IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/jorsoc/v54y2003i9d10.1057_palgrave.jors.2601581.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Approaches to sharing knowledge in group problem structuring

Author

Listed:
  • D Shaw

    (Aston Business School, University of Aston)

  • F Ackermann

    (Management Science, University of Strathclyde)

  • C Eden

    (University of Strathclyde, Graduate School of Business)

Abstract

Problem-structuring techniques are an integral aspect of ‘Soft-OR’. SSM, SAST, Strategic Choice, and JOURNEY Making, all depend for their success on a group developing a shared view of a problem through some form of explicit modelling. The negotiated problem structure becomes the basis for problem resolution. Implicit to this process is an assumption that members of the group share and build their knowledge about the problem domain. This paper explores the extent to which this assumption is reasonable. The research is based on detailed records from the use of JOURNEY Making, where it has used special purpose Group Support software to aid the group problem structuring. This software continuously tracks the contributions of each member of the group and thus the extent to which they appear to be ‘connecting’ and augmenting their own knowledge with that of other members of the group. Software records of problem resolution in real organisational settings are used to explore the sharing of knowledge among senior managers. These explorations suggest a typology of knowledge sharing. The implications of this typology for problem structuring and an agenda for future research are considered.

Suggested Citation

  • D Shaw & F Ackermann & C Eden, 2003. "Approaches to sharing knowledge in group problem structuring," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 54(9), pages 936-948, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:jorsoc:v:54:y:2003:i:9:d:10.1057_palgrave.jors.2601581
    DOI: 10.1057/palgrave.jors.2601581
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/palgrave.jors.2601581
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/palgrave.jors.2601581?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Colin Eden, 1992. "On The Nature Of Cognitive Maps," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 261-265, May.
    2. Eden, Colin, 1995. "On evaluating the performance of `wide-band' GDSS's," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 81(2), pages 302-311, March.
    3. Russell L. Ackoff, 1981. "The Art and Science of Mess Management," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 11(1), pages 20-26, February.
    4. C Eden & F Ackermann, 2000. "Mapping distinctive competencies: a systemic approach," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 51(1), pages 12-20, January.
    5. Tom Finholt & Lee S. Sproull, 1990. "Electronic Groups at Work," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 1(1), pages 41-64, February.
    6. John J. Quinn, 1996. "The Role of ‘Good Conversation’ In Strategic Control," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(3), pages 381-394, May.
    7. Alain Pinsonneault & Henri Barki & R. Brent Gallupe & Norberto Hoppen, 1999. "Electronic Brainstorming: The Illusion of Productivity," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 10(2), pages 110-133, June.
    8. Christer Carlsson & Pirkko Walden, 1995. "AHP in Political Group Decisions: A Study in the Art of Possibilities," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 25(4), pages 14-29, August.
    9. P H Grinyer, 2000. "A cognitive approach to group strategic decision taking: a discussion of evolved practice in the light of received research results," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 51(1), pages 21-35, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Alberto Franco, L., 2013. "Rethinking Soft OR interventions: Models as boundary objects," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 231(3), pages 720-733.
    2. G A Hindle & L A Franco, 2009. "Combining problem structuring methods to conduct applied research: a mixed methods approach to studying fitness-to-drive in the UK," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 60(12), pages 1637-1648, December.
    3. R Volkema, 2009. "Natural language and the art and science of problem/opportunity formulation: a transportation planning case analysis," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 60(10), pages 1360-1372, October.
    4. Franco, L. Alberto & Hämäläinen, Raimo P., 2016. "Behavioural operational research: Returning to the roots of the OR profession," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 249(3), pages 791-795.
    5. Franco, L. Alberto & Montibeller, Gilberto, 2010. "Facilitated modelling in operational research," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 205(3), pages 489-500, September.
    6. White, Leroy, 2016. "Behavioural operational research: Towards a framework for understanding behaviour in OR interventions," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 249(3), pages 827-841.
    7. Jorge Velez-Castiblanco & Diana Londono-Correa & Olandy Naranjo-Rivera, 2018. "The Structure of Problem Structuring Conversations: A Boundary Games Approach," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 27(5), pages 853-884, October.
    8. Elena Tavella & L. Alberto Franco, 2015. "Dynamics of Group Knowledge Production in Facilitated Modelling Workshops: An Exploratory Study," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 451-475, May.
    9. Franco, L. Alberto & Hämäläinen, Raimo P. & Rouwette, Etiënne A.J.A. & Leppänen, Ilkka, 2021. "Taking stock of behavioural OR: A review of behavioural studies with an intervention focus," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 293(2), pages 401-418.
    10. K N Papamichail & G Alves & S French & J B Yang & R Snowdon, 2007. "Facilitation practices in decision workshops," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 58(5), pages 614-632, May.
    11. Franco, L. Alberto & Greiffenhagen, Christian, 2018. "Making OR practice visible: Using ethnomethodology to analyse facilitated modelling workshops," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 265(2), pages 673-684.
    12. D Shaw & J S Edwards & P M Collier, 2006. "Quid pro quo: Reflections on the value of problem structuring group workshops," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 57(8), pages 939-949, August.
    13. Georgiou, Ion, 2009. "A graph-theoretic perspective on the links-to-concepts ratio expected in cognitive maps," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 197(2), pages 834-836, September.
    14. J S Edwards & M J Hall & D Shaw, 2005. "Proposing a systems vision of knowledge management in emergency care," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 56(2), pages 180-192, February.
