Innovation through knowledge

codification
M9401011
M9401012
M9401301
M9401302
Abstract
A significant interest in understanding the
management of knowledge and the roles to be played
therein by information and communication
technology (ICT).

This paper takes a closer look at one of the primary
issues raised when supporting the management of
knowledge: how to understand the role of knowledge
classification and codification as means for further
organizational learning and innovation.

Two manufacturing cases are analysed using
particular perspectives from current theories on
classification, namely the management of knowledge
and organizational innovation.
Introduction
Current knowledge management debate has shown
many interesting facets.

The debate has been concerned with issues such as:
(1) Knowledge work as a reflection of structural changes in
society.
(2) Knowledge as the most important resource in the firm.
(3) The distributed nature of organizational knowledge.
(4) The creation of knowledge involving translation back and
forth between tacit and explicit.
(5) The individual and social aspects of knowledge creation.
Introduction (cont.)

The exploration of information and communication
technology (ICT) as a means of supporting the
management of knowledge has in particular proven an
interesting and potentially contentious research topic.

This paper further suggests that investigating how to
support the generic management of knowledge is
somewhat futile.
Introduction (cont.)
Successful use of ICT necessarily relies on a complex
pattern of manual and technologically driven activities.

Inspire computer-supported collaborative work (CSCW)
on classification and ICT support.

The paper highlights the importance of distinguishing
between the innovation process and product as well as
between types of ICT products when analysing models
of knowledge management applied for the classification
of knowledge.
Classification, knowledge management
and innovation


This section briefly outlines relevant theories
concerning the social aspects of classification,
knowledge management and the relationships
between knowledge management and organizational
innovation.
Classification

This paper aims to analyse the role of classification
and classification systems for process innovation in
manufacturing.

Therefore, and understanding of both social and
technological aspects of classification and
codification is at the centre of the analysis.
Classification (cont.)

Classification is defined as spatial, temporal or
spatiotemporal segmentation of the world exhibiting the
following abstract characteristics:

(1) consistent and unique classification principles in
operation.
(2) mutually exclusive categories and a complete system
classifying everything under consideration.

Classification (cont.)


Codification is related to classification in that
it means reducing to code and is synonymous with
arranging, cataloguing, classifying, condensing and
organizing.
Knowledge creation and knowledge
management


For the purpose of the analysis presented here it is
assumed that organizational knowledge is highly
distributed.

Practice is what converts tacit knowledge into explicit
knowledge.
Knowledge management and
organizational innovation

Swan formulated two distinct perspectives on
knowledge management for innovation, namely the
cognitive models and community models.
Knowledge management and
organizational innovation (cont.)

Community model is formulated as a
critique of the predominant cognitive perspective
within the technology-driven research field.
Knowledge management and
organizational innovation (cont.)

Cognitive model denotes a perspective
where valuable knowledge is conceived as being
captured and codified from individuals, packaged,
transmitted and processed through the use of ICT and,
hence, disseminated and used by other individuals in
new context.
Reanalysing two cases from
manufacturing

The cases are both drawn from studies where
qualitative interviewing, participant observation and
document inspection were the three primary data
collection methods used.

However, the focus of both studies was to consider
the relationships between everyday manufacturing
processes and the development and use of ICT.
Case A: Volvo Aero, Sweden
Case A represents a particular aspect of the fieldwork
conducted in the Thermal Spraying Department at
Volvo Aero Corporation in Sweden. The company
develop , produce and maintain jet engines for
military as well as civil use.

The empirical material was collected over a period of
16 months from semi-structured interviews with 19
employees three material engineers two
laboratory engineers two managers , five production
engineers and seven operators .
Case A: Volvo Aero, Sweden (cont.)
The study also Involved participation in a number of
meetings concerning the Thermal Spraying Process ,
participant observation with the people interviewed
and analysis of internal documentation from the
Thermal Spraying department .

