Organizational Structure and Knowledge Management: Argumenta Oeconomica January 2009
Organizational Structure and Knowledge Management: Argumenta Oeconomica January 2009
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1. Introduction
The new business environment imposes new demands on organizations. Traditional success factors, like
organizational size, material and financial resources, or organizational structure designed precisely as a complex
machine, seem to be replaced by new factors, like speed of activity, flexibility, information, and innovation. For
years, numerous experts have been forecasting the development of new forms of organization, which are able to
create new ideas, improve organizational know-how, develop its members’ skills, and survive in the complex
environment by adapting to unstable conditions. Such organizations are an answer to the uncertainty of the
dynamic environment, and are called boundaryless, knowledge-based or learning organizations [Senge 1990, p. 3;
Ashkenas p. 5].
The basic resource of learning organizations is knowledge which contains data and information. As well as
other organizational resources, both material and non-material, knowledge to be useful should be well managed
within an organization. The efficiency of the knowledge management process is determined by a number of factors.
Some of them are directly related to organizational structure. Many interesting questions arise in this field, e.g.:
what are the major stimulators and obstacles to knowledge management concerned with organizational structure?
Are organizational structure and the knowledge management system interrelated? What kind of organizational
design is the best for learning organizations? These and many other questions need to be answered if we want to
make use of the new organizational forms and concepts of management. The main goals of the article are:
to examine the relationships between organizational structure and knowledge management in an
organization both in theory and practice,
to analyze various structural designs in terms of knowledge management efficiency,
to identify major organizational stimulators and obstacles to knowledge management in each phase of the
whole process: knowledge identification, creation, collection, update, and sharing.
The author formulates the hypothesis that the more organic structure, the more advanced knowledge management
system within an organization, i.e. a higher number of various and more sophisticated tools are used in practice.
The text is based both on literature studies and the results of the empirical research conducted in 2005 in 131
enterprises from the regions of Lower Silesia and Greater Poland.
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definition of knowledge as “justified true belief”. To quote Oxford English Dictionary, we can define knowledge
as expertise, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical
understanding of a subject; or what is known in a particular field or in total; facts and information; or awareness or
familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation.
Although the terms “knowledge” and “information” are used interchangeably, there is a difference between
them. Dretske puts forward the following definitions: “information is that commodity capable of yielding
knowledge, and what information a signal carries is what we can learn from it” and “knowledge is identified with
information-produced (or sustained) belief, but the information a person receives is relative to what he or she
already knows about the possibilities at the source” [Dretske 1981, p. 44, 86]. Knowledge is not just a collection of
information, as well as information is not a simple collection of data. Evans distinguishes four main types of
organizational knowledge [Evans 2005, p. 30]:
Know What. Operational knowledge used in day-to-day activities and basic duties. It is relatively easy to
codify (put it down in a language of words, symbols, or numbers), and easy to share with others within the
organization.
Know How. Also operational knowledge, located in individuals’ minds and related to their experience.
Used mostly in problem solving and decision making processes. There could be some obstacles in its
codification, storage and distribution.
Know Why. All managers and employees within the organization should know the organization’s mission
statement, vision, strategy, and shared values. This knowledge explains the organizational activities and it
is helpful in making decisions that are convergent with the organizational objectives.
Know Who. Very important knowledge about who is who and what expertise they poses, not only in the
organization but also externally in its environment. It is useful in building a network of relationships both
inside and outside the organization.
Another approach categorizes organizational knowledge into four groups: tacit, explicit, personalized and codified
knowledge:
Tacit knowledge. It is the personal awareness that one is able to do something without being able to
describe how, e.g. I know that I can ride a bicycle, but the description that I give of how to do so is not
scientific. It is very doubtful that scientifically formalized knowledge is essential for ones being able to
keep balance on a bicycle. There is a set of personal abilities which intervene to turn riding a bicycle into
an art [Polanyi 1958, p. 610].
