KNOWLEDGE COMMUNICATION - 10 YEARS ON

© =mcminstitute

10 Years of

Knowledge- Communication.org

Results, Insights, Perspectives

Review of a Research Initiative

August 2012

www.knowledge-communication.org

Prof. Martin J. Eppler

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org

Prof. Dr. Martin J. Eppler / =mcminstitute / HSG


Intro: Conveying what we know

“The problem with communication is the illusion that it

has been accomplished.”

George Bernard Shaw

“Everything that can be said at all, can be said

clearly.” Ludwig Wittgenstein

“ What matters is that we make ourselves

understood.” Karl Popper

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Reviewing our Research: 2002-2012

In the last ten years, we have witnessed...

influential knowledge communication research in

management, education, applied linguistics, computer science

and public policy studies,

the creation of several competence centers focusing on

knowledge communication,

several conferences dedicated to the topic,

the creation of a chair in knowledge communication,

at least 6 publicly funded research projects on knowledge

communication in different contexts.

→ It is time to review the progress in our initiative and

in the knowledge communication field.

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



A look back and ahead in five steps

1. What is our topic and why is it relevant?

2. What have we learned about

communicating knowledge?

3. What was our impact?

4. What are we currently working on?

5. What remains to be done?

Appendix: Typical knowl. comm. problems

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Our research motivation –

10 years on and still timely

As organizational decision making is increasingly

complex and dynamic, the collboration of

decision makers and experts becomes an ever

more critical component for the quality of

decision making in management.

Experts

Knowledge

Communication

Decision Makers

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Our main focus area:

Collaborative knowledge work contexts

Engineers Lawyers Political

Analysts Risk

Analysts

Con-

sultants

Managers Managers Public

Decision

Makers

Executives Clients

= Knowledge Integration through Communication

ENABLING CONDITIONS FREQUENT MISTAKES METHODS

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Our main research question

remains unchanged

How can the communication between specialists and

decision makers be improved with regard to complex,

knowledge-intensive issues, specifically in the

management domain?

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Our resulting research mission

Improving the integration of knowledge

between experts and decision makers by

1. understanding knowledge

communication barriers and their root

causes,

2. developing and evaluating knowledge

communication methods and tools.

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org











10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



What theories have proven useful?

In researching knowledge communication we and other

scholars have made use of these informative and useful

theories:

Regarding knowledge communication problems – Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller et al.)

– Group communication theory (i.e, Stasser et al.)

– Knowledge creation theory (Nonaka et al.)

– Clarity theory (Groeben, Tausch et al.)

Regarding knowledge communication solutions:

– Adaptive Structuration Theory (AST)

– Boundary Object Theory (Star, Carlile et al.)

– Metaphor theory (Black et al.)

– Cognitive dimensions of notation (Green et al.)

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Our initial conception is still valid:

Defining knowledge communication

We define knowledge communication as the (deliberate)

activity of interactively conveying and co-constructing insights,

assessments, experiences, or skills through verbal and non-

verbal means.

The transfer of know-how, know-why, know-what, and know-

who through face-to-face or media-based interaction.

Knowledge Communication is more than communicating

information because it requires

– conveying context, background, and assumptions,

– conveying personal insights and experiences,

– conveying rationale and reasoning,

– conveying perspective and priorities,

– conveying hunches, intuition, skills (implicit knowledge).

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Framing: A process model of knowledge

communication clarifies key issues

Expert

Identification

Need

Articulation Analysis

Transfer

of Results Application

Management Tasks Expert Tasks Management Tasks

Who has

the exper-

tise to

analyze

the issue?

How can I

articulate

what I need

to know?

How can I

elicit the

relevant

insights?

How can

we optimize

our mutual

under-

standing?

How and by

whom

can the

insights be

applied?

Macro-level Micro-level Macro-level

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Description: iteration loops in the process

highlight interactive nature of k.com.

Expert

Identification

Need


Transfer


Revised needs

based on use

Revised expert consultation

based on experiences

Suggestions for

analyses based on

application experiences

Revision of

expert matching

Refinement of

need statement Follow-up

analysis

Follow-up

questions

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Analysis: key problems in the process

Expert

Identification

Need


Transfer


Management Tasks Expert Tasks Management Tasks

• Prophet

Syndrome

• Ingroup

Outgroup

Problem

• A.S.K.

