Abstract

This paper examines the business practice of Knowledge Management (KM) through the prism of managers' interpretations. Viewing KM as an IT based innovation, we trace such interpretations as they emerge during its adoption process. Research is situated in an in-depth, longitudinal case study of a KM intervention in a relatively large and complex organization. Analysis of those interpretations illustrates and supports that KM could be associated with meanings that reside beyond any technical or theoretical inscription. Managers construct these meanings through the study of the IT-artifact's features, the appreciation of the organizational context but mainly the perception of information that determine their relationship. This information is found in the organizational environment and could be used to anticipate potential adoption fit between the KM innovation and the organization but also the scope of the innovations' potential exploitations by the organization (intervention). Affordances are introduced in this research to account for that information.

Short CV

Konstantinos holds a PhD in Management Science and Technology from the Athens University of Economics and Business (2004). He also holds a BSc. In Informatics and an MSc. in Information Systems from the Athens University of Economics and Business. His research is currently conducted in the field of Knowledge Management and Information Systems. His particular research interests centre on innovation aspects of Information Systems adoption and sense-making process in organisations. Research work has been published in the Journal of Knowledge and Process Management and the Journal of Computer Information Systems but also in the proceedings of several IS conferences i.e. ECIS, IFIP 8.2. He was also involved in the management of two European (DOMINO - Dynamic Organisational Forms for Inter-firm Network Orchestrations, MODEL- Multimedia for Open and Dynamic Executives Learning), and several national Research and Development projects. Part of his professional background consists of executive teaching, consulting for policy making in e-Business, and working experience in large IT Greek companies. Dr. Samiotis is currently a Lecturer in Information Systems and Knowledge Management at Aston Business School (Aston University, UK).

Paper of PhD Thesis (Dr. Samiotis)