Knowledge Entrepreneurship: Institutionalising Wiki-based Knowledge-management Processes in Competitive and Hierarchical Organisations. (June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Argyris, Young 'Anna'; Ransbotham, Sam
• Is Part Of: Journal of information technology. Volume 31:Number 2(2016)
• Page Start: 226
• Page End: 239
• Publication Date: 2016-06
• Subjects: case study -- knowledge management -- multilevel organisational learning processes -- institutional entrepreneurship -- enterprise social systems -- wiki; Information technology -- Periodicals; Information storage and retrieval systems -- Periodicals; Information resources management -- Periodicals; 658.40380285
• DOI: 10.1057/jit.2016.11
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0268-3962

Abstract

Social media in general and wikis in particular offer unique opportunities for knowledge management. Despite widely publicised successes in public settings, wikis in businesses evince mixed results; enterprises struggle to apply wikis to institutionalise knowledge-management practices. We investigate the inherent tensions underlying knowledge-sharing in competitive and hierarchical organisations. Our application of the multi-level organisational learning framework demonstrates that, although wikis facilitate some important learning stages, other critical challenges remain. A unique blend of project leadership can facilitate the institutionalisation of wiki-based knowledge-management processes. To observe the leadership archetype, we use a longitudinal case study of wiki use within a division of NBC Universal. On the basis of our observations, we propose a new archetype of project leadership called Knowledge Entrepreneurship that integrates managerial skills, technology affordances, and critical factors in knowledge-management processes.