Browsing by Subject "tiedon jakaminen"

The aim of this study was to describe shared expertise and its challenges in an expert organization. The intent was to analyze the knowledge sharing practises, working environment and the related challenges in the target company from the perspective of shared expertise and knowledge creation. The research questions were: how do the knowledge sharing practises reflect shared expertise in the target company and how does the working environment enable and/or limit the development of shared expertise in the target company. Working life has become more complex with a growing emphasis on continuous development and organizational knowledge. This change has created a demand for a new, collective perspective on the research of expertise. In the theoretical framework of this study the collective, shared expertise is viewed first and foremost as collective knowledge creation. Previous studies have shown that co-operation and collaborative problem solving contribute to the formation of new knowledge, which supports the development of expertise and the whole organization. In this study, knowledge creation is approached from the viewpoint of a knowledge creation model presented by Nonaka and Takeuchi. In this model new knowledge is created through interaction between tacit and explicit knowledge. The target company of this qualitative study was a medium-sized private employment agency and an expert organization. The data was collected through thematic interviews. Twelve experts, working in various positions in the head office of the target company were interviewed. With the help of content analysis, the data was divided into four main themes: knowledge sharing practises, social relationships in the workplace, work-related management practises and physical working environment and tools. The results of the study show that the knowledge sharing practices as well as the working environment both enable and limit the development of shared expertise and knowledge creation in the target company. The practices were somewhat indicating the realization of knowledge creation, although the activities leading to it were not very systematic. The limitations and possibilities created by the working environment were somewhat consistent with the previous studies being related to e.g. general atmosphere, trust and physical environment. Based on this study, conclusion can be made that organizations are able to contribute to the development of shared expertise and knowledge creation by improving the social and physical working environment of the company. By utilizing the results of this study, the target company can be developed into an innovative knowledge community supporting knowledge creation and shared expertise.

The objective of this master's thesis was to describe the workplace practices in which knowledge is created and shared. The theoretical framework of reference for the study was Nonaka's and Takeuchi's Model of the Creation of New Knowledge. The model describes the four phases of this process, which are socialization, externalization, combination and internalization. The model includes the spiral of knowledge formation, where explicit and implicit knowledge interact with each other while creating new knowledge. The model also describes the circumstances of an organization that supports this knowledge creation process. The study is topical because information changes and ages rapidly, which is why employees are required to continuously develop their knowledge and skills in order to meet the requirements of their work environment. The target group of the study consisted of 12 employees in supervisory and managerial positions living in Finland. The data was collected using a semi-structured e-mail survey in January 2016, and the data was analysed using a qualitative content analysis method. The results of the study indicated that the following practices contribute to the creation and sharing of knowledge: a confidential and pleasant working atmosphere, an open-plan office as a working environment, social moments in the workplace, active monitoring and observing of the work of others, discussions between subordinates and superiors, regular meetings, pop-up working groups, various types of knowledge communities, and joint events involving the work community. Implicit knowledge was made visible and distributed using intranet and several social media tools as well as various other distribution methods. Practices that helped workers internalize new knowledge were receiving feedback, development discussions, self-reflection, and freedom to attempt new ventures and make mistakes. The data showed that workers understand the importance of work-place learning but they do not have a sufficient overall understanding of what concrete methods, practices, atmosphere and other supporting factors it requires.