Knowledge management in client–vendor partnerships

Partnerships between business clients and vendors are increasingly becoming more common as firms strive to reduce cost and outsource non-core activities. Some firms proactively manage the knowledge gained from such partnership while others do so to a lesser extent. Through a questionnaire survey of business clients in Singapore, this study helps to shed some light on the nature of client–vendor partnership, factors affecting knowledge transfer (defined in terms of knowledge codifiability, client's motivation for partnership, vendor's willingness to share, and trust between client and vendor). In addition, we also examine mechanisms for knowledge dissemination within the client organization and the impact on the IT function. The results should be of interest to both researchers and practitioners in better understanding how such partnership could be managed more effectively.     

Exploring the impact of communication effectiveness on service quality,trust and relationship commitment in IT services

Most firms today are served by specialized IT service providers for the development and maintenance of their business information systems. During the IT service encounter, service providers and clients interact throughout the project, exchanging information, sharing knowledge and making critical decisions. From the IT service provider's viewpoint, it is important to raise the level of clients’ relationship commitment during this service encounter as their business continuity depends upon clients assessment. Intuitively, effective communication and effective service quality, mediated by trust, are critical factors in raising the level of relationship commitment. This study proposes an empirical model consisting of four critical antecedents of relationship commitment (communication effectiveness, technical service quality, functional service quality and trust) and then tests the model using data points solicited from two global firms. Study results revealed that trust is a strong mediator for relationship commitment while functional, rather than technical, service quality is a stronger mediator in forming the clients’ trust.     

What motivates physicians to share free health information on online health platforms?

Online platforms enable physicians to share health and medical information with the public; however, little research has been conducted to explore why physicians share free health education information. Drawing on motivation theory, this study develops a theoretical model to explore the influences of material and professional motivation on free information sharing and the contingent roles of professional expertise and online expertise. The model is tested using a six-month panel data set of 61,326 physicians’ sharing experiences. The results indicate that in addition to material motivation, professional motivation also plays a primary role in inducing physicians to share free information. However, when a physician's professional and online expertise is at a high level, the effect of material motivation is weakened and professional motivation plays a more important role. This study contributes to the literature on knowledge sharing, online health behavior, and motivation theory, and provides implications for practice.     

Knowledge management in client–supplier relationship: emergent <Emphasis Type="Italic">vs</Emphasis> deliberate approach in small KIBS

It is often argued that small–medium enterprises (SMEs) do not manage knowledge the same way as large firms, but may need appropriate approaches to capture and exploit external knowledge effectively. This paper compares two opposite approaches to knowledge management (KM): one is called ‘deliberate’ or ‘planned’, and the other ‘emergent’. These approaches are analysed with reference to the management of knowledge pertaining to client–supplier relationships, which are particularly important in the case of small companies providing knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). A case study of a small KIBS company is illustrated, which has developed two different projects, based on different approaches to KM, for managing knowledge referring to clients. The case shows that, for a small company, an emergent approach to KM can be more suitable than a deliberate one for managing such knowledge. The implications of this result for KM research and practice are then examined.     

企业信息技术外包的过程研究

信息技术外包正在形成产业。良好的信息技术外包既有利于信息技术提供商，又有利于信息技术需求方。信息技术外包包含三个主要过程：信息技术外包的决策过程、信息技术外包商的选择过程和信息技术外包商的管理过程。     

知识转移、知识共享和文化相似度的关系——关于IT外包项目的研究

 基于IT服务外包背景下知识共享、知识转移、信任等理论,分析了IT服务外包项目中发包方向接包方的知识转移、接包方对发包方的知识共享、接包方感受到的发包方对接包方的信任、接包方与发包方之间的文化相似度等因素间的相互关系,以及对外包绩效的影响;提出了一些假设,建立了理论模型;设计了调查问卷,对北京中关村软件园、西安软件园、上海浦东软件园的20家从事IT外包业务的企业中参与IT服务外包项目的391名员工进行问卷调查;并运用统计分析软件AMOS17.0建立结构方程模型,对收集的293份问卷进行数据分析,根据实证分析结果提出了实践建议。     

Measuring creolization in IT outsourcing: Instrument development and validation

This research describes the development and validation of an instrument of creolization. Creolization, which reflects how partnering firms manage a variety of cross-cultural processes, is particularly important for both clients and vendors to successfully engage in IT outsourcing contracts. Unfortunately, empirical research on this cross-cultural issue is currently under-developed because there are no adequate measures for the construct. We developed and validated a 13-item instrument via a sample of 317 knowledge workers working for 23 IT-enabled service-provisioning companies in Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi’an, China. Results from the present research reveal that the instrument has acceptable psychometric properties. The instrument should contribute to advancing quantitative research on creolization and for operationalizing the conceptualization of creolization in practice. Suggestions for adopting and improving the instrument are discussed and implications for practitioners are provided.     