Problem

• Big Picture

Problem

• Paralysis by

Analysis

• Yield loss

• Context

Chasm

• Common

Ground

Problem

• Information

Overload

• Knowing

Doing Gap

• Cassandra

Syndrome

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Typical problems in expert/manager

knowledge communication

= The decision maker cannot identify the relevant expert.

= The decision maker cannot convey his/her true or relevant

knowledge needs to the expert.

= The expert cannot produce the required analysis (in time, with the

right focus, in the right format).

= The expert cannot convey the findings to the decision maker

– technical language / perspective / priorities

– information overload / complexity

– unclear assumptions & consequences

– tacit knowledge cannot be verbalized

= The decision maker does not apply the insights of the expert

adequately.

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Solutions to Knowledge Communication

Problems

Culturally: fostering informal, iterative exchanges,

thus building trust and common ground

Organizationally: creating mixed teams that

engage in visual practices and focus on the

iterative creation of artefacts of knowing. Jointly

visualizing instead of arguing

Technologically: employing knowledge

visualization tools and methods (i.e. lets-focus.com)

Personally: improving knowledge communication

skills (asking fertile questions, conceptual

sketching), leading knowledge dialogues

(cultivating openness and constructive feedback)

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Example: Visualizing Knowledge

Dialogues in real time (f2f & virtually)

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Common templates for graphic

knowledge communication

Diagram

Types

linear cyclical linear hierarchical Network Venn Matrix Coordinates

t

continuous

Timeline Process Cycle Spectrum Pyramid Network Venn Matrix Cartesian

Time Series Phases / Steps Relationships Clustering/

Positioning

(static)

Structure (dynamic)

Process

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Our initial interactive overview of

knowledge templates (visual-literacy.org)

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Templates for informal knowledge

communication (from Sketching at Work)

www.sketchingatwork.com

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Experimental Results: visual metaphors

augment knowledge communication

Our results revealed that visualization-supported management

teams outperformed those working without visualization in the

following way (Bresciani & Eppler 2009):

Productivity (quantity of information shared): 26 % higher with

visualization (13.58 vs. 17.21)

Variety of information shared: 4 times higher with visualization.

(0.25 vs. 1.07)

Recall: 45% higher with visualization(5.8 vs 8.46), that means

managers recalled almost twice as much from the meetings that

were facilitated through visualization than their colleagues who only

worked with flipcharts.

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org











10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Impact: Research Achievements

Best Paper Award 11th International Knowledge Management

Conference I’Know 2011, Graz, Austria.

Best Paper Award IEEE 14th International Information Visualization

Conference 2010.

Research Award by the International Association of Business

Communicators Research Foundation as only second Non-US

researcher in 26 years.

European Union’s Information Society Technologies Prize Nominee

for lets-focus software (rated as one of Europe’s most innovative

software packages)

Carolyn Dexter Best International Paper Award Nominee, Academy

of Management Conference, 2011

Research featured in Harvard Business Review, MIT Technology

Review, and BusinessWeek, The Guardian, and in O’Reilly Release

2.0 as visualization landmarks, as well as in more than 800 blogs

and specialized websites , incl. several US Newspapers

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Milestones: Key Publications

Pfister, R.A., Eppler, M.J. (2012) The Benefits of Sketching for Knowledge Management, Journal of Knowledge

Management, Vol. 16 (2).

Eppler M.J., Hoffmann F., Bresciani S. (2011). New Business Models through Collaborative Idea Generation.

International Journal of Innovation Management. Vol. 15 (6), 1323-1341.

Bresciani, S., Eppler, M.J. (2010) Choosing Knowledge Visualizations to Augment Cognition: the Managers’

View in: IEEE Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Visualization, IV10, London, 2010.

Best paper award

Bresciani, S., Eppler, M.J. (2009). The Benefits of Synchronous Collaborative Information Visualization:

Evidence from an Experimental Evaluation. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, Vol.

15 (6), November/December 2009, pp. 1073-1080

Bresciani S., Eppler M.J., Subramanian S.V. (2010). Enhancing Group Information Sharing Through Interactive

Visualization: Experimental Evidence. Academy of Management Meeting, August 6-10 2010, Montreal, Canada.

