Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An Integrated Approach to Facilitate Knowledge Sharing Among and Beyond Cultural Barriers, Using Social Media

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Intercultural Knowledge Sharing in MNCs

  • 979 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter addresses the role of corporate digital media and provides a map of the potential contribution of different digital media to knowledge sharing. Ad hoc strategies, methodologies and practices, which are integrated in the more general approach illustrated in the previous pages, are proposed. Technology is an enabling factor but the role of human interaction and communication, team building and management, education and training, social learning and people management is stressed and also the integration of digital and physical encounter and activities. A participatory and inclusive method for the design and management of social media is provided. And the emerging role of inter-cultural digital competences is highlighted.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    E. Wenger, presentation delivered at the seminar ‘Cultivating Communities of Practices’, Regione Umbria, Perugia, Italy, 2005.

  2. 2.

    Eni, ‘Knowledge Management System’, retrieved on 15th February 2017 from:https://www.eni.com/en_IT/innovation/our-skills/knowledge-management-system.page

  3. 3.

    NASA, APPEL, ‘Knowledge Sharing’, retrieved on 15th February 2017, from: https://appel.nasa.gov/knowledge-sharing/

References

  • Ala-Mutka, K. (2011). Mapping digital competence: Towards a conceptual understanding. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. Retrieved 15, 2017, from http://www.jrc.ec.europa.eu

  • Aral, S., Dellarocas, C., & Godes, D. (2013). Introduction to the special issue—Social media and business transformation: A framework for research. Information Systems Research, 24(1), 3–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asaro, P. M. (2000). Transforming society by transforming technology: The science and politics of participatory design. Accounting, Management and Information Technologies, 10(4), 257–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ashby, W. R. (1956). An introduction to cybernetics. London: Chapman & Hall.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Barnes-Mauthe, M., Arita, S., Allen, S. D., Gray, S. A., & Leung, P. (2013). The influence of ethnic diversity on social network structure in a common-pool resource system: Implications for collaborative management. Ecology and Society, 18(1), 23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bate, P., & Robert, G. (2007). Toward more user-centric OD: Lessons from the field of experience-based design and a case study. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 43, 41–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, M. (1993). Towards ethnorelativism: A development model of inter-cultural sensitivity. In M. Paige (Ed.), Education for the inter-cultural experience (pp. 21–71). Yarmouth, ME: Inter-cultural Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boje, D. M., Svane, M., & Gergerich, E. M. (2016). Counternarrative and antenarrative inquiry in two cross-cultural contexts. European Journal of Cross-Cultural Competence and Management, 4(1), 55–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buchmüller, S., Joost, G., Bessing, N., & Stein, S. (2011). Bridging the gender and generation gap by ICT applying a participatory design process. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 15(7), 743–758.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Byrne, E., & Sahay, S. (2007). Participatory design for social development: A South African case study on community-based health information systems. Information Technology for Development, 13(1), 71–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, J. M., & Rosson, M. B. (2007). Participatory design in community informatics. Design Studies, 28(3), 243–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Casmir, F. L. (1999, January). Foundations for the study of inter-cultural communication based on a third-culture model. Inter-cultural Relations, 23(1), 91–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chatti, M. A., Jarke, M., & Frosch-Wilke, D. (2007). The future of e-learning: A shift to knowledge networking and social software. International Journal of Knowledge and Learning, 3(4–5), 404–420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, G. M. (2012). The impact of new media on inter-cultural communication in global context. China Media Research, 8(2), 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chui, M., Miller, A., & Roberts, R. P. (2009). Six ways to make Web 2.0 work. The McKinsey Quarterly, (2), 64–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Connaughton, S. L., & Shuffler, M. (2007). Multinational and multi-cultural distributed teams: A review and future agenda. Small Group Research, 38(3), 387–412.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cross, R., Parker, A., & Borgatti, S. P. (2002). A bird’s-eye view: Using social network analysis to improve knowledge creation and sharing. IBM Institute for Business Value, pp. 1669–1600.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cross, R., Parker, A., Prusak, L., & Borgatti, S. P. (2001). Knowing what we know: Supporting knowledge creation and sharing in social networks. Organizational Dynamics, 30(2), 100–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Denyer, D., Tranfield, D., & van Aken, J. E. (2008). Developing design propositions through research synthesis. Organization Studies, 29(3), 393–414.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg, E. M., & Witten, M. G. (1987). Reconsidering openness in organizational communication. Academy of Management Review, 12, 418–426.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elola, I., & Oskoz, A. (2009). Blogging: Fostering inter-cultural competence development in foreign language and study abroad contexts. Foreign Language Annals, 41(3), 454–477.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eni. (2017). Knowledge management system. Retrieved February 15, 2017, fromhttps://www.eni.com/en_IT/innovation/our-skills/knowledge-management-system.page

