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Abstract. Sociotechnical systems are large technical systems comprising many stakeholders (e.g.: Supply chains, Transportation networks, Energy distribution systems etc.). Decision making in such systems is complex, as the stakeholders are inter-dependent and the large size of the systems leads to insufficient Shared Situational Awareness (SSA), which is important for participatory decision making. The aim of this paper is to develop a framework to understand the goals and requirements for designing processes to create SSA in such systems. The framework is based on the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and systems thinking perspective. The framework is initially validated by experts and will be further validated with experiments with stakeholders in several workshop settings.

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This paper provides an evaluation of the literature pertaining to the autopoietic, connectionist, and cognitivist epistemological paradigms. These paradigms exist at the individual and organisational level through diametrically opposed functionalist versus interpretive and integrative socio-technical knowledge management perspectives. The alignments of individual and organisational epistemologies are essential to the effectiveness of a knowledge management system. Knowl-edge management should consider the roots of knowledge theoretically in order to share or man-age knowledge dissemination successfully in organisations. The term ‘knowledge sharing ’ has been emphasised and discussed comprehensively through its epistemological influential factors. This paper concludes the development of a Knowledge Management Epistemological Synthesis Model (KM-ES Model) and a comprehensive discussion and conclusion section focussing on the implications of epistemological influences on the knowledge management system of an organisa-tion. The results from this study provide both researchers and academicians with a clear under-standing of the interplay between epistemologies and a foundation for establishing an effective organisational knowledge management system.

This paper examines the use of BlackBerries within an engineering firm in the transport industry. We aim to move beyond the initial academic focus on the „impact ‟ of such devices on the work-life balance of corporate managers. Rather we explore the practice of „incident resolution‟, in which four different groups participate: Mobile Operational Engineers, their Line Managers, more senior corporate managers and technical specialists. Specifically, we analyse how this „smart ‟ mobile device is depicted as influencing knowledge sharing within a complex and unpredictable distributed work practice. Maintaining a practice perspective, we examine the themes of: responding to incidents, knowing about incidents, getting advice quickly and extending opportunities for knowledge sharing. In concluding, we highlight the tensions created by emergent social and work practices centred on the BlackBerry device, suggesting that differing local interpretations and means of enrolment of the same device can both aid and hinder knowledge sharing.

through dramatic changes in the last twenty years and, without doubt, the fi eld will continue to change in the next ten years. Our research suggests that Cyert and March were the fi rst authors to reference organizational learning in their publication of 1963. It was just twenty years ago that a conference was held at Carnegie Mellon University to honor March and his contribution to the fi eld of organizational learning. Many of these presentations were published in a special issue of Organization Science in 1991. Since that time we have seen a rapid expansion in the number of journal articles— both academic and practitioner—devoted to organizational learning. Fields such as infor-mation technology, marketing and human resources have also jumped on the bandwagon. Doctoral programs are including seminars on organizational learning, and MBA courses on organizational learning are appearing. All of this refl ects acceptance of the concept that organizations have knowledge, do learn over time, and consider their knowledge base and social capital as valuable assets. It also reaffi rms the legitimacy of research on organi-zational learning and its practical applications to organizations. The fi rst edition of this Handbook was published in 2003 but most chapters were com-pleted in 2001 or 2002. Our fi rst edition was widely used and it was clear—given the advancement of the fi eld—that a second edition was necessary. Some people might claim that it is foolhardy to seek to cover the full range of the literature within one volume. Our intent is to provide a resource that is useful to academics, practitioners, and students who want an overview of the current fi eld with full recognition that—to our delight—the fi eld continues to have major impact on research and management practices. Our response is c01.indd 1 7/6/11 9:22:08 AM

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1 I analyze the impact of onshore and offshore outsourcing of technology development on firm performance. Despite the growth in the outsourcing of technology development, there is confusion in the literature regarding its benefits. I clarify the debate by proposing that these depend on the location of the outsourcing. Hence, I argue that whereas onshore outsourcing of technology development does not help improve firm performance because it limits the development of learning capabilities, in contrast, offshore outsourcing of technology development has a positive impact on firm performance because it forces the firm to develop new learning capabilities to access and integrate foreign knowledge. (93 words) Key words: offshore outsourcing, onshore outsourcing, technology, learning, performance 2

Laboratory notebooks represent an important part of pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) workflow as they are the witnesses for the quality of the work carried out in the laboratories. Laboratory notebooks have always played a vital role in ensuring that repeatable steps could be easily identified and identifying those steps, which did not result in the desired outcome. Laboratory note books have been traditionally paper based; the work was handwritten and stored in secured cabinets.