Explicit knowledge. Is the knowledge that can be articulated, codified and stored in documents and certain
media. It is relatively easy to capture and code, so it can be easily transmitted to other organizational
members.
Personalized Knowledge. Knowledge that is memorized by organizational members. It is stored and
developed in their minds, so it is dynamic knowledge. Its major drawback is that it can could be
transmitted and shared with others only through direct face-to-face interaction. The organization loses the
knowledge when the employees who posses it, change jobs.
Codified knowledge. It is knowledge that is memorized in different types of media – paper documents,
electronic databases, etc. It is formalized and as a result of it, it is available to a wide audience. Everyone
who reads, watches or listens to the media can obtain the knowledge without communicating directly with
others.
The above-mentioned types of organizational knowledge and relationships between them are presented in Figure 1.
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Tacit Explicit
Knowledge Knowledge
Personalized Codified
Knowledge Knowledge
Tacit knowledge can be transformed only into personalized knowledge, because there does not exist a way of
putting it into a language of signs or letters understandable to others. Explicit knowledge in turn can be memorized
by individuals and shared through direct communication. It can also be formalized and transformed into codified
knowledge.
Most experts stress that knowledge within an organization should be managed in a rational and holistic
way. Knowledge management (KM) can be defined as “the overall task of managing the processes of knowledge
creation, storage and sharing, as well as the related activities.” [Kucza 2001, p. 58]. The general purpose of
knowledge management is to make knowledge usable for all organizational members. The whole process of
knowledge management contains a set of chronologically ordered and interrelated sub-processes [Kucza 2001, p.
59]:
Identification of the need for knowledge. The first phase in the knowledge management process concerns
the identification of the kinds of information and knowledge that are required in particular departments and
units of an organization. It is one of the most problematic stages in the whole process of knowledge
management. The major question is how to identify needs for knowledge, especially tacit one? Some
experts suggest using the tool called knowledge identification protocol (KIP) which allows to obtain a
knowledge map of the organization.
Creation of knowledge. One of the most important stages in the whole process when knowledge is created
or imported (e.g. benchmarking). Various tools can be used at this stage, e.g. collective cooperation forms
(brainstorming), experiments, learning by doing, etc. According to the dynamic theory of knowledge
creation, organizational knowledge is generated through a continuous dialogue between tacit and explicit
knowledge via four patterns of interaction: socialization, combination, internalization, and externalization
[Nonaka 1994].
Knowledge collection and storage. This stage involves collecting the knowledge created or gathered
before, in the employees’ minds and in various types of media: paper documents, electronic databases, etc.
Most authors see the advantages of electronic databases in the fact that they allow to adapt and improve
knowledge and information. In addition they access to all data to many users at the same time. The main
disadvantage of electronic bases is that they are attractive targets for hackers.
Sharing knowledge. Knowledge can be useful in an organization only if is accessible and if all individuals
know how to find it. The stage of knowledge distribution consists in building communication channels
called knowledge exchange network (KEN), and transmitting information and knowledge to the employees
who need it at the moment. A high number of obstacles can hider or slow down knowledge sharing, one of
the most important of which is motivation-related. That is way most authors claim that individuals should
be rewarded for the knowledge they possess and exchange with others.
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Knowledge update. Even the best developed knowledge within an organization can be useless if it is not
up-to-date. For this reason organizational knowledge should be updated when confronted with unstable
conditions and changeable needs for knowledge. Moreover, everyone in an organization should be engaged
in the continuous and never ending process of knowledge improving.
An enlarged model of knowledge management process is shown in Figure 2.
