KNOWLEDGE DIFFUSION

Mounir Kehal

Esc Rennes School of Business, 2 rue Robert d'Arbrissel, CS 76522, 35065 Rennes Cedex, France

Keywords: Knowledge Management, Knowledge Diffusion, Text Analysis, Small-Medium Enterprise.

Abstract: Knowledge diffusion may be considered as “the adaptation of knowledge in a broad range of scientific and

engineering research and development … . The growth of scientific knowledge is largely due to a diffusion

process in which new ideas are transmitted from person to person ”. Chen et al (2004). We have conducted

studies on scientific and commercial documents, in other words traces of knowledge within a research and

development institution and its commercial / spin-off counterpart. Observational and systematic (corpus-

based) studies – through analysis of specialist text, can support research in knowledge management. Since

text could be assumed to portray a trace of knowledge. In this paper we are to show how knowledge diffuses

in a specific environment, and thus could be modeled by specialist text. That is dealing with the satellite

manufacturing domain, and having embedded within the knowledge about the business sector and

knowledge domain.

1 KNOWLEDGE DIFFUSION IN

SPECIALIST DOMAIN

In order to investigate the gap in knowledge

diffusion within an organization we did carry an

observational study, within an SME (Small to

Medium Enterprise) in satellite manufacturing, a

specialist domain. Inline with a study of the

language used in satellite engineering in general, and

that stemming from SSTL (Surrey Satellite

Technology Limited) and Surrey Space Centre in

particular. Both studies have an empirical basis. The

observational study (mainly questionnaire-based)

was designed to ask questions related to knowledge

diffusion within the company during 2002-2006

period, as part of my doctoral research coverage.

The questionnaire-based studies were not based on

intuitions on how knowledge is managed, rather

based on a set of empirical questions, partitioned

under five sections namely:

1- Awareness and Commitment

2- External Environment

3- Information Technology

4- Knowledge Maintenance and Protection

5- Organizational Issues

We have investigated the diffusion of knowledge

within SSTL, based on the practice within SSTL, as

articulated through the questionnaire. There were

two sets of questionnaire-based observations. The

pilot study was conducted with managers and

whereas the second run of the questionnaire was

intranet-based, and more widespread. SSTL, is a

small knowledge-based organization. In a rapidly

developing, high-technology field like satellite

engineering, it is important to communicate, share

and validate knowledge. We have examined how

knowledge flows and is adapted between

commercial and research types of corpora through

such research. One of the major results deduced

from the observational study was that knowledge

diffusion is paramount within the lifetime of an

organization, and could be supported by information

systems. Leading us to investigate on how

knowledge diffusion takes place, in an empirical

way. Our analysis shows that research papers

(created within educational institution) and

commercial documents (created within spin-offs of

such higher education institution) can be

distinguished rather on the basis of single word and

compound terms. These two specialist lexis show

the potential for identifying points of mutual interest

in the diffusion of knowledge from the research

institution to the commercialization process, thus to

application(s) within a domain.

283

Kehal M..

KNOWLEDGE DIFFUSION.

DOI: 10.5220/0003045902830286

In Proceedings of the International Conference on Knowledge Management and Information Sharing (KMIS-2010), pages 283-286

ISBN: 978-989-8425-30-0

 2010 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)

2 METHOD

Nonaka et al’s (1995) knowledge conversion model

is intuitive. It is based on long experience and

judgement. Such model emphasizes the importance

of practice, knowledge amongst knowledge workers.

The case studies produced were between

researchers, practitioners, and managers. There was

transfer of knowledge from researchers to

knowledge workers. Such has yielded a contingency

table for the transfer of knowledge, so-called

knowledge conversion model that generates four

knowledge conversion modes. Such model is

plausible but remains largely intuitive. Our interest

is tacit to explicit knowledge conversion

(externalization) and explicit to explicit knowledge

conversion (combination). The reason we have

studied an SME (Small to Medium Enterprise)

because it would appear that knowledge would be

shared because smaller groups would get together

easily, i.e. no logistics involved. As well as it

appears that in a SME knowledge bottlenecks which

are characteristic of large organizations would not

exist. Consider an organization like SSTL, we

focused on the interaction between knowledge

engineers and knowledge practitioners, and were

aiming to see how knowledge is shared. In order to

investigate the gap in knowledge diffusion within

SSTL, we did an observational study, and a study of

language used in satellite engineering in general.

