Title: Enhancing Knowledge Transfer through Nurturing Cognitive Flexibility

Presented at the 5th Knowledge Management Doctoral Consortium at the Monieson Centre at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, November 2006.

Committee Chair: Jay E. Aronson

Committee: Robert P. Bostrom, Adam S. Goodie, Mark W. Huber.

Abstract

The ability to leverage knowledge has become a core competence of an organization to compete in the contemporary economy. Knowledge management systems such as knowledge repositories are created to capture and reuse valuable knowledge assets. How knowledge should be presented in these systems to support effective knowledge reuse becomes a critical question to be answered. Knowledge transfer is an essential knowledge reuse process which involves adopting knowledge from its original problem-solving context to a different context, and adapting the knowledge to solve new problems. Adaptation is vital, yet challenging. We explore this problem from the individual perspective. Drawing from the educational psychology and end-user training literatures, we posit that a knowledge worker's cognitive flexibility has a positive impact on knowledge transfer; and that a knowledge worker's cognitive flexibility with respect to specific knowledge can be improved through learning that emphasizes cognitive flexibility. We purport that in an effective, successful knowledge management system, knowledge should be presented to enhance knowledge workers' cognitive flexibility, and consequently, improve knowledge transfer. The principles of knowledge presentation which promote CF are explored. We plan to test these principles and their effects in an experiment with student subjects, who are future knowledge workers. Conceptual Model (click image to see big picture)