Using linguistic preferences and grey relational analysis to evaluate the environmental knowledge management capacity

This study proposes a combined fuzzy grey relational analysis method based to deal with study objective. This study objective is aimed to present a perception approach to deal with supplier evaluation of environmental knowledge management capacities (EKMC) with uncertainty and lack of information. The ranking of best supplier might be a key strategic direction of other suppliers prior to EKMC. The solving procedure is as follows, (i) the weights of criteria and alternatives are described both in qualitative and quantitative information using fuzzy set theory; (ii) using a grey relational analysis to result the ranking order for all alternatives; (iii) an empirical study of supplier ranking problem in EKMC are used to resolve with this proposed approach and the result indicates that optimal supplier is with higher protection of the environmental knowledge from inappropriate or illegal use or theft (C7) and from the best alternative supplier to study its criteria ranking.     

Understanding the effect of knowledge management strategies on knowledge management performance: A contingency perspective

The universalistic perspective research on employing a unidimensional knowledge management (KM) strategy has yielded conflicting findings and recommendations in different contexts. This study proposes a contingency model for investigating the effects of KM strategies on KM performance to resolve these contradictions. Drawing on the knowledge-based view (KBV) of the firm, which identifies knowledge type and origin as two key KM dimensions, this study first defines four KM strategies: external codification, internal codification, external personalization, and internal personalization. A multiple contingency model of KM strategy is then developed based on a technology–organization–environment framework. This study proposes that the effectiveness of each KM strategy depends on both external and internal contextual conditions, namely, environmental knowledge intensity and organizational information systems (IS) maturity. To test and validate the contingency model, we analyze data from 141 firms to explain the effects of KM strategies on KM performance. Our results reveal three KM strategies, not including the internal personalization strategy, which have a significant association with KM performance in their hypothesized contexts. This study expands KM strategy research by theoretically developing an advanced contingency model aligned with external and internal contexts and by providing valuable practical suggestions to managers for selecting a KM strategy based on multiple contingencies related to the external and internal conditions of a firm.     

On the evaluation of agent behaviors

This work focuses on robot behaviors which use minimal communication and rely mostly on changes in the environment as their cue for action. The behavior-based paradigm for building autonomous robots has become very popular because of its successes, use of the world as an external memory and replacement of classical planning by agent-environment dynamics. However there are no criteria for evaluating and improving behavior sets. Our aim here is to bridge this gap. We define several criteria (power, usefulness, flexibility, modularity, and, reliability) and investigate the properties of behavior sets using them. We use these criteria to present results on modifications to individual behaviors and addition of new behaviors to the behavior sets. We show how computations related to these criteria can be carried out. We report on guidelines to improve a behavior set.     

Mining customer knowledge for electronic catalog marketing

Direct marketing is the use of the telephone and non-personal media to communicate product and organizational information to customers, who then can purchase products via mail, telephone, or the Internet. In contrast, catalog marketing is a type of marketing in which an organization provides a catalog from which customers make selections and place orders by mail or telephone. However, most catalogs for retailing firms are presented to customers in the format of paper catalogs without strategic segmentation design and implementation. In this regard, electronic catalog design and marketing could be a method to integrate the Internet and catalog marketing using market segmentation in order to enhance the effectiveness of direct marketing and sales management in retailing. This paper uses data mining based on association rules from relational database design and implementation for mining customer knowledge. As result, marketing knowledge patterns and rules are extracted for the electronic catalog marketing and sales management of a retailing mall in Taiwan.     

Relating agility and electronic integration: The role of knowledge and process coordination mechanisms

Current competitive environments necessitate that firms pursue electronic integration in parallel to agility. However, most research to date has examined integration and agility relatively independently and has overlooked the relationship between them. Using coordination theory, this paper suggests that integration enables the two capabilities of agility (i.e., sensing and responding). Results from a study of 303 business unit operations of manufacturing organizations show that integration within business units and with outside partners is positively associated with process coupling of the value chain, both internally and externally. Further, both types of integration are positively associated with knowledge flow within and outside the business unit. In turn, both lead to higher capability to sense change in the business environment and respond to it with agility. This research helps us understand the integration-agility relation better by investigating the role of the knowledge and process capabilities.     

