PhD Progress Presentation

Next Generation Knowledge Networks

PhD Report for Supervision Committee

Max Rohde, May 5 2010

Agenda Research Background and Motivation Preliminary Research Design Research Directions Results – Publications, Prototype Work in Progress Preliminary Artefacts Next steps

A Knowledge Perspective

Capability Context

Rohde and Sundaram, 2010c

Knowledge Management Issues

Rohde and Sundaram, 2010a

Knowledge Divides Structured – Unstructured

Organizations employ effective systems to manage both unstructured and structured knowledge: unstructured knowledge is supported by various content management and personal information management tools; structured knowledge is managed by transactional systems such as ERP systems. However, the integration between systems focussing on unstructured or structured information is often weak. It is, for instance, difficult to link the transactional data in ERP systems with unstructured information such as emails or twitter messages.

Individual – Organization The management of both individual and organizational information are well-

supported individually but they are often not well integrated. Individuals, for instance, build their own knowledge toolkits, which remain inaccessible for the organization (Thompson & Walsham, 2004). Most personal information is carefully stored away on desktop computers, which are often not accessible by organizations (Ducheneaut & Bellotti, 2001).

Dynamic – Static Organizations apply knowledge in the continuous challenge to adapt themselves to a

changing environment (Weick & Sutcliffe, 2006). Herein, organizational knowledge bases are often too inflexible to be of use for the situational application of knowledge. Moreover, knowledge creation activities are often perceived as interfering with every day work practices (Kwan & Balasubramanian, 2003). This misalignment between knowledge capabilities and the contexts, in which knowledge is applied, is a persistent gap preventing efficient organizational adaption.

Research Questions How can structured and unstructured information be

integrated using mechanisms of loose coupling? (RQ1)

How can individual and organizational information spaces, procedures and goals be balanced and integrated to allow informed individual and organizational decisions? (RQ2)

How can context-sensitive organizational knowledge be facilitated in seamless integration with organizational practices? (RQ3)

How we can design, implement and evaluate a knowledge management system, which supports organizations in overcoming the knowledge divides while considering and informing the theoretical findings of our study? (RQ4)

Research Design

Research Process

Research Directions Knowledge Network Thinking Compose Rather Than Edit Loose Data Integration Fine Grained Ownership Discrete Value Allocation Domain-Independence Contextualization Non-Invasiveness

Rohde and Sundaram, 2009

http://nexnet.wordpress.com/2010/04/04/knowledge-networks-project-directions-and-assumptions/

Publications Rohde and Sundaram, forthcoming,

"Challenges in Knowledge Management", AMCIS 2010

Rohde and Sundaram, 2010, "Knowledge Composition: Theory, Architecture and Implementation", eKNOW 2010

Rohde and Sundaram, 2010, "Knowledge between Capability and Enactment: Towards Dynamic Knowledge Potentials", eKNOW 2010

Rohde, 2009, "An Integrated Collaboration Platform for Sustainable Development: Project Proposal and Initial Exploration", ORSNZ 2009

citeulike

Prototype Linnk 0.9.7 Build 3 Test and Requested Feature List

Work in Progress ‘Next Generation Knowledge Networks: A

Design Science Approach’ submitted to PACIS 2010 Doctoral Consortium

‘Computer Supported Knowledge Network Interaction’ draft

‘Work Context’ in planning

Work Contexts in Prototype

Work Contexts

Computer Supported Knowledge Network Interaction

Next Generation Knowledge Networks

Knowledge Networks Next Generation Knowledge Networks

Formal Ad hoc

Knowledge process focus Business process focus

Social Socio-technological

Exclusive Inclusive

TacitEncultured, embrained, embodied, embedded and encoded

Qual/Quant and action research Design science research

http://nexnet.wordpress.com/2010/05/04/knowledge-networks-and-next-generation-knowledge-networks/

Theory

Network Flow

Framework

Architecture

Methodology and Evaluation Experiment: Is working with knowledge in a network

fashion better than working with knowledge in a hierarchical or linear structure? Deploy three versions of software: One allows working with

knowledge in a linear fashion, the others in a hierarchical and network fashion.

Give a task to users. (eg compile a project report) Qualitative measure: quality of the created report,

completeness of report, errors in report Quantitative measure: Duplication of content, average

length of paths between information pieces, Case study: Use the software as tool used by one or

more project teams to encourage innovation. Interpretative (See as: encourage innovation in projects)

Next Steps13th Conference on Knowledge Management and Intelligent Decision Support, Brisbane, Queensland, 28-30 November 2010

Next Steps Newsletter Members on project website