article

Knowledge maps and organisations: an overview and interpretation

Authors:

Amit MitraAuthors Info & Claims

International Journal of Business Information Systems, Volume 3, Issue 6

Pages 587 - 608

https://doi.org/10.1504/IJBIS.2008.018992

Published: 01 June 2008 Publication History

Abstract

The 'knowledge map' is a relatively new Knowledge Management (KM) tool. Yet the applications of knowledge maps in the organisational context have been insufficiently developed. This paper conducts a critical literature review and offers an alternative view on the necessity of this KM initiative within an organisation. First, the knowledge map's 'duo-functional' feature (displaying knowledge and also serving as visual pointers to knowledge containers) makes it an effective tool for managing different types of knowledge. Second, the advantages of different types of knowledge maps illustrate the strengths of such a KM tool at different KM dimensions. This paper also summarises two main weaknesses in prior knowledge-mapping projects: (1) lack of effective quality control of knowledge maps; (2) immature perceptions of the knowledge-mapping process. A dynamic knowledge map system is proposed in this paper as a feasible model of applying knowledge maps within organisations.

References

[1]

Tong, J. and Mitra, A. (2008) 'Knowledge maps and organisations: an overview and interpretation', Int. J. Business Information Systems, Vol. 3, No. 6, pp. 587-608.

Digital Library

[2]

Blackler, F. (1995) 'Knowledge, knowledge work and organisations: an overview and interpretation', Organization Studies, Vol. 16, No. 6, pp. 1021-1046, http://www.findarticles .com/p/articles/mi_m4339/is_n6_v16/ai_18069101 (accessed 20 August 2006).

[3]

Buzan, T. (1998) Use Your Head, London: BBC Books.

[4]

Chan, K. and Liebowitz, J. (2006) 'The synergy of social network analysis and knowledge mapping: a case study', International Journal of Management and Decision Making, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 19-35.

[5]

Choo, C.W. (1998) The Knowing Organization, Oxford University Press.

[6]

Clarke, A. and Ryder, J. (2002) 'Knowledge mapping', Final Report for LTSN - Development Project, http://ntserver002.liv.ac.uk/ltsnpsc/devprojs/reports/pdfs/know_map.pdf (accessed 5 May 2006).

[7]

Collins, H. (1993) 'The structure of knowledge', Social Research, Vol. 66, pp. 95-116.

[8]

Cossette, P. and Audet, M. (1992) 'Mapping of an idiosyncratic schema', Journal of Management Studies, Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 325-347.

[9]

Cross, R. and Prusak, L. (2002) 'The people who make organizations go - or stop', Harvard Business Review, Vol. 80, No. 6, pp. 105-112.

[10]

Davenport, T.H., Jarvenpaa, S.L. and Beers, M.C. (1996) 'Improving knowledge work processes', Social Management Review, Vol. 37, No. 4, pp. 53-65.

[11]

Davenport, T.H. and Prusak, L. (1998) Working Knowledge: How Organizations Manage What They Know, Harvard Business School Press.

[12]

Eppler, M.J. (2001) 'Making knowledge visible through intranet knowledge maps: concepts, elements, cases', Proceedings of the 34th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 3-6 January.

[13]

Evans, S.H. and Dansereau, D.F. (1991) 'Knowledge maps as tools for thinking and communications', in R.F. Mulcahy, R.H. Short and J. Andrews (Eds.) Enhancing Learning and Thinking, New York, NY: Praeger, pp. 97-120.

[14]

Fiol, C.M. and Huff, S. (1992) 'Maps for managers: where are we? Where do we go from here?', Journal of Management Studies, Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 267-287.

[15]

Gardner, F.S., Monaghan, M.S. and Peel, J. (1996) 'Knowledge maps improve comprehension in therapeutics', American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, Vol. 60, No. 1, pp. 56-59.

[16]

Gordon, J.L. (2000) 'Creating knowledge maps by exploiting dependent relationships', Knowledge-Based Systems, Vol. 13, pp. 71-79.

