A Knowledge Management Closed-loop Architecture for Fundamentals of Computer Technology

Knowledge Management (KM) has become an important term in the construction industry. Knowledge management involves creating, securing, capturing, coordinating, combining, retrieving and distributing knowledge. The knowledge can be reused and shared among the involved engineers and experts to improve the construction process and reduce the time and cost of solving problems. Sharing and reusing knowledge depends on acquiring and preserving both tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge as the property of a corporation. This study addresses application of knowledge management in the construction phase of construction projects and proposes a construction map-based knowledge management (MBKM) concept and system for general contractors. This paper proposes a practical methodology to capture and represent construction project knowledge by using knowledge map. Using knowledge maps, users can get an overview of available and missing knowledge in core project areas and take appropriate management in tacit and explicit knowledge. Also, a portal system is developed to assist and present project-related knowledge by providing keyword and map search. The MBKM system is then applied in a case study of a construction precast office building in Taiwan to verify our proposed methodology and demonstrate the effectiveness of sharing knowledge special in the construction phase. By effectively using information and web technologies during the construction phase of a project, knowledge can be captured and managed to benefit future projects. The combined results demonstrate that, an MBKM-like system can be an effective tool for all experts and engineers participating for construction projects by utilizing the knowledge management concept and web technology.

Knowledge management (KM) is crucial for successful project completion in the construction industry, where tacit knowledge, embedded in individuals’ experiences, plays a critical role. However, capturing and transferring this knowledge across projects is challenging due to the temporary nature of construction teams and the reluctance of individuals to share their expertise. Traditional KM methods, such as interviews and videos, often fail to capture tacit knowledge due to various barriers, including organisational culture, limitations of technology, and individual factors like knowledge hoarding. This study investigates a novel approach to overcome these barriers and effectively capture tacit knowledge in construction. This study proposes a storytelling-based approach for capturing tacit knowledge within a Knowledge Management System (KMS). Participants contributed their knowledge directly through stories within the KMS, unlike previous studies that relied on interviews or videos. This method aims to address the reluctance to share tacit knowledge by empowering individuals to share their experiences in a comfortable and engaging format. The study’s validation methodology incorporates two elements: (1) extensive research was conducted on KM, storytelling, and existing methods for capturing tacit knowledge, and (2) issues concerning tacit knowledge capture were identified based on the research. This study contributes to the field of KM in construction by: (a) proposing a novel storytelling-based approach for capturing tacit knowledge, (b) addressing the limitations of traditional KM methods in construction, and (c) offering a framework for implementing storytelling-based KM within KMS. The proposed storytelling approach has the potential to overcome existing barriers and contribute to the effective capture and utilisation of tacit knowledge in construction projects. This can lead to improved project performance, reduced rework, and knowledge transfer across projects within the industry. Keywords: Tacit Knowledge, Knowledge Management

Knowledge hiding (KHi) is the intentional withholding of knowledge from colleagues, often caused by a lack of trust. It takes three forms: rationalized hiding, evasive hiding, and playing dumb, with the latter two fueling ongoing mistrust. To address this, organizations promote sharing both Tacit Knowledge (TK) and Explicit Knowledge (EK), to improve teamwork, problem-solving, and workplace relationships. Recent studies highlight the challenge of distinguishing general knowledge from TK and the difficulty of articulating TK, which adds to its scarcity and value. Examining the intentions and motivations behind KHi and KHo, often driven by fear, provides important insights into organizational knowledge dynamics. This study aimed to identify key factors influencing individuals' decisions to share TK or engage in KHi or KHo behaviors in the workplace. Using an 11-stage Survey Design methodology, data was collected from 285 Knowledge Management (KM) professionals across five countries over 42 days. This comprehensive approach ensured a diverse and representative sample, enhancing the validity and applicability of the findings. Results revealed that participants were aware of and engaged in KHi, KHo, and Knowledge Sharing (KS) behaviors. They recognized that TK holders made deliberate sharing decisions based on trust, sincerity, skillsets, and expertise. This insight underscores the complexity of KM in organizational settings and the need for nuanced approaches to encourage KS. The study highlighted the need for future research to include leadership influences, which significantly impact KHi and KHo behaviors. This finding emphasizes the critical role of leadership in shaping knowledge-sharing cultures within organizations and suggests that effective KM strategies must consider leadership styles and practices. By addressing these complex issues, organizations can develop more effective strategies to promote KS, reduce harmful hiding behaviors, and ultimately enhance their competitive advantage through improved KM practices. The study's findings provide a foundation for future research and practical applications in organizational KM, potentially leading to more efficient and collaborative work environments.

