We use cookies on this website, you can read about them here. To use the website as intended please... ACCEPT COOKIES
UAL Research Online

Applying a systems thinking framework to assess knowledge assets dynamics for business performance improvement

Schiuma, Giovanni and Carlucci, Daniela and Sole, Francesco (2012) Applying a systems thinking framework to assess knowledge assets dynamics for business performance improvement. Expert Systems with Applications, 39 (9). pp. 8044-8050. ISSN 0957-4174

Type of Research: Article
Creators: Schiuma, Giovanni and Carlucci, Daniela and Sole, Francesco
Description:

Knowledge assets represent strategic resources and sources of organizational value creation. Their effective development and deployment is at the basis of organizational value creation capacity. However there is still a lack of applied approaches and tools explaining how knowledge assets dynamics take place in organizational value creation mechanisms. In particular, there is a managerial need to define decision-support frameworks that can enable managers to understand how knowledge assets interact each other and with organizational performance in order to support the achievement of company’s strategic objectives. A better understanding of why and how knowledge assets management initiatives can be turned into value creation mechanisms with positive impacts on business performance is fundamental to avoid misallocation of resources and to support management decisions.

This paper proposes a systems thinking-based framework, the Knowledge Assets Dynamics Value Map (KAVDM), to explicate the working mechanisms by means knowledge assets can evolve on the basis of knowledge management initiatives and affect business performance improvements. The KAVDM offers a holistic view of the mechanisms at the basis of how knowledge assets are translated into organizational value. It supports the explanation and monitoring of how knowledge assets are interpedently and dependently linked, and how the management of one knowledge asset activates flow dynamics, that influence both other knowledge assets and business performance. Using the KAVDM managers can reflect upon the knowledge components grounding a company’s value creation and assess their mental models and views of the reality. Finally, an application of the KAVDM within a construction company is presented and its main managerial benefits addressed.

Official Website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2012.01.139
Keywords/subjects not otherwise listed: Knowledge assets; Systems thinking; Business performance improvements; Knowledge assets dynamics map
Publisher/Broadcaster/Company: Elsevier
Your affiliations with UAL: Colleges > Central Saint Martins
Date: July 2012
Digital Object Identifier: 10.1016/j.eswa.2012.01.139
Date Deposited: 27 Sep 2013 15:50
Last Modified: 13 Jan 2014 09:56
Item ID: 5996
URI: https://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/id/eprint/5996

Repository Staff Only: item control page | University Staff: Request a correction