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

Selvi Kannan
Amabile (1983) states that domain specific knowledge influences creativity and syn<strong>the</strong>sizes new basis
and argues that an expert's technical, procedural and intellectual knowledge toge<strong>the</strong>r with <strong>the</strong> ability
to imaginatively approach problems is a critical component to creativity within organisations. On <strong>the</strong>
contrary, Andriopoulos (2003); Stein, (1989); Sternberg and Lubart (1995); Gordan (1961) and
Bengston (1982) claim that an expert's knowledge can cause preconditioning or previous patterned
thoughts that may interfere and impede <strong>the</strong> creative process and any idea generation. In fact,
Bengston (1982) refers this problem as "expertise" where <strong>the</strong> experts become enslaved by <strong>the</strong>ir own
pattern thoughts and refuse change. Being able to manage this knowledge and creativity cycle is part
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> innovation process.
4.4 Innovation process and managing organizational knowledge
Amidon (1997) coined 'Knowledge Innovation' as "<strong>the</strong> creation, evolution, exchange and application <strong>of</strong>
new ideas into marketable goods and services leading to <strong>the</strong> success <strong>of</strong> an enterprise, <strong>the</strong> vitality <strong>of</strong> a
nation's economy and <strong>the</strong> advancement <strong>of</strong> society. Innovation is a complex issue in businesses, as it
has today become a way <strong>of</strong> not only increasing functionality and pr<strong>of</strong>itability <strong>of</strong> organisations, where it
is vital for sustainability and continued competitive advantage. It is also a fuel for growth. A process if
knowledge is managed well is used to increase strategic intangible people flexibility (Strambach,
2001).
H<strong>of</strong>fman (1999) states that <strong>the</strong> only way a firm can beat competition and continually innovate is when
organisations create new markets, products, services and systems as contingent to one factor -
'knowledge'. Managing knowledge permits organisations to innovate by harnessing and leveraging
knowledge to create value and contribute creatively (Woodman et al, 1993) to <strong>the</strong> organisational
goals. It is, at times, this complexity and value laden process that places barriers and power struggle
amongst experts and novices.
The complexity created by <strong>the</strong> richness and <strong>the</strong> fusion <strong>of</strong> knowledge has to be managed for
successful innovation (Cardinal et al, 2001). As Parlby and Taylor (2000) advocate that knowledge
management is about supporting innovation, generating new ideas and exploiting <strong>the</strong> organisation's
thinking power. Plessis (2007) clarifies that <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> knowledge management is to aid <strong>the</strong>
complexity <strong>of</strong> innovation. Knowledge management <strong>the</strong>refore is not solely focused on knowledge but
in creating an environment for innovation to take place. It is in fact a space that a manager needs to
manage <strong>the</strong> talent, expertise and motivation for creativity in <strong>the</strong> organisation. Managers can nurture
and align talent and motivation by creating <strong>the</strong> right context and space for knowledge creation for a
complex challenging competitive environment through synergistic creation and knowledge
management (Salmador, 2007; Cavusgil et al, 2003 and Pyka, 2002)
Illustrated in Figure 2 is a conceptual model <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> three major stages within a typical innovation
process. The three stages are: (1) Search (2) Select (3) Implement. It is believed that <strong>the</strong> first stage
which is essentially to generate ideas draws barriers in <strong>the</strong> form <strong>of</strong> power. The argument posed here
is that experts tend to make judgments about 'truth' <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir domain specialization and poses <strong>the</strong>
discretionary decision to stop any new ideas saying it had been tried before. "Being <strong>the</strong>re done it
before" syndrome is a common barrier at this stage. Also at this stage, <strong>the</strong> organisational structure
plays a role, where an expert uses it as a reason for delaying or discarding an idea.
At <strong>the</strong> second stage – Select, <strong>the</strong> barriers faced are <strong>the</strong> controls placed by <strong>the</strong> experts on idea
selection fearing <strong>the</strong> changes that it might possibly bring. Experts who tend to believe <strong>the</strong>ir
knowledge far exceeds <strong>the</strong> novices are <strong>the</strong> ones more likely to create <strong>the</strong>se barriers. Experts once
again tend to exercise power and control based on past practices on <strong>the</strong> reasons for selecting an
idea. This alludes to experts exercising authority that has been institutionalized legitimating
underlying power (Parsons, 1967, Giddens, 1968) supported by <strong>the</strong> organisation's value system. The
longer an expert serves in an organisation, <strong>the</strong> expertise naturally increases causing an effect <strong>of</strong>
'complacent knowing' <strong>of</strong> an organisation. Sternberg (1997) argues that <strong>the</strong> experts’ mental
representations become more abstract and simplified and tacit knowledge becoming harder to be
expressed or shared, once again giving rise to <strong>the</strong> barriers. On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand novices may also use
<strong>the</strong>se barriers to impose political challenges and o<strong>the</strong>r forms <strong>of</strong> control.
This can also be viewed <strong>of</strong> experts who invest <strong>the</strong>ir effort, energy, time through <strong>the</strong>ir knowledge and
skills in convening when it's a way to express <strong>the</strong>ir own passions and visions but paradoxically <strong>the</strong>y
492