Semantic Werks

See the Shrimpbib reference.

Interesting paper that details a study looking at using ethnography to see how a knowledge management strategy succeeded or failed in the workplace. Comes at it from a MIS perspective. Basically, the authors found that the top down management style completely failed to recognize rather pervasive differences in work style of the lower ranks.

“People will only change enough to keep their jobs”.

Thesis: must understand ‘networks of knowledge’ in order to comprehend the true relationships between the knowledge and the workers.

Uses an ethnographic case study approach, combining site-specific interviews with participant observation and material reviews (emails, corporate documents, etc.)
Note that the ethnographic process included a strong reflective component, and the authors emphasize how it is crucial to review the notes several times.

Generated some key concepts as metaphors: ‘low-hanging fruit’, -> easily accomplished changes. These were later seen as red-herrings, fooling people into thinking that there was substantive change when all that was occurring were cosmetic differences.

Conclusion:

“In general, these suggest that the expectations of the top-down initiative in being proactive and encouraging ‘ask-why’ thinking were at odds with the realities and constraints posed by the situated knowledge web. The goals of the top-down effort were consequently undermined and the outcomes reflect the consequences of the lack of cognizance of the features of the situated knowledge web.”

:die: