Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Knowledge ...

Simon Woll
The research topic can be located in an overlap <strong>of</strong> various research areas which each one <strong>of</strong>fers a
specific perspective on <strong>the</strong> topic and will <strong>the</strong>refore be considered in more detail. First, <strong>the</strong> literature on
UI research cooperation will provide an overview <strong>of</strong> best practices and specific characteristics <strong>of</strong> this
form <strong>of</strong> cooperation, while <strong>the</strong> relevant literature on organizational learning <strong>of</strong>fers a basic <strong>the</strong>oretical
understanding. The project management literature is used for <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> a processual
framework, and toge<strong>the</strong>r with <strong>the</strong> knowledge management literature, <strong>the</strong>y are considered to identify
methods that support processes <strong>of</strong> collective reflexion which are crucial for organizational learning.
2. Research objectives
Hermans and Castiaux (2007) doubt that knowledge transfer takes place through mere relationship
between university and enterprise without any fur<strong>the</strong>r activities. They consider collaborative UI
research projects as a special form <strong>of</strong> inter-organizational knowledge transfer and as an opportunity
for organizational learning. Particularly with regard to <strong>the</strong> assessment <strong>of</strong> UI research projects also
Cyert and Goodman (1997) emphasize: "<strong>the</strong> essential issue is whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>se relationships (UI
alliances) create learning for a few individuals or whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> learning's are diffused throughout <strong>the</strong>
organization" (p. 52). This view is shared in <strong>the</strong> research. Therefore <strong>the</strong> objective is an active
influence and promotion <strong>of</strong> organizational learning by reflexive project work in UI research
cooperations. Through <strong>the</strong> dissemination <strong>of</strong> generated knowledge in o<strong>the</strong>r parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> organization
<strong>the</strong> first step towards organizational learning is taken. In this case, <strong>the</strong> transfer <strong>of</strong> tacit and processual
knowledge is very important. Project work, i.e. <strong>the</strong> practical design and implementation <strong>of</strong> projects, is
supposed to be an effective tool for securing this transfer. Since reflexion can be considered as an
important premise for organizational learning project work has to contain practices and components to
initiate and support reflexive processes. Therefore <strong>the</strong> objective is to build a model <strong>of</strong> reflexive project
work that fosters organizational learning in UI research cooperations. The next section will give a
short introduction to <strong>the</strong> relevant research areas.
3. Introduction to relevant research areas
3.1 Organizational learning and knowledge management
The concepts <strong>of</strong> organizational learning and <strong>the</strong> learning organization consider <strong>the</strong> question <strong>of</strong> how
organizations can optimize <strong>the</strong>ir learning processes (cf. Probst et al. 2010). In <strong>the</strong> scientific discussion
on organizational change, <strong>the</strong>y seem to have largely replaced <strong>the</strong> concept <strong>of</strong> organization
development. In <strong>the</strong> 1970s <strong>the</strong>se concepts were mentioned for <strong>the</strong> first time. While <strong>the</strong>y have been
partly neglected in <strong>the</strong> 1980s, <strong>the</strong> literature boom is continuing since <strong>the</strong> late 1990s. There is no
unique definition <strong>of</strong> organizational learning, as it is shown by numerous and diverse examples in <strong>the</strong>
literature (cf. Wiegand 1998). For this study three <strong>of</strong>ten mentioned aspects <strong>of</strong> organizational learning
are especially interesting: <strong>the</strong> distinction between various levels <strong>of</strong> learning (cf. Nonaka/Takeuchi
1995), <strong>the</strong> assumption <strong>of</strong> organizational learning as learning from experience (cf. Kolb 1984) and
learning as a change <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> organizational knowledge base (cf. Pautzke 1989; Reinhardt 1995).
The relationship between individual and organizational learning is significant in <strong>the</strong> discussion on
organizational learning. The individual is <strong>of</strong>ten referred to as agent <strong>of</strong> organizational learning (cf.
Wiegand 1998). Active behavior thus is a premise for reflexion that in turn allows someone to learn.
Reflexion is understood as “(…) a mental activity aimed at investigating one's own action in a certain
situation and involving a review <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> experience, an analysis <strong>of</strong> causes and effects, and <strong>the</strong> drawing
<strong>of</strong> conclusions concerning future action" (Woerkom 2003, p. 40). This definition goes along with Kolb’s
(1984) model <strong>of</strong> a learning circle which will be used for an introduction to reflexion processes in
learning from experience. As a social process reflexion <strong>of</strong>fers <strong>the</strong> opportunity to learn collectively and
supports <strong>the</strong> transfer <strong>of</strong> tacit knowledge and experiences. Therefore reflexion can bridge <strong>the</strong> gap
between individual and organizational learning (cf. Hoyrup 2004). According to Pautzke (1989)
organizational learning is defined as processes for <strong>the</strong> transformation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> organizational knowledge
base. This implies a wide understanding <strong>of</strong> all knowledge which is available to <strong>the</strong> members <strong>of</strong> an
organization. This idea <strong>of</strong> organizational learning as a transformation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> organizational knowledge
base is addressed in <strong>the</strong> research and will be applied to UI research projects.
In contrast to <strong>the</strong> aforementioned concept <strong>of</strong> organizational learning, which is more focused in <strong>the</strong>
process <strong>of</strong> acquiring knowledge and developing <strong>the</strong> organizational knowledge base, knowledge
management aims at an intervention and <strong>of</strong>ten refers to <strong>the</strong> product <strong>of</strong> learning, i.e. knowledge as a
resource (cf. Schiersmann/Thiel 2010; Probst et al. 2010). It can be regarded as a relatively concrete
concept <strong>of</strong>fering practical tools and instruments. Both concepts can complement one ano<strong>the</strong>r in <strong>the</strong>ir
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