Knowledge integration mechanisms in high-technology business-to-business services vendors

Employing a multidisciplinary approach this paper addresses an important area of how born global high-technology firms develop knowledge integration capability through their internal and external networks. Knowledge integration is noted as a critical capability in the innovation process. Our exploratory study contributes by: presenting evidence from India’s high-technology IT/BPO offshore outsourcing business-to-business (B2B) vendors; adding to the theoretical body of knowledge by identifying the three critical operational routines of learning, market and quality orientations that are critical in developing knowledge integration capability and supporting innovation processes; and develops a theoretical framework for future researchers to test it through survey designs. We conclude by identifying future research and managerial implications for firms operating in such milieus.     

社区奖励对隐性知识共享的影响:内部动机的中介作用

通过设置虚拟社区奖励鼓励用户分享知识,已成为众多社区促进用户知识共享行为的重要措施。社区奖励对知识共享的影响问题已经赢得了广泛的关注与研究,但其效果却一直存在争议。本文通过将虚拟社区知识共享行为划分为隐性知识共享和显性知识共享两种类型,探讨了虚拟社区奖励对两类知识共享行为的相对影响及其对隐性知识共享的作用机制。研究发现：虚拟社区奖励能够显著促进用户的显性知识共享,而与隐性知识共享存在倒U型的曲线关系;愉悦感和自我效能感在虚拟社区奖励与隐性知识共享之间起完全中介的作用。该研究结论不仅加深了对虚拟社区奖励对知识共享行为影响的理解,并且探索了虚拟社区奖励对隐性知识共享的作用机制,对社区合理设计虚拟社区奖励以促进用户的知识共享具有实践指导意义。     

基于转移成本和质量成本差异的软件提供商竞争博弈模型:SaaS vs. SWS

考虑了作为软件领域先行者的SWS提供商由于企业用户前期IT投资所引发的客户转移成本,以及SaaS与SWS之间日益减小的质量成本差异问题,构建了基于序贯博弈的经济模型。研究发现:转移成本对SWS提升产品质量、产品定价以及其利润水平具有正向的推动作用,而对SaaS提供商而言,这种作用是反向的;SaaS与SWS之间质量成本差异系数的减小对双方竞争策略的影响则取决于具体的转移成本环境;考虑到两因素的联合作用,随着质量成本差异系数的日趋减小,在不同的转移成本环境下,转移成本的高低对于软件提供商采取更加激进还是更加保守的投资策略至关重要。     

Determinants of trust in computer-mediated offshore software-outsourcing collaboration

Vendors and clients collaborate on outsourcing projects through virtual teams. Trust is an important indicator of mutual relationships that lead to successful projects. This study’s objective is to investigate the determinants of trust in different stages of collaboration during offshore software-development outsourcing. Using a case study approach to collect data, we find that reputation, a cognition-based trust factor, influences clients’ trust in vendors in the team-forming stage. Responsible team climate, a knowledge-based trust factor, impacts clients’ trust in vendors in the team-storming and norming stages of software design and development. Structural assurance, an institutional trust factor, encourages vendors’ trust in clients in the same team-storming and norming stages of software design and development. Benefit, a calculative-based trust factor, influences vendors’ trust in clients in the team-performing stage of software delivery and implementation. Our research findings have implications for software-outsourcing collaboration theories and practices and may have implications beyond that sphere, including team building in multiple contexts and environments.     

资源基础理论视角下对知识管理战略前因及后果的实证研究

从资源基础理论的视角出发,首先通过理论研究,找出了知识管理战略的前因:人力资源、IT能力和组织结构,以及知识管理战略的后果:组织绩效,并建立了一个整合的理论模型.以来自我国东部、中部、西部的397家企业作为样本,对模型进行了实证检验.结构方程模型分析结果表明,人力资源、IT能力、组织结构对知识管理战略有正向影响,知识管理战略对组织绩效也存在正向影响.     

市场因素对企业间协同创新知识共享意愿影响研究

根据理性行为理论和动机理论,构建市场因素(市场结构、市场初始需求、市场增长潜力)对企业间协同创新知识共享意愿影响传导模型;以协同创新收益分配比例作为市场结构的替代变量,基于需求函数,将传导模型转化为数理优化模型。结果表明:(1)在竞争性市场结构下,市场初始需求量与企业间协同创新知识共享意愿之间呈现"U"型关系;而在垄断性结构下,两者之间则呈倒"U"型关系。(2)在竞争性市场结构下,如果初始市场需求量也较小,那么市场增长潜力与共享意愿之间呈负相关关系,否则为正相关;而在垄断性结构下,如果初始市场需求量较小,则两者呈正相关关系,否则为负相关。     

社会资本对知识共享意愿影响的实证研究

通过对126家企业IT员工的问卷调查,研究了自我效能、乐于助人、注重形象、互惠感等社会资本要素对员工知识共享意愿的影响.分析结果表明,乐于助人和互惠感对显性知识共享意愿和隐性知识共享意愿都产生了显著的正向影响,而自我效能对知识共享意愿的影响不显著,注重形象对显性知识共享意愿的影响是负面的,对隐性知识共享意愿则没有影响.研究结论对企业知识共享实践具有重要参考意义.     

基于知识共享的企业核心能力塑造

在知识经济下,传统的资源决定论和知识决定论已经不足于解释企业知识共享的行为,从企业与创新系统互动的角度,阐述了企业知识共享的战略意义,并给出了知识经济下企业利用知识共享战略塑造核心竞争能力的途径．     

Email-free collaboration: An exploratory study on the formation of new work habits among knowledge workers

Social collaboration technologies have rapidly spread across organizations, offering a unique opportunity to improve the exchange of knowledge among employees, especially in distributed work environments. The increasing popularity of social-collaboration tools as an employee-oriented communication channel, inevitably raises questions about the future of email as its intensive use by knowledge workers is more and more perceived as being inefficient and unproductive. Through a quantitative case study methodology, this study seeks to explore the role played by the notion of habit in explaining employee knowledge sharing capability for firms implementing social collaborative practices in the context of no-email initiatives. Data collected within a large international IT services company, which is among the first firms having made such shift, were used to test the developed conceptual model. The findings suggest that habit is positively influenced by relative advantage and perceived ease of use while relative advantage was found to positively impact knowledge sharing capability. Besides, habit moderates the relationships between three attributes (relative advantage, perceived ease of use, and compatibility to a lesser extent) and knowledge sharing capability. Theoretical and practical implications developed from these findings are then discussed.     

组织信任与知识共享行为的演化博弈分析

知识是企业最为重要的战略性资源，为了提高知识的价值，企业需要促进员工间知识共享行为以增加其竞争优势。在有限理性的基础上，构建知识共享行为的演化博弈模型，依此分析影响员工间知识共享行为的因素，探究组织信任对知识共享行为的影响。结果表明，知识数量、知识贡献系数、共享奖励系数和共享惩罚系数与知识共享行为正相关而共享风险系数和成本系数与知识共享行为反相关，情感信任促进知识获取而认知信任促进知识贡献。     

Going beyond technology: Knowledge sharing as a tool for enhancing customer-oriented attitudes

Numerous articles, books and essays have shown that ongoing efforts to meet customers’ needs characterize market leaders. For a firm to successfully develop customer-oriented attitudes throughout the entire organization, employees at all levels and sections need to be committed to providing a high level of service. It is therefore essential to understand what drives employees – especially those who do not interact daily with customers – to adopt a customer-oriented attitude. The aim of this study is to shed some light on one facet of this relationship, namely the mechanism of knowledge sharing that may impact employee customer orientation. The underlying notion is that technology, in its various advanced forms of CRM software, enhances and enables client “knowing.” In other words, it leads to a greater ability on the part of employees to share knowledge, which brings about real customer orientation.This paper provides empirical evidence, based on a sample of 345 Hi-Tech workers from a telecommunication company, of a link between sharing explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge to enhance customer orientation. The findings indicate that sharing tacit knowledge has a positive effect on increasing employee customer orientation and increases sharing of explicit knowledge, while also strengthening communication about customers in the organization. It is concluded that firms should encourage tacit knowledge sharing and its transformation by technology into explicit knowledge to augment employees’ customer-oriented attitudes.