Innovation through knowledge codification

M9401011 夏平凌M9401012 蘇怡誠M9401301 楊孟璇M9401302 吳啟宏

Abstract A significant interest in understanding the management of

knowledge and the roles to be played therein by information and communication technology (ICT).

This paper takes a closer look at one of the primary issues raised when supporting the management of knowledge: how to understand the role of knowledge classification and codification as means for further organizational learning and innovation.

Two manufacturing cases are analysed using particular perspectives from current theories on classification, namely the management of knowledge and organizational innovation.

Introduction Current knowledge management debate has shown

many interesting facets.

The debate has been concerned with issues such as:(1) Knowledge work as a reflection of structural changes in

society.(2) Knowledge as the most important resource in the firm.(3) The distributed nature of organizational knowledge.(4) The creation of knowledge involving translation back and

forth between tacit and explicit.(5) The individual and social aspects of knowledge creation.

Introduction (cont.)

The exploration of information and communication technology (ICT) as a means of supporting the management of knowledge has in particular proven an interesting and potentially contentious research topic.

This paper further suggests that investigating how to support the generic management of knowledge is somewhat futile.

Introduction (cont.) Successful use of ICT necessarily relies on a complex pattern

of manual and technologically driven activities.

Inspire computer-supported collaborative work (CSCW) on classification and ICT support.

The paper highlights the importance of distinguishing between the innovation process and product as well as between types of ICT products when analysing models of knowledge management applied for the classification of knowledge.

Classification, knowledge management and innovation

This section briefly outlines relevant theories concerning the social aspects of classification, knowledge management and the relationships between knowledge management and organizational innovation.

Classification

This paper aims to analyse the role of classification and classification systems for process innovation in manufacturing.

Therefore, and understanding of both social and technological aspects of classification and codification is at the centre of the analysis.

Classification (cont.)

Classification — is defined as spatial, temporal or spatiotemporal segmentation of the world exhibiting the following abstract characteristics:

(1) consistent and unique classification principles in operation. (2) mutually exclusive categories and a complete system classifying everything under consideration.

Classification (cont.)

Codification — is related to classification in that it means reducing to code and is synonymous with arranging, cataloguing, classifying, condensing and organizing.

Knowledge creation and knowledge management

For the purpose of the analysis presented here it is assumed that organizational knowledge is highly distributed.

Practice is what converts tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge.

Knowledge management and organizational innovation

Swan formulated two distinct perspectives on knowledge management for innovation, namely the cognitive models and community models.

Knowledge management and organizational innovation (cont.)

Community model — is formulated as a critique of the predominant cognitive perspective within the technology-driven research field.

Knowledge management and organizational innovation (cont.)

Cognitive model — denotes a perspective where valuable knowledge is conceived as being captured and codified from individuals, packaged, transmitted and processed through the use of ICT and, hence, disseminated and used by other individuals in new context.

Reanalysing two cases from manufacturing

The cases are both drawn from studies where qualitative interviewing, participant observation and document inspection were the three primary data collection methods used.

However, the focus of both studies was to consider the relationships between everyday manufacturing processes and the development and use of ICT.

Case A: Volvo Aero, Sweden

Case A represents a particular aspect of the fieldwork conducted in the Thermal Spraying Department at Volvo Aero Corporation in Sweden. The company develop , produce and maintain jet engines for military as well as civil use.

The empirical material was collected over a period of 16 months from semi-structured interviews with 19 employees — three material engineers ， two laboratory engineers ，two managers , five production engineers and seven operators .

Case A: Volvo Aero, Sweden (cont.)

The study also Involved participation in a number of meetings concerning the Thermal Spraying Process , participant observation with the people interviewed and analysis of internal documentation from the Thermal Spraying department .

As the study progressed , common themes began to emerge and a reference group of major stakeholders in the problem domain was formed in order to discuss the relevance of the empirical findings . The purpose of the study was to establish the requirements of an expert system to support the improvement of the quality of the Thermal Spraying process .

Case B: Foss Electric, Denmark

Foss Electric is a Danish manufacturing organization that develops, manufactures and markets instruments for automatically measuring the quality parameters of agricultural products, such as measuring the compositional quality of milk, the composition and microbiological quality of food products and the quality of grain. Designing these instruments involves a range of expertise, for example from the disciplines of mechanical, chemical, electrical and software engineering.

Case B: Foss Electric, Denmark (cont.) The aim of the empirical effort at Foss Electric was to analyse

cooperative work in a manufacturing setting where the participants deal with the complexity and uncertainty of going from a design idea to determining how to manufacture the product.

Two computer scientists and one manufacturing engineer studied the engineering design , process planning and software design at Foss Electric . Approximately 20 open - ended interviews were conducted.

More than ten project meetings were observed , and just over l00 person 一 hours of project observation was conducted over a period of approximately 4months.

Summary

The two cases discussed above can be accommodated largely within the classification scheme developed which highlights the cognitive and the community approach to the management of knowledge . Case A displayed a particular configuration of knowledge management models through the process.

The Innovation process attempted to go directly from agenda formation to the codification of manufacturing process knowledge .

Discussion

Analysing the two cases , more substantial insights in the complex interrelationships between models for knowledge management , classification work , organizational innovation processes , and ICT support . To frame this debate we initially highlight the distinction between the innovation process and the innovation product , proposed as two essential aspects of systems development

Discussion (cont.)

Crucially a distinction between the process of shaping ICT and the type of technological product produced will further support discussion of types of ICT support for knowledge work .

Second, this paper has introduce the basic distinction between technological support for the individual and automation as opposed to support for collaboration

Discussion (cont.) The distinction between an individual and a collective

perspective on ICT relates to the changing views of computer applications in terms of three eras :

(1) As separate entities increasing productivity and efficiency through the automation of existing manual processes .

(2) as networked entities supporting collaboration between professional groups .

(3) as integral entities of business strategies and of global networks facilitating collaboration across organizational and national boundaries.

The distinction has also been cultivated from a

computer science perspective , distinguishing between algorithms and interaction.

Conclusion

People and ICT are increasingly interwoven . Addressing the relationships between people creating and managing knowledge , and systems supporting , facilitating and enabling them to do so involves complex considerations and difficult design choices . This paper has discussed organizational innovation through the classification and codification of manufacturing knowledge . Such classification and codification processes will , if successful , lead to the development of information artefacts . Negotiating what aspects human actors should carry out is a complex process.

Conclusion (cont.)

Further more, the information artefacts can be digitally embedded into ICT or they can be a complex mixture of both.

This paper has analysed two cases of knowledge classification and codification, both of which were aimed at innovating manufacturing processes through ICT.

Conclusion (cont.) The analysis demonstrated strength of knowledge explorat

ion situated in a social context of shared practice as a means of providing ICTs that codify knowledge.

The paper also demonstrated that, in the exploration of the conditions for providing ICT support for knowledge work, the cognitive and the community models for knowledge management based on organizational theories could greatly inform a discourse.

However, the lack of proper attention to aspects of ICTs and to ICT development in the framework can be alleviated by explicitly distinguishing between innovation process and product.

Conclusion (cont.)

The aim of this paper has been to further some of the work on the management of knowledge within organizational theory concerning the classification of knowledge and analyse the finding based on a view towards developing ICTs.

However, more research is needed on the interrelations between discourses on knowledge management and ICT development.

Thanks for your attention.