    15. J H Powell & J Swart, 2008. "Scaling knowledge: how does knowledge accrue in systems?," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 59(12), pages 1633-1643, December.
    16. Lami, Isabella M. & Tavella, Elena, 2019. "On the usefulness of soft OR models in decision making: A comparison of Problem Structuring Methods supported and self-organized workshops," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 275(3), pages 1020-1036.
    17. Richard John Ormerod, 2023. "The logic of semiotics applied to mathematical and social interaction in operational research consulting practice: Towards a foundational view," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(1), pages 16-42, January.
    18. J Davis & A MacDonald & L White, 2010. "Problem-structuring methods and project management: an example of stakeholder involvement using Hierarchical Process Modelling methodology," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 61(6), pages 893-904, June.
    19. Franco, L. Alberto & Rouwette, Etiënne A.J.A. & Korzilius, Hubert, 2016. "Different paths to consensus? The impact of need for closure on model-supported group conflict management," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 249(3), pages 878-889.
    20. D Shaw, 2006. "Journey Making group workshops as a research tool," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 57(7), pages 830-841, July.
    21. Gregory, Amanda J. & Atkins, Jonathan P., 2018. "Community Operational Research and Citizen Science: Two icons in need of each other?," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 268(3), pages 1111-1124.
    22. H-Y Wong, 2007. "Using Robustness Analysis to structure online marketing and communication problems," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 58(5), pages 633-644, May.
    23. Ormerod, Richard & Yearworth, Mike & White, Leroy, 2023. "Understanding participant actions in OR interventions using practice theories: A research agenda," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 306(2), pages 810-827.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. D Shaw, 2003. "Evaluating electronic workshops through analysing the ‘brainstormed’ ideas," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 54(7), pages 692-705, July.
    2. G Burt, 2011. "Towards the integration of system modelling with scenario planning to support strategy: the case of the UK energy industry," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 62(5), pages 830-839, May.
    3. Igor Pyrko & Colin Eden & Susan Howick, 2019. "Knowledge Acquisition Using Group Support Systems," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 28(2), pages 233-253, April.
    4. Fernando A. F. Ferreira & Ronald W. Spahr & Mark A. Sunderman & Audrius Banaitis & João J. M. Ferreira, 2017. "A learning-oriented decision-making process for real estate brokerage service evaluation," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 11(3), pages 453-474, September.
    5. Ferreira, Fernando A.F. & Jalali, Marjan S. & Ferreira, João J.M., 2016. "Experience-focused thinking and cognitive mapping in ethical banking practices: From practical intuition to theory," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(11), pages 4953-4958.
    6. Abuabara, Leila & Paucar-Caceres, Alberto, 2021. "Surveying applications of Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA) from 1989 to 2018," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 292(3), pages 1051-1065.
    7. Tako, Antuela A. & Kotiadis, Kathy, 2015. "PartiSim: A multi-methodology framework to support facilitated simulation modelling in healthcare," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 244(2), pages 555-564.
    8. White, Leroy, 2016. "Behavioural operational research: Towards a framework for understanding behaviour in OR interventions," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 249(3), pages 827-841.
    9. D Shaw & M Westcombe & J Hodgkin & G Montibeller, 2004. "Problem structuring methods for large group interventions," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 55(5), pages 453-463, May.
    10. K N Papamichail & G Alves & S French & J B Yang & R Snowdon, 2007. "Facilitation practices in decision workshops," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 58(5), pages 614-632, May.
    11. Sébastien Damart, 2010. "A Cognitive Mapping Approach to Organizing the Participation of Multiple Actors in a Problem Structuring Process," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 19(5), pages 505-526, September.
    12. Smith, Chris M. & Shaw, Duncan, 2019. "The characteristics of problem structuring methods: A literature review," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 274(2), pages 403-416.
    13. Midgley, Gerald & Cavana, Robert Y. & Brocklesby, John & Foote, Jeff L. & Wood, David R.R. & Ahuriri-Driscoll, Annabel, 2013. "Towards a new framework for evaluating systemic problem structuring methods," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 229(1), pages 143-154.
    14. Etienne Rouwette & Ingrid Bastings & Hans Blokker, 2011. "A Comparison of Group Model Building and Strategic Options Development and Analysis," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 20(6), pages 781-803, November.
    15. William G. Heninger & Alan R. Dennis & Kelly McNamara Hilmer, 2006. "Research Note: Individual Cognition and Dual-Task Interference in Group Support Systems," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 17(4), pages 415-424, December.
    16. Meri Duryan & Dragan Nikolik & Godefridus Merode & Leopold M. G. Curfs, 2015. "Reflecting on the efficacy of cognitive mapping for decision-making in intellectual disability care: a case study," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 127-144, April.
    17. Sonia Adam-Ledunois & Sébastien Damart, 2016. "The art of collective "making do"... When silos are gone!," Post-Print hal-01362382, HAL.
    18. Lami, Isabella M. & Tavella, Elena, 2019. "On the usefulness of soft OR models in decision making: A comparison of Problem Structuring Methods supported and self-organized workshops," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 275(3), pages 1020-1036.
    19. Ngwenyama, Ojelanki K. & Bryson, Noel, 1999. "Eliciting and mapping qualitative preferences to numeric rankings in group decision making," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 116(3), pages 487-497, August.
    20. David C. Lane, 2010. "OR FORUM---High Leverage Interventions: Three Cases of Defensive Action and Their Lessons for OR/MS Today," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 58(6), pages 1535-1547, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:jorsoc:v:54:y:2003:i:9:d:10.1057_palgrave.jors.2601581. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.