IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wsi/jikmxx/v16y2017i04ns021964921750037x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Codification, Personalisation, or in Between? Exploring Knowledge Characteristics to Guide Knowledge Management System Design

Author

Listed:
  • Dirk Basten

    (Department of Information Systems and Systems Development, University of Cologne, Albertus-Magnus-Platz, 50923 Cologne, Germany)

  • Linda Schneider

    (Department of Information Systems and Systems Development, University of Cologne, Albertus-Magnus-Platz, 50923 Cologne, Germany)

  • Oleg Pankratz

    (Department of Information Systems and Systems Development, University of Cologne, Albertus-Magnus-Platz, 50923 Cologne, Germany)

Abstract

The effectiveness of information technology (IT) depends on its embeddedness into its contingent context. Thus, enabling adequate knowledge management (KM) system design requires awareness of the characteristics of the knowledge that is created. Since related insights are missing, we explore what software developers learn on their projects by conducting interviews based on the Repertory Grid Technique. We assess the characteristics of the identified knowledge and skills and derive suggestions for KM system design accordingly. Our study gives rise to challenge the common idea that KM design should be chosen according to the type of knowledge (explicit versus tacit) to be managed. Incorporating further knowledge characteristics (task domain and volatility of knowledge), our results indicate that organisations should implement a codification strategy or a strategy between codification and personalisation, depending on the knowledge at hand.

