27.06.2013 Views

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

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

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

Nasser Easa and Robin Fincham<br />

str<strong>on</strong>g sense <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> shared fate: people in <strong>on</strong>e’s family, in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same company, from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same university,<br />

etc.<br />

In c<strong>on</strong>trast, Weir and Hutchings (2005) in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir analysis <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> applicability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> SECI model in<br />

Chinese and Arab c<strong>on</strong>texts suggest that networking is a traditi<strong>on</strong>al and wide-spread practice both in<br />

China and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Arab world and thus c<strong>on</strong>clude that socialisati<strong>on</strong> works quite effectively in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se<br />

c<strong>on</strong>texts. Socilaisati<strong>on</strong> occurs in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Arab world primarily in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> family c<strong>on</strong>text, which typically<br />

c<strong>on</strong>stitutes <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> fundamental matrix <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> social organisati<strong>on</strong>. Thus, managers in Arab organisati<strong>on</strong>s are<br />

already pre-socialised and members <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> networks, and potential members <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rs in a virtual sense.<br />

China is also a culture that dem<strong>on</strong>strates high level <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> socialisati<strong>on</strong> and highly dependent up<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

existence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> str<strong>on</strong>g networks. Chinese are actually share knowledge freely but <strong>on</strong>ly within <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir trusted<br />

networks in which an insider relati<strong>on</strong>ship exists between transmitter and receiver. Therefore, in China<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> networks generally <strong>on</strong>ly operate <strong>on</strong> a departmental basis and c<strong>on</strong>sequently informati<strong>on</strong> is <strong>on</strong>ly<br />

shared within departments. This means that Chinese networks are mostly “short-distance” and are<br />

mostly c<strong>on</strong>centrated inside departments, ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than between departments or between organisati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />

It seems that this fact implies, c<strong>on</strong>trary to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>, Weir and Hutchings that at least external<br />

sharing <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> tacit knowledge is limited in Chinese cultural c<strong>on</strong>text as compared to Japanese <strong>on</strong>e.<br />

In <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Russian c<strong>on</strong>text, Andreeva and Ikhilchik (2010) menti<strong>on</strong>ed that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re are differences and<br />

similarities between Russian and Japanese c<strong>on</strong>texts, in terms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> enabling SECI processes. Although<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y menti<strong>on</strong>ed that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> differences heavily outweigh <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> similarities <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y c<strong>on</strong>cluded that SECI can be<br />

applied in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Russian c<strong>on</strong>text. For socialisati<strong>on</strong>, Andreeva and Ikhilchik argued that individuals’<br />

willingness to share knowledge, both internally and externally, seems not to be comm<strong>on</strong> in Russia.<br />

People in Russia c<strong>on</strong>sider knowledge as individual power that should not be shared unless necessary<br />

and unless proper benefits are received. Regarding <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> intensity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> networking with external partners,<br />

this differs in Russia am<strong>on</strong>g different industries, but usually is not very str<strong>on</strong>g. A competitive<br />

atmosphere and obsessi<strong>on</strong> with privacy <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> informati<strong>on</strong> in many cases prevent Russian companies<br />

from building relati<strong>on</strong>ships with external partners. A job design that allows sharing <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> experience also<br />

does not seem to be very easy in Russian companies, as it needs a lack <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> fear <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> mistakes and<br />

enough time for experimentati<strong>on</strong>, that can be difficult to negotiate with managers due to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

dominating focus <strong>on</strong> short-term results. Andreeva and Ikhilchik (2010) claimed that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong>ly similarity<br />

between <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Russia and Japan c<strong>on</strong>texts to support socialisati<strong>on</strong> is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> mentoring which has been a<br />

comm<strong>on</strong> practice during Soviet times and is still used nowadays. However, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y menti<strong>on</strong>ed that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> mentoring in Russia usually is in much more limited sense compared to Japan. Most<br />

companies limit mentoring to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> probati<strong>on</strong> period <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> new employees, and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> mentor’s resp<strong>on</strong>sibilities<br />

c<strong>on</strong>cern mainly explaining general organisati<strong>on</strong>al policies ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than intensive sharing experience<br />

and learning through observati<strong>on</strong> and limitati<strong>on</strong>. This argument <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Andreeva and Ikhilchik makes <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir<br />

claim, that SECI processes have universal applicati<strong>on</strong>, c<strong>on</strong>troversial.<br />

Regarding <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> effect <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> H<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>stede’s cultural dimensi<strong>on</strong>s, Haag et al. (2010) suggested that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> cultural<br />

dimensi<strong>on</strong>s str<strong>on</strong>gly influence <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> socialisati<strong>on</strong> mode. They explained that cultures with high<br />

collectivism are more socialised because <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> socialisati<strong>on</strong> mode is closely c<strong>on</strong>nected with group<br />

processes. In c<strong>on</strong>trast, cultures that score low <strong>on</strong> power distance are more likely to support an open<br />

and n<strong>on</strong>-threatening envir<strong>on</strong>ment for brainstorming than cultures that score high <strong>on</strong> power distance<br />

(H<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>stede and H<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>stede, 2005; Haag, et al., 2010).<br />

3.2 Externalisati<strong>on</strong><br />

The next stage <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> SECI model, externalisati<strong>on</strong>, implies c<strong>on</strong>verting tacit knowledge into explicit.<br />

N<strong>on</strong>aka and Takeuchi (1995) and N<strong>on</strong>aka and K<strong>on</strong>no (1998) emphasised <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> importance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> group<br />

commitment for its realisati<strong>on</strong>. H<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>stede and H<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>stede (2005) suggested that group orientati<strong>on</strong> is a<br />

specific feature <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Japanese culture. In additi<strong>on</strong>, Glisby and Holden (2003) menti<strong>on</strong>ed that in<br />

Japan group orientati<strong>on</strong> must be seen in c<strong>on</strong>juncti<strong>on</strong> with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> pre-eminent c<strong>on</strong>cern for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> attainment<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> harm<strong>on</strong>y in human relati<strong>on</strong>ships and suggested that Japanese organisati<strong>on</strong>s experience much less<br />

pressure from shareholders than <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir Western companies, and thus <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y simply can spend <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir<br />

resources (including time) more freely to do things <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> way <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y want to, which includes externalising<br />

knowledge. They argued that Japanese organisati<strong>on</strong>s can afford to devote much more attenti<strong>on</strong> to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

time-c<strong>on</strong>suming and diffuse processes <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> explicating tacit knowledge. Japanese culture as manifested<br />

in inter-firm relati<strong>on</strong>s/ networks, collegiality, corporate affiliati<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> employment system, pers<strong>on</strong>al<br />

relati<strong>on</strong>s and so forth provides a kind <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> natural backdrop for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> willing and open sharing <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> tacit<br />

235

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!