知識資源、知識特性與知識流通機制對知識移轉績效影響之研究－以台灣地區跨國零售業之員工加以驗證

The Study of the Influence of Knowledge Resources, Knowledge Characteristics and Knowledge Flow Mechanisms on the Performance of Knowledge Transfer -Verifying on the Staff of International Retailing S

林妙雀(Miao-Que Lin)

《管理學報》 21卷6期 (2004/12) Pp. 801-826

https://doi.org/10.6504/JOM.2004.21.06.06

摘要

知識管理乃核心能力管理，跨國企業如何善用知識流通機制，以降低知識移轉成本，促進知識技術快速傳遞與散播，厥為創造持續性競爭優勢之不二法門。緣於過去研究相對較少由社會生態面探究知識管理，因此本研究乃建立以知識資源與知識特性為自變數，涵蓋組織學習、人際互動與系統科技等變項之知識流通機制為干擾變數，而知識移轉績效為因變數之研究架構。同時針對近年來在台灣地區業績呈現持續成長之跨國百貨公司和量販店的員工進行調查，總共回收299份問卷，有效回收率達49.83%。
配合多元迴歸分析驗證各研究假設，本研究發現組織知識資源、知識複雜性、組織學習與人際互動等變項，皆對知識移轉之財務績效和組織效能具有顯著主效果，而且透過良好的組織學習或高頻次的人際互動交流，可帶動組織知識、知識內隱性與知識複雜性對於知識移轉績效之交互效果，是故本研究建議跨國企業最好不斷擴增專屬性組織知識、落實持續性組織學習、善用多元化交流管道或建立效率化系統科技，藉以強化組織創新，增進知識移轉績效。

