PurposeThis paper intends to propose an “ontological shift SECI model” as a tool to diagnose organizations in the context of knowledge creation, and thereby support the management of knowledge creation‐related projects.Design/methodology/approachThis research's hypothesis is based on existing knowledge creation theories and is tested using a case study methodology. The authors first examine the model in a completed project in order to test its validity and second, apply it in Company A's software project to demonstrate its feasibility and usefulness.FindingsIn any given project, knowledge creation activities occur in various ontological entities – individual, group, organization or social‐network. The diagnosis tool, which proved to be useful in this paper, traces such ontological shifts and makes visible all key activities of a knowledge creation project. These activities form an “ontological shift model” and trace an “activity map” which exposes underlying enablers and barriers, and provides viable solutions for improvement.Research limitations/implicationsTo carry out the analysis, the key activities identified in the knowledge creation‐related project have to be described in detail according to their ontological and epistemological dimensions. However, such description is complex and requires specialized expertise in knowledge creation and rich knowledge of the ongoing project.Practical implicationsThe tool proved useful for supporting project managers in diagnosing their project's knowledge creation shortcomings. When knowledge creation breakdowns occur in a project, the tool can act as a navigator and uncover alternatives to continue the knowledge‐creating spiral.Originality/valueKnowledge creation process is difficult to manage because of its cause ambiguity and intangibility. What is a knowledge creation activity? And why? This model makes explicit experienced managers' tacit solutions to knowledge creation problems. It can make organizational knowledge creation activities visible and therefore manageable for junior staff, outside consultants and even future software modeling.
: This study discusses management principles which provides computational aid to management including monitoring, analysis and navigation of knowledge creators activities. Firstly, it attempts to identify two management principles based on the Ontological Shift Model, and give three indicators to diagnosis knowledge creation projects. Boom-ups are indicator of enablers, slip-downs are indicator of barriers, and social-network are indicator of "Ba". This proposition is verified based on real case in Company K, an global Japanese company with over hundreds of years history and leading company in the industry. Since knowledge is defined as "information" and "people's judgement to information", both information and knowledge creator's activities are expected to be managed in a knowledge system efficiently. Information could be processed to trash and also could be processed to be knowledge. The only difference is how the knowledge creators can efficiently analyze and rebuild new information which we can call it the knowledge without errors and mistakes. Current IT technology gave two efficient tools for knowledge creation: the "SNS", hereby is capable to describe knowledge network and illustrate people connections, and the "data mining" is well implemented in information society for digging out knowledge from "BIG data". In this research, computer cognizable principles is presented based on the ontological shift model, to provide algorithms in manage knowledge creation activities with computer aids. The validation of our proposal and associated knowledge creation system is supported by real company case.
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