Determinants of individual engagement in knowledge sharing

Knowledge management systems try to elicit and support the flow of ideas and experiences among groups of employees (sometimes referred to as knowledge communities). Whereas numerous information and communication systems have been developed to support such knowledge exchanges, practical applications have found that technology alone cannot ensure that knowledge will indeed be volunteered and exchanged, and whereas researchers and consultants alike have argued that culture and other human variables constitute key success factors, it is not clear what specific variables are at play, nor what management practices can affect those variables. This exploratory research investigates some of the psychological, organizational and system-related variables that may determine individual engagement in intra-organizational knowledge sharing. Results from a survey of 372 employees from a large multinational show that self-efficacy, openness to experience, perceived support from colleagues and supervisors and, to a lesser extent, organizational commitment, job autonomy, perceptions about the availability and quality of knowledge management systems, and perceptions of rewards associated with sharing knowledge, significantly predicted self-reports of participation in knowledge exchange.     

Participative multi-criteria analysis for the evaluation of water governance alternatives. A case in the Costa del Sol (Málaga)

This paper presents the results of a participatory multi-criteria evaluation of urban water supply alternatives in Costa del Sol Occidental in Málaga (Spain). Multi-criteria and social research techniques were combined, relying on social actors' involvement throughout the research work. The paper documents that participatory processes allowed to unveil framings, perspectives, values and interests, as well as understanding of the social and institutional context in which the waters are governed. The deployment of this methodological approach has in this case provided an extended diagnosis which was the starting point to explore non a priori foreseen management alternatives by the researchers. The methodological approach proved useful for problem structuring in a collective, flexible and iterative way, unveiling existing water management conflicts and their motivations, and improving the quality and effectiveness of the information exchange and the reflection process, among social actors, even if the whole process developed in a research setting rather than in a policy for real one. Participatory multi-criteria evaluation could in this case, contribute to identify policy options that could be better defended before all the social actors, including the general public, thus attempting to achieve shared ground. The paper suggests some methodological considerations for applying participatory multi-criteria evaluation based on the outcomes of the case study application.     

Green Product Development and Product Portfolio Management: Empirical Evidence from an Emerging Economy

Few studies have explored the relationship between green products development (GPD) and product portfolio management (PPM). When considering evidence from emerging economies, the knowledge gap is even deeper. Consequently, the objective of this work is to analyze how green and traditional practices of new product development (NPD) influence product portfolio and NPD performance. In addition, we explore how GPD opens new markets and technology opportunities. The empirical evidence is based on a sample of firms that are developing products and belong to innovative industrial sectors in Brazil. In general, the framework developed and tested in this research indicates the following: (i) the adoption of GPD practices significantly influences product portfolio performance; (ii) the adoption of GPD practices tends to generate positive results with regard to obtaining technological and market opportunities; (iii) the adoption of traditional PPM practices influences the dependent factors. Unexpectedly, correlations between a firm's size or age and its performance were not confirmed. This is the first empirical evidence relating GPD, PPM, and market and technology opportunities in Brazil. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment