knowledge orchestration for sustained competitive advantage

8/7/2019 Knowledge Orchestration for Sustained Competitive Advantage

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Knowledge Orchestration for

Sustained Competitive Advantage

44th Hawaiian Conference on System Sciences

Koloa, Kaui, Hawaii, January 4-7 2011

Department of Information Systems and

Operations Management

Max Rohde and David Sundaram

[email protected] [email protected]


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Motivation

Do we really know what we are talking about when we are

talking about knowledge?

How do I design, implement and evaluate a system, which is goodat supporting work

with knowledge and unstructured information?


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How we use the word knowledge?

Knowledge Management

Knowledge SharingKnowledge Repository

Knowledge Storage, Retrieval, Application and Creation


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The knowledge language trap.

More knowledge is better.

Organizations can possess and store knowledge.

Knowledge is maybe the most valuable organizational resource.

We can manage knowledge.

(Kogut & Zander, 1992; Grant, 1996)

BUT: Knowledge is not a thing. What is the value of knowledge?

What is the value of knowledge?


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Knowing as alternative for knowledge?

Knowing emphasizes the behavioural dimension of knowledge.

Knowing is bound to actions and individuals.

(Orlikowski, 2002; Thompson & Walsham, 2004)

BUT: Knowledge related capability is sticky. Organizations cannot know.


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Theoretical Perspectives

(Cook & Brown, 1998)

(Orlikowski, 2002)(Kogut & Zander, 1992; Grant, 1996)

Epistemology of Possession Epistem

Collective knowing driven by

individuals

Strategic capabilities of

organizations


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IssuesEpistemology

Value

Aggregation

Possession or Practice

Resource or Action

Organization or Individual


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Value

The structures, which make up knowledge (formal routines,

technologies, human resources, )

only potentially enable action leading to competitive advantage

or lead to unmindful action and competitive disadvantage.


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A Definition

A knowledge potential describes an organizational

capability, which might or might not be enacted. The value

of this capability depends on whether it will (1) enable the

organization to take mindful actions, (2) to innovate,

and/or (3) to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.

(formal routines,

technologies, human

resources, )

(Blackler, 1995)


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A Comparison with Organizational Routines

Possession

Ostensive

(Feldman & Pentland, 2003

Formalized best practice,

technologies, organizational

structures

Every routine is executed

differently depending on a

changing environment.

Epistemology


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The mindful execution of routines requires both

sufficient structural stability

and

situational flexibility.

(Weick & Sutcliffe, 2006; Levinthal & Rerup,

applying this lens to knowledge


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Alignment between Structural

and Situational Dimension

Bridging the ostensive and performative is a way to enable context-informed

organizational decisions, flexibility, and learning (Weick & Sutcliffe, 2006; Levinthal &

Rerup, 2006)

Kno

wledge

Potentials

Environment

Kn

owing


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Some Implications of this Model

The value of the knowledge related capability (knowledge potential)heavily depends on the environment.

Aligning knowledge potentials with a changing environment is facilitatedby the process of knowing, which in turn is enrooted in the actions of

individuals.

The focus lies therewith not on managing knowledge potentials butrather on their alignment with a constantly changing environment.


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Questions?

Special thanks to the reviewers and editors of HICSS-44. We gratefully

acknowledge the support by the University of Auckland Council, theUniversity of Auckland Business School, the Faculty Research and

Development Fund (UoA) and the Department of Information Systems

and Operations Management (UoA).

Thank You for Your Attention!

knowledge orchestration for sustained competitive advantage

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