Background: State-owned enterprises (SOEs) in South Africa face a serious challenge of knowledge loss caused largely by resignations, the ageing workforce and a lack of knowledge management (KM) practices. Objective: This article explores KM practices in the South African SOEs to mitigate the risks inherent in tacit knowledge loss. Methods: The study adopted a mixed methods research strategy using an exploratory sequential design to identify KM practices and their effectiveness in addressing the issue of tacit knowledge loss. The qualitative data was collected through the interviews and document analysis of 2018 annual reports in nine SOEs across five market sectors. A survey questionnaire was distributed to 585 respondents, with a 25% response rate (145) for quantitative data in three SOEs. Results: The results revealed that the majority of the SOEs lacked KM practices in their structures. The lack of KM practices implies that the SOEs are lagging behind in knowledge protective capacities to mitigate the risks inherent in the organisational tacit knowledge loss. With many South African SOEs, facing all these sorts of knowledge loss risks and a lack of KM practices to mitigate them, achieving the objectives of a developmental state remains a far-fetched idea. Conclusion: The absence of KM practices negatively affected knowledge transfer and retention in most of the SOEs. A lack of KM practices will negatively affect their performance and their sustainability to deliver on their developmental mandate. Investment in KM practices will assist SOEs to mitigate the risks associated with loss of organisational tacit knowledge.

Research problem. Recently, being known as the most vital asset to as well as the capital of organizations, the issue of organizational knowledge creation has attracted a great deal of attention in several settings encompassing educational centers and institutions. Not only may a high-quality capital account for the success of a given organization, publishing its success stories, and consequently both clients’ and employees’ satisfaction, it can result in the escalation of scientific, human, and financial resources. Knowledge management has been defined as the process of discovering, acquiring, developing, maintaining, evaluating, and applying the right knowledge at the right time by the right person in an organization through the creation of a link between human resources, information technology, and communication while creating a suitable structure for achieving organizational goals (Afrazeh, 2005). Similarly, Hoffman, Hoelscher, and Sheriff (2005) described it as the process of creating and sharing knowledge in such a way that the results can be used effectively in the organization. In educational institutions also, knowledge management is a systematic and organized process of creating and disseminating information, selecting, refining, and disseminating explicit as well as implicit knowledge, in order to create a unique value which can be used to strengthen the learning and teaching environment (Gonzalez & Martins, 2017). Having probed into the relevant literature, we realize that in many studies (Jashpara, 2004; Messa & Testa, 2004; Newman & Conrad, 2000) knowledge management includes four general processes: knowledge creation, knowledge retention, knowledge sharing, and knowledge application. Purpose of the study: In this research, using the system dynamics method, a model is proposed to identify the effective factors in the knowledge management cycle in an educational center. Then, the effectiveness of the identified factors over time is simulated and the changes in the behavior of the institute, which are the result of the changes in the behavior of the staff as well as capabilities and tendencies, are observable. This study attempts to identify the most influential factors in the knowledge management process using the presented dynamic model and by examining the factors. The levers suggest appropriate operations to focus on these factors. Research method: This is applied research that is conducted using the system dynamics approach introduced by Sterman (2000). This approach is used to represent the status quo of a system and its changes in the future. Identifying and problematizing the main issue through studying related works and interviewing twenty-eight experts in the field using a semi-structured researcher-made survey; creating dynamic hypotheses and drawing the cause-effect diagrams and the flow diagram; using Vensim software to simulate the mod, and finally, sensitivity analysis was the stages followed respectively. The results of this study showed that by implementing the knowledge management process in the institute, the performance of the teaching personnel increased in an s-shaped manner; the experience improved exponentially, and the family-student contentment improved which would consequently result in organization growth. Finally, the researchers presented and analyzed two proposed policies.

