Intercultural Knowledge Management
A Challenge for Multinational Enterprises
©2002
Masterarbeit
57 Seiten
Zusammenfassung
Inhaltsangabe:Abstract:
It was in the mid 1990s, when the world of business has recognized the importance of continuous innovations and intensive knowledge sharing. New management concepts such as performance, innovation and knowledge management increasingly emerged. This will undoubtedly determine the future success or failure of multinational enterprises, facing unpredictable market situations.
Since business has moved towards a knowledge-driven economy, innovation and new knowledge creation become key factors for success within any industry. With the rise of the web and multimedia technologies, companies have become able to capture, store, organize, share and apply an enormous amount of information. Nowadays, important knowledge and expertise, which was captured in the heads of the employees in former times, should be attainable at any time and any place around the world. But is it like that in reality?
First of all knowledge management is a social process between individuals committed to constantly communicate explicit knowledge.
Successful knowledge sharing can not be based on technical instruments and databases. It is more a question of corporate culture.
Successful and effective knowledge sharing can only be realized by people with a great corporate understanding, values, culture and leadership in order to avoid a culture of knowledge hoarding among the different departments or business units.
In intercultural context knowledge has got more dimensions and it is more subtle. People from different cultural background are shaped by different understandings of knowledge and its communication. Because of that the approach for an effective intercultural knowledge management effort has be observed from different point of views. Only a very sensitive approach with the intention of deeply embedding it into the long term strategy of the company can guarantee lastingly success.
Todays multinational enterprises face new challenges. Since the beginning of the Internet Revolution in the early 1990s geographical barriers have become more or less unimportant. At the same time the globalisation process has moved on and international markets have been more and more deregulated. As a consequence international trade and business multiplied world-wide.
The time to market for new products decreased while the need to respond to new market conditions quickly increased. The main sources of competitive advantage - efficiency and quality are replaced by […]
It was in the mid 1990s, when the world of business has recognized the importance of continuous innovations and intensive knowledge sharing. New management concepts such as performance, innovation and knowledge management increasingly emerged. This will undoubtedly determine the future success or failure of multinational enterprises, facing unpredictable market situations.
Since business has moved towards a knowledge-driven economy, innovation and new knowledge creation become key factors for success within any industry. With the rise of the web and multimedia technologies, companies have become able to capture, store, organize, share and apply an enormous amount of information. Nowadays, important knowledge and expertise, which was captured in the heads of the employees in former times, should be attainable at any time and any place around the world. But is it like that in reality?
First of all knowledge management is a social process between individuals committed to constantly communicate explicit knowledge.
Successful knowledge sharing can not be based on technical instruments and databases. It is more a question of corporate culture.
Successful and effective knowledge sharing can only be realized by people with a great corporate understanding, values, culture and leadership in order to avoid a culture of knowledge hoarding among the different departments or business units.
In intercultural context knowledge has got more dimensions and it is more subtle. People from different cultural background are shaped by different understandings of knowledge and its communication. Because of that the approach for an effective intercultural knowledge management effort has be observed from different point of views. Only a very sensitive approach with the intention of deeply embedding it into the long term strategy of the company can guarantee lastingly success.
Todays multinational enterprises face new challenges. Since the beginning of the Internet Revolution in the early 1990s geographical barriers have become more or less unimportant. At the same time the globalisation process has moved on and international markets have been more and more deregulated. As a consequence international trade and business multiplied world-wide.
The time to market for new products decreased while the need to respond to new market conditions quickly increased. The main sources of competitive advantage - efficiency and quality are replaced by […]
Leseprobe
Inhaltsverzeichnis
ID 5858
Gmyrek, Stephan: Intercultural Knowledge Management - A Challenge for Multinational
Enterprises
Hamburg: Diplomica GmbH, 2002
Zugl.: Hochschule Bremen (FH), MA-Thesis / Master, 2002
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Diplomica GmbH
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Printed in Germany
3
CONTENT
A.
Executive Summary...4
1.
Introduction ...6
1.1. Intention of the Thesis ...6
1.2. Structure of the Thesis ...6
2.
