Searching for Effective and Efficient Way of Knowledge Transfer within an Organization

Abstract

In this paper three models of knowledge transfer in organization are considered. In the first model (A) the transfer of chunks of knowledge among agents is possible only when the sender has exactly one more chunks of knowledge than recipient. This is not dissimilar with bounded confidence model of opinion dynamics. In the second model (B) the knowledge transfer take place when sender is "smarter" than recipient. Finally, in the third scenario (model C) we allow for knowledge transfer also when sender posses the same or greater number of chunks of knowledge as recipient. The simulation bases on cellular automata technique. The organization members occupy nodes of square lattice and they interact only with their nearest neighbors. With computer simulations we show, that the efficiency and the effectiveness of knowledge transfer i) for model C is better than for model B ii) and it is worse for model A than for model B.

Influence of a Range of Interaction among Agents on Efficiency and Effectiveness of Knowledge Transfer within an Organisation

“…This counter-intuitive effect is directly associated with restriction (1b)-for high enough initial concentration of chunks of knowledge p some agents acquire high level of competences quite quickly and do not want share their knowledge with their not-so-smart neighbours. The effect may be reduced [14] when agents receive chunks of knowledge from smarter agents…”

“…Similarly to our earlier approaches [13,14] every agent is characterised by a Boolean vector variable…”

“…The results presented here base on model of knowledge transfer within a small or a medium organisation [13] where agents send and recipe chunks of knowledge only when distances i ) in space among agents ii ) and in knowledge are small. Removing the latter restriction leads to more efficient and more effective knowledge transfer [14].…”

“…Here we would like to check if omitting the spatial restriction also may be helpful in spreading knowledge among agents in artificial organisation. Similarly to our earlier approaches [13,14] we will predicate our discussion of the results on the computer simulations based on cellular automata (CA) technique.…”