Managing knowledge work: specialization and collaboration of engineering problem‐solving

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the exploratory nature of knowledge creation and sharing practice in high‐technology industry. Traditional approaches in knowledge management focus on the storage and retrieval of knowledge, but they do not address the tacit dimension of knowledge process. Using data gathered at three semiconductor manufacturers in Japan and Korea, we examine the social processes by which expert teams cooperate across team boundaries despite differing points of view resulting from increasing team specialization. Three engineering teams are studied: design, process, and process integration. They are responsible for trouble management in the production of dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a class of integrated circuit semiconductor devices. Trouble management is the handling of problems that require exploratory, yet routine problem‐solving practice. The findings suggest that the crucial challenge in achieving effective control of the knowledge management process rests not in strategies for collecting and classifying relevant problem/solution information. Rather, it is in the management of “problematization”, a political process involving the articulation behaviors of different teams of engineers.

Examining the characteristics and managerial challenges of professional services: An empirical study of management consultancy in the travel, tourism, and hospitality sector

“…Here again however, as in the discussion of customer engagement, significantly increased service technology spends, together with increasing levels of professional services outsourcing and offshoring (Ellram et al., 2008; Metters and Verma, 2008; Stouthuysen et al., 2012) may render such characterisation open to question. Interactive information technologies are ubiquitous in modern professional service settings (Froehle and Roth, 2004) and many consulting firms have been “enthusiastic adopters” of knowledge management systems (Brivot, 2011) that aim at identifying, codifying, and storing knowledge (Davies and Brady, 2000; Kim and King, 2004). Similarly, the assumed operating model will likely have a significant impact on the extent and nature of knowledge intensity.…”

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“…Figure 4. Impact of social skills on conflict and collaboration at both the individual and group level ***p < 0.001 (Lee, Huh & Reigeluth, 2015) In engineering, Kim and King (2004) observed intra-group conflict that happens when the product that the groups collaboratively developed shows a problem. Three groups of engineers worked on different aspects of a specialized chip, with each group being responsible for one aspect of the chip's design.…”

Building Social Commmunities around Alternate Reality Games

“…However, the role of the players and their contributions in the game is not well analysed. The heterogeneity of views across participants, characters and game designers needs to be understood, as they are critical in achieving the collective goals [13]. …”