Review of the State of Art ...8
2.1. Knowledge Management ...9
2.1.1. Definition of Knowledge and Knowledge Management9
2.1.2. Dimensions of Knowledge ...11
2.1.3. Myths about Knowledge Management ...16
2.1.4. Knowledge Roles and Skills ...17
2.1.5. How to Capture Knowledge...22
2.1.6. Intellectual Capital Management ...26
2.1.7. Ideas Initial Factor for the Generation of new
Knowledge...29
2.1.8. The Creative Environment ...31
2.1.9. Knowledge Brokering Cycle ...31
2.2. An Intercultural Approach ...33
2.2.1. Culture ...33
2.2.2. The Metaphor of a Bazaar ...36
2.3. The Communication Approach...38
2.3.1. Mass Communication...40
2.3.2. Interpersonal One-to-One Communication...40
2.3.3. Interactive Network Communication ...41
2.3.4. Knowledge Communication in MNEs ...42
2.3.5. Storytelling a Valuable Management Approach...43
3.
The Challenges for Multinational Enterprises - Motivation and
Competence for Knowledge Management...46
4.
Recommendations...52
B. EXHIBITIONS
C. BIBLIOGRAPHY
5
A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
It was in the mid 1990's, when the world of business has recognized
the importance of continuous innovations and intensive knowledge
sharing. New management concepts such as performance, innovation
and knowledge management increasingly emerged. This will
undoubtedly determine the future success or failure of multinational
enterprises, facing unpredictable market situations.
Since business has moved towards a knowledge-driven economy,
innovation and new knowledge creation become key factors for
success within any industry. With the rise of the web and multimedia
technologies, companies have become able to capture, store,
organize, share and apply an enormous amount of information.
Nowadays, important knowledge and expertise, which was captured in
the heads of the employees in former times, should be attainable at
any time and any place around the world. But is it like that in reality?
First of all knowledge management is a social process between
individuals committed to constantly communicate explicit knowledge.
Successful knowledge sharing can not be based on technical
instruments and databases. It is more a question of corporate culture.
Successful and effective knowledge sharing can only be realized by
people with a great corporate understanding, values, culture and
leadership in order to avoid a culture of knowledge hoarding among
the different departments or business units.
In intercultural context knowledge has got more dimensions and it is
more subtle. People from different cultural background are shaped by
different understandings of knowledge and it's communication.
Because of that the approach for an effective intercultural knowledge
management effort has be observed from different point of views.
Only a very sensitive approach with the intention of deeply embedding
it into the long term strategy of the company can guarantee lastingly
success.
6
1.
Introduction
Today's multinational enterprises face new challenges. Since the
beginning of the Internet Revolution in the early 1990s geographical
barriers have become more or less unimportant. At the same time the
globalisation process has moved on and international markets have
been more and more deregulated. As a consequence international
trade and business multiplied world-wide.
The time to market for new products decreased while the need to
respond to new market conditions quickly increased. The main
sources of competitive advantage - efficiency and quality - are
replaced by knowledge and innovation. Companies will have to
provide continuous innovation in order to compete successfully in a
global Marketplace.
1.1. Intention of the Thesis
The intention of the thesis is to sensitize the reader for the importance
of knowledge management in the environment of multinational and
multicultural companies. The reader is supposed to get some ideas of
gaining competitive advantage by optimizing the spreading and usage
of intangible assets within his company.
Business leaders should be convinced to give their employees more
space to be creative and more opportunities to use their minds for the
company's lastingly success.
1.2. Structure of the Thesis
After the introduction the first part of the paper discusses the state of
the art in knowledge management. Some main models of the main
authors of this topic are presented and discussed here. For example
the four knowledge transformation types defined by Nonaka and
Takeuchi are characterized in terms of the positional relations
between the actors in corporate environment.
Further it is argued that knowledge creation does not require the
support of large information bases and sophisticated
7
information processing and retrieval systems; rather it requires an
information and communication technology to create a space
supported by continuity, openness and multiplicity the awareness of
its users with respect to the continuously changing context and the
multicultural environment in which they are embedded.
Finally it is shown that intercultural knowledge creation is one principal
factor allowing to increase the competitiveness and the value of the
company.
In conclusion the last section outlines the most important points and a
thesis statement is formulated here.
8
2.
