Understanding Information and Knowledge Flows as Network Processes in an Oil Company

Laila Marouf () and Patrick Doreian ()
Additional contact information
Laila Marouf: Department of Library and Information Science, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 2064, Safat 13021, Kuwait
Patrick Doreian: Department of Sociology, 2602 WWPH, University of Pittsburgh, USA;

Journal of Information & Knowledge Management (JIKM), 2010, vol. 09, issue 02, 105-118

Abstract: We focus on information and knowledge flows as social network processes in organisational contexts. Seeking and giving work-relatedinformationis distinguished from seeking and providingproblem-solving helpas knowledge flows. Hypotheses from the literature suggest that (perceived) accessibility, knowledge about the work-related skills of others, and knowledge about the functions that others perform in an organisation all predict knowledge and information flow relations. We also include membership in geographically dispersed work units as a feature of the formal organisational structure. As an additional predictive relation, non-work related socialisation is used to capture the informal structure. While all potentially predictive relations are significant and positively related to information and knowledge flows, once membership in work units and socialisation are included, the latter two relations are the dominant predictors. Perceived accessibility, at most, is a weak and inconsistent predictor of knowledge flows. Knowledge of work-related skills and the functions that others perform in an organisation also appear to have little relevance for seeking and providing knowledge. That work group membership and socialisation are the most potent predictors of knowledge and information flow relations suggests that these components of the formal and informal organisational structures operate in complementary ways. However, we note that this organisation may have a clear technical foundation that helps promote the effectiveness of both formal and informal organisational structures for promoting knowledge flows. This may be especially true for the studied managerial unit. In general, establishing the conditions under which the formal and informal organisational structures positively complement each other merits further attention. Some practical implications are outlined.

Keywords: Knowledge flows; network processes; oil company; work-related skills; social networks (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S0219649210002565
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers

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:wsi:jikmxx:v:09:y:2010:i:02:n:s0219649210002565

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from

DOI: 10.1142/S0219649210002565

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Information & Knowledge Management (JIKM) is currently edited by Professor Suliman Hawamdeh

More articles in Journal of Information & Knowledge Management (JIKM) from World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Tai Tone Lim ().