Knowledge management (KM) represents a topic of considerable current interest. However, the majority of extant KM research treats knowledge as a static object that can be acquired, stored and retrieved through information technology. Two fundamental problems emerge from this current majority view: (1) many scholars view knowledge as distinct from information, and (2) very little attention is paid to the dynamics of knowledge—a phenomenon which many scholars term “knowledge flows. ” In this article we build upon a steady stream of research in computational organization theory to develop agent-based models of knowledge flows. Such models draw from emerging theory for multidimensional representation of the knowledge flow phenomenon, and they enable the dynamics of enterprise knowledge flows to be formalized and simulated through computational models. We illustrate this research approach and modeling environment through formal representation and simulation of knowledge flows from the domain of information systems design. 1.

Abstract not found

www.sagepublications.com

Maximum 200 words.) Network-centric warfare (NCW) emphasizes information superiority for battlespace efficacy, but it is clear that the mechanics of how knowledge flows are just as important as those pertaining to the networks and communication systems used to transmit data and information. Unfortunately, with the strong presumption that knowledge is distinct from data and information, knowledge-flow mechanics in the warfare context are not well understood; even the term knowledge is used in conflicting ways (e.g., to describe information flows) by NCW experts, operational personnel and developers of military doctrine. Mapping key concepts from technologically enabled business models---on which NCW is based in large part---to the military, we substitute the term understanding flow when discussing the mechanics of how knowledge flows in the NCW context. In one respect, this mapping and terminological substitution enable us to move forward and model knowledge-flow mechanics in a manner that is consistent with the operational Navy's lexicon; in another respect, however, it is clear that Navy lexicon does not yet include the term understanding flow. Hence, naval conceptualization of NCW may be missing a vital element. Informed by recent advances in knowledge-flow theory, the research described in this technical report develops a four-dimensional model of understanding-flow mechanics. This multidimensional model enables a novel capability to recognize a variety of understanding-flow patterns found in the military enterprise, to distinguish such patterns from their counterparts pertaining to information and data, and to enhance the speed and efficiency of NCW understanding flows. Just as understanding the mechanics of electrical flow is critical to developing useful electro...

The research reported in this paper employed Narrative Inquiry in an innovative way in a study of the key factors that influence the career paths of information systems (IS) professionals. The interview technique was based upon McCracken's [1] `Long Interview', which allows the research participants to reflect upon the domain of discourse in a relatively unbiased and freeflowing manner. Individual resumes were employed as the main instrument to guide the interview and to document the narratives. The resumes helped ground the discussion in the IS professionals' personal experiences, assisted these professionals to reflect upon and report these experiences in a sequential account of events as they transpired throughout their careers. The use of individual resumes framed within McCraken's `Long Interview' brings a certain amount of structure to the Narrative Inquiry technique, allowing for an in-depth investigation and the gathering of rich biographical personal accounts of the IS professional's interpretations of specific career path impacts.

Abstract not found

The development of the current generation Common Operating Picture (COP) was motivated by the desire to improve situation awareness within a military command organization –thus leading to faster and better synchronized planning and execution decisions. Like many information management systems found in corporate industry, the COP was built on the same philosophy used for managing physical assets: capture information and put it in a place where it can easily accessed. As a result, the current generation COP has become an “information warehouse ” for enormous amounts of information –much of which is poorly organized and validated, difficult to search and exploit, and often of marginal relevance to military decision makers. To overcome these deficiencies, the next generation COP must be built upon a clear understanding of the sociocognitive processes employed within a military command organization to translate available information into timely and focused action. These processes are variously identified in the research literature as information management, sensemaking, knowledge creation, and decision making. To this end, the present paper reviews recent research findings in each of these areas to (1) identify key concepts and models and (2) suggest from these concepts and models specific functional requirements for the next generation COP.

Web-based financial commentary, in which experts routinely express market-related thought processes, is proposed as a means for college students to learn vicariously about financial markets. Undergraduate business school students from a regional university were exposed to expert market commentary from a single financial Web site for a 6week period. When compared to a control group, students in the experimental group were found to possess higher levels of financial market awareness. Degree of engagement, as approximated by measures of project exposure time and effort, was significantly related to market awareness. Finance majors were found to be more engaged in the process than nonfinance majors. Although this study should be considered exploratory in nature, findings support the notion of using Web-based vicarious learning processes in financial education. Future research can extend the generalizability of these findings, as well as shape vicarious learning mechanisms for use across business disciplines.

The dominant model of organisation control was developed by Ouchi and his colleagues. It predicts the choice among control modes as a function of the task context. It has two limitations. One is that it predicts the choice of control modes but not the effect of those choices on performance. The other is that it restricts that choice to a single control mode for a specific context and does not consider the choice of a combination or portfolio of control modes, which the same literature frequently describes as practice. Here, contributing to control theory, these two limitations are addressed through the development of a more complete and complex normative model which includes interactions among modes and their effect on performance. This model has important implications for both the theory and practice of outsourcing, IT project methodology and IT-based organisational transformation.