Knowledge and Discourse Matters: Relocating Knowledge Managements Sphere of Interest onto Language

This book provides a practical approach to harnessing knowledge in organizations. Its focus is on knowledge sharing, tacit knowing, and a view of knowledge as an accomplishment in social interaction.

The aim of this book is to explore and show how the phenomena of trust, risk and identity, as contexts constructed by speakers themselves, influence and mediate knowledge sharing in organizational encounters. The research particularly reveals how tacit knowledge (knowing), affects the scope and directions of everyday conversation. The first part of the book presents a comprehensive critical appraisal and analysis of the field of organizational knowledge management, followed by an introduction to the theory and methodology of discourse analysis, and a view of tacit knowing drawn from studies in implicit learning.  The second part reports the detailed analysis and findings of original field research, investigating how participants in regular organizational meetings, including a discussion forum, manage the business of sharing knowledge.  From the perspective of the research methodology, drawing on Discursive Psychology, knowledge is approached as an accomplishment in social interaction, with talk and text shown to be constructive, functional and action–oriented. 

Presents a rigorous, evidence–based approach to Knowledge Management using original research Approaches discourse as the location of knowledge work, and the site to which knowledge management practice should be focused Positions the actions of knowledge work in everyday talk and text, thus giving practitioners a ready toolset to improve their strategies, practices and understanding of knowledge within organizations

Knowledge and Discourse Matters: Relocating Knowledge Management s Sphere of Interest onto Language is a great reference for organizational leaders, knowledge managers, and human resource managers. 

Dr. Lesley Crane is an independent consultant specializing in knowledge management, and technology supported learning for adults (e–learning). Much of her consultancy work involves providing strategic advice and research on the effective use of e–content, e–tools and the use of new technologies in the delivery of teaching and learning.  Prior to working as a consultant, Lesley was Managing Director of her own SME business specializing in creative e–learning design and development for public and private sector organizations.

Acknowledgements

Foreword

List of figures and tables

Introduction

PART ONE

Chapter 1: The nature of knowledge

1.1 Knowledge: the most precious asset and the greatest challenge

1.2 Why an understanding of the nature of knowledge is crucial

1.3 Ways of defining knowledge, and the rise of a single perspective

1.4 The tacit–explicit conundrum

1.5 Frameworks of meaning

1.6 A hierarchy of knowledge

1.7 Summary and conclusions

Chapter 2: The constitution of knowledge management

2.1 Addressing some key questions

2.2 The origins of knowledge management

2.3 Multiple perspectives and limitless boundaries

2.4 Is it a passing management fad?

2.5 Technology as a defining push factor

2.6 Should knowledge be managed?

2.7 Summary and conclusions

Chapter 3: Key issues and debates

3.1 Introduction

3.2 The commodification and reification of knowledge

3.3 Determining success or failure

3.4 Measuring knowledge management outcomes

3.5 Knowledge management and culture

3.6 Creating new knowledge

3.7 Sharing knowledge

3.8 Summary and conclusions

Chapter 4: Knowledge management s theories

4.1 Finding some new directions

4.2 What constitutes a theory?

4.3 An approach to knowledge management s theories: a novel taxonomy

4.4 The personal vs. organizational knowledge question

4.5 The personal vs. organizational knowledge on the social action axis

4.6 Reification of knowledge: one paradigm dominates

4.7 Roundup of some other perspectives in the knowledge as object spectrum

4.8 The issues over the inductionist foundation of theory

4.9 Summary and conclusions

Chapter 5: Social Constructionism and the constructionist view of knowledge

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Social Constructionism as a way of looking at the world

5.3 Simply extending directions

5.4 The Social Constructionist view of knowledge

5.5 The debate over method

5.6 On objectivity

5.7 Summary and conclusions

Chapter 6: Discourse as the site of knowledge work

6.1 Introduction and the turn to talk

6.2 Introducing Discursive Psychology

6.3 Other leading discourse analysis paradigms  

6.4 Topics of study in discourse analysis

6.5 Sense–making

6.6 Summary and conclusions

Chapter 7: The implicit formation of tacit knowing and resolving matters of relevance

7.1 Introduction: questions and connections

7.2 The origins of the tacit question

7.3 The values of tacit knowledge

7.4 A disputed phenomenon

7.5 Knowledge management s implicit formulation of TK

7.6 The Implicit Learning paradigm

7.7 Comparing knowledge management s perspectives on the tacit with the Implicit Learning formulation

7.8 Philosophy, methodology and incommensurability

7.9 Summary and conclusions

Chapter 8: Thematic categories of knowledge sharing

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Identity

8.3 Trust

8.4 Risk

8.5 Context

8.6 A final problem to resolve

8.7 Summary

Chapter 9: The case for discourse as the priority

9.1 Knowledge and Discourse Matters: summarising the case

9.2 Changes in direction?

9.3 Making it work: implications and contributions

9.4 Conclusions

PART TWO

Chapter 10: Introduction to Part Two

Chapter 11: Methodology

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Locating the present study

11.3 A brief digress into the positivist account of science

11.4 Research method

11.5 Research design

11.6 Points of limitation

11.7 Summary and indicative research questions

Chapter 12: Trust as an artefact of knowledge sharing

12.1 The importance of trust

12.2 Data

12.3 Casting the characters and setting the scene for action

12.4 Working up trust through epistemic superiority and authenticity

12.5 Risk and competence as contingent factors to trust

12.6 Trust breakdown connects with knowledge sharing breaches

12.7 Knowledge, trust and blame

12.8 Preliminary reflections

Chapter 13: Knowledge sharing is a risky business

13.1 The risky business of sharing knowledge

13.2 Sequential and rhetorical organization: group norms and reputation

13.3 High stakes and truth telling

13.4 Doing uber authenticity through vivid narrative accounting

13.5 Preliminary reflections

Chapter 14: Negotiating positions of authority

14.1 Knowledge sharing accomplished from a subject position

14.2 Context, participants and expectations

14.3 Projects, complexities and appeals to common sense

14.4 Seasoned exhibitionists and Bombshells

14.5 Preliminary reflections

Chapter 15: Building identities as expert in an online forum

15.1 Introduction

15.2 Data

15.3 The trigger: more than a requires for advice

15.4 Constructing in–Groups as markers of expert status

15.5 Positioning and group membership

15.6 In–group rivalry

15.7 Consensus patterns

15.8 Claims to privileged knowledge

15.9 Preliminary reflections

Chapter 16: On matters of context

16.1 The importance of contextual particulars

16.2 Data

16.3 Shared understanding

16.4 Stance–taking

16.5 Doing historicity

16.6 Preliminary reflections

Chapter 17: Finding meaning, implications and future directions

17.1 A management practice in search of an object

17.2 Finding meaning

17.3 Relating the findings to debates and issues in knowledge management

17.4 Future directions

References

APPENDIX

Table 4: Summary of data extracts

Table 5: Transcription conventions

Index to glossary terms

Subject index

Dr. Lesley Crane is an independent consultant specializing in knowledge management, and technology supported learning for adults (e–learning). Much of her consultancy work involves providing strategic advice and research on the effective use of e–content, e–tools and the use of new technologies in the delivery of teaching and learning.  Prior to working as a consultant, Lesley was Managing Director of her own SME business specializing in creative e–learning design and development for public and private sector organizations.