“Old” theories, “New” technologies: Understanding knowledge sharing and learning in Brazilian software development companies

ContextNew technologies such as social networks, wikis, blogs and other social software enable collaborative work and are important facilitators of the learning process. They provide a simple mechanism for people to communicate and collaborate and thus support the creation of knowledge. In software-development companies they are used to creating an environment in which communication and collaboration between workers take place more effectively.ObjectiveThis paper identifies the main tools and technologies used by software-development companies in Brazil to manage knowledge and attempts to determine how these tools and technologies relate to important knowledge-sharing and learning theories and how they support the concepts described by these theories.MethodA survey was conducted in a group of Brazilian software development companies with high levels of process software maturity to see how they implement the Brazilian Software Processes Improvement model (MPS.Br) and use new tools and technologies. The survey used a qualitative analysis to identify which tools are used most and how frequently employees use them. The results of the analysis were compared with data from the literature on three knowledge-sharing and learning theories to understand how the use of these tools relates to the concepts proposed in these theories.ResultsThe results show that some of the tools used by the companies do not apply the concepts described in the theories as they do not help promote organizational learning. Furthermore, although the companies have adopted the tools, these are not often used, mainly because they are felt not to organize information efficiently.ConclusionThe use of certain tools can help promote several concepts described in the theories considered. Moreover, the use of these tools can help reduce the impact of, some common organizational problems. However, companies need to improve existing organizational policies that encourage employees to use these tools more regularly.     

Understanding social collaboration between actors and technology in an automated and digitised deep mining environment

The purpose of this article is to develop knowledge and learning on the best way to automate organisational activities in deep mines that could lead to the creation of harmony between the human, technical and the social system, towards increased productivity. The findings showed that though the introduction of high-level technological tools in the work environment disrupted the social relations developed over time amongst the employees in most situations, the technological tools themselves became substitute social collaborative partners to the employees. It is concluded that, in developing a digitised mining production system, knowledge of the social collaboration between the humans (miners) and the technology they use for their work must be developed. By implication, knowledge of the human's subject-oriented and object-oriented activities should be considered as an important integral resource for developing a better technological, organisational and human interactive subsystem when designing the intelligent automation and digitisation systems for deep mines. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: This study focused on understanding the social collaboration between humans and the technologies they use to work in underground mines. The learning provides an added knowledge in designing technologies and work organisations that could better enhance the human-technology interactive and collaborative system in the automation and digitisation of underground mines.     

Understanding social collaboration between actors and technology in an automated and digitised deep mining environment

The purpose of this article is to develop knowledge and learning on the best way to automate organisational activities in deep mines that could lead to the creation of harmony between the human, technical and the social system, towards increased productivity. The findings showed that though the introduction of high-level technological tools in the work environment disrupted the social relations developed over time amongst the employees in most situations, the technological tools themselves became substitute social collaborative partners to the employees. It is concluded that, in developing a digitised mining production system, knowledge of the social collaboration between the humans (miners) and the technology they use for their work must be developed. By implication, knowledge of the human's subject-oriented and object-oriented activities should be considered as an important integral resource for developing a better technological, organisational and human interactive subsystem when designing the intelligent automation and digitisation systems for deep mines.

Statement of Relevance: This study focused on understanding the social collaboration between humans and the technologies they use to work in underground mines. The learning provides an added knowledge in designing technologies and work organisations that could better enhance the human–technology interactive and collaborative system in the automation and digitisation of underground mines.     

Open Innovation in an Enterprise 3.0 framework: Three case studies

Nowadays, especially after the recent financial downturn, companies are looking for much more efficient and creative business processes. They need to place better solutions in the market in a less time with less cost. There is a general intuition that communication and collaboration, especially mixed with Web 2.0 approach within companies and ecosystems, can boost the innovation process with positive impacts on business indicators. Open Innovation within an Enterprise 2.0 context is a one of the most chosen paradigm for improving the innovation processes of enterprises, based on the collaborative creation and development of ideas and products. The key feature of this new paradigm is that the knowledge is exploited in a collaborative way flowing not only among internal sources, i.e. R&D departments, but also among external ones as other employees, customers, partners, etc. In this paper we show how an ontology-based analysis of plain text can provide a semantic contextualization of content support tasks, such as finding semantic distance between contents, and can help in creating relations between people with shared knowledge and interests. Along this paper we will present the results obtained by the adoption of this technology in a large corporate environment like Bankinter, a financial institution, Telefonica I+D, an international telecommunication firm and Repsol, a major oil company in Spain.     

