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Article
Publication date: 14 June 2023

Nima Ali and Juani Swart

The paper aims to investigate the dynamics of individuals' multiple commitments in the internship context by answering two questions: How do interns' commitment to different…

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to investigate the dynamics of individuals' multiple commitments in the internship context by answering two questions: How do interns' commitment to different stakeholders change over time? And what are the reasons behind these changes?

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative longitudinal study was conducted of a hundred and three interviews with twenty interns in three professional service firms in the UK. The data were gathered via semi-structured interviews that took place on five occasions during the whole internship.

Findings

Individuals' decision to maintain or change their commitment depended on their motive to gain long-term benefits (future employment) or short-term benefits (completing an assignment). Therefore, they experienced different types of commitment dynamics, which were influenced by their intention to commit to the organization in the future.

Practical implications

This offers significant implications for attracting and employing interns, which directly affects talent employment. It also contributes to the contemporary work context, as the rise of temporary and cross-boundary settings would increase the complexity and dynamics of commitment.

Originality/value

Despite the predominant assumption that considers commitment as a stable bond, this research is one of the first to investigate the dynamics of multiple commitments. This contributes to the commitment theory by identifying the different types of commitment dynamics and the impact of individuals' intention to commit on the (in)stability of their commitment, which is absent from the existing literature.

Details

Personnel Review, vol. 53 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0048-3486

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 September 2009

Stephan C. Henneberg, Juani Swart, Peter Naudé, Zhizhong Jiang and Stefanos Mouzas

The purpose of this paper is to show the role of social networks in mobilizing how actors both impact and are impacted on by their colleagues. It seeks to compare the human…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show the role of social networks in mobilizing how actors both impact and are impacted on by their colleagues. It seeks to compare the human resource management (HRM) academic community with two other comparable communities, and to identify those groups that are seen to work closely together.

Design/methodology/approach

It is shown how social network analysis (SNA) can be utilized to analyse data in social networks, shedding light on the cliques and networks of people that work together over a period of time. This is based on an analysis of co‐authored papers in the field of HRM between 1990 and 2005.

Findings

It is shown how the HRM community has developed over time utilizing various SNA metrics and this community of scholars is shown to be less “dense” than comparable academic networks, being made up of several weakly‐linked subcomponents. The paper also identifies the “ego‐nets” of individuals that are indicative of different publishing strategies.

Originality/value

The paper's contribution lies in the application of SNA to identify how groups interact over time, and how a large network can be systematically analysed to reveal the underlying structure.

Details

The Learning Organization, vol. 16 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-6474

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 March 2013

Neil Turner, Harvey Maylor and Juani Swart

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a doctoral thesis aimed at identifying how project managers orchestrate ambidexterity (the achievement of both exploitation…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a doctoral thesis aimed at identifying how project managers orchestrate ambidexterity (the achievement of both exploitation of existing knowledge and exploration of new knowledge) at the level of the project.

Design/methodology/approach

The research reported on here initially involved a systematic literature review of the theoretical and empirical work on ambidexterity. This was followed by a two‐stage empirical investigation. The first stage involved a set of interviews with project managers in a global IT‐services firm to identify the nature of ambidexterity in their work using the lens of intellectual capital. The second stage comprised eight case studies of projects to determine the practices by which project‐level ambidexterity could be achieved.

Findings

The research showed that at the working level, project ambidexterity is a more complex concept than the existing high‐level theorisations would suggest. The key findings of the research reported on here were that the resources used to enable ambidexterity (human, social and project capital) were interwoven with one another and also with the processes of exploitation and exploration. Two configurations of ambidexterity (“distributed” and “point”) were identified, together with five managerial practices that underpin the attainment of project‐level ambidexterity. These were investigated using “parallel‐coding” of the data to gain greater insight.

Practical implications

This identifies the “how” of ambidexterity in project environments, and offers managers a new way of conceptualising their work in terms of exploitation and exploration in their day‐to‐day activities.

Originality/value

Previous empirical studies of ambidexterity have been focused mostly at the organisational level, using primarily quantitative techniques. This qualitative study has revealed the nature of ambidexterity in complex, working project environments.

Details

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 6 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8378

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2006

Juani Swart

The purpose of this article is to review current literature on intellectual capital and its second‐tier sub‐components with a view to developing an improved research framework and…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to review current literature on intellectual capital and its second‐tier sub‐components with a view to developing an improved research framework and a foundation for measures.

Design/methodology/approach

Refereed journal articles were selected from social sciences citations index (SSCI) and business source premier with a time limit of ten years.

Findings

Clear definitions are developed for each sub‐component of intellectual capital. This was done after identifying, for each sub‐component, the dimensions along which current definitions and research differ. A research framework is developed, which emphasizes the interaction between sub‐components of intellectual capital.

Originality/value

The paper provides a clear integrated framework and measures of forms of intellectual capital to guide and inform future research.

