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Document 1 of 1 Communication rules and processes of knowledge-sharing in a high technology organization Author: Nino, David ProQuest document link Abstract: Scholars and practitioners of knowledge management have recently expressed a growing interest inunderstanding how cultures in organizations relate to patterns of knowledge sharing among individuals. Thepresent study examines this issue. Based on a communication rules approach to culture, a framework isadvanced for explaining and understanding how rules enable or constrain the ways in which knowledge isshared in a high technology organization. Data were gathered using multiple methods, including 6 months ofparticipant observation, informal interviews, 58 semi-structured interviews, and various sources of archivalinformation. Based on analyses using grounded theory procedures, three sets of findings are reported. The firstset of findings advance a process model of knowledge sharing that organizes and explains the communicationrules explicated in the analyses. This process model includes: (a) a search phase, constituted by rules aboutsearching for knowledge; (b) an engage phase, constituted by rules about engaging people's time and attention;and (c) an exchange phase, constituted by rules about exchanging questions and answers. A descriptiveoverview of this model is presented. I also advance the concept of meta-rules to help explain how organizationalrules relate to the overall functioning of the knowledge sharing process. Social exchange and practice theoriesare used to enrich our understanding of these rules. The second and third set of findings reported in the presentstudy elaborate two propositions consistent with an attention-based view of the firm. These discussions theorizeabout how rules in organizations (1) distribute the focus of attention among individuals by directing patterns ofknowledge sharing interactions and (2) generate value criteria that are used to evaluate the relevance ofinterpersonally communicated knowledge. Overall, this study provides a rule-based framework for explainingthe social environment of knowledge sharing in organizations and how individuals relate to this environment. Subject: Management; Communication; High tech industries; Information sharing; Studies; Classification: 0454: Management; 0459: Communication Publication title: ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Pages: 186 p. Number of pages: 186 Publication year: 2002 Publication date: 2002 Section: 0227 Publisher: ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing Place of publication: Ann Arbor Country of publication: United States Advisor: Westphal, James D, Browning, Larry D School: The University of Texas at Austin School location: United States -- Texas Degree: Ph.D.

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Source type: Dissertations & Theses Language of publication: English; EN Document type: Dissertation/Thesis Publication / order number: 3110667 ProQuest document ID: 305518887 Document URL: http://search.proquest.com/docview/305518887?accountid=50247 Copyright: Copyright UMI - Dissertations Publishing 2002 Last updated: 2014-01-21 Database: ProQuest Central

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Communication rules and processes of knowledge-sharing in a high technology organization