Knowledge management in virtual enterprises: A systemic multi-methodology towards the strategic use of information

Yannis A. Pollalis and Nikolaos K. Dimitriou

International Journal of Information Management, 2008, vol. 28, issue 4, 305-321

Abstract: This paper examines the development of a systemic multi-methodology for knowledge management in virtual enterprises. The main objective is the strategic management of information for the acquisition of competitive advantage and the advance of networked corporate agreements (i.e., Virtual Enterprise Projects) in order to maintain business flexibility and innovation. Making use of systemic methodologies, emphasis is given on the creation and the sustenance of knowledge coming from both the internal and the external business environment, instead of directly intervening to the operational characteristics of the modern enterprise. We present an approach to knowledge management supported by four systemic methodologies namely the total systems intervention (TSI), the strategic assumption surfacing and testing (SAST), the viable systems model (VSM) and the problem structuring methodology (PSM). The composition of systemic methodologies can result in powerful multi-methodologies that effectively compensate complexity, combine different mental pictures and perspectives and handle diversity in a creative and innovative manner. Information systems, especially those involving multiple stakeholders, profoundly limit the capability of traditional generic methods of analysis to develop and utilize interventions. In this paper, we demonstrate the effectiveness of a multi-methodology designed to facilitate the creation of a knowledge exchange business network in the field of consulting companies that provide an ideal practice field for the verification and testing of the results of our study.

Keywords: Virtual enterprises; Information management; Knowledge management; Strategic information systems; Systemic methodologies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0268401208000376
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ininma:v:28:y:2008:i:4:p:305-321

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2008.02.005

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Information Management is currently edited by Yogesh K. Dwivedi

More articles in International Journal of Information Management from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().