Details

Journal of Intellectual Capital, vol. 7 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1469-1930

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 September 2011

Juani Swart and Philippa Harvey

In an interconnected world, projects span boundaries bringing together multiple organizations that enable cross‐boundary teams to contribute their collective knowledge assets

2752

Abstract

Purpose

In an interconnected world, projects span boundaries bringing together multiple organizations that enable cross‐boundary teams to contribute their collective knowledge assets. Herein lies the theoretical and managerial challenge; to date no‐one has identified the “knowledge boundaries” of projects. This means knowledge resources may be duplicated or ineffectively managed, impacting on project and organizational success. This paper seeks to demonstrate how “knowledge boundaries” can be identified and to illustrate how knowledge can be more effectively and efficiently used by cross‐boundary projects.

Design/methodology/approach

The research question: “How can the knowledge boundaries of networked projects be identified?” was addressed through a set of case studies spanning the Ministry of Defence (MOD)/Defence‐Industry boundary. Individual and shared knowledge assets, and the interrelationships between them, were identified via parallel coding of interview data and the analysis of the survey results. The knowledge boundary of the networked project was therefore determined and its interconnections and managerial implications unraveled.

Findings

Knowledge boundaries, as opposed to project or organizational boundaries, define the self‐sustaining knowledge core required by a project to access and use all the complementary and interconnecting knowledge it needs. Project knowledge is a linked, interdependent typology that spans boundaries; it must either be managed across boundaries, or all the organizations involved must invest over the odds to maintain it. Project team members need differently shaped knowledge but with enough overlap to communicate effectively thus linking knowledge together.

Originality/value

The paper introduces the “knowledge boundary” concept to define the self‐sustaining knowledge core a project requires to access, and use, all the knowledge it needs. Projects that understand their knowledge boundaries can use knowledge far more efficiently and effectively than those that do not.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 15 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 29 March 2013

Derek H.T. Walker

94

Abstract

Details

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 6 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8378

Article
Publication date: 6 April 2017

Allam Ahmed

The emergence of “knowledge economies” brings along new lenses to organizational management and behaviour. One of the key concepts at the heart of this new wave is knowledge…

Abstract

Purpose

The emergence of “knowledge economies” brings along new lenses to organizational management and behaviour. One of the key concepts at the heart of this new wave is knowledge management (KM). The purpose of this paper is to scrutinize how KM is taught and discussed within the context of business schools around the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

The general research question is: how do top 40 business schools in the UK understand, teach and implement KM in their teaching? To answer this question, the author reviewed the curriculums of leading schools and contacted all schools to collect more information and data.

Findings

The study reveals that KM has yet to carve a self-standing place for itself within taught programmes in UK business schools.

Research limitations/implications

The study’s methodological design can explore the relevance of KM as a term, but it can only provide limited perspective into how this complex and multidimensional concept is operationalized in business schools’ curriculums. Moreover, the capacity of business schools to frame KM holistically is beyond the scope of this research.

Practical implications

Framing KM discourse within the relevant academic literature, this paper outlines that, while KM is being scrutinized as a research topic, interest in KM has yet to be translated into a widespread integration of KM as a taught skill within business schools.

Originality/value

The study is considered as one of the first attempts to investigate how KM is understood, taught and implemented in teaching and curriculum design within the UK business schools.

Details

World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, vol. 14 no. 2/3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-5945

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 18 September 2009

Peter A.C. Smith

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Abstract

Details

The Learning Organization, vol. 16 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-6474

Content available
Article
Publication date: 1 April 2006

Rory L. Chase

294

Abstract

Details

Journal of Intellectual Capital, vol. 7 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1469-1930

Article
Publication date: 30 October 2007

J. Swart and S.C. Henneberg

The purpose of the paper is twofold: first, it develops a knowledge‐based view of the development of networks in new venture settings and second, it provides a dynamic view of

2036

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is twofold: first, it develops a knowledge‐based view of the development of networks in new venture settings and second, it provides a dynamic view of knowledge networks. That is, it aims to pay attention to the development and destruction of networks.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper follows a grounded theory approach to develop the model of dynamic knowledge networks. The interviewees came from the following backgrounds: university researchers engaged in entrepreneurial ventures; entrepreneurs that run spin‐off companies; entrepreneurs in a university incubator or science park; incubator managers; university innovation managers; and innovation fund administrators.

Findings

The paper finds that the 3C model which is developed from qualitative findings has three core dimensions: knowledge exchange, knowledge structure and network dynamics that stretch across three key new venture phases: conceptualization, commercialization and cultivation. The paper also finds that entrepreneurs build networks because of their particular knowledge needs, once fulfilled these networks are destroyed and new networks are established. The 3C model therefore provides a dynamic perspective on knowledge networks.

Research limitations/implications

The paper shows that a grounded theory approach is limited by it generalisability. The paper has developed a detailed view of knowledge networks in a particular context. Therefore, future research could usefully apply this model to other settings. It would also be useful to conduct further exploratory research into the interimistic nature of knowledge networks.

Practical implications

The paper points to the importance of cross‐boundary knowledge exchange. It needs to look beyond the boundary of a particular unit, such as a firm, to develop the understanding of the dynamics of knowledge management. Second, the context of the knowledge network becomes important managerially. The network has a purpose. It is knowledge‐need driven and this purpose changes remarkably over time. Finally, the creative destruction of knowledge networks needs to be anticipated and managed.

Originality/value

The paper provides a knowledge‐based perspective on entrepreneurial networks. The 3C‐model, which is grounded in reliable data includes several stakeholders in an entrepreneurial network which is in itself valuable and original.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 11 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

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