Review of the State of Art
In their article "Overcoming the Cultural Barriers to sharing
knowledge", the authors Richard McDermott and Carla O'Dell
describe the case of a large global company recently set up a
sophisticated knowledge management web site for employees
working all around the world, set up with the purpose of sharing their
employee's knowledge. The system had areas for chat, document
sharing, and message functions. It was cleverly segmented,
documents were easy to find and all the information were easily
attainable for potential users.
The designers interviewed the users during the development of the
system and most of them appreciated a web site for sharing ideas and
information with their peers.
But when the company launched the web site, the system was not
accepted by their users. They argued that they did not have the time
to maintain the site (McDermott & O'Dell 2000).
What happened was that the effort hit the culture wall. Though people
felt the system was a good idea it was not build into the company's
culture because people did not take the time to maintain it.
This case illustrates two problems of common knowledge
management approaches.
First of all, it does not matter how impressive your commitment and
approach for a knowledge management system may be your
company's culture is stronger.
The other problem is the technical point of view which especially
during the last years lead to exponentially growing investment in
innovative information technologies without the expected
improvements.
In general there is no doubt that the human factor is one of the driving
forces of a successful knowledge management strategy.
9
2.1. Knowledge Management
2.1.1. Definition of Knowledge and Knowledge Management
Knowledge is a basis for competitiveness in a time most businesses
are more and more driven by information. It determines the innovation
time cycles, the efficiency of processes, the product quality and the
potentials of customers and changing markets. Information can be
described as "data with new meaning"; the same is valid for
knowledge but knowledge is much more than information. Information
is a tool to extend, to restructure and to change the knowledge of an
individual (North 1999, p. 9, 36).
data...information...............knowledge
integrated
unstructured
context dependent
capability
cognitive best practice
high implication for action
structured
isolated
context independent
distinction
symbols
Low implication for action
Exhibit 1: Data, information and knowledge
Figure 1 illustrates the difference between data, information, and
knowledge. Figure 2 describes how data can be transformed into
information and knowledge. Bits and symbols are independent as long
as they are not combined in a certain way. By combining them a
relationship can be set up and information is generated.
10
bits...0, 1, 2, 3
symbols...1, 2, a, b,
data...12
information ...price of a book
knowledge..."reasonable price"
Exhibit 2: From bits to knowledge the transformation process
By comparing specific information the following experiences can be
made: reasonable price. That is knowledge!
Knowledge management cannot be seen as a new paradigm in the
Business World because people have been dealing with knowledge
and its usage for a very long time and because of the fact that
knowledge management integrates many common theories and
experiences.
Willke defines Knowledge Management as a newly emerged,
interdisciplinary business model dealing with all aspects of knowledge
within the context of the firm, including knowledge creation,
codification, sharing, learning, and innovation. Some aspects of this
process are facilitated with information technologies, but knowledge
management is, to greater extend, about organizational culture and
practices (Willke 2000).
The intention of knowledge management is to provide the necessary
knowledge at the right place and at right time in order to optimize the
usage of the resource knowledge. Experiences should be used
lastingly , processes should be reengineered and optimized
continuously and creative prospectives of the company should be
extended.
11
What is knowledge? This is the main question which has to be
answered in order to deal with knowledge in a company's issue.
If you do not know what knowledge is you cannot recognize it, you
cannot manage it and you cannot promote it.
Probst et al. define knowledge as everything an individual can utilize
for the solution of a problem (Probst et al. 1999).
Davenport and Prusak define knowledge as a flowing mixture of
structured experience, values, individual context and expertise
(Davenport & Prusak 2000).
Both definitions are highlighting different aspects. The first one is
focussed on the usage of knowledge and the second one
concentrates on the evolution process of an individual's knowledge.
For there seems to be a strong relationship between knowledge and
individuals. Knowledge is the networked value of all information
available to an individual. The isolated information itself, how it occurs
in databases, is not able to solve a complex problem. Only a network
scheme can link all the right information together and provide a
solution this way. One of the thesis's main questions will later deal
with the problem of information and knowledge.
2.1.2. Dimensions of Knowledge
Knowledge is divided in two main dimensions. It can be either explicit
or tacit. Additionally it can be classified concerning the extend to
which it is accessible to different user groups. It may be available to a
whole community, to a limited group or only to a single individual
(Mertins et al. 2001).