Comparative analysis of the organisational learning process in Slovenia, Croatia, and Malaysia

Several empirical studies have proved that better organisational learning induces higher organisational performance. However, none of them addressed the issue of organisational learning process simultaneously in several countries. In our contribution, we aim to test differences in the way companies learn in Slovenia, Croatia, and Malaysia. We used the OLIMP questionnaire, a measurement instrument developed and tested by [Dimovski, V. (1994), Organisational learning and competitive advantage. PhD Thesis, Cleveland, Ohio; Dimovski, V., & Škerlavaj, M. (2005). Performance effects of organisational learning in a transitional economy. Problems and Perspectives in Management 3(4), 56–67]. It employs three measurement variables (information acquisition, information interpretation, and behavioural and cognitive changes) as well as 38 items (presented in the paper) to measure the organisational learning construct. In autumn 2005 data from 203 Slovenian, 202 Croatian and 300 Malaysian companies were gathered. The results indicate that companies in all three countries under scrutiny are closest in terms of behavioural and cognitive changes, meaning that globalisation and other challenges of the modern business environment demand all of them to change and adapt quickly. However, the ways they are coping with these challenges are different. There are more similarities than dissimilarities between Slovenia and Croatia, while this is not the case when comparing both countries to Malaysia. When acquiring information, Slovenian and Croatian companies rely more on internal sources (own employees, past decisions, etc.), while Malaysian companies tend to rely more on external sources and more often have employees dedicated to searching for external information. When trying to interpret the information acquired, Slovenian and Croatian companies rely more on personal contacts, informal team meetings and believe that information given to subordinates must be simple and concise, while Malaysian companies tend to use more formal collective decision-making and written communication to understand the meaning of information.     

基于本体的多主体网络协作学习模型研究

协作学习是一种组学习方式,强调的是组成员之间的交流与合作,因此成员间的信息理解对协作的效率影响很大,本体论是概念化的明确表示和描述,因此本体可对学习资源进行语义标注.采用本体提供交流资源的统一语义描述,使学习者在语义基础上进行交流和查询,本体的引入保证了网络协作学习中知识理解和运用的一致性、精确性、不变性、可重用性和共享性.设计了基于本体的多主体网络协作学习模型,该模型不仅具有语义互操作性而且能有效支持知识的重用和共享,从而提高协作学习效率.     

A collaborative Design for Usability approach supported by Virtual Reality and a Multi-Agent System embedded in a PLM environment

This paper details a collaborative workstation design approach integrating knowledge based on engineering process, using a Multi-Agent System (MAS) on a Virtual Reality (VR) platform. The MAS supports R&D teams to extract and re-use engineering knowledge so as to improve their efficiency in developing new products. Our research targets the development of a knowledge engineering system integrated into a PLM-Product Life cycle Management-environment linked with virtual reality tools. A PLM is a strategic business approach with a consistent set of methodologies and software solutions. It is meant to promote collaborative creation, management, delivery and proper use of this life cycle definition and information product in multinational companies. This system is used by engineers to carry out projects in a collective way while conveying a defined process. The MAS allows capitalization, and to annotate knowledge according to the actions of the designers inside a PLM environment. Then, this knowledge is used by VR tools to analyze various aspects of the virtual prototype such as manufacturing, maintenance, reliability or ergonomics. Consequently, we use expert knowledge to pilot the design process of a virtual prototype inside a three-dimensional immersive virtual reality platform. In this context, our paper describes our knowledge management approach applied to improve ergonomics and collaborative design in industrial areas.     

AiOLoS: A model for assessing organizational learning in software development organizations

ContextIn an industry in which technological developments are rapid, in order to keep up with the continuously increasing competition and to obtain competitive advantage, the software development organizations (SDOs) need to obtain the correct knowledge, use it efficiently and pass it to future projects evolving it accordingly.ObjectiveThe main aim of this paper is to propose a novel model, AiOLoS, for assessing the level and characteristics of organizational learning (OL) in SDOs.MethodThe primary contributions of this two-legged AiOLoS model are the identification of the major process areas and the core processes that a learning software organization (LSO) follows during its OL process and to provide the necessary measures and the corresponding definitions/interpretations for the assessment of the learning characteristics of the SDO. The research is supported with a multiple case-study work to identify the mapping of the core processes and the applicability of the AiOLoS model to SDOs, its utilization as a tool for assessing OL and providing a basis for software process improvement (SPI).ResultsThe case studies have shown that not only the AiOLoS measures are applicable to SDOs but also that they measure in great extent the actual OL that is realized in the organization and that the major process areas and core processes are actually related to the OL process of SDOs.ConclusionAiOLoS has been designed to provide a starting point for the enhancement of OL capabilities of SDOs, which in turn should provide a basis to conduct SPI activities. Therefore, it is also important to investigate a possible binding of AiOLoS to SPICE and the inclusion of a maturity dimension to AiOLoS.     