With the domains of big data, knowledge management (KM), and knowledge capital (KC) gaining tremendous interest from practitioners and academics, this paper examines creating intelligent knowledge and the assimilation of both tacit and explicit knowledge to build intelligent organizations. The paper focuses on the transformation of traditional organizations into intelligent organizations by converting their participants' real-world experiences and skills that reside in their tacit knowledge into articulated, transformed data and codified knowledge. This process is aimed at building KC brought to higher level of intelligence with the integration of business intelligence (BI) and the use of BI tools. The paper proposes the use of a concern-issue-problem opportunity (CIPO) model integrated with BI to outline a knowledge management process designed for the capture of heuristics and expert knowledge that can be applied to optimize the factors of time and money.

PurposeThis paper aims to provide a comprehensive academic literature review on the relationship between knowledge management, knowledge transfer and organizational performance in a specific subset of the creative industry, i.e. arts and crafts organizations. Furthermore, this paper analyzes how knowledge management and transfer within arts and crafts organizations help increase performance and enhance the value of the activity of the so-called “knowledge workers” (i.e. craftsmen), who are the real knowledge owners in the process of value creation.Design/methodology/approachThe literature review follows the model suggested by Vom Brocke et al. (2009). The review follows a five-phase approach so as to be systematic, transparent and replicable. Academic contributions published over two periods are taken into consideration. The first period covers the years 1990-2000, when the concepts of creative industry and knowledge-based economy were developed. The second period covers the years 2000-2016, when scholars started to investigate how to effectively transfer knowledge (very often in the form of “tacit knowledge”) retained by master craftsmen in arts and crafts organizations and the critical role played by craftsmen in the performance of such organizations.FindingsThree main issues have emerged: how arts and crafts organizations manage and transfer knowledge internally; the effects of these activities on organizational performance; and the prominent role of craftsmen. The literature review shows how in arts and crafts organizations there is a considerable link between the concepts of “performance" and "tacit knowledge", even though addressing such link is somehow hard to realize, for several reasons discussed in the paper. The measurement of performance in arts and crafts organizations has become an area of academic investigation only when both the role of knowledge management and transfer and the role of knowledge workers (i.e., craftsmen) have become evident for obtaining a competitive advantage.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper has been an attempt to organize existing studies on knowledge management and transfer and to investigate the relationship existing between knowledge and performance in arts and crafts organizations. Nevertheless, the relationship between knowledge and performance is yet to be explored, as well as the development of techniques for measuring arts and crafts organizations’ performance effectively. The present contribution calls for a systematic reflection on how the transfer of traditional craftsmen’s skills impacts organizational performances in the long run. The definition and implementation of new performance evaluations criteria tailored to enhance the tacit knowledge of craftsmen as a real source of differentiation and competitive advantage for the arts and crafts organizations is somehow still missing.Practical implicationsBy pursuing its objectives, the present contribution aims to represent a step toward enabling arts and crafts organizations to play a vital role in the modern society in a more structured way. This would help to build awareness of the potential of arts and crafts organizations for promoting economic growth, proposing a value proposition different from the one dictated by the globalization and by the triumph of product standardization and mass production.Originality/valueAnalyzing the knowledge management and transfer within arts and crafts organizations with a historical perspective, it appears that the recognition in academic literature of the centrality of knowledge management and transfer within arts and crafts organizations is only recent (i.e. from 2011 onward). Indeed, for approximately 20 years (i.e. 1990-2010), knowledge has been constantly related to technological paradigms and standardized results, with very little research and debate on craftsmanship and the role of craftsmen. Nevertheless, the research shows that over the years, the focus on knowledge in arts and crafts organizations and knowledge transfer has become progressively more detailed and precise: some authors have studied the role of craftsmen in the knowledge economy according to a historical perspective, while some others have analyzed different types of knowledge more thoroughly. For example, Sveiby (1997, 1996), analyzing the concept of "knowing talent" and "tradition", outlines a more prominent role of craftsmen in the knowledge economy and explain how, in sectors with a strong traditional background, the transfer of tacit knowledge is a meaningful challenge for many organizations.