  • Ferrari, A. (2012). Digital competence in Praxis: An analysis of frameworks (pp. 1–91). Seville: JRC-IPTS. Retrieved February 15, 2017, from http://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/documents/FinalCSReport_PDFPARAWEB.pdf

  • Fischer, G., & Ostwald, J. (2002). Seeding, evolutionary growth, and reseeding: Enriching participatory design with informed participation. In Proceedings of the Participatory Design Conference, PDC (Vol. 2, pp. 135–143).

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitzgerald, R. N., Barrass, S., Campbell, J., Hinton, S., Ryan, Y., Whitelaw, M., et al. (2009). Digital learning communities (DLC): Investigating the application of social software to support networked learning (p. 52). Australian Learning and Teaching Council. ISBN: 978-1-74088-296-5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleras, A. (2009). Theorizing multi-cultural media as social capital: Crossing borders, constructing buffers, creating bonds, building bridges. Canadian Journal of Communication, 34(4), 725–729.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frydenberg, M., & Andone, D. (2010). Two screens and an ocean: Collaborating across continents and cultures with web-based tools. Information Systems Education Journal, 8(55), 316–329.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fujimoto, Y., Bahfen, N., Fermelis, J., & Hartel, C. E. J. (2007). The global village: Online cross-cultural communication and HRM. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 14(1), 7–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibbs, J. L., Rozaidi, N. A., & Eisenberg, J. (2013). Overcoming the “ideology of openness”: Probing the affordances of social media for organizational knowledge sharing. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 19(1), 102–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Golub, B., & Jackson, M. (2011). Network structure and the speed of learning: Measuring homophily based on its consequences, annals of economics and statistics, forthcoming. Retrived from http://stanford.edu/˜bgolub/papers/DWH.pdf

