Knowledge of Developing Strategic Plans
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Narrative summary
For the last one decade, knowledge had been regarded as an important asset in developing strategic plans and as a way of creating competitive advantage for commercial organizations. Nevertheless, developing knowledge follows a complex process that is based on many factors that are beyond knowledge management, which has been the conventional practice (Tsoukas, 2011). This articles documents the research process and findings on the effects of leadership, culture in organizations, control in organization, and knowledge management regarding the style of work. A survey is done using questionnaire method to collect data from pharmaceutical industry in Japan and its branches in U.S, France and China (Erzurum & Tiryakioglu, 2011). The above-mentioned factors are compared regarding how they affect knowledge management process in these industries. The research findings suggest that organizational factors influence knowledge management practices in each organization studied and the effects are different. Any activity in knowledge management should be customized to the specific organization without compromising the global vision of the industry (Von Krogh, 2011).
Knowledge creation theory supposes that knowledge is either tacit or explicit. Tacit knowledge relies on beliefs and opinions and is difficult to express in symbolic forms such as language, numbers or diagrams (Tom, 2010). Explicit knowledge is rational and objective and can be put in numbers, language and formulas. Knowledge creating process of an organization involves converting tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge. This is done through socialization, internalization and externalization as well as combination processes in order to synthesize values into objective knowledge that can be shared by organizations (Thomassen & Rive, 2010).
The data collected through questionnaires in the study was analyzed through multiple regression analysis on each sample from each country with the organizational factors being studied. These included shared context in motion, leadership, culture in the organization, organizational control and the styles of work. These factors were the independent variables while four models of knowledge conversion were the dependent variables (Tom, 2010).
The ability of the research model was found by calculating the variance in the dependent constructs accounted by the model. The hypothesis corresponded with each research model. This helped to support each hypothesis through examination of the signs both positive and negative. Statistical significance could then be found for the corresponding paths (Huang, Lai, Quaddus & Rowe, 2011).
I support the multiple regression method of analysis in this research because most people are familiar with it. It is used for people specializing in social, behavioral and physical sciences, which is an advantage (Qu & Zhong, 2012). Multiple regression model analysis is also flexible in this research. Independent variables used in the study are numeric, which enhances interactions among the variables when using multiple regression technique. This technique utilizes data efficiently and even with small data sets, one can still obtain good results. Linear regression is based on a theory, which is well understood thus allowing for creation of various types of statistical intervals that are easy to interpret for prediction, calibration as well as optimization (Waddington, 2011).
Research findings and conclusion
The analysis of this study showed that knowledge conversion modes require deliberate and continuous training on knowledge management. If the training on knowledge management is little or lacking, knowledge conversion mode is characterized by low externalization and combination when compared with socialization and internalization (Hammersley, 2010). Externalization and combination modes form the most important factors for knowledge sharing and creation in an organization. The two modes bring on board other organizational members and the entire organization as a whole. The pharmaceutical and its subsidiaries had similar functional teams and belonged to the same corporate group but showed different organizational features and patterns of knowledge management. The model developed in this research displayed that various organizational factors such as work styles and organizational control attributed to knowledge management profiles for each subsidiary (Zhuo, 2011).
The research findings are both valid and defensible. Despite these findings being specific to the pharmaceuticals mentioned here, they justify creation of customized strategies for each office to promote efficiency of knowledge management efforts. This is paramount for multinational organizations, which have to adapt to local differences with an aim to realize consistent and worldwide knowledge management effectiveness (Navarrete & Veletsianos, 2012).