Suggested Citation

  • Dirk Basten & Linda Schneider & Oleg Pankratz, 2017. "Codification, Personalisation, or in Between? Exploring Knowledge Characteristics to Guide Knowledge Management System Design," Journal of Information & Knowledge Management (JIKM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 16(04), pages 1-46, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:wsi:jikmxx:v:16:y:2017:i:04:n:s021964921750037x
    DOI: 10.1142/S021964921750037X
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S021964921750037X
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1142/S021964921750037X?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Andreas Schroeder & Christian Wagner, 2012. "Governance of open content creation: A conceptualization and analysis of control and guiding mechanisms in the open content domain," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 63(10), pages 1947-1959, October.
    2. Laurie J. Kirsch, 1996. "The Management of Complex Tasks in Organizations: Controlling the Systems Development Process," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(1), pages 1-21, February.
    3. Andreas Schroeder & Christian Wagner, 2012. "Governance of open content creation: A conceptualization and analysis of control and guiding mechanisms in the open content domain," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 63(10), pages 1947-1959, October.
    4. Juhani Iivari & Rudy Hirschheim & Heinz K. Klein, 1998. "A Paradigmatic Analysis Contrasting Information Systems Development Approaches and Methodologies," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 9(2), pages 164-193, June.
    5. Scott D. N. Cook & John Seely Brown, 1999. "Bridging Epistemologies: The Generative Dance Between Organizational Knowledge and Organizational Knowing," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 10(4), pages 381-400, August.
    6. Heine, Michelle Lane & Grover, Varun & Malhotra, Manoj K., 2003. "The relationship between technology and performance: a meta-analysis of technology models," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 189-204, June.
    7. Sharon Watson & Kelly Hewett, 2006. "A Multi‐Theoretical Model of Knowledge Transfer in Organizations: Determinants of Knowledge Contribution and Knowledge Reuse," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(2), pages 141-173, March.
    8. Geneviève Bassellier & Izak Benbasat & Blaize Horner Reich, 2003. "The Influence of Business Managers' IT Competence on Championing IT," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 14(4), pages 317-336, December.
    9. Samer Faraj & Lee Sproull, 2000. "Coordinating Expertise in Software Development Teams," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 46(12), pages 1554-1568, December.
    10. Martine R. Haas & Morten T. Hansen, 2007. "Different knowledge, different benefits: toward a productivity perspective on knowledge sharing in organizations," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(11), pages 1133-1153, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Babak Sohrabi & Iman Raeesi Vanani & Seyed Mohammad Jafar Jalali & Ehsan Abedin, 2020. "Evaluation of Research Trends in Knowledge Management: A Hybrid Analysis through Burst Detection and Text Clustering," Journal of Information & Knowledge Management (JIKM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 18(04), pages 1-27, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shane Greenstein & Yuan Gu & Feng Zhu, 2016. "Ideological Segregation among Online Collaborators: Evidence from Wikipedians," Harvard Business School Working Papers 17-028, Harvard Business School, revised Mar 2017.
    2. Ferguson, J.E. & Huysman, M.H., 2009. "Between ambition and approach: towards sustainable knowledge management in development organizations," Serie Research Memoranda 0003, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.
    3. Magni, Massimo & Proserpio, Luigi & Hoegl, Martin & Provera, Bernardino, 2009. "The role of team behavioral integration and cohesion in shaping individual improvisation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(6), pages 1044-1053, July.
    4. Shane Greenstein & Grace Gu & Feng Zhu, 2021. "Ideology and Composition Among an Online Crowd: Evidence from Wikipedians," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(5), pages 3067-3086, May.
    5. Venkatesh, Viswanath & Davis, Fred D. & Zhu, Yaping, 2022. "A cultural contingency model of knowledge sharing and job performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 202-219.
    6. Melissa A. Valentine & Tom Fangyun Tan & Bradley R. Staats & Amy C. Edmondson, 2019. "Fluid Teams and Knowledge Retrieval: Scaling Service Operations," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 21(2), pages 346-360, May.
    7. Amrit Tiwana, 2009. "Governance-Knowledge Fit in Systems Development Projects," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 20(2), pages 180-197, June.
    8. Stan Karanasios & Aljona Zorina, 2023. "From participation roles to socio‐emotional information roles: Insights from the closure of an online community," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 74(1), pages 33-49, January.
    9. Ann Majchrzak & Sirkka L. Jarvenpaa & Andrea B. Hollingshead, 2007. "Coordinating Expertise Among Emergent Groups Responding to Disasters," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(1), pages 147-161, February.
    10. Galunic, Charles & Sengupta, Kishore & Petriglieri, Jennifer Louise, 2014. "Deus ex machina? Career progress and the contingent benefits of knowledge management systems," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 13-23.
    11. Nicolai J. Foss & Kenneth Husted & Snejina Michailova, 2010. "Governing Knowledge Sharing in Organizations: Levels of Analysis, Governance Mechanisms, and Research Directions," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(3), pages 455-482, May.
    12. Natalia Levina, 2005. "Collaborating on Multiparty Information Systems Development Projects: A Collective Reflection-in-Action View," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 16(2), pages 109-130, June.
    13. Pierre Marie Stassart & Maarten Crivits & Julie Hermesse & Louis Tessier & Julie Van Damme & Joost Dessein, 2018. "The Generative Potential of Tensions within Belgian Agroecology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-22, June.
    14. Sirkka L. Jarvenpaa & Ann Majchrzak, 2010. "Research Commentary ---Vigilant Interaction in Knowledge Collaboration: Challenges of Online User Participation Under Ambivalence," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 21(4), pages 773-784, December.
    15. Emmanuelle Vaast & Geoff Walsham, 2009. "Trans-Situated Learning: Supporting a Network of Practice with an Information Infrastructure," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 20(4), pages 547-564, December.
    16. Colvin, John & Blackmore, Chris & Chimbuya, Sam & Collins, Kevin & Dent, Mark & Goss, John & Ison, Ray & Roggero, Pier Paolo & Seddaiu, Giovanna, 2014. "In search of systemic innovation for sustainable development: A design praxis emerging from a decade of social learning inquiry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 760-771.
    17. Mähring, Magnus, 2002. "IT Project Governance: A Process-Oriented Study of Organizational Control and Executive Involvement," SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Business Administration 2002:15, Stockholm School of Economics.
    18. Frédéric CREPLET, 2004. "Les Portails d’entreprise : une réponse aux dimensions de l’entreprise « processeur de connaissances »," Working Papers of BETA 2004-07, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    19. Maria Franca Norese & Diana Rolando & Rocco Curto, 2023. "DIKEDOC: a multicriteria methodology to organise and communicate knowledge," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 325(2), pages 1049-1082, June.
    20. Henrik Bresman, 2010. "External Learning Activities and Team Performance: A Multimethod Field Study," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(1), pages 81-96, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wsi:jikmxx:v:16:y:2017:i:04:n:s021964921750037x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Tai Tone Lim (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.worldscinet.com/jikm/jikm.shtml .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.