Not logged in.

Contribution Details

Type Journal Article
Scope Discipline-based scholarship
Title Managing knowledge in organization studies through instrumentation
Organization Unit
Authors
  • William McKinley
Item Subtype Original Work
Refereed Yes
Status Published in final form
Language
  • English
Journal Title Organization
Publisher SAGE Publications
Geographical Reach international
ISSN 1461-7323
Volume 14
Number 1
Page Range 123 - 146
Date 2007
Abstract Text This article advocates a program of standard instrumentation in organization studies to improve the way knowledge is managed in the discipline. The construct ‘knowledge management’ is discussed, and the role of this construct in the theory of the firm is briefly reviewed. Then two problems of knowledge management in organization studies are identified—construct de-objectification and the difficulty of cumulating knowledge across empirical studies. The role of instrumentation in natural science is described, and it is argued that standard instrumentation in natural science helps moderate the problems of construct de-objectification and barriers to cross-study accumulation of knowledge. The possibility of implementing a program of standard instrumentation in organization studies is then discussed. It is maintained that standardized instrumentation for measuring organization studies constructs would help alleviate the knowledge management problems just mentioned. Advantages and disadvantages of the standard instrumentation program are reviewed, and the conclusion emphasizes the potential contribution of the program.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1177/1350508407071863
Other Identification Number merlin-id:4374
Export BibTeX
EP3 XML (ZORA)