A narrative approach to knowledge management : an investigation into the use of narrative as a medium to transfer knowledge in small teams
A narrative approach to knowledge management : an investigation into the use of narrative as a medium to transfer knowledge in small teams
Little evidence is available that meaningfully describes how organisational members share knowledge among themselves. Informed by the literature on Knowledge Management, this research employs an ethnographic research approach to investigate if narratives may be conceptualised as a means to transfer and exchange knowledge within the context of daily operational work activities. Additionally, questions regarding the context of narrative performance and the significance of such contexts are examined. Lastly, the research analyses the knowledge content of narratives in order to inform the development of frameworks for knowledge exchange within organisations, potentially moving beyond the use of information technology.
This research is premised on an empirical investigation of two contrasting settings - one within the public sector, the other a private sector organization. The interpretive research undertaken has collected data through an ethnographic Participant Observation method in both settings. The uniqueness of this research is in its use of narrative. While narrative has been used within interpretive research frameworks before, this research does neither elicit narratives by prompting story-telling, nor does it create, or recount, a narrative out of non-storied data. This research identified and observed narratives as and when they occurred.
It is established that communication among team members takes a narrative form more often than anticipated, which may suggest that this is not necessarily coincidental. This occurrence of narrative forms in daily communication is particularly apparent in face-to-face encounters. Furthermore, the research provides evidence that narratives are replete with various types of knowledge.
University of Southampton
Meyer, Edgar
10bc0585-aa51-447e-bfc2-1b6b1f5e4113
2004
Meyer, Edgar
10bc0585-aa51-447e-bfc2-1b6b1f5e4113
Meyer, Edgar
(2004)
A narrative approach to knowledge management : an investigation into the use of narrative as a medium to transfer knowledge in small teams.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
Little evidence is available that meaningfully describes how organisational members share knowledge among themselves. Informed by the literature on Knowledge Management, this research employs an ethnographic research approach to investigate if narratives may be conceptualised as a means to transfer and exchange knowledge within the context of daily operational work activities. Additionally, questions regarding the context of narrative performance and the significance of such contexts are examined. Lastly, the research analyses the knowledge content of narratives in order to inform the development of frameworks for knowledge exchange within organisations, potentially moving beyond the use of information technology.
This research is premised on an empirical investigation of two contrasting settings - one within the public sector, the other a private sector organization. The interpretive research undertaken has collected data through an ethnographic Participant Observation method in both settings. The uniqueness of this research is in its use of narrative. While narrative has been used within interpretive research frameworks before, this research does neither elicit narratives by prompting story-telling, nor does it create, or recount, a narrative out of non-storied data. This research identified and observed narratives as and when they occurred.
It is established that communication among team members takes a narrative form more often than anticipated, which may suggest that this is not necessarily coincidental. This occurrence of narrative forms in daily communication is particularly apparent in face-to-face encounters. Furthermore, the research provides evidence that narratives are replete with various types of knowledge.
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Published date: 2004
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Local EPrints ID: 465348
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/465348
PURE UUID: f09aa4ea-daf8-436a-a4fd-413155a4e9ca
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Date deposited: 05 Jul 2022 00:38
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 20:07
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Author:
Edgar Meyer
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