Ontology-based Knowledge Modeling of Post-occupancy Evaluation for Green Building

Knowledge Management Research & Practice (2009) 7, 192–195. doi:10.1057/kmrp.2009.20 This special issue on Knowledge Management and e-Research Technologies aims to provide a distinctive perspective on the role of technology in knowledge work. We begin with the assumption that today’s knowledge work and research practice is increasingly mediated by a diversity of tools which may not traditionally be labelled as knowledge management technologies (Hendriks, 2001; Butler, 2002), but which are embedded within knowledge work practices. Although many have criticised the idea of formal knowledge management technology (Swan et al., 1999; Galliers & Newell, 2001; Hislop, 2002), it is highly apparent that contemporary knowledge work is facilitated using information and communications technologies (ICTs) of various types from the ‘macro’ knowledge management systems that have been heavily criticised to the more ‘micro’ emerging technologies that we may not traditionally associate with the term knowledge management technology. This special issue, therefore, returns to the debate on the role of technology within knowledge creation, dissemination and use, but explores this with a specific focus on the how new, flexible ICTs are emerging, which blur the boundary between technology and social knowledge practices. Within knowledge management theory, it is possible to observe two broad and enduring perspectives towards technology (elaborated persuasively and famously by Hansen et al. (1999) but also by Alavi & Leidner (2001); Schultze & Stabell (2004)) between those who seek to catalogue and capture knowledge within computer systems, believing knowledge as capable of objective representation and is therefore capable of codification (Schultze, 1998), and those who believe knowledge to be inherently tacit and social, and who argue technology’s role is to support collaboration (Schultze, 1998). Both perspectives seem much evident in literature on Knowledge Management Systems, which frequently adopts a view of ‘knowledge management’ through the management of either catalogued, codified, data or of collaborative, social relationships. These two perspectives of codification or collaboration have, however, created, in our opinion, an unhelpful dichotomy and instrumentalisation of ‘knowledge management technology’ (Mitev & Venters, 2009) leading to polarised literature of either codification technology or collaborative systems. This special issue thus seeks to present articles that will stimulate the debate on the interrelationship and connection between technology aiming to codify knowledge and that aimed at collaboration. Our argument is founded on the observation that human action is mediated by tools, in a myriad of forms, which have a materiality to us and form part of our ongoing practice (Orlikowski, 2007; Orlikowski & Scott, 2008). That knowledge is socially constructed through social interaction is Knowledge Management Research & Practice (2009) 7, 192–195 & 2009 Operational Research Society. All rights reserved 1477–8238/09

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to distinguish and describe knowledge management (KM) technologies according to their support for strategy.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed an ontology development method to describe the relations between technology, KM and strategy, and to categorize available KM technologies according to those relations. Ontologies are formal specifications of concepts in a domain and their inter‐relationships, and can be used to facilitate common understanding and knowledge sharing. The study focused particularly on two sub‐domains of the KM field: KM strategies and KM technologies.Findings”KM strategy” has three meanings in the literature: approach to KM, knowledge strategy, and KM implementation strategy. Also, KM technologies support strategy via KM initiatives based on particular knowledge strategies and approaches to KM. The study distinguishes three types of KM technologies: component technologies, KM applications, and business applications. They all can be described in terms of ”creation” and ”transfer” knowledge strategies, and ”personalization” and ”codification” approaches to KM.Research limitations/implicationsThe resulting framework suggests that KM technologies can be analyzed better in the context of KM initiatives, instead of the usual approach associating them with knowledge processes. KM initiatives provide the background and contextual elements necessary to explain technology adoption and use.Practical implicationsThe framework indicates three alternative modes for organizational adoption of KM technologies: custom development of KM systems from available component technologies; purchase of KM‐specific applications; or purchase of business‐driven applications that embed KM functionality. It also lists adequate technologies and provides criteria for selection in any of the cases.Originality/valueAmong the many studies analyzing the role of technology in KM, an association with strategy has been missing. This paper contributes to filling this gap, integrating diverse contributions via a clearer definition of concepts and a visual representation of their relationships. This use of ontologies as a method, instead of an artifact, is also uncommon in the literature.

