Exploring the impacts of knowledge (re)use and organizational memory on the effectiveness of strategic decisions: a longitudinal case study

Abstract

Two forces that dramatically affect the sustainability of firms' competitive advantage in the new competitive landscape have been identified as globalization and information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as the Internet and intranets (e.g., Castells, 2000; Porter, 2001). Organizations often rely on acquired knowledge from past experiences to make higher quality decisions on business strategies for better future performance. In this context, Knowledge Management (KM) and Organizational Memory (OM) become a central issue to the effectiveness of strategic decision-making and organizational performance. This paper examines the relationship between the (re)use of knowledge/organizational memory (OM) and the effectiveness of strategic decision-making in devising corporate strategies. As part of an exploratory case study approach, a number of interviews are being conducted among top executives at a multi-national firm. As a framework, the components of the modified version of McLean's IS Success Model by Jennex & Olfman (2002) are being used to examine for the impact of knowledge strategy and technological resources, along with the impact of individuals and members from wider organizational context on strategic decision making processes. These components are then analyzed within Galliers' (2002) IS Strategy Framework of emergent and deliberate strategizing. The analysis accounts for the inter-subjectivity of the concept of KM. Results from a continuous longitudinal study have clearly shown the significance of culture and human-driven knowledge requirements along side the use of an ERP system as part of an OMS. On-going findings of this study aim to contribute to a richer understanding of the impact of knowledge and OM/OMS on Organizational Learning (OL) and the effectiveness of managerial decision processes. In the context of the IS Success Model, this paper highlights the intermingled approaches to organizational knowledge management practices due to the contextual nature of knowledge and the human need for social interaction .

OSPM: A design methodology for open strategic planning

“…After the implementation of the methodology, and the strategy planning process, different stakeholder groups in both cases were interviewed to seek their perceptions about the elements of the methodology. Individual perspectives are known to impact interpretation of facts in organisational contexts [89]. For this reason a qualitative approach was used to capture stakeholders' interpretation of strategy formulation.…”

Representing organizational memory for computer-aided utilization

“…Job-related tacit knowledge includes know-who, know-what, know-when, knowwhere, know-how, and know-why. Through a longitudinal study, Hatami, Galliers and Huang [10] confirmed the impacts of OM utilization on effective strategic decisions. Other studies have found that the effective use of OM depends on how well information technology can be called upon to assist in problem solving (ES), decision making (DSS), workflow management (WFMS), and organizational learning [14][15][16][17].…”

“…Knowledge assets can be classified into four types: conceptual, experiential, routine, and systematic. Some scholars have adopted the term 'organizational memory' (OM) to highlight the importance of extending, amplifying, and utilizing the knowledge assets of an organization effectively [9][10][11][12]. From a functional viewpoint, OM involves the same processes as those of knowledge management, but with an emphasis on organizational settings and business goals.…”

The mediation role of the organizational memory in the relationship between knowledge capturing and learning organization

“…Thus, information technology supports the process of retrieving and storing capabilities to initiate organizational memory for future use in the decision-making process (Sandoe & Olfman, 1994). Hence, the relationship between knowledge capturing and organizational memory became a key issue to the effectiveness of organizational performance and strategic decision-making (Hatami et al, 2003). Knowledge capturing as the process collects expertise and knowledge to store it in the organizational memory and use it for continued learning and achieving business innovation (Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995;Salleh et al, 2013).…”