Key Knowledge Sharing Points: Exploring a new concept for studying Crossroads in Global Innovation Projects

Tore HoelOslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences

Jan M. PawlowskiUniversity of Jyväskylä

12th European Conference on Knowledge Management Passau, Germany September 2011

The context: International Standardisation

Aim: Contribute to the methods development of standardisation as a design activity

Global innovation & design of "future artefacts"

Danger of breakdown - where & why?

• Where: In establishing new activities, communication, quality of process & product, etc

• Why not? - "Innovative design by committee" has given very few successful standards, and legitimacy is in jeopardy

The Challenge

To identify at which points of the standardisation process knowledge sharing breakdowns occur

Create & validate a theoretical construct that could serve as a analytical lens or tool

We need a construct that...

• ... produces more than flat lists of hurdles managers must consider

• ... identifies which part of the process things can go wrong

• ... is phase- or time-based

KKSP (Key Knowledge Sharing Point), the concept to be tested

Key Knowledge Sharing Point (KKSP) is a stage in a sequence of processes that is critical for the overall project success due to certain barriers or influence factors.

A design process consists of a number of development cycles punctuated by KKSPs

Key Knowledge

Knowledge Sharing

Sharing Point (time/stage/phase)

Methods / theory used

D-S-N model of standardisation (Fomin et al. 2003)

Actor Network Theory

• translation

• black-boxing

Methods & Validation

Prescriptive theorising

Case Study ILegitimacy breakdown in

stakeholder engagement - a national case

Key Knowledge was available, but the Sharing Points and Timing were

not right

Findings Case I

Availability of key knowledge is not in itself enough to make a difference

Knowledge must be found in a strategic sharing point

Case Study IIScoping international

standardisation projects

Timing was right and the opportunity to share,

but the Key Knowledge was not developed

The potential of KKSP

The KKSP construct is useful studying crossroads in global innovation

The first case study showed that Key Knowledge needs to be revisited again and again in order to mobilise the network.

In the second case we observed that even if the network was mobilised (a team was making a proposal) translation of key knowledge was missing

Further research

How to identify and make use of KKSP?

Callon (1986) translation process consisting of Problematisation, Interessement and Enrollment (similarities with the D-S-N model)

Problematisation might be key to further research, focussing on the problematisation and perspective primitive why (why not) as the entry point

Questions? Comments?