Abstract We examine who the winners are in science problem solving contests characterized by open broadcast of problem information, self-selection of external solvers to discrete problems from the laboratories of large R&D intensive companies and blind review of solution submissions. Analyzing a unique dataset of 166 science challenges involving over 12,000 scientists revealed that technical and social marginality, being a source of different perspectives and heuristics, plays an important role in explaining individual success in problem solving. The provision of a winning solution was positively related to increasing distance between the solver's field of technical expertise and the focal field of the problem. Female solvers -known to be in the "outer circle" of the scientific establishment -performed significantly better than men in developing successful solutions. Our findings contribute to the emerging literature on open and distributed innovation by demonstrating the value of openness, at least narrowly defined by disclosing problems, in removing barriers to entry to non-obvious individuals. We also contribute to the knowledge-based theory of the firm by showing the effectiveness of a market-mechanism to draw out knowledge from diverse external sources to solve internal problems

T his research analyzes how foreign organizational practices diffuse among indigenous enterprises in a developing economy. It highlights the collective knowledge-building process as central for understanding diffusion. Based on a longitudinal case study of a cluster of dairy producers in Nicaragua, a representative low-income country, it looks at cross-border diffusion in conditions that differ significantly from advanced economies. The current literature that highlights institutional pressures driving global spread of practices has limits for capturing a significant dynamic caused by increased integration of markets and production. By focusing on production organization and practices in a late developing context, this paper explains the intertwined process of spreading new standards and changing existing local practices by elaborating the relationship among building collective capabilities, learning, and standards diffusion. This study enriches current views on institutional effects and adds to the practice-based literature, as well as to the work on developing economy firms in organizational research.

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Abstract Our research extends debates regarding technology use for knowledge sharing through examining how smartphone photography mediates a complex, unpredictable distributed work practice: responding to operational problems within a transport system. We offer a narrative analysis examining how smartphone photography may (partially) bridge physical distance between managers and engineers, and how sharing images establishes 'truths' and provides 'evidence'. We further explore the challenges engineers' face as the demand for images impacts the acceptance of their verbal accounts. We conclude that smartphone photography prompts the negotiation of new narratives of knowledge sharing, narratives which highlight tensions around the role and status of the digital image. With the increasing availability of smartphones at work, and an emerging interest in the visual in organizational studies, this research offers both practical and theoretical insights.

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 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.

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.

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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