Calls for papers

 

International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies

 

Special Issue on: "Knowledge Management in the Project Work Context"

Guest Editor: Dr. Kaj U. Koskinen, Tampere University of Technology, Finland

In many companies, knowledge management within and between projects is becoming a prerequisite to sustain a competitive advantage. This is especially the case in project-based firms. Many authors argue that without managing knowledge in projects, knowledge assets can be lost when the projects are completed. However, in many companies - and projects in general - activities such as knowledge acquisition and sharing are often very complex tasks. Therefore, this special issue is dedicated to deal with knowledge management in the project work context.

There is a growing need in companies and in the projects within them to move beyond solving problems at hand towards continuously improving knowledge and skills in the face of changing conditions and situations. However, while in functionally-based companies, departments act as knowledge silos, the pure project-based firms lack the organisational mechanisms for the knowledge acquired in one project to be transferred and used by other projects. Project-based firms, faced with the need to engage in sustained knowledge sharing practices, find themselves without the means to collaborate in the most efficient way.

Therefore reinforcing knowledge sharing is a vital part of the success of these companies. However, achieving this is often difficult, as many projects are interdisciplinary and face the problem of integrating cross-functional contributions and perspectives. Consequently, sharing knowledge across professional and organisational boundaries is vital for creating a situation and a circumstance in which effective project implementation can proceed. The basis of knowledge sharing lies in the promise to increase provision of better knowledge for project management.

Published research on knowledge management often focuses on large corporations, and it is by no means clear that what works for them is a good approach in a project work context. Therefore, this special issue calls for papers dealing with all aspects of knowledge management that are the most relevant in project practices. The suggestions to be dealt with in this issue are not intended to be prescriptive. They are simply intended to help people involved in project work understand how the theoretical principles translate into practicalities, to stimulate thought, and to provide a starting point for experiment and for developing systems which suit individual needs. All in all, this special issue welcomes both conceptual and empirical papers addressing knowledge management in varied project management environments.

Subject Coverage
We are interested in papers covering, but not limited to, the following areas:

• Knowledge management as a part of project management
• Different knowledge related project work environments
• How individual team members' learning translates into project teams' and companies' learning
• Knowledge sharing within and between projects
• Facilitating organisational learning within a project-based company
• Organisational memory in a project work context
• Community of practice perspective in a project work context
• HRM strategies for promoting knowledge sharing within project-based companies
• Proximity as a factor affecting knowledge sharing in a project work context
• Boundary brokering between professional domains
• Management of trusting relationships in a project work context
• Project culture as a factor affecting knowledge management in a project work context
• Epistemological considerations in a project work context

Notes for Prospective Authors

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere

All papers are refereed through a peer review process. A guide for authors, sample copies and other relevant information for submitting papers are available on the Author Guidelines page

Important Dates

150 word abstract by : 1 June, 2008
[Please indicate subject: 'Call for papers – Abstract'. All abstracts must be submitted as Microsoft documents, Times New Roman 12, single space. They must contain on the first page a title, authors’ names, postal addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, and keywords.]

Notification of acceptance: 1 September, 2008

Full paper due : 1 December, 2008

Notification of acceptance: 1 March, 2009

Final version of the paper: 1 April, 2009