An empirical study of the effects of knowledge sharing and learning behaviors on firm performance

Knowledge sharing and learning behaviors in the workplace are believed to be very important to the success of firms. In this study, the relationships between knowledge sharing and learning behaviors, business process improvement, product and service offerings, and organizational performance are examined based on a sample of 134 firms engaged in manufacturing, and wholesale or retailing operations. Data analyses using the partial least squares statistical technique revealed that knowledge sharing and learning behaviors are positively associated with business process improvement, and product and service offerings. Business process improvement and product and service offerings are positively associated, and they in turn are positively related to organizational performance. The findings reinforce the importance of knowledge sharing and learning to companies. Executives should encourage knowledge management and organizational learning activities within their firms, and give proper considerations to the strategies and implementation of programs supporting these activities in order to enhance firm performance.     

How to facilitate inter-organizational knowledge sharing: The impact of trust

In this era of the network economy, inter-organizational knowledge sharing is one key driving force required to streamline value chain activities and maximize operational benefits. Knowledge sharing can be realized when the involved business partners successfully develop trust and build long-term partnerships. In this study, a model of knowledge sharing across the supply chain is constructed. Factors such as shared goals, social relational embeddedness, and influence strategy are investigated to determine whether they act as major driving forces to develop inter-organizational trust among the various supply chain members. The survey is based on 226 managers located in major industrial parks in Taiwan; the results suggest that trust is enforced when organizations develop shared goals, form social relational embeddedness, and initiate influence strategies. In addition, inter-organizational trust leads to better inter-organizational collaboration and knowledge sharing. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.     

Using interactive systems for knowledge sharing: The impact of individual contextual preferences in China

Based on the communicative ecology framework and theories related to guanxi and communication context in China, we investigate the moderating effects of individual preference for communication context (IPCC) on knowledge sharing via interactive systems (KSIS) behavior. Drawing on survey data from a hotel chain's employees, we explore how guanxi elements drive knowledge sharing (KS) behavior and enhance KS outcomes. Our data demonstrate that IPCC significantly moderates the effect that KSIS has on KS outcomes, but the IPCC has a direct and negative impact on KS outcomes. We explain these seemingly contradictory findings and their implications for research and practice.     

Assessing the impact of knowledge management strategies announcements on the market value of firms

Although there is much literature on the relationship between KM strategies and organizational performance, the benefit of KM strategies is not well understood. We addressed this issue by exploring how KM strategies influence a firm's market value using event study methodology. We evaluated the cumulative abnormal returns for KM strategies announced by U. S. firms from 1998 to 2003. Our findings supported the hypothesis that firms’ announcements about their KM strategies provoked positive reactions in the market. More specifically, strategies that focus on either (i) knowledge reusability through IT or (ii) knowledge sharing through informal discussions among employees contributed to higher performance than strategies that emphasized both. This outcome empirically supported our argument that the emphasis on either tacit or explicit knowledge results in a better market value of the firm. Furthermore, the market's reaction to the announcement is dependent on the firm's industry classification. The findings of this study offer insights that may help managers maximize the market impact of their KM strategies.     

Assessing environmental impact of small and medium ceramic tile manufacturing enterprises in Thailand

Manufacturing processes employed by small and medium ceramic tile production enterprises in Thailand consume substantial amounts of energy. This study reveals that a small plant uses twice as much energy to produce one square meter of tile than does a medium plant. With the exception of global warming effects, the environmental impacts of a small plant are also larger than those of a medium plant, specifically with respect to ozone depletion, acidification and eutrophication. In addition, the environmental management perspective of the medium plant is based on cost reduction and social necessity. In contrast, the small plant has a negative attitude toward environmental management measures, taking the view that these are not appropriate concerns for small plants. These differing impacts and viewpoints suggest that environmental management in the small and medium plants should apply different approaches. On the one hand, the medium plant should emphasize the accelerated transfer of environmental knowledge to its personnel, while on the other, the owners of the small plant should be made to recognize the environmental impacts of their production activity and products. Additionally, potential benefits that might accrue to the plant owner from environmental impact mitigation should be highlighted.     

If it's fair,I’ll share: The effect of perceived knowledge validation justice on contributions to an organizational knowledge repository

The organizational value of an electronic knowledge repository depends on the degree to which it offers high quality knowledge to its users. Validation procedures are implemented to monitor and ensure the quality of submitted content. However, if perceived as unreasonable or unfair, validation can have the unintended effect of discouraging employee contributions. Drawing on organizational justice and fairness literatures, we show that both quality perceptions and contribution behaviors are positively influenced by perceived procedural justice of validation, which, in turn, is influenced by perceived informational and interpersonal justice. Implications for organizational knowledge management research and practice are discussed.     

Computer-supported collaborative learning with digital video cases in teacher education: The impact of teaching experience on knowledge convergence

Case-based learning is ascribed high potential with respect to the education of pre-service teachers as well as the further education of experienced in-service teachers, as it can provide opportunities for the application of professional knowledge to authentic classroom situations. In addition to the application and acquisition of knowledge, the aspect of knowledge convergence (i.e., increasing similarity of collaborative learners with respect to their knowledge) should be taken into account when homogeneous benefits are desired for all participants of a case-based training. A field study with 29 pre-service teachers and 24 in-service teachers from adult education was conducted to examine effects of different levels of teaching experience on knowledge application, knowledge acquisition, and knowledge convergence in a computer-supported collaborative case-based learning environment. An innovative approach to measuring knowledge convergence was introduced, using the positions of annotations (i.e., flags placed on the timeline of the case video) made by learners during their case analyses as an indicator of their shared focus of attention. This measure was found to positively correlate with the application and acquisition of professional knowledge. Teaching experience affected both processes and outcomes of case-based learning, suggesting different means of instructional support for pre-service and in-service teachers.     

An experimental investigation of the impact of domain complexity on knowledge acquisition (KA) methods

This paper experimentally examines the effects of domain complexity on the quality of knowledge acquired and the efficiency with which knowledge acquisition (KA) is accomplished. The experiment is performed using two of the most prominent KA methods: unstructured interviews and protocol analysis. One contribution of the research is that it employs an experimental strategy that pays particular attention to addressing problematic issues of measurement and control. The experimental results indicate that domain complexity strongly influences the quality of knowledge acquired when protocol analysis is used for KA. While finding the other hypotheses to be inconclusive, some interesting trends were also identified regarding the quality and efficiency of knowledge acquisition methods.     

Semantic Web: A road to the knowledge infrastructure on the internet

In this article, I describe the basic technologies for Semantic Web and relationship between Semantic Web and Knowledge Representation in Artificial Intelligence. Semantic Web is planned as an extension of the current web in order to help cooperation between computers and humans, i.e., computers and humans are expected to understand each other in the knowledge level. I first describe the vision of the Semantic Web, then introduce the current Semantic Web technologies, i.e., RDF, RDFS, and OWL. I describe relationship between the trend of Semantic Web and Knowledge Representation, and clarify challenges and difficulties of Semantic Web from the point of view of Knowledge Representation. Hideaki Takeda: He is a professor at National Institute of Informatics (NII) and a professor in Department of Informatics at the Graduate University of Advanced Studies (Sokendai). He received his Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo in 1991. His research interest in computer science includes ontology engineering, community informatics and knowledge sharing systems.     

Understanding the attitudes,knowledge sharing behaviors and task performance of core developers: A longitudinal study

ContextPrior research has established that a few individuals generally dominate project communication and source code changes during software development. Moreover, this pattern has been found to exist irrespective of task assignments at project initiation.ObjectiveWhile this phenomenon has been noted, prior research has not sought to understand these dominant individuals. Previous work considering the effect of team structures on team performance has found that core communicators are the gatekeepers of their teams’ knowledge, and the performance of these members was correlated with their teams’ success. Building on this work, we have employed a longitudinal approach to study the way core developers’ attitudes, knowledge sharing behaviors and task performance change over the course of their project, based on the analysis of repository data.MethodWe first used social network analysis (SNA) and standard statistical analysis techniques to identify and select artifacts from ten different software development teams. These procedures were also used to select central practitioners among these teams. We then applied psycholinguistic analysis and directed content analysis (CA) techniques to interpret the content of these practitioners’ messages. Finally, we inspected these core developers’ activities as recorded in system change logs at various points in time during systems’ development.ResultsAmong our findings, we observe that core developers’ attitudes and knowledge sharing behaviors were linked to their involvement in actual software development and the demands of their wider project teams. However, core developers appeared to naturally possess high levels of insightful characteristics, which became evident very early during teamwork.ConclusionsProject performance would likely benefit from strategies aimed at surrounding core developers with other competent communicators. Core developers should also be supported by a wider team who are willing to ask questions and challenge their ideas. Finally, the availability of adequate communication channels would help with maintaining positive team climate, and this is likely to mitigate the negative effects of distance during distributed developments.     

工艺知识管理系统的设计

工艺知识库是CAPP系统的重要组成部分。本文提出一种分类层次模型以组织和管理工艺知识，并据此建立工艺知识库PPKBS。用四种形式表达工艺知识，并以外部和内部两种形式表现。提出了工艺知识的冗余、矛盾和句法结构检查方法。     

Process-centered knowledge model and enterprise ontology for the development of knowledge management system

Among many enterprise assets, knowledge is treated as a critical driving force for attaining enterprise performance goals. This is because knowledge facilitates the better business decision makings in a timely fashion. However, since knowledge is created and utilized during the execution of business processes, if knowledge is separated from the business process context, it does not lead to the ability to take the right action for target performance.This paper proposes the framework for process-centered knowledge model and enterprise ontology for the context-rich and networked knowledge storage and retrieval required during task execution. The enterprise knowledge object for a process-centered knowledge model is classified into two types: process knowledge and task support knowledge. In the proposed enterprise ontology, which represents major enterprise concepts, and the relationships between them, all domain concepts are related to the “process” concept, both directly and indirectly. As a result, networked and sophisticated knowledge, rather than single-level knowledge, is provided to the participant of unit activity.In order to show the applicability of the proposed framework, a process-centered KMS (knowledge management system) was also developed, which is classified into 3 parts: (1) project management sub-system based on process knowledge. (2) Knowledge management sub-system for maintaining task support knowledge. (3) Infrastructure sub-system which supports the above two sub-systems.     

An expert system for the identification of environmental impact based on a geographic information system

The identification and assessment of the environmental impacts of engineering projects is an essential step in studies on environmental impact (IES). There are methods that allow both tasks to be performed and methods that allow each of them to be carried out separately. Normally, traditional methods are used to identify and evaluate environmental impacts, such as matrices, cause-effect network diagrams or check lists. Here we report the configuration of an expert system as a tool that allows environmental impacts to be identified. The expert system is based on a geographic information system to configure the knowledge base, the inference motor and the user interface. The knowledge base comprises declarative knowledge (structured in an alphanumeric and spatial database from official cartographic information) and procedural knowledge (via heuristic rules that superimpose project actions over environmental factors). We then describe the application of the expert system to the study of the environmental impact of the R-3 motorway in the Community of Madrid, Spain. As results, running the expert system allows the identification of environmental impacts on environmental factors defined at the 1:5000 and 1:25000 cartographic scales. Finally, analysis of the results or conclusions allows the validity of the use of graphic expert systems to be compared for the identification of environmental impacts.