Towards a Socio‐Cognitive Approach to Knowledge Transfer

Abstract

Dominant research streams in the knowledge transfer field, such as the positivist and social constructionist approaches, largely assume that knowledge transfer is accomplished through instructions and/or socially constructed practices. Underlying these views is the belief that texts and practices carry with them the codes necessary for their own decoding and therefore enable an unproblematic knowledge transfer. In contrast, we argue that the decoding of information into meaningful knowledge is always mediated by people's private and cultural models, which are created from the unique combination of their cognitive dispositions (i.e. acumen, memory, creativity, volitions, emotions) and socio-cultural interaction. The degree to which people apply these models reflectively and/or categorically (i.e. automatically) depends on the need for cognition as well as environmental demands and feedback. Therefore, knowledge transfer is always tentative, because it depends on the application of private and cultural models along the continuum that goes from reflective to categorical processing. We present first a critique of the positivist and social constructionist positions; then we introduce a socio-cognitive model that captures and explicates socio-cognitive processes involved in sense making during knowledge transfer. Finally, we explore future research streams and managerial implications. Copyright (c) Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2008.

Changement technologique et transfert de compétences : une réflexion à partir du cas des équipages de transport de l’armée de l’air

“…Il a pour mission la promotion et la valorisation de la recherche. www.erudit.org L e transfert des connaissances, de personne à personne et d'organisation à organisation, est un thème central de la recherche en sciences de gestion (Gilbert et CordeyHayes, 1996;Szulanski, 1996;Carlile, 2004;Ringberg et Reilhen 2008). Deux approches sont le plus souvent distinguées dans la littérature.…”

“…Les chercheurs considèrent d'ailleurs que le processus de transfert sera d'autant plus difficile à maîtriser que la connaissance transférée est personnalisée, peu ou pas codifiée ou éventuellement codifiable mais avec un coût élevé (Nonaka, 1994;Kachra et White 2008). La finalité managériale du processus de transfert est alors de permettre à l'organisation d'exploiter au mieux les ressources intangibles dont elle dispose et d'améliorer certaines activités comme l'apprentissage, la coordination, la conduite de projet ou la capitalisation des compétences détenues par les individus et/ou les équipes qui la composent (Ringberg et Reilhen, 2008).…”

What Lies Behind the Mirror: An Intercultural Pragmatic Approach to Citation Practices

“…THEORETICAL BACKGROUND Socio-cognitive approach is popular among scholars and is applied to various issues in different disciplines, such as [17] approach to second language acquisition, [18] attempt to knowledge transfer and [19] analysis on discourse and context. In the socio-cognitive paradigm as a whole, human functioning is viewed as the product of a dynamic interplay of personal, behavioral, and environmental influences.…”

Organizational learning in construction supply chains

“…However, the efficiency of transmission and quality of learning material does not automatically increase the receivers ability to learn (Huber, 1991). According to recent research, personal motivation remains central to learning (Ringberg and Reihlen, 2008).…”