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This version was published on September 1, 2006
Organization Studies, Vol. 27, No. 9, 1289-1317 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/0170840606064108
© 2006 SAGE Publications

The Problems of Embeddedness: Knowledge Transfer, Coordination and Reuse in Information Systems

Ruey-Lin Hsiao

National University of Singapore

Stephen Dun-Hou Tsai

National Sun Yat-Sen University, Taiwan, ROC

Ching-Fang Lee

Kao Yuan University, Taiwan, ROC

This research examines the knowledge management challenge underlying technology use. It proposes to examine the key question: how can knowledge management problems and technology adoption difficulties be analysed through experts' practices embedded in their work contexts? The problems of knowledge transfer, coordination and reuse are investigated by examining experts' practices and work contexts. The inquiry is grounded in a qualitative case study of a knowledge management system designed to support maintenance work performed by two groups of engineers in a semiconductor-fabrication equipment company. The findings illustrate two contrasting outcomes: the equipment engineers found the system to be useful; the field engineers considered it to be irrelevant to their work contexts. An analysis of the fabrication process (the technical context), engineers' professional communities (the social context), and the pace of product/process innovation (the innovative context) helps us to understand the main problems underlying knowledge transfer, coordination and reuse. Significantly, we propose a specific definition of knowledge and suggest a way to examine practices and work contexts that can help to uncover new difficulties in knowledge management system adoption. The theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed.

Key Words: practices • work context • knowledge transfer • knowledge coordination • knowledge reuse • embeddedness • knowledge management system • semiconductorfabrication equipment


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