12
Knowledge
easy to
communicate
as information
Relatively
Difficult to
communicate
as
information
Meta-
knowledge
Explicit
knowledge
Tacit
knowledge
Hidden
knowledge
Relationship
knowledge
Process
Product
Objective
Intersubjective
Personal
experience
(connoisseurship)
Apprenticeship
Dispositions to think
Dispositions
to act
formal
informal
Exhibit 3: A classification framework of knowledge (Grund et al. 2002)
IBM, one of the most knowledge based companies, defines explicit
knowledge as structured, documented, and fairly easy to access
through different type of media. For the practice of knowledge
management it means that this explicit knowledge can be
standardized. Converted into information it can be formatted or
digitalized and as a result it can be stored and spread by an
organisation.
In comparison tacit knowledge is told to exist only in the heads of the
professionals throughout the company. It cannot be structured or
documented as it is a mixture of experiences, ideas, rules, and tips
and tricks. So tacit knowledge seems to be an assemblage of mental
models and routines, stored and embedded as knowledge in the
human brain.
For example the operation of a big aeroplane. You may have read
hundreds of books describing how to operate an aeroplane and even
if you know the function of each and every switch you still cannot
safely fly the plane. The ability of flying the plane is based on tacit
13
knowledge. Thus it takes time, however, you can learn it by
observation and instruction of a qualified pilot.
Tacit knowledge can only be communicated through direct contact
between individuals. This knowledge is more or less subtle and not
easy to spread.
Obviously explicit knowledge can be effectively communicated in a
direct way. Whereas tacit knowledge is communicated in an indirect
way. The provider of the knowledge has to codify the knowledge into
information and the receiver has to process the information and to
embed it as knowledge in his brain.
From Nonaka's and Takeuchi's point of view knowledge can only be
generated by an individual. As a consequence, an organisation is not
able to generate knowledge without it's employees. Knowledge
management within an organisation has to be considered as a
process of capturing the knowledge of individuals and of providing it
throughout the company's knowledge network. Nonaka and Takeuchi
developed the Knowledge Conversion Model in order to examine the
conversion processes between the two dimensions of knowledge.
Externalisation
Socialisation
Internalisation
Combination
From
To
Tacit
Knowledge
Tacit
Knowledge
Explicit
Knowledge
Explicit
Knowledge
Exhibit 4: Knowledge Conversion Model ( Nonaka & Takeuchi 1995)
14
Socialization is the transfer of tacit knowledge between individuals for
example through teamwork or observation. Experiences are shared
and tacit knowledge, such as shared mental models and technical
skills, is created (Nonaka 2001, p. 68).
Externalization describes the transformation of tacit into explicit
knowledge. It is considered as a knowledge creation process in that
tacit knowledge becomes explicit, taking the shapes of metaphors,
concepts or models (Nonaka 2001, p. 70).
Combination generates new explicit knowledge out of actual explicit
knowledge. It is a process of systemizing concepts into a knowledge
system. This type of knowledge conversion combines different types
of explicit knowledge (Nonaka 2001, p. 72).
Internalisation transforms explicit knowledge into tacit knowledge. It is
close related to "learning by doing. When experiences through
socialization, externalization, and combination are internalized into the
knowledge base of the individual, they become valuable assets of the
company (Nonaka 2001, p. 74).
This model is also a tool for the examination of the flow of knowledge.
Based on the simple observation of knowledge flows Nonaka and
Takeuchi invented that knowledge retires and becomes useless if it is
not flowing or growing. In comparison, knowledge that is flowing, used
by different individuals, captured and communicated tends to generate
new knowledge (Nonaka & Takeuchi 1995).
Actual tacit knowledge can be extended by socialization and new tacit
knowledge can be generated in the internalization process through
learning and education.
New explicit knowledge can be captured through externalization of
tacit knowledge for example by recovering, describing and using
informal best-practices of a company.
Details
- Seiten
- Erscheinungsform
- Originalausgabe
- Jahr
- 2002
- ISBN (eBook)
- 9783832458584
- ISBN (Paperback)
- 9783838658582
- DOI
- 10.3239/9783832458584
- Dateigröße
- 435 KB
- Sprache
- Englisch
- Institution / Hochschule
- Hochschule Bremen – Wirtschaftswissenschaften
- Erscheinungsdatum
- 2002 (September)
- Note
- 1,7
- Schlagworte
- wissen global ressourcen globalisierung effizienz