Digital Library

[17]

Grochow, J.M. (1997) Information Overload: Creating Value with the New Information Systems Technology, Upper Saddle River, NY: Prentice-Hall.

[18]

Hall, R.H., Dansereau, D.F. and Skaags, L.P. (1992) 'Knowledge maps and the presentation of related information domains', The Journal of Experimental Education, Vol. 61, No. 1, pp. 5-18.

[19]

Hansen, M.T., Nohria, N. and Tierney, T. (1999) 'What's your strategy for managing knowledge?', Harvard Business Review, March-April, pp. 106-116.

[20]

Huff, A. (Ed.) (1990) Mapping Strategic Thought, New York: Wiley.

[21]

Leonard, D. and Sensiper, S. (1998) 'The role of tacit knowledge in group innovation', California Management Review, Vol. 40, No. 3, pp. 112-132.

[22]

Liebowitz, J. (2005) 'Linking social networks analysis with the analytic hierarchy process for knowledge mapping in organisations', Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 76-86.

[23]

McCagg, E.C. and Dansereau, D.F. (1991) 'A convergent paradigm for examining knowledge mapping as a learning strategy', Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 84, No. 6, pp. 317-324.

[24]

Newell, S., Robertson, M., Scarbrough, H. and Swan, J. (2002) Managing Knowledge Work, New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

[25]

Nonaka, I. (1994) 'A dynamic theory of organizational knowledge creation', Organization Science, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 14-37.

[26]

Nonaka, I. and Takeuchi, H. (1995) The Knowledge-Creating Company: How Japanese Companies Create the Dynamics of Innovation, Oxford University Press.

[27]

O'Donell, A.M. (1993) 'Searching for information in knowledge maps and texts', Contemporary Educational Psychology, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 222-239.

[28]

Plumley, D. (2003) 'Process-based knowledge mapping: a practical approach to prioritizing knowledge in terms of its relevance to a business or KM objective', destinationKM.com., http://www.kmmag.com/articles/default.asp?ArticleID=1041 (accessed 05 May 2006).

[29]

Polanyi, M. (1962) Personal Knowledge: Towards a Post-Critical Philosophy, 2nd ed., Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

[30]

Scavarda, A., Bouzdine-Chameeva, T., Goldstein, S., Hays, J. and Hill, A. (2004) 'A review of the causal mapping practice and research literature', Second World Conference on P0M and l5th Annual P0M Conference, 30 April-3 May, Cancun, Mexico.

[31]

Seemann, P. and Cohen, D. (1997) 'The geography of knowledge: from knowledge maps to the knowledge atlas', Knowledge and Process Management, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 247-260.

[32]

Skyrme, D. (2002) 'Knowledge audit', http://www.skyrme.com/services/kmaudit.htm (accessed 7 January 2006).

[33]

Snowden, D. (2003a) 'Complex acts of knowing: paradox and descriptive self-awareness', Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Vol. 29, No. 4, pp. 23-28.

[34]

Snowden, D. (2003b) 'Innovation as an objective of knowledge management. Part 1: The landscape of management', Knowledge Management Research & Practice, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 113-119.

[35]

Sowa, J. (1984) Conceptual Structures: Information Processing in Mind and Machine, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

[36]

Spender, J-C. (1996) 'Organisational knowledge, learning and memory: three concepts in search of a theory', Journal of Organisational Change and Management, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 63-78.

[37]

Spender, J-C. (1998) 'Pluralist Epistemology and the knowledge-based theory of the firm', Organization, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 233-256.

[38]

Stacy, R. (2001) Complex Responsive Processes in Organizations: Learning and Knowledge Creation, New York: Routledge.

[39]

Stenmark, D. (2002) 'Sharing tacit knowledge: a case study at Volvo', in S. Barnes (Ed.) Knowledge Management Systems: Theory and Practice, Thomson Learning.