Feed-
Main goals of back
KM System Evaluation
Identification of Knowledge
Needs for Saving
Knowledge
Knowledge Knowledge
Update and Sharing and
Development Distribution
Although, standardized knowledge management methods and techniques are still not available, modern
organizations use some more or less advanced tools used by. The following are the most common tools mentioned
in management theory and used in practice:
Training Courses. Fundamental tool for collecting information and for improving individuals’ knowledge,
especially for those organizations which try to manage personalized knowledge. Companies which take
care of development of their members, they treat training as the investment in human resources. They have
large budgets for a wide range of training courses and organize them more frequently. Frequent training
courses are required mostly in organizations that operate in an environment with rapid technological
development, unstable external regulations, globalized markets, etc.
Databases and Knowledge Bases. All codified information and knowledge must be collected in a safe and
accessible place. Databases and knowledge bases play a very important role, especially in organizations
that deal with a huge amount of data, numerous customers, and which operate on diversified and unstable
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markets, e.g. banks, law agencies, and business consulting companies. Most knowledge libraries are part of
IT-supported intelligent information systems (intelligent information system has an ability to learn – search
for new information, select and collect it, as well as to relate to other data and information).
Meetings for Information Exchange. They are treated as a basic and easy-to-use tool for tacit knowledge
management. The exchange of information is very important for the learning organization, and even if
efficient formal communication channels exists, frequent informal meetings are still required. Presentations
of plans and the results of particular units and departments, general discussions, etc., facilitate sharing
information, integrate activities, and build “spirit de corps”.
Meetings for Consulting Decisions. More complex problems that organizations encounter can be solved
by making group decisions. Techniques like brainstorming or discussion panels are used, as well as
temporary problem-solving teams are formed in such cases. To be successful, meetings should be well
prepared (e.g. members should know about the meeting a few days in advance and receive the required
information before), and chaired by an experienced person. Otherwise they can became a waste of time and
provoke conflicts inside the organization.
Advanced Communication Channels. Under very dynamic conditions traditional communication, both
informal and formal, seems insufficient. Advanced communication channels, like internet, intranet and
other most recent media can be a helpful solution.
Creativity Developing. Organizations which are people oriented try to improve their innovativeness and
creativity. Employees’ openness and resourcefulness can be developed not only through special training
courses but also thanks to a motivation system, which seems to be very important stimulant of knowledge
creation.
Best Practices. In some organizations managers and employees exchange their knowledge, skills, and
experience about the most successful and efficient ways and methods of performing tasks. This kind of
sharing knowledge and experience is a very simple and time-saving method known as “best practices”.
The efficiency of the knowledge management system (as a whole system and in terms of particular tools and
methods) in contemporary organizations depends on many various factors. One of them is organizational structure
which should be adaptable to dynamic conditions and make the information flow fast and more efficient [Morawski
2006, p. 39].
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4. Methodology of Research and The Description of Investigated Enterprises
The study was performed in 2005 in 131 enterprises that operate mainly in Lower Silesia and Greater
Poland regions. The basic method relied on the analysis of questionnaire findings. To achieve the established goals
a special questionnaire form was prepared and tested in a few local enterprises. Then the questionnaire was
distributed among students of master, MBA and postgraduate studies. Having been collected over 200 completed
forms, they were selected and entered into a specially designed database. The last stage consisted of analyzing the
information (many various criteria were taken into account, e.g. the size of organization, the profile of activity, the
industry, the advancement of project teams, etc.) and finding appropriate interpretation. As a result of the study a
final report was prepared.
A short description of the enterprises investigated in mentioned study seems to be necessary if we want to
look for some more general conclusions. Such basic characteristics as the size, the profile of activity or the
industry, may influence the results. The total number of enterprises investigated in the study was over 200.
However, having eliminated the questionnaires completed inappropriately, the author finally qualified 131
enterprises for further analysis.
In the sample of the investigated companies, large organizations (those which employ 250 people and
more) accounted for 31 percent, medium enterprises (51-250 employees) – 23 percent, small businesses – 31
percent, and micro-businesses (less than 10 employees) – 15 percent. See Figure 3.
What important is that the structure of the examined sample differs from the structure of the whole population
(according to the reports of Polish Agency For Enterprise Development, over 98 percent of all registered
enterprises in Poland are small and micro organizations).