  • Hagen, P., & Robertson, T. (2009, November). Dissolving boundaries: Social technologies and participation in design. In Proceedings of the 21st Annual Conference of the Australian Computer-Human Interaction Special Interest Group: Design: Open 24/7 (pp. 129–136). ACM.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond culture. New York, NY: Doubleday.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hatchuel, A., Lemasson, P., & Weil, B. (2006). Building innovation capabilities: The development of design-oriented organizations. In J. Hage & M. Meeus (Eds.), Innovation, science and industrial change: The handbook of research (pp. 294–312). London: Oxford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hemp, P. (2009). Death by information overload. Harvard Business Review, 87(9), 83–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinds, P. J., & Mortensen, M. (2005). Understanding conflict in geographically distributed teams: The moderating effects of shared identity, shared context, and spontaneous communication. Organization Science, 16, 290–307.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jarvenpaa, S. L., Knoll, K., & Leidner, D. (1998). Is anybody out there? Antecedents of trust in global virtual teams. Journal of Management Information Systems, 14(4), 29–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, M., & Hyysalo, S. (2012, August). Lessons for participatory designers of social media: Long-term user involvement strategies in industry. In Proceedings of the 12th Participatory Design Conference: Research Papers—Volume 1 (pp. 71–80). ACM.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jung, C. G. (1964). Man and his symbol. New York: Dell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business Horizons, 53(1), 59–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kauppila, O. P., Rajala, R., & Jyrämä, A. (2011). Knowledge sharing through virtual teams across borders and boundaries. Management Learning, 42(4), 395–418.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kautz, K. (2011). Investigating the design process: Participatory design in agile software development. Information Technology & People, 24(3), 217–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kensing, F., & Blomberg, J. (1998). Participatory design: Issues and concerns. Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), 7(3/4), 167–185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, Y., Sohn, D., & Choi, S. M. (2011). Cultural difference in motivations for using social network sites: A comparative study of American and Korean college students. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(1), 365–372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lai, I. L. A. (2005). Knowledge management for Chinese medicines: A conceptual model. Information Management & Computer Security, 13, 244–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, L. (2012). Engaging study abroad students in intercultural learning through blogging and ethnographic interviews. Foreign Language Annals, 45(1), 7–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lévy, P. (2010). From social computing to reflexive collective intelligence: The IEML research program. Information Sciences, 180(1), 71–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Light, A., Kleine, D., & Vivent, M. (2010). Performing Charlotte: A technique to bridge cultures in participatory design. International Journal of Sociotechnology and Knowledge Development (IJSKD), 2(1), 36–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, J. H., Peng, W., Kim, M., Kim, S. Y., & LaRose, R. (2012). Social networking and adjustments among international students. New Media & Society, 14(3), 421–440.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • London, M., & Hall, M. J. (2011). Unlocking the value of Web 2.0 technologies for training and development: The shift from instructor-controlled, adaptive learning to learner-driven, generative learning. Human Resource Management, 50(6), 757–775.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maimone, F. (2007). Dalla rete al silos. Dalla rete al silos. Modelli e strumenti per comunicare egestire la conoscenza nelle organizzazioni “flessibili”. Milan: Franco Angeli.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maimone, F. (2010). La comunicazione organizzativa: comunicazione, relazioni e comportamenti organizzativi nelle imprese, nella PA e nel no profit. Milan: Franco Angeli.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malhotra, A., Majchrzek, A., & Rosen, B. (2007). Leading virtual teams. Academy of Management Perspective, 21(1), 60–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marwick, A. D. (2001). Knowledge management technology. IBM Systems Journal, 40, 814–830.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McEwan, B., & Sobre-Denton, M. (2011). Virtual cosmopolitanism: Constructing third cultures and transmitting social and cultural capital through social media. Journal of International and Inter-cultural Communication, 4(4), 252–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohrman, S. A. (2007). Having relevance and impact: The benefits of integrating the perspectives of design science and organizational development. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 43, 12–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NASA. (2017). APPEL, knowledge sharing. Retrieved February 15, 2017, from https://appel.nasa.gov/knowledge-sharing/

  • Newman, L. L., & Newman, D. A. (2005). Network structure, diversity, and proactive resilience building: A response to Tompkins and Adger. Ecology and Society, 10(1), r2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nonaka, I., & Takeuchi, H. (1995). The knowledge-creating company, how Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Reilly, T. (2005). What is Web 2.0? Design patterns and business models for the next generation of software. Retrieved February 15, 2017, from http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html

  • Oertig, M., & Buegri, T. (2006). The challenges of managing cross-cultural virtual project teams. Team Performance Management, 12(1-2), 23–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orlikowski, W. J. (2002). Knowing in practice: Enacting a collective capability in distributed organizing. Organization Science, 13(3), 249–273.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Panahi, S., Watson, J., & Partridge, H. (2012) Social media and tacit knowledge sharing: Developing a conceptual model. In World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology (pp. 1095–1102). Paris, France: World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology (WASET).

