Governance of Strategies to Manage Organizational Knowledge 91Copyright © 2005, Idea Group Inc. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without writtenletters, and records of significant phone calls as well as notes on the R&D of the work
task. There had been documented rules for these processes that were understood by all
staff. The registry files were a first reference point when a researcher was engaged in a
project. The registry files could provide context for the project, of previous projects and
background on the relevant client. It would also provide a detailed record of all the
transactions between the client and the STDO, and of the progress of the item of research.
Problems
Running the Registries was abandoned, as this was not seen as core function to the
STDO. The distribution of PCs to all staff and the concomitant decentralization of word
processing functions was one of the major factors leading to the loss of the Registries
and of the key role that they played in the STDO. The PCs were distributed without
document management protocols, but with a local hard drive that permitted the saving
of documents that can and cannot be readily traced, tracked, or shared. Work done as
research-in-progress documents that were formerly lodged with the Registries can now
be put into the bottom drawer with only a final research report being given to the client.
It is commonly suggested that the very nature of a research culture is one that promotes
sharing through collaborative work or by publishing. However, one individual com-
mented that both “styles of working that were increasingly forcing organizations to be
outcome focused, and being personally accountable were completely at odds with a
system that says ‘let’s share information as a group’” (Informant 1). No other mecha-
nisms were available to knowledge workers at the STDO to support the transfer of explicit
knowledge for their work purposes.
Prior Systems: Tacit Knowledge Transfer
Prior to the development and implementation of the KM strategy, there was one
system in place to share knowledge. This was done through the establishment of research
hubs. These hubs of people connected both virtually and physically across the
organization were created by the STDO to provide a forum for the exchange of knowledge
in the various fields of research as well as to facilitate the coordination of research
divisions. Four research hubs were created. These were the Radio Frequency Hub (1996),
the Opto-electronics Hub (1996), the Human Factors Hub (1998), and the Simulation Hub
(2001). These objectives were and still are to facilitate the coordination of research across
the STDO divisions to develop and maintain scientific excellence. Additionally, these
hubs are open to researchers who are associated with but not necessarily employed by
the STDO. This has been done deliberately with the aim of enhancing interaction between
researchers at the STDO and universities, industry, and the CSIRO. It is acknowledged
at the STDO that there is a high degree of employment mobility of its work force among
these entities. Therefore, this was a means of knowledge transfer, of retaining knowledge
of former employees, and of leveraging the knowledge of coresearchers.
Problems
These hubs were led and formed on an ad hoc basis. There were no coordinated
mechanisms to support the hubs or their leaders either in a physical or virtual environ-
ment. No other mechanisms were available to knowledge workers at the STDO to support
the transfer of tacit knowledge for their work tasks.