The information context of the modern organization is rapidly evolving in the face of intense global competition. Information technologies, including databases, new telecommunications systems, and software for synthesizing information, make a vast array of information available to an ever expanding number of organizational members. Management's exclusive control over knowledge is steadily declining, in part because of the downsizing of organizations and the decline of the number of layers in an organizational hierarchy. These trends, as well as issues surrounding the Web 2.0 and social networking, mean that it is increasingly important that we understand how informal knowledge networks impact the generation, capturing, storing, dissemination, and application of knowledge. This innovative book provides a thorough analysis of knowledge networks, focusing on how relationships contribute to the creation of knowledge, its distribution within organizations, how it is diffused and transferred, and how people find it and share it collaboratively.
Author(s): J. David Johnson
Edition: 1
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 384
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Contents......Page 9
Figures......Page 10
Tables......Page 11
Boxes......Page 12
Preface......Page 15
Acknowledgments......Page 17
1 Introduction and overview......Page 19
Knowledge......Page 22
Network analysis......Page 23
Plan of the book......Page 24
Further reading......Page 25
Fundamentals......Page 27
Information......Page 29
Defining knowledge......Page 32
Types of knowledge......Page 33
Tacit vs. explicit......Page 34
Ignorance......Page 38
Further reading......Page 42
3 Network analysis......Page 43
Links as relationships......Page 44
Multiplex networks......Page 53
Weak ties......Page 54
Network configurations......Page 55
Communigrams......Page 56
Social contagion......Page 60
Network roles......Page 62
Brokering structural holes......Page 65
Network indices......Page 66
Pathways......Page 67
Individual positioning......Page 68
Cliques and groups......Page 70
Further reading......Page 72
Contexts......Page 73
4 Context......Page 75
Context as equivalent to situation......Page 76
Match, contingency, and congruency......Page 77
Context as frameworks and governance structures......Page 78
Structure as governance......Page 79
Comparing formal, informal, market, and professional structures......Page 81
Formal......Page 82
Informal......Page 83
Markets......Page 84
Professional......Page 88
Negotiated order......Page 89
Contextualizing the world outside......Page 91
Further reading......Page 95
5 Designing knowledge networks......Page 97
Traditional views......Page 98
Downward communication......Page 100
Upward communication......Page 102
Horizontal communication......Page 103
Summary......Page 104
Centralization......Page 105
Formalization......Page 106
Design......Page 107
Deciding on what is central......Page 108
Dilemmas of design......Page 118
Further reading......Page 120
6 Technology......Page 121
Technology and structure......Page 122
The special role of IT......Page 123
Information carrier technologies......Page 127
Data storage......Page 133
Data bases......Page 134
Telecommunications......Page 135
Information centers......Page 136
Control, centralization, and technology......Page 137
Further Reading......Page 139
7 Spatial distributions of knowledge......Page 140
Fields......Page 142
Relationships......Page 143
Proximity......Page 144
Access......Page 145
Mobility......Page 149
Information terminals......Page 150
Further readings......Page 151
8 Bringing in the world outside......Page 153
Boundary spanning......Page 154
Consortia......Page 157
Communities of practice......Page 165
Brokering structural holes in consortia......Page 169
Shared interests and threats......Page 171
Homophily......Page 172
Summary......Page 173
Brokers......Page 174
Tactics for managing consortia......Page 175
Threats......Page 177
Common ground......Page 179
Government regulations......Page 180
Third-party interference......Page 181
Further reading......Page 182
Pragmatics......Page 185
9 Creativity and innovation......Page 187
Distinguishing creativity and innovation......Page 188
Creativity......Page 192
Knowledge transfer......Page 195
Development of attitudes......Page 196
Cultural factors......Page 199
Integration......Page 200
Absorptive capacity......Page 201
Brokerage......Page 202
Implementation......Page 204
Organizational change......Page 208
Further reading......Page 213
10 Productivity: efficiency and effectiveness......Page 214
Productivity......Page 218
How much?......Page 219
Structural equivalence......Page 220
Efficiency......Page 221
Small-group communication networks......Page 222
Cost/benefit analyses......Page 223
Resource-based view......Page 224
Configurational approaches......Page 226
Further reading......Page 227
Organizational demography......Page 228
Role ambiguity......Page 231
Commitment......Page 234
Ignorance......Page 236
Ignorance is bliss......Page 238
Social barriers to KN......Page 241
Status......Page 242
Group processes......Page 244
Further reading......Page 248
Individual strategies......Page 250
How do people know where to go?......Page 252
Opinion leaders......Page 253
Transactive memory......Page 258
Small-world strategies......Page 259
Feedback seeking......Page 260
Strategies for individual feedback seeking......Page 262
Information foraging......Page 264
Management’s role......Page 265
Managements KN......Page 268
Facilitating information seeking......Page 270
Educate organizational members on capabilities of information carriers......Page 272
Creating rich information fields......Page 273
Further reading......Page 275
13 Decision making......Page 276
Behavioral decision school and uncertainty......Page 279
Bandwidth, echo, and cohesive groups......Page 281
Exploration vs. exploitation......Page 282
Managing attention and satisficing......Page 286
Cognitive limits......Page 288
Cognitive maps......Page 291
Search limitations......Page 292
Access......Page 293
Further reading......Page 294
14 Summary and commentary......Page 295
Intellectual property......Page 296
Privacy issues......Page 297
Human subjects......Page 298
Policy issues......Page 299
Context and individual action......Page 302
Relationships......Page 306
Planned vs. emergent views......Page 307
Paradoxes......Page 308
Dilemmas......Page 309
A final word......Page 312
Further reading......Page 315
References......Page 316
Index......Page 371
