysis, from the thematic or technical categorical Bardin (2011), considering the categories of analysis drawn from the process model in GC represented by Bergeron (2003), which was used as a parameter for research, for allowing the identification of KM practices and information management practices, this part of the KM process. The results of the analysis indicate the existing shares in the company and the blanks in each step of the process. As for the management practices of knowledge, was identified the need to implement a Training, Development & Corporate Education Programme (TD&E) for the development of individual skills of employees. With respect to information management practices, was identified the importance and the need for a database of individual and organizational skills to promote the sharing of tacit knowledge among employees, as well as improving internal communication and means available for retention knowledge at the operational level/production. In relation to information technology and communication to support the process, was perceived the need for greater use of the tools and workflow CMS and different technologies EDM in order to contribute to improving the quality of information and the affection of the mechanisms storage and access to information in the corporate environment. Was identified also the need to review the information architecture in the enterprise portal. Finally, this study will support the development of policies and strategies for the implementation of a knowledge management program in Cerâmica Salema company, based on the evaluation of the initiatives already implemented and the identification of needs at each stage of the process. / A presente pesquisa estuda a relevância da gestão do conhecimento numa empresa do setor industrial da construção civil, considerando o mercado competitivo e em constante expansão. Acredita-se que a Gestão do Conhecimento (GC) pode contribuir, num primeiro momento, com a produtividade e competitividade nos negócios organizacionais e, como consequência, estimular o desenvolvimento social e econômico do país. O objetivo geral é analisar o processo de gestão do conhecimento na empresa Cerâmica Salema, na perspectiva da Ciência da Informação. Como objetivos específicos, buscou-se identificar as práticas existentes em cada etapa do processo em GC, são elas: criação/aquisição; explicitação, arquivamento e acesso; compartilhamento/disseminação; edição/adaptação e descarte. No aspecto metodológico, a investigação se utiliza do método indutivo, sendo identificada como uma pesquisa aplicada, exploratória e descritiva, com abordagem quantiqualitativa. O universo da pesquisa é composto pelos membros que compõem os três níveis organizacionais da Cerâmica Salema. Quanto aos procedimentos de coleta de dados, trata-se de uma pesquisa bibliográfica e de campo, cujo instrumento utilizado foi um questionário misto, aplicado com o dirigente do nível estratégico, os gestores do nível intermediário, os colaboradores do nível operacional (setor administrativo) e os colaboradores do nível operacional (setor de produção industrial). A análise dos dados coletados se deu por meio da análise de conteúdo, a partir da técnica temática ou categorial de Bardin (2011), considerando as categorias de análise elaboradas a partir do modelo de processo em GC representado por Bergeron (2003), o qual foi adotado como parâmetro para a pesquisa, por permitir a identificação das práticas de gestão do conhecimento e das práticas de gestão da informação, esta parte integrante do processo de GC. Os resultados da análise indicam as ações existentes na empresa e as lacunas em cada etapa do processo. Quanto às práticas de gestão do conhecimento, foi identificada a necessidade de implantação de um Programa de Treinamento, Desenvolvimento & Educação Corporativa (TD&E) para o desenvolvimento de competências individuais dos colaboradores. Com relação às práticas de gestão da informação, identificou-se a importância e a necessidade de um banco de competências individuais e organizacionais para a promoção do compartilhamento do conhecimento tácito entre os colaboradores, bem como a melhoria da comunicação interna e disponibilização de meios para retenção do conhecimento no nível operacional/produção. Já com relação às tecnologias da informação e comunicação como suporte aos processos, percebeu-se a necessidade de maior uso das ferramentas workflow e SGC e das diferentes tecnologias GED, a fim de contribuir com a melhoria da qualidade das informações e com a afetividade dos mecanismos de armazenamento e acesso às informações no ambiente corporativo. Identificou-se, ainda, a necessidade de avaliação da arquitetura da informação no portal corporativo. Finalmente, este estudo é capaz de subsidiar a elaboração de políticas e estratégias para a implantação de um Programa de Gestão do Conhecimento na empresa Cerâmica Salema, a partir da avaliação das iniciativas já implementadas e a identificação das lacunas e necessidades em cada etapa do processo.

This qualitative study is of the interpretivist nature and it aims to examine how knowledge workers perceive their interaction with a knowledge management system when used for knowledge sharing purposes. The purpose is to offer answers to two research questions: How do knowledge workers perceive their interaction with knowledge management technology in relation to knowledge sharing? What are the benefits and challenges that knowledge workers experience in relation to knowledge managing and sharing when using a KMS system? The data was collected by applying qualitative research methods and by conducting five interviews with participants of an IT organization that has its head office in Sweden, but additional offices in other geographical locations. To be able to study the participants´ perception and the benefits of the use on both local and international levels, the interviewees were chosen from different sites in which their organization was operating. To provide the answers to these questions and to establish the foundation of this research, an extensive literature review on the problem area was carried out, and a theoretical framework has been employed to study the different aspects of this model in the context of knowledge management systems in relation to knowledge sharing among knowledge workers. As a result, additional derived attributes came from the findings and it is shown that users tend to relate knowledge quality with the completeness, frequency of update, and validity of the knowledge content that they are exposed to in the KMS. Similarly, they relate KMS quality to administrability and maintenance easiness, whereas organizational service providing quality in relation to knowledge sharing is more related to the aspects of organizational commitment and reliability. Moreover, the findings show that participants relate their intention to use the KMS to the attributes of convenience and practicality, and the levels of user satisfaction were in this case mainly related to the user´s perception of usefulness. Lastly, the perception of the benefits and reciprocal value-creating for both the organization and the individual was examined and the findings show that the users tend to relate these to the aspect of relevance, or in other words that the benefits are only perceived as useful by the user if they are identifiable, respectively the user being aware of the benefits and perceiving them as relevant.