Case Studies in Knowledge Management

Supporting Research and Development Processes 175

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preparation phase, the heads of units also select members of their departments for
participation.

Subphase II.2 – Communication
Communication, meaning active and directed information transfer, is established in
group meetings (see section on applied knowledge management methods) and an
electronic project management tool. Van Heijst et al. (1998) described the act of
organizational learning through communication. As one can see in Figure 5, the commu-
nication of experience brings an increase in organizational knowledge.
This constellation works both ways for learning out of communication (Van Heist
et al., 1998): supply-driven and demand-driven learning. In supply-driven learning, the
individual employee gains experience and deeper know-how and communicates this to
his/her colleagues. Demand-driven learning describes the situation of an employee, who
is searching for an answer for a specific problem or topic.
In TAT, the members of the service department obtained input from customers and
thus learned about problems and failures. Structured meetings where this customer
knowledge is spread among concerned employees led to constructive innovations and
improvements during the series production.
Fostered by the heterogeneous participants of such group meetings, new and
important information is spread very efficiently to all departments of TAT. The more
formal communication is handled by a project management tool which is described in
more detail later. This tool secures the documented information broadcast and supports
feedback rules, which force people to react and provide input. As a result from former
studies and projects, it is necessary to force people at a certain point to commit or to
provide feedback.

Subphase II.3 – Information
Based on committed information goals, the project manager informs all participating
employees by e-mail about the actual situation of the project or further news. In parallel,
the same information will be published on posters or blackboards in all central areas (e.g.,
kitchen, coffee machine, smoking area, etc.) to keep all employees informed.
Different to the communication phase is the fact that in this phase (information), the
communication runs one way. This is a push methodology, the goal of which is to spread
information.

Figure 5. Organizational learning through communication (Van Heijst et al., 1998)

Work

experience

Individual

learning

Communication

Group

learning

Apply lessons

learned