Both studies have an empirical basis. A bimodal

research method was followed within the specialist

domain of satellite manufacturing applied within

SMEs [Small to Medium Enterprise]. Inclusive of:

Observational study: questionnaire and interview

based and Corpus-based studies: analysis of text

repositories.

Knowledge Adaptation

Observational

Study

Knowledge

workers

Organization

Worldwide

Historical

Study

HistoricalStud



ObservationalStudy

Knowledge Flow

Figure 1: Knowledge diffusion through flow and

adaptation processes.

Figure 1 represents a relational view of the

methodology, integrated within the possible set of

agents for knowledge diffusion, being composed of

a 2-tier process. Whereby knowledge is assumed to

flow among or across from knowledge workers, to

the organization, then to worldwide (horizontally),

but the adaptation phase comes into place once

knowledge is personalised and applied (vertically).

However, such methodology was implemented in

the specialist nature of the domain of investigation.

Yin (1994) identified five components of research

design that are important for case studies: the study's

questions, its propositions, its unit (s) of analysis, the

logic linking the data to the propositions, the criteria

for interpreting the findings. The above components

were integrated within the observational study, as

guidelines to the formulation of the different stages

involved within the conduct of this research, from

the pilot run of the survey study, to the intranet-

based survey and historical studies. In which the

intranet-based survey seemed to generate interest,

impact and a set of internal actions. Supported as

well by over 30% participation rate for the intranet-

survey, and being composed mostly by middle to

senior managers. Evidence of knowledge diffusion

and support for it was manifested as outlined in the

table below. Table 1 shows how knowledge

bottlenecks have been looked upon during the flow

and adaptation of knowledge amid agents involved

in its diffusion. Through the observational study and

the historical study, behaviour between agents was

modelled using the techniques prescribed below.

Table 1: Knowledge diffusion in the environment of a

small organization.

gent

gent B

rtefact Technique

Person Person Opinion, practice,

know-how,

organizational

structures

Questionnaire-

based study

Person Organization PhD Dissertation,

Research

Publications,

technical reports

Text Analysis

Organization Organization Specialist documents

(i.e. technical

documents,

technology-specific

documents, missions

documents)

Text Analysis

Organization Worldwide Specialist documents

(i.e. technical

documents,

technology-specific

documents, missions

documents)

Text Analysis

The intranet-based survey study had 5 sections,

stretching to cover possible areas of applications and

KMIS 2010 - International Conference on Knowledge Management and Information Sharing

284

implications for knowledge diffusion within an

organization, namely - Knowledge Management

Awareness and Commitment, External Environment,

Information Technology, Knowledge Maintenance

and Protection, and Organizational Issues. On the

other hand, for our historical and special corpus, we

followed where applicable and pertinent, Atkins et

al’s (1992:2), five principal stages for corpus

building. Outlined in table 2:

Table 2: Stages for building a corpus (Atkins et al,

1992:2).

Stage Description

Specification and

design

Corpus type is identified taking into

account sample size, language varieties

and the time period to be sampled.

Computer Hardware

and software

Hardware and software needs for the

corpus project are estimated.

Data capture and

mark-up

The data/texts are captured and

transformed/transferred to electronic

form, keyboarding, or audio

transcription. The captured files are then

marked-up with embedded codes

containing text features.

Corpus processing Includes basic tools, i.e. word frequency

lists, concordance, and interactive

standard query tools and tools for

lemmatization, tagging, collocation etc.

Corpus growth and

feedback

New materials may be added to the

corpus or some of the old materials may

be deleted according to feedback from

previous analysis to reach a balanced

and enhanced corpus.

Specification and design of a corpus and its

processing are the most important steps in building

the corpus and for any kind of subsequent study.