Bischof, N., Comi, A., Eppler, M.J. (2011) Knowledge Visualization in Qualitative Methods – or how can I see

what I say? in: Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Information Visualization. IEEE: London

Eppler, M.J., Pfister, R. (2011) Sketching as a Tool for Knowledge Management: An Interdisciplinary Literature

Review on its Benefits, in: Proceedings of the 11th International Conference of Knowledge Management Iknow,

Graz. Best paper award.

Eppler, M.J., Aeschimann, M. (2009). A Systematic Framework for Risk Visualization in Risk Management and

Communication, in: Risk Management - An International Journal, 11 (2), April 2009: 67-89.

Eppler, M., Mengis, J. (2009). Wie Entscheider und Experten reden lernen [How Decision Makers and Experts

learn to talk together], Harvard Business Manager, April: 50-58.

Eppler, M., Platts, K. (2009). Visual Strategizing: The Systematic Use of Visualization in the Strategic Planning

Process, Long Range Planning LRP - International Journal of Strategic Management, 42 (1), February: 42-74.

Mengis, J., Eppler, M. (2008) Understanding and Managing Conversations from a Knowledge Perspective: An

Analysis of the Roles and Rules of Face-to-face Conversations in Organizations, Organization Studies, 29:

1287-1313.

Schmeil, A., Eppler, M.J. (2012) A Structured Approach for Designing Collaboration Experiences for Virtual

Worlds, forthcoming in: Journal of the Association for Information Systems.

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Milestones: Global Impact

Some of our research studies on knowledge

communication have been translated into:

– Russian

– Arabic

– French

– Italian

– Portuguese

– Chinese

– Danish

– Finnish

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Milestones: Our Citation Impact

(2002-2012)

A total of approx. 1580 Citations

Top Cites in the time period:

– Information Overload Article: 370 citations

– Information Quality book: 240 citations

– Harvesting Project Knowledge article: 200 citations

– Knowledge Visualization article: 90 citations

– Making knowledge visible: 50 citations

– Visual Representations In KM article: 50 citations

– Visual Strategizing article: 40 citations

– Periodic Table of Vis. Article: 40 citations

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



A Few of the books from the

Research Initiative

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Major studies that we conducted during

the time period

IABC Resarch Foundation Study on

Information Overload in Communication =mcm

Study on Making

the Complex Clear

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Milestones: Conference Keynotes

Keynotes on Knowledge Communication at the

following international conferences:

1. Learntec

2. ISTIC

3. European Symposium on Language for Specific

Purposes

4. Swiss Economist Day

5. International Knowledge Management Conference Iknow

6. International Information Visualization Conference

7. International KM Conference Krems

8. International KM Conference Passau

9. International Knowledge Communication Conference

Aarhus

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Milestones:

Our new Tools and Methods

www.collabcards.com

Knowledge

communication

Card set and iPhone

App

Paths to Success

creativity method

and iPad app

www.lets-focus.com

Knowledge

communication

software

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org











10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Current Focus: Communicating to create

new Knowledge: Creability

Topic:

– Knowledge-based Collaborative Creativity (Creabillity)

Research Question:

– How can experts and decision makers communicate so

that their combined knowledge (through crealogues) gives

rise to innovative business ideas?

Employed Research Methods:

– Experiments with real-life managers

– In-company testing and deployment

– Focus groups

– Surveys

Link: www.mcm.unisg.ch/Chairs/MCM+1/Projects/Creability.aspx

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org











10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Future challenges: open research issues

Consolidating existing findings in a systematic theory of

knowledge communication among experts and decision

makers

Validating the benefits (and drawbacks) of different

knowledge visualization methods for different

knowledge communication contexts

Developing mobile methods for knowledge

communication

Extending the boundaries of knowledge communication

research to areas beyond the management context

Exploring the requirements and constraints of

communicating knowledge for future generations (long-

term knowledge communication)

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Contact Information

Prof. Martin J. Eppler

Managing Director / Chair of Communications

Management

University of St. Gallen (HSG)

=mcm institute for media and communications

management

Blumenbergplatz 9

9000 St. Gallen

Switzerland

martin.eppler[at]unisg.ch


10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Knowledge sharing

hostility

Knowledge communication fails

because the ‘knowledge givers are

reluctant to share their insights due to

micro politics, strenuous relationships,

or due to fear.

