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Intraorganisational Knowledge Transfer in Security-Critical Environments: A Conceptual Framework for High Reliability Organisations

DOI:10.1007/s41125-020-00067-9
Authors:
Johannes C. Müller at Universität der Bundeswehr München
Johannes C. Müller
Eva-Maria Kern at Universität der Bundeswehr München
Eva-Maria Kern
Jana Celikler at Universität der Bundeswehr München
Jana Celikler
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The purpose of this paper is to discuss the central role of knowledge transfer for high reliability organisations (HROs) and to present new empirically based findings in this context. An explorative approach is used to investigate how HROs deal with the transfer of operational knowledge. Twenty-eight expert interviews with members of five different HROs were conducted and analysed by means of a qualitative data analysis. The conceptual framework presents intraorganisational knowledge transfer in a cyclical way, defining operational knowledge as particularly relevant for HROs. Four influencing factors are highlighted in this context. Informal forms of knowledge transfer turn out to be particularly relevant for HROs, despite their hierarchical structures. Although previous contributions investigate the management of knowledge and its transfer in a broad sense, this paper specifically addresses HROs as a research subject, analysing the transfer of operationally relevant knowledge in several HROs on an empirically substantiated basis.
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Vol.:(0123456789)
European Journal for Security Research (2021) 6:1–20
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41125-020-00067-9
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Intraorganisational Knowledge Transfer inSecurity‑Critical
Environments: AConceptual Framework forHigh Reliability
Organisations
JohannesC.Müller1 · Eva‑MariaKern1· JanaM.Holling1
Received: 31 March 2020 / Accepted: 10 July 2020 / Published online: 28 August 2020
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the central role of knowledge transfer for
high reliability organisations (HROs) and to present new empirically based findings
in this context. An explorative approach is used to investigate how HROs deal with
the transfer of operational knowledge. Twenty-eight expert interviews with members
of five different HROs were conducted and analysed by means of a qualitative data
analysis. The conceptual framework presents intraorganisational knowledge transfer
in a cyclical way, defining operational knowledge as particularly relevant for HROs.
Four influencing factors are highlighted in this context. Informal forms of knowl-
edge transfer turn out to be particularly relevant for HROs, despite their hierarchical
structures. Although previous contributions investigate the management of knowl-
edge and its transfer in a broad sense, this paper specifically addresses HROs as a
research subject, analysing the transfer of operationally relevant knowledge in sev-
eral HROs on an empirically substantiated basis.
Keywords Knowledge transfer· High reliability organisations· Security-critical
environments· Conceptual framework
1 Introduction
An adequate handling of knowledge as an important resource is essential for the
development of an organisation. This has been subject to intensive discussions for
some time now (Reagans etal. 2016; Szulanski etal. 2016; Wathne etal. 1996). In
this context, the main question is to what extent knowledge is to be understood as a
production factor and how it relates to the classical production factors labour, land
* Johannes C. Müller
j.mueller@unibw.de
1 Faculty ofEconomics andOrganisational Sciences, Chair ofKnowledge Management
andBusiness Process Management, Universität der Bundeswehr München,
Werner-Heisenberg-Weg 39, 85577Neubiberg, Germany
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
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