The Problem with Dispersed Knowledge: Firms in Theory and Practice

Minkler, Alanson P.

doi:10.1111/j.1467-6435.1993.tb00499.x

Cited by 55 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Structural uncertainty increases the sustainability of a firm's strategy and has been associated with dispersed knowledge (Minkler, 1993). As Lyles and Schwenk (1992: 167) suggest, the performance outcomes of search and learning efforts are dependent on the complexity of the knowledge system: "The complexity of the knowledge structure influences the ability of organizational members to retrieve [knowledge] elements."…”

Section: The Mnc As a Hierarchical Knowledge Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Knowledge System Approach to the Multinational Company: Conceptual Grounding and Implications for Research

2008

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The role of knowledge, organizational learning, and innovation as levers of competitive advantage is now a commonly acknowledged insight in research in international management. However, while the agglomeration of insights of described as the "knowledge-based view" is a promising theoretical lens, insights are not organized into a unifying framework and there are significant holes in the understanding of how knowledge may be turned into a source of competitive advantage for MNCs. In order to advance the knowledge-based theory of the MNC, we develop the notion of the MNC as a global knowledge system linking local knowledge structures and combining local knowledge elements that are complementary to confer strategic advantage, and relate this to the theory of complex systems deriving from the work of Herbert Simon. These ideas are used to frame the changing environments, strategic intents, and learning stances that characterize MNCs, and to derive a set of research challenges for MNC research. KEYWORDSKnowledge-based view of the MNC, knowledge structure, complementarities, complex systems.2

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Section: The Mnc As a Hierarchical Knowledge Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Knowledge System Approach to the Multinational Company: Conceptual Grounding and Implications for Research

2008

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“…When a consumer goes to market, the prices he or she finds there for products and services have been set by the complex calculus that is the sum whole of the implicit knowledge residing within the market [5]. This point of view is pervasive among a few economists, for example, Friedrich Hayek (year).…”

Section: The Problem Of Dispersed Knowledgementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Minkler [5] identified hesitation as another driver by which knowledge dispersion causes management problems. Dispersed knowledge causes structural doubt within organizations; a strong form of doubt exists when a decision-maker cannot specify all relevant…”

Section: Dispersed Knowledge With In Markets and Companiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…alternatives or outcomes. There, three different types of doubt-related decision situations are eminent: deterministic, stochastic, and vague situations [5]. Though the first two types are familiar, vagueness is less familiar [5] argues, although in a stochastic situation the likelihoods of uncertain events are known, under vagueness only a probability distribution for the apparent frequencies is known [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Each agent in the market has a sum of knowledge and it is imperfect according to [5]. It is imperfect because it is not complete and clear.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dispersed Knowledge With in Markets and Companies

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What knowledge management for mobile workers?

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Giacobbe

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Knowl Process Manag

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In today's global economy, many economic activities in and among firms are based on the contribution of workers that are mobile or work most of their time in geographically dispersed locations. In such environments, tools supporting Knowledge Management (KM) are essential, not only because of the advantage for business performance, but also because of their potential benefit in terms of people satisfaction and well being. Building on from the results of a 3-year field research survey in Italy, this paper explores: (i) the emerging approaches that companies use to manage knowledge in such dispersed environments; and (ii) their relations with Dispersed Workers (DW) Profiles (types and activities).Leveraging on people's knowledge and creativity is a must in today's competitive business environment. The intensification of competition, however, forces companies to adopt new organizational models that seriously challenge traditional approaches to managing knowledge. Hence, this paper answers the need of empirically grounded research to draw implications of the systems supporting Knowledge Management (KM) within such new organizational models.When analyzed in terms of how people are integrated and related to the rest of the organization, many companies are characterized by two trends:Mobility and distribution of workforce: Nowadays, the concept itself of the workplace is changing.People spend an increasing amount of their working time outside the physical boundaries of their company, often in mobility and interacting with customers or people from partner organizations (Laubacher and Malone, 2003). Also when working inside the company, people often change positions and work in multi-disciplinary virtual teams. As a consequence, individuals have fewer and fewer opportunities for face-toface interaction with their colleagues and can barely rely on their own experience.Turnover and loose contractual links: The provisional nature of employment, loose forms of contractual links to the company and high level of turnover (Drucker, 2002), while in many cases considered competitive needs, can make people's time with organizations temporary and partial, thus creating barriers to the sharing of knowledge and expertise among individuals.These two factors converge to 'dispersed work,' an operational definition introduced here. Dispersed work is work that is performed by different people in dynamic and changing situations where

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The Problem with Dispersed Knowledge: Firms in Theory and Practice

Cited by 55 publications

References 25 publications

A Knowledge System Approach to the Multinational Company: Conceptual Grounding and Implications for Research

A Knowledge System Approach to the Multinational Company: Conceptual Grounding and Implications for Research

Dispersed Knowledge With in Markets and Companies

What knowledge management for mobile workers?

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