Husted &

Michailova, 2002

Micropolitics of

knowledge

The ‘knowledge claims’ of an expert

are discredited by the decision makers

due to their differing (hidden) agenda,

because of a coalition of people with

an alternative view, or due to the

expert’s lack of formal authority.

Lazega, 1992

Internal knowledge

stickiness

Knowledge can sometimes not be

transferred because of arduous

relationships, or casual ambiguities

regarding the knowledge or because

of the lack of absorptive capacity of

the knowledge receivers.

Szulanski, 1996,

1999

Knowledge Communication Problems

10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Groupthink

A (management) team may not truly

listen to the input of an expert because

of the team’s group coherence and

group dynamics sometimes block

outside advice and feel omniscient.

Janis, 1982

Information overload

An individual is sometimes not able to

integrate new information into the

decision making process because too

much complex information has to be

interpreted too quickly.

O’Reilly, 1980,

Eppler & Mengis,

2004

Self/Other effect

Individuals tend to discount advice and

favor their own opinion.

Yaniv &

Kleinberger, 2000

Knowing-Doing gap /

Smart talk trap

Sometimes organization know where a

problem resides and how to tackle it,

but do not move from knowledge to

action (due to unhealthy internal

competition or lacking follow-up).

Pfeffer & Sutton,

2000


10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Absorptive capacity

Limited ability of organization and its

decision makers to integrate the

knowledge of experts based on lack of

prior knowledge, required time or

effort.

Bower and

Hilgard, 1981;

Cohen &

Levinthal, 1990

Paradox of expertise

Experts sometimes find it difficult to

articulate their knowledge or rephrase

their insights in a way that a non-

experts can understand. Sometimes

experts indicate other rules than they

actually apply.

Johnson, 1983

Ingroup outgroup

behavior

We tend to interact more with likewise

groups than with others thus reducing

our changes to acquire radically new

knowledge.

Blau, 1977

Task closure

In our communication ,we may choose to

use a one way communication medium

because it permits us to close an open

task without having to have a

conversation. Thus leaner communi-

cation channels are used than may be

necessary. In other words: We tend to

want to close a communication pro-cess

in order to complete a task.

Straub &

Karahanna, 1998;

Meyer, 1962


10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Set-up to fail syndrome

Managers are projecting their initial

expectation of an expert’s likely

performance unto him/her, leading to the

self-fulfilling prophecy of (at times) lower

performance. This is aggravated by de-

motivating feedback to the expert.

Manzoni and

Barsoux, 2002

ASK problem

Anomalous State of Knowledge: when a

decision maker does not have the

knowledge base to really know what to

ask for. People need to know quite a bit

about a topic to be able to ask or search

for relevant information.

Belkin, 1980 ; Chen

et al., 1992

Not-Invented here

syndrome

Knowledge from others is sometimes

rejected because it originated elsewhere.

Katz & Allen, 1982

False consensus effect

We assume others see situations as we

do, and fail to revise our framing.

Manzoni &

Barsoux, 2002

Inert knowledge

The knowledge that the decision maker

has acquired from the expert does not

come to mind when it is needed or useful

for decision making or actions. The

transferred knowledge is stuck in the

situation where it has been acquired.

Whitehead, 1929


10 Years

Knowledge-

Communication.org



Hidden profile

problem

You don’t know other’s background,

what they know and could contribute.

The only knowledge that is

consequently shared is what is

expected by everyone.

Stasser 1992;

Stasser and

Stewart, 1992

Common knowledge

effect

The tendency of a group to focus

merely on commonly shared (rather

than unique) pieces of information.

Gigone & Hastie,

1993

Lack of common

ground

Common ground refers to the

manager’s and expert’s assumptions

about their shared background beliefs

about the world. If those assumptions

are wrong or inconsistent

communication becomes more

difficult.

Clark and

Schäfer, 1989,

Olson & Olson,

2000

Cassandra syndrome

The decision makers do not give

sufficient weight or attention to an

expert’s warning because they face

many other important problems. Only

when the situation has deteriorated

dramatically do they start taking the

expert’s advice.

Mikalachki, 1983


KNOWLEDGE COMMUNICATION - 10 YEARS ON

Documents

Transcript of KNOWLEDGE COMMUNICATION - 10 YEARS ON