Postmortem reviews: purpose and approaches in software engineering

Conducting postmortems is a simple and practical method for organisational learning. Yet, not many companies have implemented such practices, and in a survey, few expressed satisfaction with how postmortems were conducted. In this article, we discuss the importance of postmortem reviews as a method for knowledge sharing in software projects, and give an overview of known such processes in the field of software engineering. In particular, we present three lightweight methods for conducting postmortems found in the literature, and discuss what criteria companies should use in defining their way of conducting postmortems.     

Designing a semantic bliki system to support different types of knowledge and adaptive learning

Though blogs and wikis have been used to support knowledge management and e-learning, existing blogs and wikis cannot support different types of knowledge and adaptive learning. A case in point, types of knowledge vary greatly in category and viewpoints. Additionally, adaptive learning is crucial to improving one’s learning performance. This study aims to design a semantic bliki system to tackle such issues. To support various types of knowledge, this study has developed a new social software called “bliki” that combines the advantages of blogs and wikis. This bliki system also applies Semantic Web technology to organize an ontology and a variety of knowledge types. To aid adaptive learning, a function called “Book” is provided to enable learners to arrange personalized learning goals and paths. The learning contents and their sequences and difficulty levels can be specified according to learners’ metacognitive knowledge and collaborative activities. An experiment is conducted to evaluate this system and the experimental results show that this system is able to comprehend various types of knowledge and to improve learners’ learning performance.     

Exploring collaborative learning effect in blended learning environments

The use of new technology encouraged exploration of the effectiveness and difference of collaborative learning in blended learning environments. This study investigated the social interactive network of students, level of knowledge building and perception level on usefulness in online and mobile collaborative learning environments in higher education. WeChat, which is a mobile synchronous communication tool, and modular object‐oriented dynamic learning environment (Moodle) were used as mobile and online collaborative learning settings. Seventy‐eight college students majoring in information engineering participated in the experiment. The following findings were revealed by combining methods of social network analysis, content analysis and questionnaire survey: (1) the collaborative social networks generated in this study showed that students had tighter interaction relationships in Moodle than in WeChat; (2) deeper level of knowledge building in collaboration and interaction through Moodle than WeChat was observed; and (3) Moodle got higher perception level than WeChat because of its usefulness for collaboration.     

Organizational learning networks that can increase the productivity of IT consulting companies. A case study for ERP consultants

This paper considers the use of social learning networks to increase the productivity of IT consulting companies. We advocate that using a carefully designed social learning network can reduce the learning time for enterprise software developers and consultants. By viewing learning as a social act, a consulting company can increase its productivity. Increased productivity is based on hastening the learning process. The focus of this paper is to identify the ways in which social networks catalyze the process of knowledge sharing in order to increase the productivity in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) consulting sector. We present a set of detailed practical results that were obtained from experiments with an original knowledge sharing method that was applied to training young software developers to enable them to work for some of the world’s most demanding IT companies. The experimental data were collected from 2004 to 2011 during 12 training sessions conducted by an IBM partner in conjunction with the Computer Science Department of a large Eastern European University. The main results of this study were: (1) designed a learning community that reduced the time needed to insert junior consultants into ERP projects; and (2) statistical data were generated that measured the increase in productivity that an ERP consulting company could obtain by employing organizational learning networks. We also discuss the positive impacts of social networks that can be established between private companies and universities.     

Wiki as a corporate learning tool: case study for software development company

In our study, we attempted to further investigate how Web 2.0 technologies influence workplace learning. Our particular interest was on using Wiki as a tool for corporate exchange of knowledge with the focus on informal learning. In this study, we collaborated with a multinational software development company that uses Wiki as a corporate tool since 2001. For our research, we used three different sources for acquisition of data. Primarily, we did an interview with top management. Next we acquired the data on usage statistics from the company Wiki. And finally we distributed a questionnaire in order to acquire users' feedback. Analysis provided many interesting results. One of the main conclusions is that Wiki is successfully used in this company, and large majority of employees finds it useful. Additionally, Wiki did aid informal learning, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.     

Social relationship and its role in knowledge management systems usage

The KMS has been widely implemented in organizations. However, its availability does not guarantee that employees have been willing to spend time and effort using it. We explored the use of KMS with emphasis on social relationship. Specifically, social capital theory was employed to establish the social relationship construct and its three dimensions: tie strength, shared norms, and trust. By studying a company that had implemented a KMS, we explored the dimensions of social relationship and its importance in the use of a KMS by employees. A theoretical framework was used to depict the antecedents of employee's usage behavior. Implications for both researchers and practitioners are discussed, especially for companies expecting to exploit knowledge sharing in the Chinese business environment.     