Ikujiro Nonaka’s contribution to the knowledge management (KM) field over the last decades is remarkable. His research has heralded major paradigm shifts (e.g., emphasis on tacit knowledge). In this regard, we can consider his widely received article – The Wise Leader in Harvard Business Review (May 2011) – as an attempt to develop KM towards a new direction. In it, Nonaka and Takeuchi introduce phronesis, i.e., practical wisdom, as a complementary source of knowledge and emphasize its importance for responsible leadership. A decade after its presentation, we aim to understand how their work has influenced subsequent research. Using VOSviewer software, we develop a bibliometric analysis of the research that follows the paths laid out by Nonaka and Takeuchi. Therefore, we searched the studies citing The Wise Leader on the Scopus database. The outcomes comprise 119 documents. We scrutinized the metadata – papers, journals, institutions, countries, authors, and keywords – applying a comparative approach – authorship, bibliographic coupling, citation, co-citation, and co-occurrence analyses. The results reveal that the concepts of phronesis and practical wisdom link knowledge management and leadership, supporting Nonaka and Takeuchi’s stance on knowledge management as a primarily social endeavor whose success depends on personal capabilities and the enactment of (tacit) knowledge, both of which are mirrored in phronesis. We also find that the concept has hardly spread beyond the boundaries of knowledge management, leadership, and business ethics, although it has become interwoven with other concepts. Of these connections, those to non-rational forms of knowledge and values (e.g., spirituality, emotions, virtue ethics) may be of particular relevance to the further development of the knowledge management field. This is also reflected in the recently started discussion on responsible knowledge management. Moreover, we set an agenda for future research and offer contributions to theory and practice.

IntroductionCurrent management strategies in nursing homes (NH) aim to ensure effective knowledge management (KM) in order to provide both best possible services to residents, and care for staff in NH. Teamwork in NH is essential for effective delivery of the highest quality of services. As a result, NH are increasingly adopting KM activities to enable knowledge creation, storage, transfer, and implementation in an environment facing many challenges such as lack of staff, increasing demands, and expectations of residents.MethodsIn our quantitative study, we examined how two Slovenian state NH that adopted the E-Qalin quality management model (European quality-improving learning model) adapted their KM, and what impact their quality management system and KM activities actually have on the quality of services. Furthermore, we examined how two Slovenian private NH that have not adopted a certified quality management program (like ISO or E-Qalin) tackle the issue of quality of services from the KM perspective. The sample consisted of 80 nursing professionals. In every NH that is part of this study, teamwork is essential and every individual that was involved in our survey is part of a team. In our study, we analyzed relationships between individual variables using linear regression.ResultsWe found a significant and positive relationship between knowledge creation, transfer, and implementation in NH with and without the E-Qalin certificate. We found a significant and positive relationship between knowledge storage and the quality of services only in NH without a E-Qualin certificate. It seems that when connecting multidisciplinary fields such as NH and KM, there is still a lack of awareness and knowledge on the topic of KM, which might be one of the reasons for some bias in the answers provided by respondents. We also found different teamwork approaches in NH with and without a E-Qalin certificate. Our research results therefore emphasize the need to gain additional insight into quality management and KM in the environment of NH.ConclusionTeamwork based on knowledge storage, transfer, the implementation of existing knowledge, and creation of new knowledge are essential for well-trained professionals and, as a result, contribute to continuous improvement in service quality. Implementation of KM is well received by NH, and enables them to better meet the needs and expectations of residents. More importantly, nursing staff also share and pass on tacit knowledge through teamwork. Finally, all of the NH in our study that implemented quality and KM activities noted an improvement in the quality of services that are offered to residents in practice. Our results indicate that the topic of KM in NH is interesting, and it has a positive impact on the quality of services in practice. However, the problem of awareness and knowledge on the topic of KM in the environment of NH still exists, highlighting the need for further research, additional insight, and dissemination of knowledge to every interested stakeholder functioning in the field of NH. The results of the study make an important contribution to the research of KM in NH, focusing on the transfer of tacit knowledge.

