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How to improve your knowledge intensive organisation : implementing a knowledge management scan within public and private sector organisations

The Centre of Research in Knowledge Organisations and Knowledge Management of Zuyd University has developed a knowledge management scan. The scan initiates from two models. The first model is based on the Value Based Knowledge Management approach (Tissen, Andriessen & Lekanne Deprez, 1998) and includes 6 basic abilities of a knowledge-intensive organisation that will enable the organisation to operate successfully in a knowledge based economy (.The second model, developed by Wierdsma and Swieringa (2002), categorises organisations according to their level of learning that is to say, how it develops a specific learning ability. Both models are briefly reviewed within this paper. This knowledge management scan is a tool that enables an organisation to assess the development of its six basic abilities. Once the organisation has a clear insight into its own abilities, it will be able to strengthen its overall learning ability and improve the organisations’ competitive position. Additionally we take a close look at our research approach for developing and implementing the knowledge management scan. The scan encompasses 15 statements per ability (90 statements in total). The complete scan will be assessed on a five-point scale by a representative group of selected employees and managers of an organization, supervised by a researcher/consultant. During the analysis of the results and the presentation of recommendations, specific attention is paid to those statements that achieve high and low scores respectively (invitation to implement improvement actions) and statements that have a relatively high spread across a broad range (differences of opinion or the statement is open to different interpretations). In particular we have examined how the knowledge management scan was put into practice in one of the departments of Zuyd University. After a short summary of the organisation's initial situation, we discuss subsequent steps taken during the assessment, analysis and the advisory process. This paragraph is followed by a concise summary of the results generated by the scan. Finally we offer the recommendations and subsequent steps to be taken to implement these advices in the near future.

The productive role of innovation in a large tourism organisation (TUI).

This paper studies the productive role of innovation in organisations. Using the post-structuralist insight that innovation is an open concept that can become performative, we shift the emphasis from analysing innovations themselves to analysing how the concept of innovation affects the organisational practices through which it acquires meaning. Deploying this framework, we studied the development of an innovation unit within TUI, a corporate tour operator. We found that actors interpreted innovation in different ways and that initially the innovation unit was considered a failure. The subsequent dramatisation of this failure resulted in a new version of this innovation unit that strengthened established actors and institutions within the organisation. Our study shows how the use of the concept of innovation in an organisation can both stimulate and hamper its innovativeness. Addressing this paradox requires sensitivity to the concept's productive role and evaluations of innovation that look beyond accomplished results.

Strategic Marketing as Solution for Growing Uncertainties among National Non-Profit Sport Federations in the Netherlands - Research Design.

Dutch National Sports Organizations (NSFs) is currently experiencing financial pressures. Two indications for this are described in this paper i.e. increased competition in the sports sector and changes in subsidy division. Decreasing incomes from subsidies can be compensated with either increasing incomes from a commercial domain or increasing incomes from member contributions. This latter solution is gaining interest as a solution for the uncertainties. Many NSFs have therefore participated in a special marketing program in order to enlarge their marketing awareness and create a marketing strategy, in order to (re)win market share on the sports participation market and gain a more stable financial situation. This paper introduces my research related to the introduction of marketing techniques within NSFs and the change-over to become market oriented. An overview of existing literature about creating marketing strategies, their implementation, and market orientation is given. This outline makes obvious that the existing literature is not sufficient for studying the implementation of marketing techniques and market orientation within NSFs. Therefore, it shows the scientific relevance of my research. The paper concludes with the chosen research methodology.

Cause related marketing : consumers' perceptions and benefits for profit and non-profits organisations

Strategic Marketing as Solution for Growing Uncertainties among National Non-Profit Sports Federations in the Netherlands

Today, Dutch National Non-profit Sports Organizations (NNSFs) experience financial pressures. Two indications for this are described in this paper i.e. increased competition in the sports sector and changes in subsidy division. Decreasing incomes from subsidies can be compensated with either increasing incomes from a commercial domain or increasing incomes from member contributions. This last solution has been the motive for the increasing interest in the use of marketing techniques as a solution for the growing uncertainties. Many NNSFs have participated in a special marketing program in order to enlarge their marketing awareness and create a marketing strategy. This paper deals with possible impediments resulting from the implementation of the marketing strategies. It is primarily based on a literature review, however, the first results from a qualitative research to the increasing use of marketing techniques among NNSFs provides insights in the experienced impediments of NNSFs .

Do non-profit sport organisations innovate?

Little is known about innovation in the non-profit sport sector. The current research addresses this gap by questioning whether and to what extent sport federations innovate. It aims to identify types of innovation implemented by sport federations and their attitude and preferences towards innovation. An online questionnaire was administered to a sample of key representatives (i.e. Chair, Secretary General or Directors) of regional sport federations in Belgium (n = 101; 70% response rate). Directed content analysis of the service innovations described by respondents reveals ten different types of sport and non-sport service innovations. Results suggest that membership size and categories of sport influence preferences in knowledge creation/appropriation, and ultimately the type of innovation developed. This paper also suggests that sport federations are driven by demands by members in meeting their expectations of new services and are not risk averse. On average, the sport federations surveyed have a positive attitude towards newness that favours innovativeness. The current study would help researchers to advance further into the knowledge of service innovation in non-profit organisations. It should act as a foundation for research and practice on specific types of service innovation in sport. Managers should realise the importance of attitude for innovation and use the suggested typology to provide new services in different categories and meet members’ expectations.