As the study progressed , common themes began to
emerge and a reference group of major stakeholders
in the problem domain was formed in order to discuss
the relevance of the empirical findings . The purpose
of the study was to establish the requirements of an
expert system to support the improvement of the
quality of the Thermal Spraying process .
Case B: Foss Electric, Denmark

Foss Electric is a Danish manufacturing organization
that develops, manufactures and markets instruments
for automatically measuring the quality parameters of
agricultural products, such as measuring the
compositional quality of milk, the composition and
microbiological quality of food products and the
quality of grain. Designing these instruments involves
a range of expertise, for example from the disciplines
of mechanical, chemical, electrical and software
engineering.
Case B: Foss Electric, Denmark (cont.)
The aim of the empirical effort at Foss Electric was to
analyse cooperative work in a manufacturing setting
where the participants deal with the complexity and
uncertainty of going from a design idea to determining
how to manufacture the product.

Two computer scientists and one manufacturing
engineer studied the engineering design , process
planning and software design at Foss Electric .
Approximately 20 open - ended interviews were
conducted.

More than ten project meetings were observed , and
just over l00 person hours of project observation was
conducted over a period of approximately 4months.
Summary

The two cases discussed above can be accommodated
largely within the classification scheme developed
which highlights the cognitive and the community
approach to the management of knowledge . Case A
displayed a particular configuration of knowledge
management models through the process.

The Innovation process attempted to go directly from
agenda formation to the codification of manufacturing
process knowledge .
Discussion

Analysing the two cases , more substantial insights in
the complex interrelationships between models for
knowledge management , classification work ,
organizational innovation processes , and ICT support .
To frame this debate we initially highlight the
distinction between the innovation process and the
innovation product , proposed as two essential
aspects of systems development
Discussion (cont.)

Crucially a distinction between the process of shaping
ICT and the type of technological product produced
will further support discussion of types of ICT support
for knowledge work .

Second, this paper has introduce the basic distinction
between technological support for the individual and
automation as opposed to support for collaboration
Discussion (cont.)
The distinction between an individual and a collective
perspective on ICT relates to the changing views of
computer applications in terms of three eras :

(1) As separate entities increasing productivity and
efficiency through the automation of existing manual
processes .
(2) as networked entities supporting collaboration between
professional groups .
(3) as integral entities of business strategies and of global
networks facilitating collaboration across organizational
and national boundaries.

The distinction has also been cultivated from a
computer science perspective , distinguishing between
algorithms and interaction.
Conclusion

People and ICT are increasingly interwoven .
Addressing the relationships between people creating
and managing knowledge , and systems supporting ,
facilitating and enabling them to do so involves
complex considerations and difficult design choices .
This paper has discussed organizational innovation
through the classification and codification of
manufacturing knowledge . Such classification and
codification processes will , if successful , lead to the
development of information artefacts . Negotiating
what aspects human actors should carry out is a
complex process.
Conclusion (cont.)

Further more, the information artefacts can be
digitally embedded into ICT or they can be a complex
mixture of both.

This paper has analysed two cases of knowledge
classification and codification, both of which were
aimed at innovating manufacturing processes through
ICT.
Conclusion (cont.)
The analysis demonstrated strength of knowledge
exploration situated in a social context of shared
practice as a means of providing ICTs that codify
knowledge.

The paper also demonstrated that, in the exploration
of the conditions for providing ICT support for
knowledge work, the cognitive and the community
models for knowledge management based on
organizational theories could greatly inform a
discourse.

However, the lack of proper attention to aspects of
ICTs and to ICT development in the framework can be
alleviated by explicitly distinguishing between
innovation process and product.
Conclusion (cont.)

The aim of this paper has been to further some of the
work on the management of knowledge within
organizational theory concerning the classification of
knowledge and analyse the finding based on a view
towards developing ICTs.

However, more research is needed on the
interrelations between discourses on knowledge
management and ICT development.



Thanks for your attention.