The theory of organisational knowledge creation indicates the distinction between tacit and explicit knowledge is extremely important in corporate knowledge management efforts. Additionally, in this context, the sharing of tacit knowledge is considered to be a critical component of successful knowledge management initiatives. This paper explores the value of using collaborative technologies as enablers of knowledge management. It primarily focuses on the conversion of tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge through the use of technologies with hyperlinking and hypermedia capabilities. Organisational issues surrounding the capture of tacit knowledge are also introduced by discussing the essential ingredients of successful knowledge management programs.

Knowledge Management (KM) is becoming increasingly important for construction companies in order to improve their competitiveness by reducing the cost and time while improving the quality of projects. Construction projects are in knowledge-intensive environments where many interrelated components work together in a complex manner. In many circumstances, knowledge in the construction industry is mostly tacit knowledge and highly based on individuals' experiences and perceptions. These situations call for a method of managing knowledge to solve construction problems and achieve a high quality of construction projects. Various kinds of KM models have been developed to support KM activities. However, the existing KM models and tools are far from enough, since most KM models only provide a communication platform and much creative knowledge work still depends entirely on human activities. This paper presents a new KM model that overcomes such shortcomings and provides an effective and efficient way of managing knowledge in the construction industry. A case study collected from the industry is used to demonstrate how the proposed KM model can be used to improve the industry's KM performance. The results indicate that the proposed KM model can facilitate the process of implementation, development and use of the KM system.

Knowledge Management(KM) is a key concept in today's business world. Knowledge is an intellectual asset for each organization. Knowledge Management, the systematic management of organizational knowledge - a strategic corporate asset thus is captured, transferred, shared and, utilized for organizational competitiveness. To get the most value from a company's intellectual assets, KM practitioners should maintain and manage it for long term benefits. It is imperative to acknowledge the knowledge and such a discipline of KM is now well-established in many large organizations and they practice in a better way. This has been neglected amongst Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) especially the auto component firms. Therefore, this research study has been conducted in Auto Component SMEs of Pune Region to understand KM Infrastructure dimensions such as culture, employee participation, leadership, rewarding with incentives and training and mentoring followed amongst the SMEs and its impact on Knowledge Acquisition and Capture dimension of KM process. The findings appear that in SMEs, there is a significant impact of training and mentoring on knowledge acquisition and capture. Rest of the KM infrastructure dimensions like culture, employee participation, leadership and rewarding with incentives are not having significant impact on Knowledge acquisition and capture.