Studying the state of the specialist terminology is

considered important for the study of the language

discourse. Corpus-based studies are empirical and

depend on both quantitative and qualitative

analytical techniques (Biber et al, 2002).

The observational and historical studies carried out,

have provided better understanding into the field of

investigation. Such studies provided the basis and

validation for inferences made. Based on Nonaka et

al’s (1995) terminology used within the knowledge

conversion model, portraying creation of knowledge

and corresponding conversion processes. It is

believed that knowledge undergoes a combination

and socialization conversion process (for knowledge

flow) within an organization or across a (sub)

domain (s), and undergoes an internalization and

externalization conversion process (for knowledge

adaptation) within an organization or across a (sub)

domain (s).

Research

Documents

Research

Documents

Research

ocuments

Research

Documents

Research

Documents (1…n)

systematic diffusion

Commercial

Documents

Commercial

Documents

Commercial

Documents (1…n)

chaotic diffusion

Flow of knowledge

(Combination &

Socialization of knowledge)

Adaptation of

knowledge

(Internalization &

Externalization of

Figure 2: Knowledge diffusion through the knowledge

conversion model (Nonaka et al, 1995).

Figure above expands Nonaka et al’s (1995)

knowledge conversion model, to include

consideration for how knowledge flows and is

adapted within research and commercial documents.

Within the case of an SME, Small to Medium

Enterprise, such knowledge flow and adaptation

through a knowledge conversion model may be a

framework that could stimulate innovation through

conversion of knowledge amongst the Knowledge

Creating Crew (Nonaka et al, 1995) and stemming

from an organization.

3 REMARKS & INSIGHTS

The case study is a method of learning about a

complex instance through extensive description and

contextual analysis. The product is an articulation of

why the instance occurred as it did, and what may be

important to explore in similar situations, in our case

the specialist knowledge and its diffusion is the

product. As the observational study laid the

framework for the conduct of our research, it was

focused on examining knowledge flow, and

corresponding practices and information technology

support in place. Results from the observational

KNOWLEDGE DIFFUSION

285

study have indicated that knowledge bottlenecks

may exist, in particular were technological support

could be needed. The transmutation of science into

technology is a complex process when one sees

unique ideas highlighting the past scientific

landscape and beneficial technological artefacts in

the present. The notion of satellite technology or

space technology, with variable scope and scale, was

an ostentatious idea that has led to a range of remote

sensing and earth observation instruments for

instance. The unique idea is a key reference point

for forecasting how the idea will metamorphose into

an artefact. Knowledge is communicated through so-

called semiotic systems: written text, images,

mathematical and chemical symbols, and so on. The

knowledge of emergent domains is yet to

standardize its symbol systems which simply add to

the (creative) chaos inherent in such emergent

systems. The analysis of change in written text,

amongst the most changeable semiotic system at the

lexical level at least, may reveal a consensus or

dissension in the use of terms. Terms denote

concepts and textually help us to understand how

knowledge evolves in an emergent domain. The

emergent domain of small satellite technology was

studied as an exemplar. Our analysis shows that

research papers and commercial documents can be

distinguished somewhat on the basis of single word

and compound terms that were generated

automatically. These two lexical signatures show the

potential for identifying cross-over points in the

diffusion of knowledge from the research arena to

applications domain. The metamorphosis of science

into technology is a complex process when one sees

innovative ideas highlighting the past scientific

landscape (i.e. in the form of PhD theses and state-

of-the-art research papers) and beneficial

technological artefacts in the present. The analysis

of change in written text, amongst the most

changeable semiotic system at the lexical level at

least, may reveal a consensus or dissension in the

use of terms. Terms denote concepts and textually

help us to understand how knowledge diffuses in a

domain. The specialist domain of satellite

technology or space technology, specifically an

organization in such a domain was studied as an

exemplar. This is our attempt to establish a method,

which covers a broad range of texts, PhD theses,

journal articles, technical reports, and state-of-the-art

review papers, to observe the emergence of a

domain and hence specialist diffusion of knowledge

– and thus possible creation of an enterprise

knowledge cloud (Delic et al, 2009).

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