Introduction. Today, in the era of intellectualization of the economy, knowledge is one of the most important assets and factors that forms the value of the organization. In this case, the main thing is not the creation of knowledge, but its productive use. Today, no one doubts that the future of a company depends on its ability to manage knowledge. Therefore, domestic enterprises (both private and public) need to implement a knowledge management system, learn to effectively manage knowledge and use it productively. The purpose of the paper is to study the main problems of knowledge management in modern organizations, provide recommendations for the development of effective knowledge management technology, quantitative assessment of the level of knowledge in the enterprise and knowledge management strategies. Results. In today's conditions, knowledge management in the enterprise is accompanied by a number of problems. To decide some of them, the authors proposed a knowledge management technology, which is based on improving the level of knowledge and business qualities of managers through the introduction of an appropriate bonus system. In order to determine the level of knowledge of managers, it is proposed to use specific indicators. In knowledge management, the use of the following strategies is recommended: knowledge formation, knowledge exchange, intellectual capital management and business knowledge strategy. At the enterprise it can be implemented both separately and simultaneously by introducing information systems, staff development, creation of intellectual capital, etc. Conclusion. The proposed recommendations on knowledge management technology and indicators for quantifying the knowledge of managers will allow us to determine the required number of managers, the size of their salaries and bonuses, as well as calculate the effect and effectiveness of their management activities. Based on this, the company will be able to increase the level of knowledge of its employees and operate more successfully. The implementation of the knowledge management strategies proposed by the authors will help the company achieve its goals in the field of knowledge management and ensure its competitiveness.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the efficacy of knowledge management (KM) based systems and best practices that could be used to address operational issues in the oil and gas sector.Design/methodology/approachGiven little was known empirically about the strategies and practices which contribute to improved performance, innovation and continuous improvement in the oil and gas sector qualitative method was used. Semi-structured interviews were used to derive senior managers’ constructs of project delivery efficiency and KM based systems. The interviews were analysed through the use of a qualitative analysis software package NUDIST NVivoTM. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. Validity and reliability were achieved by first assessing the plausibility in terms of already existing knowledge on some of the operational issues raised by participants.FindingsThese were synthesised into a framework capturing seven well-defined stages. All these steps emerged as being related; they are comprised of independent variables. These steps were found to comprise of knowledge management technology approaches, knowledge management people approaches, KM strategies and value enhancing practices.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the findings are pertinent to oil and gas organisations, it will be important to conduct follow-up research validating the potential for using the results of this study to establish frameworks for knowledge and information management in different organisations and contexts. This will provide not only data about the validity of the framework in generic terms but will also generate additional data on the application of KM strategy.Practical implicationsAs shown in this study, successful KM based systems requires the aligning of business strategy, technology for KM, project management operations with an enterprise knowledge-sharing culture. Such sharing requires managing the behaviour of project personnel such that knowledge transfer becomes part of the organisation’s norm.Social implicationsThe implementation of KM based systems requires deliberate planning and action to create the conditions for success and put in place the strategy, leadership, goals, process, skills, systems, issue resolution, and structure to direct and exploit the dynamic nature of project work. The strategies proposed in this research cannot be expected to resolve all KM issues in the oil and gas sector. However, their use defines an approach that is superior to the traditional approaches typically adopted and consequently merits far wider application.Originality/valueThe proposed framework presents a better way of optimising the performance of project-based operations thus enabling oil and gas organisations to reform their poor performance on projects and empower them to better manage emerging cultural challenges in their future projects. Reflecting on their experiences, the participants confirmed that the proposed KM framework and its seven well-defined stages were central to the effectiveness of KM in oil and gas operations. Although the scope of this research was restricted to projects in Nigeria and the UK, the geographical focus of this research does not invalidate these results with respect to other countries. The fact is that the oil and gas sector globally shares some common fundamental characteristics.

