National culture and the standardization versus adaptation of knowledge management

National culture and the standardization versus adaptation of knowledge management
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DOI:
10.1108/13673270710738889
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发表时间:
2007-04
期刊:
J. Knowl. Manag.
影响因子:
--
通讯作者:
Zhi Ang;P. Massingham
Zhi Ang;P. Massingham
中科院分区:
其他
文献类型:
--
作者:
Zhi Ang;P. Massingham

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-本文的目的是考察民族文化对跨国公司知识管理(KM)的影响。跨国公司经常必须决定是将其运营标准化还是调整其运营。以前的研究发现,民族文化对跨国公司的一系列业务都有影响,例如人力资源、营销等。然而,关于文化对知识管理的影响的研究却很有限。本文的目的是提出一个基于国家文化差异的知识管理过程标准化和适应性的框架。-回顾了以下文献:知识管理过程,文化对知识管理的影响,以及国际商务中的标准化和适应性决策。这些观点结合在一起,形成了一个概念框架,探讨了标准化或调整知识管理做法的决定。-有几个关键发现。首先,民族文化对知识管理的影响可以在知识管理的过程和子过程的层面上理解,例如知识创造。第二,影响的程度和性质将因进程或子进程而异。第三,不同流程的差异使我们能够隔离影响并更好地管理它。第四,国家文化标准化与适应决定对知识管理的影响可以通过两种相互竞争的紧张关系来解决:对文化反应的压力和对范围经济的压力。第五,尽管在知识管理系统、过程和子过程各级有适当的标准化和适当的适应的条件,但仍必须有效地执行决定。这导致了标准化与适应决策的四个潜在结果:适当和不适当的标准化,以及适当和不适当的适应。-该条的概念框架为管理人员提供了指导方针,指导他们如何理解国家文化对其知识管理实践的影响,从而导致有效的标准化与适应决策。其主要贡献是,文化的影响可以在流程级别隔离,从而提供更多的灵活性和可管理性。学术界可将这一概念框架用作进一步对知识管理做法的标准化和改编进行实证研究的基础。--本文首次审查了国际范围内的知识管理做法的标准化和改编。标准化与适应性的决策在其他学科(如战略、营销、人力资源)中也得到了探索,并已被发现是一项重要的国际商业决策。我们的概念框架对这场辩论做出了创新性的贡献,提出了其中涉及的两种紧张关系:文化响应的压力和范围经济的压力。通过了解这些压力背后的因素,并将这些因素与知识管理过程联系起来,我们建议企业可以隔离并更好地管理标准化与适应性决策。
– The purpose of this article is to examine the affect of national culture on knowledge management (KM) for multinational companies (MNCs). MNCs often have to decide whether to standardize or adapt their operations. Previous research has found that national culture has an effect in a range of MNC operations, e.g. human resources, marketing. However, there has been limited research on the influence of culture on knowledge management. The aim of this article is to propose a framework for standardization and adaptation of knowledge management processes based on differences in national culture., – The following literatures were reviewed: knowledge management processes, the effect of culture on knowledge management, and the standardization versus adaptation decision in international business. These perspectives were combined to develop a conceptual framework that explores the decision to standardise or adapt knowledge management practices., – There are several key findings. First, the impact of national culture on KM may be understood at the level of KM's processes and sub‐processes, e.g. knowledge creation. Second, the level and nature of impact will vary by process or sub‐processes. Third, the variance by process allows us to isolate the impact and better manage it. Fourth, the impact of national culture standardization versus adaptation decision for KM may be resolved through two competing tensions: pressures for cultural responsiveness and pressures for scope economies. Fifth, while there are conditions where standardization is appropriate and where adaptation is appropriate, at the KM system, process and sub‐process levels, the decision must still be implemented effectively. This leads to four potential outcomes of the standardization versus adaptation decision: appropriate and inappropriate standardization, and appropriate and inappropriate adaptation., – The article's conceptual framework provides managers with guidelines on how to understand the impact of national culture on their knowledge management practices, leading to effective standardization versus adaptation decisions. The main contribution is the notion that the impact of culture may be isolated at the process level, providing more flexibility and manageability. Academics may use the conceptual framework as a basis for further empirical research on the standardization and adaptation of knowledge management practices., – This article is the first to examine the standardization and adaptation of knowledge management practices in an international context. The standardization versus adaptation decision has been explored in other disciplines (e.g. strategy, marketing, human resources) and has been found to be an important international business decision. Our conceptual framework makes an innovative contribution to this debate by suggesting there are two tensions involved: pressures for cultural responsiveness and pressures for scope economies. By understanding the factors underlying these pressures and linking these to knowledge management processes, we suggest that firms may isolate and better manage the standardization versus adaptation decision.