Computer-supported reflective learning: how apps can foster reflection at work

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses the potential of ICT to support reflective learning for professionals. We aggregated data collected in 20 field studies with 12 different applications, involving a total of 321 participants. The applications addressed individual reflection as well as collaborative reflection. Such a systematic analysis with different applications used across industry sectors and companies is unique in the current literature on computer-supported reflective learning in the workplace. Primarily, we assessed the reaction to reflection applications and their effectiveness regarding learning, behaviour change, and organisational impact. In addition, we investigated differences with respect to work experience. Results show that users had a positive reaction to the apps and perceived their use to be beneficial for their work by using them. In collaborative reflection an inexperienced employee can benefit from the experiences and perspectives of more experienced (co-)workers. In contrast, individual reflection was more profitable for more experienced workers. Notwithstanding the overall positive results, the actual implementation of reflection applications requires careful adaptation to the specific organisational and situational context, as well as introductory and accompanying measures to assure efficient and beneficial usage of the tools.     

An investigation of coopetitive pedagogic design for knowledge creation in Web-based learning

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have created a supportive environment for collaborative learning at the expense of student motivation and engagement. This study attempts to explore the development of a productive learning atmosphere in the context of Web-based learning. An experiment is conducted with university-level students having homogenous background and coursework by applying heterogeneous pedagogies that create either competitive or collaborative learning atmospheres. The differences in learning atmosphere bring about variations in social presence and enjoyment of learning. The findings show that “coopetition” (defined as collaboration within the group and competition between groups) was the best learning strategy because competition and collaboration stimulated different types of knowledge growth in the knowledge-creation spiral. Competitive learning atmospheres encourage students to develop higher analytic skills, while collaborative learning atmospheres prompt students to demonstrate higher synthetic skills. Because both atmospheres contribute to learning, this study has found that combining both pedagogies in constructing a coopetitive learning atmosphere not only contributes to analytic and synthetic skills, but also raises the overall knowledge level. The findings pinpointed the importance of creating a learning environment that integrates ICTs, learners’ backgrounds, courseware, and pedagogic considerations in the process of increasing knowledge levels.     

Collaborative learning and engineering workspaces

Research studies aimed to improve remote collaboration and education are presented and related to practical results for control and automation engineering education. Individual, social and cultural aspects are considered as important requirements in the development of collaborative learning environments. A collaborative learning environment for control and automation education, which includes mixed-reality lab experiments, is presented. The proposed environment hosts remote lab experiments that enable the development of collaborative projects among students working at different sites. Experiences using the proposed learning environment in both university and vocational courses are presented.     

Designing social media for informal learning and knowledge maturing in the digital workplace

This paper presents an original approach to designing social media that support informal learning in the digital workplace. It adapts design‐based research to take into account the embeddedness of interactions within digitally mediated work‐based contexts. The approach is demonstrated through the design, implementation, and evaluation of software tools supporting a particular type of informal learning called knowledge maturing. The paper: introduces and presents the rationale for, and concept of, knowledge maturing; presents a new design methodology for developing social media that support informal learning and knowledge maturing; focuses on one prototype, for ‘people tagging for organisational development’, that was produced by the methodology (and concisely describes two others); presents the formative evaluation of the highlighted prototype; and finally, discusses the implications and insights arising from this work.     

Leveraging enterprise knowledge graph to infer web events’ influences via self-supervised learning

Knowledge graph (KG) techniques have achieved successful results in many tasks, especially in semantic web and natural language processing domains. In recent years, representation learning on KG has been successfully applied to e-business applications, such as event-driven automatic investment strategies. However, there is still limited research about learning events’ influence on KG for modern quantitative investment. In this paper, we propose a novel event influence learning framework to predict stock market trends, called ST-Trend, leveraging enterprise knowledge graph to represent company correlation relationships, for mining the deep background knowledge of web events, with three self-supervised learning tasks. In particular, we devise two jointly self-supervised tasks to identify the relations between web events and companies. The first task is for generating ground-truth event-company correlation labels based on the enterprise knowledge graph. The second task is used to train how to identify the correlated companies of an event based on the generated correlation labels, with the encoding of web events, company features, and technical sequential data. We then design the prediction network to infer an event’s influence on stock price trends of the identified correlated companies based on the enterprise KG. Finally, we perform extensive experiments on a massive real-life dataset to validate the effectiveness of our proposed framework, and the experimental results demonstrate its superior performance in predicting stock market trends via considering events’ influences with the enterprise knowledge graph.