Beyond the ba: managing enabling contexts in knowledge organizations

Abstract

Purpose-Looking at the practical experience of organizations pursuing knowledge management, it is found that their efforts are primarily focused on creating the conditions and the context that will enable knowledge creation. This need for developing enabling conditions and contexts was identified more than a decade ago when Nonaka and associates introduced the concept of ''ba.'' This paper aims to map the development of the concept of ''ba'' in a number of disciplines in order to understand its theoretical evolution and practical application. Design/methodology/approach-A comprehensive search and evaluation of the literature resulted in a database of 135 papers, four dissertations and four books. Using content analysis, citation analysis, and concept mapping, four categories of research findings are identified that in turn suggest four groups of conditions for enabling knowledge creation. Findings-The paper discusses each of these conditions (the social/behavioral, cognitive/epistemic, information systems/management, and strategy/structural), and introduces a framework that relates these conditions to the type of knowledge process and the level of interaction that characterize a knowledge management activity in the organization. Originality/value-It is concluded that managing knowledge in organizations is fundamentally about creating an environment in the organization that is conducive to and encourages knowledge creation, sharing and use. Organizations interested in pursuing knowledge management and innovation may wish to be guided by the enabling conditions presented here that have been discovered over ten years of research. These conditions and the frameworks of which they are part can help managers to analyze, discuss, and introduce specific combinations of enabling factors that are tailored according to the type of knowledge process and level of interaction needed to address a particular knowledge problem or vision.

A Negative Actor Engagement Scale for Online Knowledge-Sharing Platforms

“…An increasing number of virtual communities allow groups of passionate professionals, with assistance from community moderators, to share knowledge around their common interest and practice (Choo & de Alvarenga Neto, 2010). For example, a number of groups in the health service sector have created communities to help practitioners make sense of information (L. C. Li et al, 2009) and to bring together experiences, research, and practices to improve the quality of their service (Chen & Cheng, 2012).…”

Light Bulb Moments: Where Do Student Entrepreneurs Get Their Ideas

“…To catalog the enabling context, ba dimensions describe social, cognitive, informational, and structural interactions and engagements and are based on a literature synthesis by Choo and Alvarenga Neto (2010), while ma describes the intervals between these interactions and engagements and is informed by growing research examining moments of detachment and recovery (Wach et al, 2021; Weinberger et al, 2018; Williamson et al, 2019). In operationalizing ba and ma , item generation was directed by conceptual domain and applicability to interactions and engagement within the student’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.…”

Does ethical leadership and psychological capital promote knowledge creation? An empirical study of research organizations

“…According to Nonaka et al (2000), a shared context known as 'Ba' is needed for knowledge creation. 'Ba' is a space for emerging relationships and categorized as virtual, physical, mental or any combination of them (Choo and Alvarenga Neto, 2010). Oluikpe (2015) highlighted three philosophical viewpoints related to knowledge creation, namely, endogenic (mind centered), exogenic (world centered) and social construction (combination of the earlier two).…”