Groupware Technology and Team Management Unit 5 Dr. Andrea Jersabek

Organisational Knowledge

Knowledge Sharing and Learning Tacit knowledge Explicit knowledge

About 90 % of an organization’s knowledge is tacit knowledge Tacit knowledge more difficult to express and share Sharing tacit knowledge requires trust and extensive personal contact

‘Procedures to elicit tacit knowledge from employees, to convert it into explicit knowledge and store it in expert systems and company wide repositories are the core activities of what is labeled the codification strategy of knowledge management (Hansen et al., 1999). Explicit knowledge can easily be stored and exchanged through documents, training and presentations, while tacit knowledge is usually transferred by socialization.

Learning Theories Knowledge as ‘product’ which can be passed on vs Knowledge as individual process – constructivist paradigm

Learning Theories Lev Vygotsky: social constructivism Jean Piaget: constructivism Seymour Papert: constructionism Siemens and Downes: connectivism

Connectivism “In connectivism, the starting point for learning occurs when knowledge is actuated through the process of a learner connecting to and feeding information into a learning community”

Connectivism “In the connectivist model, a learning community is described as a node, which is always part of a larger network”. Learning is a knowledge creation process, not only a knowledge consumption process.

Connectivism Learning and knowledge are said to rest in diversity of opinions The capacity to know is more critical than is actually known Ability to seek current information, and the ability to filter secondary and extraneous information

Knowledge transfer

Knowledge Transfer

Formulating Team Targets

Group Processes 5 basic group processes: Communication Co-operation Co-ordination Knowledge sharing Social interaction

Forming

Defining Team Rules Example of Team Rules We are partners: we behave as we would others to behave towards us we are partners in pursuing a common goal – we are not competitors we communicate openly and honestly we acknowledge the pursuits of others we criticize constructively and objectively, not on a personal level

Defining Team Rules we are service providers and clients: we keep to our decisions and agreements we raise objections and concerns before we take decisions, or we accept and agree we act for mutual benefit we prepare for the meetings so we can make valuable contributions we pass on information quickly

To-do’s in the Forming phase I give the team the time it needs justify your decisions for making up the team actively support getting to know one another, also by instigating non-work related activities when discussing the team goals, listen carefully to what each of the tem members has to say beware of the expectations of the team members

To-do’s in the Forming phase II communicate the team goals clearly give the tem a name to instill identity appreciate the presence of each team member to give them security make use of teambuilding trainings to inspire a sense of community and closeness lay down the rules for working together

Storming

Most difficult phase Possible reactions: aggressive behavior, avoidance of problems and responsibilities, waiting for assignments, rejection of team rules, forming cliques within the team, no sharing of knowledge, no creativity

To-do’s in the Storming Phase Carefully monitor the power structures within the team Be aware of frustrations Do not overrate emotional behaviour Make the team aware of the difficulties of this phase Remain objective In serious cases engage a team coach before the team breaks apart