    Google Scholar 

  • Pascal, A., Thomas, C., & Romme, A. G. L. (2013). Developing a human-centred and science-based approach to design: The knowledge management platform project. British Journal of Management, 24(2), 264–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pawson, R. (2006). Evidence-based policy: A realist perspective. London: Sage.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Peters, L. M., & Manz, C. C. (2007). Identifying antecedents of virtual team collaboration. Team Performance Management, 13(3/4), 117–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phua, J., & Jin, S. A. A. (2011). ‘Finding a home away from home’: The use of social networking sites by Asia-Pacific students in the United States for bridging and bonding social capital. Asian Journal of Communication, 21(5), 504–519.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plsek, P., Bibby, J., & Whitby, E. (2007). Practical methods for extracting explicit design rules grounded in the experience of organizational managers. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 43, 153–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prop, V. (1982). The morphology of fairy tales. Belgrade, Serbia: Prosveta.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ray, D. (2014). Overcoming cross-cultural barriers to knowledge management using social media. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 27(1), 45–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rheingold, H. (1993). The virtual community: Finding connection in a computerized world. Chicago, IL: Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robertson, R. (1992). Globalization: Social theory and global culture. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Romme, A. G. L. (2003). Making a difference: Organization as design. Organization Science, 14, 558–573.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosen, D., Stefanone, M. A., & Lackaff, D. (2010). Online and offline social networks: Investigating culturally-specific behavior and satisfaction. Proceedings of the 43rd Hawaii International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sammarra, A., Profili, S., Maimone, F., & Gabrielli, G. (2017). Enhancing knowledge sharing in age-diverse organizations: The role of HRM practices. In S. Profili, A. Sammarra, & L. Innocenti (Eds.), Age diversity in the workplace: An organizational perspective (pp. 161–187). Emerald Publishing Limited.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schultze, U., & Orlikowski, W. J. (2010). Research commentary-virtual worlds: A performative perspective on globally distributed, immersive work. Information Systems Research, 21, 810–821.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simonsen, J., & Robertson, T. (Eds.). (2012). Routledge international handbook of participatory design. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sole, D., & Wilson, D. G. (2002). Storytelling in organizations: The power and traps of using stories to share knowledge in organizations. LILA, Harvard, Graduate School of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spence, P. R., Lachlan, K. A., Spates, S. A., & Lin, X. (2013). Inter-cultural differences in responses to health messages on social media from spokespeople with varying levels of ethnic identity. Computers in Human Behavior, 29, 1255–1259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Terpstra, V., & Sarathy, R. (2000). International Marketing (8th ed.). Hinsdale, IL: The Dryden Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Terry, D., & Terry, M. (2012). Common interests, social ties and the development of social capital. The Internet Journal of Language, Culture and Society, 35, 105–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thorne, S. L., Black, R. W., & Sykes, J. M. (2009). Second language use, socialization, and learning in internet interest communities and online gaming. The Modern Language Journal, 93(Focus Issue), 802–821.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thorne, S. L., & Reinhardt, J. (2008). “Bridging activities,” new media literacies, and advanced foreign language proficiency. CALICO Journal, 25(3), 558–572.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tobin, P. K., & Snyman, R. (2008, March). Once upon a time in Africa: A case study of storytelling for knowledge sharing. In Aslib Proceedings (Vol. 60, No. 2, pp. 130–142). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Aken, J. E. (2004). Management research on the basis of the design paradigm: The quest for field-tested and grounded technological rules. Journal of Management Studies, 4, 219–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vogel, D. R., Van Genuchten, M., Lou, D., Verveen, S., Van Eekout, M., & Adams, A. (2001). Exploratory research on the role of national and professional cultures in a distributed learning project. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 44, 114–125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wahlroos J. K. (2010). Social media as a form of organizational knowledge sharing: A case study on employee participation at Wärtsilä. Master, Department of Social Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, S., & Vasquez, C. (2012). Web 2.0 and second language learning: What does the research tell us? CALICO Journal, 29(3), 412–430.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wei, K. (2007). Sharing knowledge in global virtual teams. In K. Crowston, S. Sieber, & E. Wynn (Eds.), Virtuality and virtualization (pp. 251–265). Boston, MA: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, J. H., Guinan, P. J., Parise, P., & Weinberg, B. (2011). What’s your social media strategy. Harvard Business Review, 89(7/8), 23–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoo, S. J., & Huang, W.-H. D. (2011). Comparison of Web 2.0 technology acceptance level based on cultural differences. Educational Technology & Society, 14(4), 241–252.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Università LUMSA, Rome, Italy

    Fabrizio Maimone

Authors
  1. Fabrizio Maimone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Maimone, F. (2018). An Integrated Approach to Facilitate Knowledge Sharing Among and Beyond Cultural Barriers, Using Social Media. In: Intercultural Knowledge Sharing in MNCs. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57297-0_6

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation