mikael_schonstrom


 * Mikael Schönström**

Mikael Schönström is a Ph.D student, at Informatics, Lund University, and also an employee at IBM Global Services (e.g Schönström, 2005).

In his recent paper in the //Journal of Knowledge Management// (JoKM) Schönström (2005) points to the important distinction between human-centric and technology-centric approaches to knowledge management within organisations, pointing firstly to three papers in the //Organization Science// journal (Grant, 1996; Liebskind, Oliver, Zucker, & Brewer, 1996; Okhuysen & Eisenhardt, 2002) and also to an JoKM article: Seufert, von Krogh, & Bach, 1999). These four articles emphasise "the importance of human networks and networking [in enabling] knowledge diffusion and integration in knowledge intensive organisations (Schönström, 2005, p. 18).

To Schönström, there is a lack of systematic research regarding the actual process of setting up a formal or intentional network within a knowledge intensive organisation.

Schönström's seeks to create a better understanding of "how knowledge networks, or ommunities-of-practice evolve," (2005 p. 20), in particular, "the set-up processes of formal networks," and "what management can do in order to support the fragile process of setting up new knowledge networks," (2005, p. 17).

Schönström points to the work of Gongla and Rizzuto (2001) which he says "presents a similar evolution cycle for the communities-of-practice at IBM which in turn is similar to the cycle presented by Wenger (1998). However Gongla and Rizzuto also found that a community did not just move from one stage to another they could actually move back and forth between the different stages. Sometimes the communities rested for a long time in one stage and suddenly quickly moved to another," (p. 20).

Schönström finds that "formal [i.e. intentional] networks are vulnerable to major organisational changes," and that it is not easy to understand "how formal networks can coexist with the line organisation," (2005, p. 17). He says "A knowledge network can either be limited to one company or have members from several companies," (p. 20), and adds that knowledge networks are concept similar to communities of practice. He defines a CoP as "... a group of people informally bound together by shared expertise and passion for a joint enterprise." (Wenger and Snyder, 2000; quoted Schönström, p. 20).

Schönström points to the importance of environment, organisational language, culture, and the knower's context, as factors that impact on employees ability to create knowledge and share it with each other. Citing Swan, Newell, Scarbrough, and Hislop (1999), Schönström argues that > [intentional networks play] an important role in innovation processes because they enable access to knowledge from difference communities of expertise. (2005, p. 27)

See jokm for a summary of Schönström paper on knowledge networks, action research and CoPs.

cops ibm jokm km km_human-centric [[km_technology-centric
 * Internal links**


 * References**

Grant, R. M. (1996). Prospering in dynamically-competitive environments: Organizational capability as knowledge integration. //Organization Science, 7//(4), 375-387.

Liebskind, J. P., Oliver, A. L., Zucker, L., & Brewer, M. (1996). Social networks, learning, and flexibility: Sourcing scientific knowledge in new biotechnology firms. //Organization Science, 7//(4), 428-443.

Okhuysen, G., & Eisenhardt, K. M. (2002). Integrating knowledge in groups: how formal interventions enable flexibility. //Organization Science, 13//(4), 370-386.

Schönström, M. (2005). Creating knowledge networks: Lessons from practice. //Journal of Knowledge Management, 9//(6), 17-29.

Swan, J., Newell, S., Scarbrough, H., Hislop, D. (1999), "Knowledge management and innovation: networks and networking", //Journal of Knowledge Management, 3//(4), 262-75.