As a dominating profile of their activity most companies declared services (36%), then mixed profile
(production-services-trade) (20%), production (20%) and trade (20%). There were companies from various
industries in the sample (building, energy, mining, machinery, IT, food, medicine, etc.), but it was impossible to
analyze them in detail from such a perspective. Some kind of grouping was indispensible in this case. All industries
were thus divided into three groups: developing industries, traditional, and declining industries. The group of
developing industries, i.e. computer sciences, telecommunications, pharmacy, finances, and consulting, was made
up of 15% of all companies. The biggest group (76%) consisted of companies operating in traditional industries,
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i.e. food, transport, and car manufacturing. The remaining part of the investigated companies came form declining
industries, like mining, ship construction, or heavy machinery.
The majority of all companies (73%) declared to be financed by national capital, and 27% indicated a share
of foreign capital.
All the enterprises examined in the study were divided into three groups, depending on the advancement of
project teams and task forces. The advancement of project teams was identified on the basis of the answers to six
questions. The first group of organizations consisted of companies in which there were no temporary teams, or they
appeared very seldom and realize some unimportant tasks. The organizational structures of these companies are
based on stable configurations. Thirty eight of all the examined enterprises were placed in this group.
In the organizations from the second group, temporary task forces and project teams appear more
frequently and are designed to achieve more important goals, but the stable hierarchical core is still more important.
This group was the largest and included 65 organizations.
The third group is a collection of organizations that are based on temporary teams, and the stable structure
is not so important in this case. The organizational structures of these companies are the most organic ones -
temporary teams realize the most important tasks within the organization and have strong impact on organizational
efficiency. Only 28 of the 131 enterprises qualified for this group.
To verify the hypothesis that was made in the introduction of this text, the most popular elements of
knowledge-based organizations were identified in the three distinguished groups of companies. The comparison of
the answers in those groups shows a correlation between the type of organizational structure (how organic the
structure is) and the advancement of knowledge management system.
The basic components of the learning organization are training courses for its members. Respondents were
asked how often training courses were organized in their enterprises. Their answers are as follows (Figure 4).
Figure 4. The Frequency of Organizing Training Courses in Three Groups of Investigated Companies
Source: Author’s Own
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The frequency of organizing training courses differs in the three groups. In the first group of the investigated
companies they were organized relatively rarely, in the second one and especially in the third group of the sample
companies, training courses took place more often. Additionally, in the group with the most advanced temporary
teams, the aim of the training was more often to develop managerial skills, ICT (information and communication
technologies), and economic and financial awareness, while in the first and second groups these issues appear very
rarely. The most popular subjects in these groups were: obligatory Safety and Hygiene of Work, changes in law
and tax regulations, effective sales, and marketing. So we can conclude that the more organic the structure, the
wider in range and also more frequent training courses for organizational members.
As said before, another indicator of the learning organization is individuals’ openness and creativity. It is
essential for the knowledge creation process. Also it has a significant impact on the efficiency of the knowledge
management system. That is why modern organizations take interest in providing favorable conditions for
developing creativity, as well as stimulating unconventional thinking and problem solving in their employees. It is
illustrated in Figure 5.
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Figure 6. The Presence of Databases and Knowledge Bases in Three Groups of Investigated Companies
Source: Author’s Own
According to the presented numbers, databases and knowledge bases were used in the vast majority of the
companies of the third (96%) and second group (89%), whereas only half of them (53%) declared using such bases
in the companies of the first group of organizations.
The presented findings shows that the level of the advancement of the knowledge management system
seems to be related to the type of organizational structure. Generally, companies with the most organic structures
demonstrated the most developed knowledge management system. Further analysis shows that this correlation is
stronger in large companies than in medium and small ones, as well as in companies that operate in developing
industries, e.g. IT, pharmacy, finance, or consulting.
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