Knowledge-Managing Organizational Change Effectors, Affectors and Modulators in an Oil and Gas Sector Environment

Abstract

Knowledge Management techniques (KMT) have been used effectively in a number of business domains, for dealing with complex management issues. A key area of interest is the use of KMT for managing organizational change in an effective manner. Developmental, transformational and transitional change types are generally influenced by a range of inter-dependent factors. These factors can be broadly categorized as change effectors, affectors and modulators. This paper investigates the use of Knowledge Management techniques for modulating salient change effectors, affectors and modulators influential in the oil and gas sector, within a Middle-Eastern context. Research findings from a recent multi-company case study of oil and gas sector organizations in the Gulf region are presented based on a conceptual framework predicated on crucial change effectors, affectors and modulators. Knowledge Management modulated change factors investigated in the study include worker empowerment, autonomy, participation, communication, culture, normative responsibility, training/re-skilling and reward systems.