PurposeMany authors have recognised multiple research gaps at empirical and theoretical levels regarding the interplay between the management of intellectual capital (IC) and the development of innovation capabilities from a strategic approach to technological opportunities, especially in knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). This paper endeavours to provide answers to some of these research questions by relying on empirical observations in the context of an emergent economy.Design/methodology/approachAfter reviewing the literature through the lenses of the IC and knowledge-based view, the paper operationalises IC as a formative construct and explores its relationships with Technological Orientation, Innovativeness and Innovative Performance. This investigation employs structural equation modelling to analyse data collected through a questionnaire from a sample of KIBS members in a cross-sectional study.FindingsThe research confirms the positive influence of human capital on a company’s Technological Orientation, which in turn impacts Innovative Performance in KIBS. Structural and relational capital positively affect Innovativeness and the latter directly impact performance. All other IC components were found to determine the dependent variables through a mediated effect.Research limitations/implicationsThis research has several limitations. Firstly, it has to be stressed that the significance of the statistical findings is dependent on the sample size, and the results’ explanatory power and effect size cannot be extrapolated to other demographics in different regions or sectors. Secondly, it should be observed that the results of the empirical research can be affected by the respondents’ subjectivity in assessing the items and their perception of reality when providing the answers. Thirdly, this is a cross-sectional study, and results concerning, e.g. the Innovative Performance may be subject to change over a longer period of time, though items in this construct have inquired about results obtained over time. Finally, given the purpose of the research, the outcome may be limited to the research model design. Future research could attempt to replicate the results by investigating other demographics and other regions and by employing a longitudinal study.Practical implicationsThe study highlights the value added by adequate management of all IC elements, as they affect the output of organisational business strategies and processes in an integrated manner. An organisational technological strategy that is based on up-to-date technologies, the embeddedness of technology in the organisational processes and the staff’s continuous technical/digital upskilling are conducive to competitive advantage and business success in KIBS. High competencies and skills that are continuously renewed through training as well as the acquisition of digital competencies, play an influential role in generating innovative capabilities that lead to business performance. Flexible and efficient business processes, the company’s support for informal knowledge sharing between employees and its ability to exploit new knowledge to sustain growth are prerequisites for KIBS’ success. Promoting an organisational culture of trust and collaboration, making the staff feel valued and satisfied and effectively using digital technologies for communication are all significant factors in supporting the development of innovation capabilities.Social implicationsThis research proves that IC management, viewed as an integrated construct comprising human, structural and relational capital management, significantly affects Innovativeness through the development of technology-based innovative capabilities. Furthermore, in a context where KIBS (and other companies) nowadays compete in a digital environment, technology and technical knowledge are paramount for a company’s success. The study validates in an aggregated model the role played in innovation by the management of knowledge and technical knowledge embodied in the employees’ competencies and know-how, the management of tacit and explicit knowledge developed by the structural capital and the management of stakeholder knowledge accumulated by the relational capital.Originality/valueThis research takes a fresh and comprehensive perspective to investigate how IC management can impact Innovativeness and Innovative Performance in KIBS by focusing on the nexus with the organisations’ Technological Orientation. The paper makes an original contribution to research concerning IC, KIBS, technology and innovation based on empirical evidence and a new approach to assessing IC as an aggregate rather than by looking at individual components.

Integrated knowledge management model and system for construction projects

Objective: in today’s volatile and knowledge-intensive business environment, knowledge management has become a key driver of organizational profitability beyond traditional cost- and productivity-based measures. This study addresses a gap in the literature by empirically examining how tacit and explicit knowledge contribute to profitability, with particular attention to the mediating role of breakthrough innovation. Methods: a quantitative research design was adopted using a structured questionnaire. Data were collected from 189 valid respondents, randomly selected from an initial sample of 240, ensuring a respondent-to-item ratio of 15:1. The relationships among tacit knowledge, explicit knowledge, breakthrough innovation, and organizational profitability were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS. Results: the findings reveal that both tacit and explicit knowledge exert significant positive effects on organizational profitability. A one-unit increase in tacit knowledge leads to a 0.26-unit increase in profitability and a 0.32-unit increase in breakthrough innovation. Likewise, explicit knowledge increases profitability by 0.21 units and breakthrough innovation by 0.10 units. When both knowledge types increase simultaneously, profitability rises by approximately 0.10 units, confirming the mediating role of breakthrough innovation. Conclusions: empirical evidence on the knowledge-profitability nexus, particularly within the healthcare sector, remains limited. This study advances the literature by demonstrating how breakthrough innovation translates knowledge assets into competitive advantage. The results also highlight the strategic importance of medical teaching institution (MTI) reforms in fostering innovation-driven performance. Overall, the study offers valuable theoretical and practical implications for developing knowledge-centric strategies to sustain organizational competitiveness.