[40]

Tong, J. and Mitra, A. (2006) 'Chinese cultural influences on knowledge management practices: a case study in a Chinese manufacturing enterprise', Proceedings of the 3rd Asia-Pacific International Conference on Knowledge Management, KMAP2006, Hong Kong, 11-13 December 2006.

[41]

Trochim, W. (1989) 'An introduction to concept mapping for planning and evaluation', Evaluation and Program Planning, Vol. 12, pp. 1-16.

[42]

Tyler, B. and Gnyawali, D. (2002) 'Mapping managers' market orientations regarding new product success', Journal of Product Innovation Management, Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 259-276.

[43]

Ulengin, F. and Topcu, I. (1997) 'Cognitive map: KBDSS integration in transportation planning', Journal of the Operational Research Society, Vol. 48, No. 11, pp. 1065-1075.

[44]

Vail, E.F. III (1999a) 'Bridging the business-IT communication gap: mapping organizational knowledge', Knowledge Management Review, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 10-15.

[45]

Vail, E.F. III (1999b) 'Knowledge mapping: getting started with knowledge management', Information Systems Management, Fall, pp. 16-23.

[46]

Wexler, M.N. (2001) 'The who, what and why of knowledge mapping', Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 249-263.

[47]

Wong, S. (2002) 'Knowledge maps for managing web-based business', Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 102, No. 7, pp. 357-364.

[48]

Alvesson, M. (1993a) 'Cultural-ideological modes of management control: a theory and a case study of a professional service company', in S. Deetz (Ed.) Communication Yearbook 16, London: Sage, pp. 3-42.

[49]

Alvesson, M. (1993b) 'Organization as rhetoric: knowledge-intensive firms and the struggle with ambiguity', Journal of Management Studies, Vol. 30, pp. 997-1016.

[50]

Burnett, S., Illingworth, L. and Webster, L. (2004) 'Knowledge auditing and mapping: a pragmatic approach', Knowledge and Process Management, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 25-37, www.interscience.wiley.com (accessed 03 May 2006).

[51]

Busch, P.A., Richards, D. and Dampney, C.N.G. (2001) 'Visual mapping of articulable tacit knowledge', ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, Vol. 6, pp. 37-47.

[52]

Daft, R. and Weick, K. (1984) 'Toward a model of organizations as interpretation systems', Academy of Management Review, Vol. 9, pp. 284-295.

[53]

Drucker, P. (1993) Post-capitalist Society, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

[54]

Fahey, L. and Prusak, L. (1998) 'The eleven deadliest sins of knowledge management', California Management Review, Vol. 40, No. 3, pp. 265-276.

[55]

Folkes, C. (2004) 'Knowledge mapping: map types, contexts and uses', Open University working paper KM-SUE 4, http://www.sue-km.org (accessed 5 September 2007).

[56]

Galloway, D. (1994) Mapping Work Process, Milwaukee: ASQC Quality Press.

[57]

Grey, D. (1999) 'Knowledge mapping: a practical overview', http://www.smithweaversmith .com/knowledg2.htm (accessed 03 May 2006).

[58]

Liebowitz, J. (2002) 'Knowledge mapping: an essential part of knowledge management', in D. While (Ed.) Knowledge Mapping and Management, PA: IRM Press, Chapter 3, pp. 23-29.

[59]

Peters, T. (1992) Liberation Management: Necessary Disorganization for the Nanosecond Nineties, New York: Alfred Knopf.

[60]

Peterson, M.P. (1995) Interactive and Animated Cartography, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

[61]

Reich, R. (1991) The Work of Nations: Preparing Ourselves for 21st-Century Capitalism, London: Simon and Schuster.

[62]

Webber, A. (1993) 'What's so new about the new economy?', Harvard Business Review (January-February), pp. 24-42.