Many mobile knowledge management (KM) systems have been described in the literature having unique and interesting features, each being inserted into a specific application domain. This fragmentation in the application domain makes it difficult to compare and define a set of core features of mobile KM systems. Analysing and comparing features and strategies of several systems from different application domains makes it possible to identify the core features that form a mobile KM system. Consequently, we may use these core features to define the evaluation and comparison framework of mobile KM systems, regardless of its application domain. The purpose of this work is to define these core features and discuss their importance, through the analysis of six mobile KM systems, highlighting the positive and the negative aspects of the KM processes. The contributions of this work are the framework and the list of core features of mobile KM systems.

Many mobile knowledge management (KM) systems have been described in the literature having unique and interesting features, each being inserted into a specific application domain. This fragmentation in the application domain makes it difficult to compare and define a set of core features of mobile KM systems. Analysing and comparing features and strategies of several systems from different application domains makes it possible to identify the core features that form a mobile KM system. Consequently, we may use these core features to define the evaluation and comparison framework of mobile KM systems, regardless of its application domain. The purpose of this work is to define these core features and discuss their importance, through the analysis of six mobile KM systems, highlighting the positive and the negative aspects of the KM processes. The contributions of this work are the framework and the list of core features of mobile KM systems.

This study explores the role of digital transformation in Knowledge Management (KM). This study aims to address this empirical gap by examining the employees’ level of awareness of KM systems, the usefulness of KM applications impact of digital technology in KM. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The collected data was systematically organized, coded, recorded, and analyzed. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze quantitative data while content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. This study found the majority (42, 58%) of employees were aware of the KM system with little utilization of the KM platform due to minimal understanding of interaction with the system. Also, the system is not sufficient to support employee’s activities based on their duties and responsibilities. This study concludes that there is that there is low transformation of modern technology in public sectors in Tanzania. It recommends increasing training and adopting a new knowledge-based system as well as policy formulation. This study contributes to a body of knowledge through integrating digital procedures in the knowledge management industry.

This study investigates the factors affecting the perceived usefulness of and the intention to use knowledge management (KM) systems by students. The research model posits that the intention to use KM systems in higher education depends on perceived usefulness, perceived user-friendliness, organizational rewards, and community of practice. A survey method was used to collect the data for the study. We used a convenience sample consisting of undergraduate students enrolled in various business courses in a Canadian University. The data obtained from a sample of 120 students were initially factor analyzed to identify the relevant factors. Separate factor analysis was conducted for each of three types of measures – the independent measures, the intermediate measures, and the dependent measure. In order to test the proposed hypotheses, we employed the method of multiple regression analysis. The findings suggest that organizational rewards and KM system characteristics positively impact perceived usefulness, and that user-friendliness, usefulness, organizational rewards, and community of practice are significant predictors of intention to use KM system. This analysis reveals that business schools need to focus on usefulness and practical relevance of knowledge captured in knowledge management systems. This is in line with the current debate in management education regarding the appropriateness of methods employed to teach business knowledge. Organizational rewards being a significant predictor of intention to use KM systems corroborate the expectancy theory. Therefore, it is important for business schools to communicate on the usefulness of their KM systems but also to encourage its usage through different incentives.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the knowledge management (KM) system on the hospital services performance. The hospital located in DKI Jakarta (Indonesia) that has implemented the KM system as a pilot project is the population of this research. Where the respondents are medical personnel at the hospital. This study analyzes the correlation between the use of KM systems and the performance of hospital services, using independent-samples T-tests and ANOVA tests from SPSS and R Commander programs to prove the hypothesis of the two variables, namely the use of KM systems (capabilities) and hospital services performance. The results of this research have succeeded in proving that there are significant differences between medical personnel who rarely use the KM system and who often use it, with those who often have a greater level of service performance. Thus, it can be concluded that the KM system used by hospital has a positive effect seen in the performance of medical personnel.