關鍵字

知識資源 ； 知識特性 ； 知識流通機制 ； 知識移轉

並列摘要

Knowledge management founded on knowledge and network, which propelled the 31 industry revolution after entering the 21(superscript sl) century, could govern business success in the near future. Though differential quality, low cost, mass scale of economics, unique customer service and advertisement in the past did contribute to competitive advantages of business, leveraging strategic knowledge resource would definitely come to the core of fortune creating in the capricious competitive environment. Organizations should construct the best strategic leverage by knowledge awareness, exploiting, sharing, deploying, applying and then retaining to strengthen the core competence, which in turn would promote the organizational intelligence.
Knowledge enterprises highlight knowledge as the base by maximizing it to create new successful model; however, the invisible, tacit, and complicated characters of knowledge and hard-to-find knowledge exchangers might engender high transaction cost. Besides, dyadic limited rationality and opportunism, asymmetric information, and uncertainty also raise transaction cost. Consequently, in order to respond to global challenge and diversification, transnational enterprises should establish knowledge management systems to process knowledge acquirement, creation, share, integration, record, access, renovation, and innovation. In particular, by dynamic learning and interactive communication, organizations are then allowed to share the unique, exclusive, external, shared and expandable knowledge to accumulate the ongoing knowledge, which formed ultimately the intellectual capital for organization.
The precedent studies laid emphasis on technology transfer among different organizations rather than in a single unit. Though the effect on knowledge transference performance was discussed from various aspects such as technology character, technology provider technology receiver, dyadic interaction, technology transference ways and organization learning, knowledge management was less likely explored from social ecology aspect. However, knowledge management was considered as the management of core competence. The only way for transnational enterprises to create sustainable competitive advantages was to leverage knowledge flow mechanisms to reduce the cost of knowledge transfer and then to proceed the quick conveyance and dissemination of knowledge technologies. As a result, this research will construct a framework with knowledge resources and knowledge characters as the independent variables, knowledge flow mechanisms including organizational learning, interpersonal reactions, and systematic technologies as the moderating variables, and knowledge transference performance as the dependent variables.
Previously empirical studies focused on knowledge manufacture industry but neglected about knowledge service industry. In order to understand whether the knowledge resource leverage along with various knowledge characters, and adequate knowledge flow mechanisms were better for knowledge transference in transnational retail industry, this study chose 299 pieces of samples (effective response rate 49.83%), by investigating the staff of transnational department stores and hypermarkets with sustained positive growth of profits in Taiwan. Of those valid questionnaires, 116 pieces representing 48.33% of total 240 pieces for department store and 183 pieces representing 50.83% of total 360 pieces for hypermarkets were collected.
By implementing the multiple regression analysis to verify each hypothesis, this research found that opulent employees’ knowledge, organizational knowledge or relational knowledge resources would promote the financial performance such as sales, profits or growth rate. Nevertheless, only with more knowledge resources embedded in organizations could raise the organizational effectiveness that unfolded on business image, and satisfaction as well as loyalty of employees and customers. Besides, knowledge complexities would reduce the financial performance and organizational effectiveness even with knowledge transfer, while the tacit character of knowledge would make no significant negative difference to them. Fine organization learning and frequent interpersonal interaction would facilitate knowledge flow, sharing, and absorbency, and in turn raise the financial performance and organizational effectiveness. On the contrary, the implementation of systematic technology has no significant positive influence on financial performance and organizational effectiveness, which might be caused by the inefficiency as well as confined application of digital technology in retail channels.
From the interactive effect of knowledge flow mechanisms on knowledge resource and knowledge transfer performance, this study verified that the more the transnational enterprises focused on organizational learning and interpersonal interaction, the more the enterprises with abundant organizational knowledge resource cohered common consensus under high interaction among organization members and then have the financial performance rind organization effectiveness upgraded. Moreover, for those who owned more specific organizational knowledge or knowledge resource about stake holders, leveraging standard process norms and digital technologies would do moderating effect on financial performance. Furthermore, this research examined the cross effect of knowledge flow mechanisms on knowledge characters and knowledge transference performance. Notwithstanding the tacit and complexities of knowledge, transnational enterprise could spur positive interactive effect on financial performance and organizational effectiveness by executing organization learning and interpersonal interactions, motivating employees’ morale, and building mutual trust and friendship. At the same time, taking advantages of eminent digital technology would simplify knowledge complexities, and in turn promote the interactive effect on financial performance and organizational effectiveness.
From the outcome of main effect and interactive effect on knowledge transference performance, this study proposed some strategic suggestions for management in retail channels or other industries. First, only with relentless inheritance of organizational fine culture, integration of innovative know-how, and establishment of specific routines as well as management systems could make the organization create its core knowledge resources to reinforce the competitive advantages. Next, facing the capricious environment, organization should execute sustainable organization learning by recruiting excellent talents through diverse access together with complete on-job and off-job training or rotation. On the other hand, executives could lead the knowledge management activities by offering employees interactive learning surroundings actively, encouraging learning by doing, and motivating knowledge creating and sharing, which would then improve the financial performance and organizational effectiveness of business.
As for the transfer of tacit and complex knowledge, highly interactive accesses of socialization such as chatting room, studying group, practical training, and mentors mechanism were recommended. In addition, encouraging synchronized communication, establishing cross teams for specific projects, executing knowledge learning groups, and motivating employees to cohere reciprocal common consensus could promote knowledge flow of intra-organization, and in turn advance the knowledge transference performance. Thansnational enterprise could as well build global knowledge database or electronic platform to facilitate efficient knowledge sharing and relative technologies acquirement. Simultaneously, transnational enterprise could implement on-line learning to propel employees to learn new knowledge without constraints on time or space, which would then facilitate the agglomeration of business unique knowledge resource and the promotion of business operational performance.

並列關鍵字

knowledge resources ； knowledge characteristics ； knowledge flow mechanisms ； knowledge transfer

參考文獻

Afuah, A.(1998).Innovation Management-Strategies, Implementation, and Profits.N. Y.:Oxford University Press.

Alavi, M.,D. E. Leidner(1999).Knowledge Management Systems: Issues, Challenges, and Benefits.Communications of the Association for Information Systems.1(7),1-37.

Albino, V.,A. C. Garavelli,G. Schiuma(1999).Knowledge Transfer and Inter-firm Relationships in Industrial Districts-The Role of The Leader Firm.Technovation.19,53-63.

Allee, V.(1997).12 Principles of Knowledge Management.Training and Development.51(11),71-74.

Ambrosio, E. M.(1995).Technological Management and Transfer of Technology.International Journal of Technology Management.10(7/8),665-675.