Cited By

Alatawi FDwivedi YWilliams M(2013)Developing a conceptual model for investigating adoption of knowledge management system in Saudi Arabian public sectorInternational Journal of Business Information Systems10.1504/IJBIS.2013.05612114:2(135-163)Online publication date: 1-Aug-2013
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1504/IJBIS.2013.056121
Alatawi FDwivedi YWilliams M(2013)A review of knowledge management research in public sector context with a specific focus on Arab countriesInternational Journal of Business Information Systems10.1504/IJBIS.2013.05554714:1(56-82)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2013
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1504/IJBIS.2013.055547
Oyefolahan IDominic PKarim N(2012)Knowledge management systems utilisation and knowledge sharing effectivenessInternational Journal of Business Information Systems10.1504/IJBIS.2012.05017411:4(410-425)Online publication date: 1-Nov-2012
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1504/IJBIS.2012.050174
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Knowledge maps and organisations: an overview and interpretation
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Collaborative and social computing
    1. Collaborative and social computing systems and tools
2. Information systems

Recommendations

Knowledge maps

ContextNowadays the concept of knowledge mapping has attracted increased attention from scientists in a variety of academic disciplines and professional practice areas. Among the most important attributes of a knowledge map is its ability to increase ...
Capturing tacit knowledge across different domains: Knowledge Community (K-Comm)

Capturing tacit knowledge is one of the major challenges faced by Knowledge Management Systems (KMS). Most such systems try to capture employee knowledge pertaining to a specific domain of organisational interest. However, every employee has much more ...
Knowledge Mapping in a Research and Development Group
ICEIS 2016: Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems

In Enterprise Systems, representing the flow of knowledge may indicate how participants work using their knowledge. Such representation allows the understanding of how knowledge circulates between the development team and improvement opportunities. ...

Comments

Please enable JavaScript to view thecomments powered by Disqus.

Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image International Journal of Business Information Systems

International Journal of Business Information Systems Volume 3, Issue 6

July 2008

126 pages

ISSN:1746-0972

EISSN:1746-0980

Issue’s Table of Contents

Publisher

Inderscience Publishers

Geneva 15, Switzerland

Publication History

Published: 01 June 2008

Author Tags

Qualifiers

Article

Contributors

Other Metrics

View Article Metrics

Bibliometrics & Citations

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

5
Total Citations
View Citations
0
Total Downloads

Downloads (Last 12 months)0
Downloads (Last 6 weeks)0

Reflects downloads up to 25 Nov 2024

Other Metrics

View Author Metrics

Citations

Cited By

Alatawi FDwivedi YWilliams M(2013)Developing a conceptual model for investigating adoption of knowledge management system in Saudi Arabian public sectorInternational Journal of Business Information Systems10.1504/IJBIS.2013.05612114:2(135-163)Online publication date: 1-Aug-2013
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1504/IJBIS.2013.056121
Alatawi FDwivedi YWilliams M(2013)A review of knowledge management research in public sector context with a specific focus on Arab countriesInternational Journal of Business Information Systems10.1504/IJBIS.2013.05554714:1(56-82)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2013
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1504/IJBIS.2013.055547
Oyefolahan IDominic PKarim N(2012)Knowledge management systems utilisation and knowledge sharing effectivenessInternational Journal of Business Information Systems10.1504/IJBIS.2012.05017411:4(410-425)Online publication date: 1-Nov-2012
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1504/IJBIS.2012.050174
Nagarajan SGanesh KResmi AAnbuudaysankar SHemachitra R(2012)Development of temporal confirmation model for knowledge management solution implementationInternational Journal of Business Information Systems10.1504/IJBIS.2012.04956611:3(253-282)Online publication date: 1-Oct-2012
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1504/IJBIS.2012.049566
Annamalai V(2011)Managing knowledge in a process industry: some experiences and a frameworkInternational Journal of Business Information Systems10.1504/IJBIS.2011.0393317:3(269-285)Online publication date: 1-Mar-2011
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1504/IJBIS.2011.039331

View Options

View options

Login options

Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.

Full Access

Get this Publication

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

View Issue’s Table of Contents