The Two Faces of Knowledge Search: New Solutions and Capability Development

Organization Studies - Tập 34 Số 12 - Trang 1869-1901 - 2013
Esther Tippmann1, Vincent Mangematin2, Pamela Sharkey Scott3
1University College, Dublin, Ireland
2Grenoble Ecole de Management, France
3Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland

Tóm tắt

Searching for knowledge to solve non-routine problems allows middle managers not only to design new solutions but also to develop organizational capabilities. We focus on knowledge search to develop our understanding of how individuals engage with organizational knowledge in practice, how they acquire and use knowledge, and the implications for organizational knowledge development. Investigating middle managers’ knowledge search practices in response to non-routine events, we uncover four practices: isolating; overcoming knowledge distribution challenges; socializing; and mastering solution development. From these, we identify two aspects of knowledge search: not only can it produce new solutions but it can also have different effects in terms of developing organizational capabilities, either modifying existing routines or creating new ones. We argue that organizations with a knowledge use advantage, namely, an ability to mobilize accessible knowledge by organizing for knowledge circulation and a socialized search that deals with the organization’s challenges of knowledge distribution in order to master solution development – especially at mid-level – can pursue capability development. We discuss the implications of our findings for the literature on organizational knowledge and middle managers’ roles in organizational knowledge processes.

Từ khóa


Tài liệu tham khảo

10.1177/1476127008093518

Bartlett C. A., 1998, Managing across borders: The transnational solution

10.1287/orsc.1090.0451

10.2307/41409965

10.1177/0170840610376140

10.2307/2393807

10.2307/2392619

10.1287/orsc.2.3.239

10.2307/2393493

10.4159/9780674029095

10.1177/0170840602235001

10.1287/orsc.13.4.442.2953

10.5465/amj.2007.28226248

10.1177/0170840606067248

10.1287/orsc.1040.0075

10.1177/0170840612457617

Cyert R. M., 1963, Behavioral theory of the firm

10.1111/joms.12021

10.1177/0170840605049464

10.1287/mnsc.35.12.1504

10.1177/0170840608094775

10.2307/258557

10.5465/amr.1991.4279496

10.5465/amj.2007.24160888

10.1287/orsc.1100.0612

10.2307/3556620

10.1177/1476127005055796

10.1016/j.scaman.2009.02.003

10.1177/0170840609347052

10.1287/mnsc.47.1.117.10671

10.5465/amr.2000.2791608

10.1177/104225879902300308

10.4135/9781452205571

10.1177/0170840611407017

10.1111/j.1467-6486.2009.00870.x

10.1093/oso/9780198295839.003.0022

10.1002/(SICI)1097-0266(1998120)19:12<1193::AID-SMJ5>3.0.CO;2-F

George A., 2005, Case studies and theory development in the social sciences

10.2307/256318

10.1287/mnsc.1030.0192

10.1016/j.im.2005.03.002

10.2307/258980

10.1002/(SICI)1097-0266(200004)21:4<473::AID-SMJ84>3.0.CO;2-I

10.1287/mnsc.1060.0530

10.1002/smj.429

10.1002/smj.631

10.2307/2667032

10.1002/smj.413

Hansen M. T., 1999, Harvard Business Review, 77, 106

10.1287/orsc.1060.0200

10.1287/orsc.13.3.290.2772

10.1002/smj.4250151006

10.1002/smj.332

10.1080/0958519042000181269

10.1002/hrm.20180

10.1177/0170840603024001684

10.1177/0170840606064108

10.1287/orsc.2.1.88

10.1002/smj.4250060206

10.4135/9781446215777

10.1111/1467-6486.t01-2-00002

10.2307/3069326

10.2307/3069433

10.1287/orsc.9.4.506

10.1016/j.im.2006.08.005

10.1002/1097-0266(200101)22:1<75::AID-SMJ145>3.0.CO;2-I

10.1287/orsc.3.3.383

10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490248

10.1287/orsc.7.5.502

10.1287/orsc.1090.0479

10.1016/j.lrp.2007.02.001

10.1002/smj.4250131009

10.1146/annurev.so.14.080188.001535

10.1016/0147-1767(85)90062-8

10.1287/mnsc.1030.0116

10.1287/orsc.2.1.71

10.1177/0170840610394301

10.1287/mnsc.49.4.497.14422

Miles M. B., 1994, Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook

10.2307/257026

Mintzberg H., 1980, The nature of managerial work

10.1111/j.1467-6486.2007.00697.x

Mors M. L., 2010, Strategic Management Journal, 31, 841

10.5465/amj.2008.0352

10.2307/259373

Nelson R. R., 1982, An evolutionary theory of economic change

10.1287/mnsc.49.2.211.12747

Nohria N., 1992, Networks and organizations: Structure, form, and action, 288

Nonaka I., 1988, Sloan Management Review, 29, 9

10.1287/orsc.5.1.14

10.1177/0170840606066312

10.1111/1467-6486.00205

10.1287/orsc.11.4.404.14600

10.1111/j.1467-6486.2007.00681.x

10.1177/0170840609104809

10.1287/mnsc.49.6.751.16026

10.1002/smj.160

10.1177/0170840609347056

Simon H. A., 1982, Models of bounded rationality: Behavioral economics and business organization

10.1287/mnsc.1090.1072

10.1287/mnsc.1100.1201

Spender J. C., 1989, Industry recipes: An enquiry into the nature and sources of managerial judgment

Strauss A. L., 2008, Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory

10.1287/orsc.1090.0429

10.1002/(SICI)1097-0266(199708)18:7<509::AID-SMJ882>3.0.CO;2-Z

10.1016/j.intman.2008.02.001

10.1057/jibs.2012.25

10.1177/0018726708095710

10.1002/smj.4250171104

10.1177/0170840607075997

10.1111/j.1467-6486.2008.00771.x

10.2307/258607

10.1177/0170840606064101

10.1177/0170840609344385

10.1002/1097-0266(200010/11)21:10/11<981::AID-SMJ125>3.0.CO;2-4

10.1002/smj.318

10.1177/0149206308324326

Yin R. K., 2009, Case study research: Design and methods

10.1287/orsc.13.3.339.2780

Thông tin
Thông tin xuất bản

Organization Studies

Tập 34 Số 12

1869-1901

Thông tin tác giả