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Alexia Chang BUS 550

The Problems of Embeddedness : Knowledge Transfer, Coordination and Reuse in Information Systems. Alexia Chang BUS 550. Case Background. ChipFab —semiconductor-fabrication equipment provider (based in Taiwan ).

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Alexia Chang BUS 550

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  1. The Problems of Embeddedness: Knowledge Transfer, Coordination and Reuse in Information Systems Alexia Chang BUS 550

  2. Case Background • ChipFab—semiconductor-fabrication equipment provider (based in Taiwan). • Two types of engineer: equipment engineers (100) and field engineers (400). • Equipment engineers→ machine installation • Field engineers→ on-site troubleshooting • In July 2000, the head of the Human Resource Department incorporated a KM (Knowledge Management) team, which built a knowledge repository—”Discover”.

  3. An engineer would record maintenance tips, following a structured format. • Each tip, once approved, would be acknowledged as a ‘best practice’ tip and stored in the Discover database. • By the end of 2001, the KM Team reported encouraging results: • (1) The submission of best practice tips had increased from 18 to 72 items per month. • (2) The frequency of knowledge searches in Discover had increased from 117 to 1,176 times per month. • (3) machine installation time had reportedly been reduced from 45 days to 30 days.

  4. In April 2003, the KM Team was dissolved, owing to the lack of support from the key stakeholders — the field engineers. Why did the equipment engineers find Discover useful but field engineers not, even though they supported the KM initiative generally?

  5. Three Knowledge Attributes • Knowledge-as-object • Knowledge-as-cognition • Knowledge-as-capability

  6. Knowledge-as-object Knowledge is tangible objects that can be converted and transferred directly to users. The major problem of transferring knowledge-as-object is conversion. Knowledge is transferable from one place to another with less appropriation.

  7. Knowledge-as-cognition Experts’ cognitions socially distributed in human networks. Knowledge is better shared through person-to-person communications. In sharing knowledge, a strong social network may be better than one that is weak, as the building of trustful relationships is achieved more easily. Information systems such as groupware can be used as a people finder or as a discussion forum to establish virtual communities that facilitate a personalized mode of communication.

  8. Knowledge-as-capability Knowledge is capability generated from experts’ work activities. “Situated Knowledge”→ experts must acquire such knowledge by participating in different working situations Knowledge cannot be taken away from practices by transferring itfrom one place to another as objects, nor can it be shared as individual cognition Engineers rely on three generic types of cognitive knowledgeto build capabilities: device,procedural and strategic knowledge

  9. Placing Practices in Contexts Knowledge, be it object, cognition or capability, must be enacted from people’s practices and reside in a particular work context. To understand knowledge management problems, analysis of experts’ actions in situ is necessary, as this will help us to examine how experts’ practices are embedded in, and shaped by, work contexts.

  10. Analyzing Practices within Three Work Contexts

  11. Knowledge Management Issues Knowledge transfer problems Knowledge coordination problems Knowledge reuse problems

  12. Solutions The tips should be organized as ‘repair stories’ documenting ‘strategic knowledge’-the discovery of the process of troubleshooting-obtained by solving problems in different maintenance situations. ChipFab could include a social network map in each repair story. ChipFab could include points of unlearning in each repair story.

  13. Quiz Knowledge attributesinclude: A) Object B)Cognition C) Capability D) All of the above E) Non of the above

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