Knowledge Management Systems Lecture 6 Payman Shafiee

A SOCIAL NETWORK PERSPECTIVE AT HR PRACTICES, INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS, AND INTRAFIRM KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER IN KNOWLEDGE-INTENSIVE FIRMS Slides by Payman Shafiee

A SOCIAL NETWORK PERSPECTIVE AT The social network perspective is a distinct research perspective in the social sciences and an alternative to the traditional individualist paradigm Slides by Payman Shafiee

A SOCIAL NETWORK PERSPECTIVE AT The perspective comprises two narrower complementary elements: the structural perspective, which emphasizes the structural form (i.e., the patterns of relational ties and the position of actors within it), and the relational perspective, which prioritizes the content of relations; that is, the quality of relational ties (Raider & Krackhardt, 2002, pp. 58–59). Slides by Payman Shafiee

A SOCIAL NETWORK PERSPECTIVE A conceptual model predicting social structure and content as a mediator of the relationship between HR practices and knowledge outcomes thus should consider both the structural patterns of ties among coworkers as well as their relational content. Slides by Payman Shafiee

A SOCIAL NETWORK PERSPECTIVE Conceptual Model (With Relevant Hypotheses) Slides by Payman Shafiee

A SOCIAL NETWORK PERSPECTIVE Experienced HR Practices: The social network perspective is also present in our operationalization of HR practices. Slides by Payman Shafiee

A SOCIAL NETWORK PERSPECTIVE The social network is a finite set of actors and their associated relational ties (Wasserman & Faust, 1994), we differentiate between network configuration–changing HR practices and network composition–changing HR practices. Slides by Payman Shafiee

A SOCIAL NETWORK PERSPECTIVE The social network is a finite set of actors and their associated relational ties (Wasserman & Faust, 1994), we differentiate between network configuration–changing HR practices and network composition–changing HR practices. The former refer to HR practices that affect the arrangement and quality of relations among actors within a firm’s social network (i.e., they do not change the composition of actors); the latter refer to HR practices that modify the set of actors within social network by either acquiring or releasing actors into or from this network (e.g. recruitment, selection, separation). Slides by Payman Shafiee

interpersonal relations, a mediator direct effects of HR practices on interpersonal relations within a firm’s social network and confirmed interpersonal relations as a mediator between HR practices and internal knowledge transfer Slides by Payman Shafiee

Implications HR managers should not neglect the role of social architect and its important as HR practices have been especially shown to shape a firm’s social structure and content HR practices only partly determine the resulting social structure and content, and that endogenous structural mechanisms play an important role. Slides by Payman Shafiee

Implications: scan before implementing important interventions To predict the effects of a specific HR intervention on the future state of a firm’s social network better, they should have a very good understanding of the corporate culture (especially with regard to the norms of reciprocity and transitivity) and the firm’s current social structure. organizations should employ work design along with training and development HR practices to influence interpersonal relations and, in turn, intrafirm knowledge transfer most effectively. This makes some of the practices that were previously not emphasized— such as interactive work design, allowing slack time, providing functional architecture, as well as on-site and group training— more important. Slides by Payman Shafiee