Purpose – Knowledge is a main resource of any organization. Knowledge management (KM) is identified by four processes: creating, capturing, distributing and sharing of knowledge. Technology can enable successful KM. The purpose of this paper is to propose a technology knowledge management (TKM) taxonomy, which lists popular electronic tools that can enhance KM processes and shows which tool can contribute to which processes. Design/methodology/approach – The taxonomy was developed by an extensive literature review of electronic KM tools and a three-year extensive analysis of different knowledge sources at the Jeddah Municipality (JM) in Saudi Arabia. Findings – The taxonomy can be used by practitioners developing an organizational KM system to guide them to choose a sufficient subset of tools that covers all four processes in order to ensure that no process is overlooked. Research limitations/implications – The result of using the TKM taxonomy and its effect on KM success is an interesting area for furthe...

Using case-based reasoning (CBR), the authors integrate the techniques of cognitive task analysis (CTA), hierarchical clustering and ontology and propose a Web-based CBR knowledge management (KM) system for investigating the construction of a KM system with multiple information techniques to support KM activity in industry. The maintenance service centres of a computer company are used as an example to illustrate extracting the maintenance knowledge necessary to construct a PC troubleshooting KM system. The effectiveness of applying a Web-based CBR KM system to support KM activities in the KM life cycle is subjected to practical verification.

Discussions at previous HICSS conferences have shown that there is no general agreement on definitions of knowledge management (KM) and knowledge management systems (KMS) success. A deep understanding of these concepts would help to design and implement efficient KM initiatives and systems. We present an exploratory research study to begin and facilitate a debate that will hopefully lead to a consensus definition of KM and KMS success. We chose an expert panel approach followed by two exploratory surveys to approach the KM and KMS success definition. The research shows only a few points of consensus. We present areas of agreement as well as of disagreement, which serve as a good starting point for further discussions on KM and KMS success

Enhancing knowledge exchange through web map-based knowledge management system in construction: Lessons learned in Taiwan

The present study is focusing on the characteristics of knowledge harvesting continuity management, and knowledge management. This begins from reviewing the previous research papers on knowledge management and information systems following with some recommendations to an ideal knowledge management system. This paper worked on an organized analysis of 32 empirical refereed articles on knowledge harvesting, continuity management, and knowledge management. Findings of the study state that an organization must integrate its knowledge management system, knowledge harvesting, and management functioning to decrease the loss of knowledge at the time of knowledge worker leaving the organization.

The increasing importance given towards knowledge management (KM) implementation for organisational success is hardly questionable resulting in significant attention directed towards KM systems. The extended IT industry has been quick to promote the notion that KM and in turn KM systems not only lowers cost structures and increases strategic flexibility but also facilitates knowledge creation and utilization. Conversely, many KM systems have proven unsustainable to date, exhibiting low quantity and quality of knowledge, with systems falling into disuse. Knowledge is generally assumed to be largely cognitive and therefore, highly personal and dynamic. Knowledge workers too do not like to be ‘managed’ and have the tendency to resist systematic attempts to manage and dictate contributions. KM systems on the other hand are seen to require systematization and control of knowledge. Such a mismatch has seen most KM systems today being reduced to nothing more than a management fad and an illustrious information management system failing to achieve its intended aims. This position paper espouses important tenets when operationalising KM. The paper highlights the need to contextualise KM initiatives by studying human practices as a development process with the introduction of Activity Theory. The paper also examines the need to co-create knowledge workers by understanding human consciousness and motivation as value with key drivers. The authors have also espoused the need to foster a conducive KM environment to spur KM implementation.KeywordsKnowledge management (KM)Knowledge management system (KMS)Activity theory (AT)Co-creation of value