Table of Contents
Go Back
Systemic Analysis of A Team’s Self-
Organizing processes: some insights
into the knowledge management
Wei Y ang Wang, Yi Ming Tu
National Kaohsuing A pplied Science University
wyang@ cc.kuas.edu.tw
National Sun Y et Sen University
ymtu@ mis.nsysu.edu.tw
1.Why Self-Organizing Teams
¢ Fast changing environment
- Globalization, rapid change, and higher complexity
¢ Terrific pressures for flexibility, innovation, and
adaptability
¢ Teamwork is the key to succeed
¢ Self-Organizing is a crucial strategy to cope
with change
1.1.Traditional Team's A daptive Behavior
Inside Outside
>
Representation of 2. Manipulate
NO System
3. Implement
Change
1.2. Self-Organizing Team’s A daptive
Behavior
Outside Inside Outside
< | >< >
Implement
Manipulate Representation poe
Observe v
NN omen \ ——~
Subsystem 2 Representation Manipulate
| ae
Implement
2. Definition of Self-Organizing Teams
¢ A team that can re-organize itself in an endogenous
process to cope with changing environment successfully.
- The eae process is not planned and designed by outside
designer, but via local design.
- “It provokes local adaptations by other parts of the system as all the
parts seek to satisfy the new environment of constraints produced by
the changes in the behaviors of others.” (Hutchins, 1996)
- “This process produce a change in the behavior of the system as a
whole.” (Hutchins, 1996)
3. Core mechanisms of self-organizing
teams
3.1. Evolutionary feedback loops
Potential ____————_
+ performance 5
Cognitive'¢———Gapsof +
i load + performance 1(-)
s = > a Actual ¢—
Pressure of + . ctual
Cognitive load [Errors————> perfgrmayce —
L. -
6() |+ ;
ae ° Local design > [Shared |— pMismatches
aT + (& innovatio structure +]
+ 5(+) es 4
Destroy/
Establish
redundancy + 7()
3.2 Core mechanisms of self-organizing
teams(2)(quality control and learning from errors)
Average
errorrate <————— Errors
¥ +
+ 90) 10()
8 (-)”
+ +
Task —_—)-_—siError + Capability of
governance detection error detection
rate
Wi 4
Capability
Cognitive
load increase
3.3. Core mechanisms of self-organizing
teams(3) (on-the job learning and hiring policy)
Error |«——_
Knowledge Ratio of Gaps of
redundancy + Experienced performance
A
13(+) + 12(+)
+ +] ]+ +
Learning rate No. of
of new members <—__———| Members
v fe + Potential
Task governance performance
SS}
4, Important Behavioral Characteristics in
Self-Organizing Teams
4.1.Performance behavior of the model
Actual Performanee
1.00 63.25 125.50 187.75 250.00
minutes
4.2. Local adaptation behaviors of the
model
1: Shared structure 2: Mismatches
1.00 9r lye
5.30
z
SF eeeteeetsralfeceneeeesensseneecemanetmnseenantennss
°
3 Shared Structure
I i
F Sk a ee |r
2.65 |
a i
a .
if Mismatches
0.50 i i
0.00 -———=2 t i
1.00 63.25 125.50
minutes
SIOUS
4.
3 Accumulated errors behaviors of the
model
2: ERS
21.00
Errors
A (ic Oe
— = 5 pe
2
0.00 : : ; 4
1.00 63.25 125.50 187.75 250.00
minutes
5. How Knowledge Management Fertilize
Self-Organizing Processes
¢ What are the conditions to form the structure?
¢ What kinds of knowledge are managed?
¢ How to facilitate the processes of self-
organization?
9.1 Insights into the KM policy(1)
Key Areas KM Policy Kinds of knowledge
Goal Information sharing Operational knowledge@?
appropriateness Environment and system state
(Loop!)
Mutual Knowledge redundancy, | Operational knowledge
understanding | Knowledge transfer Task knowledge, Shared
(Loop5) structure
Local design | Knowledge redundancy, | Operational knowledge@
and social Environment availability, | Task knowledge, Shared
innovation Learning and change structure
(Loop6)
culture
9.1 Insights into the KM policy(2)
Key Areas KM Policy Kinds of knowledge
Error detection Knowledge redundancy, | Operational knowledge@®
(Loop8,Loop9) | Task governance, Intemal | Task knowledge
competition
Leaming form Leaming from others, Operational knowledge@®
error
(Loop11)
Learning culture
Skill, Experience
9.1 Insights into the KM policy(2)
Key Areas KM Policy Kinds of knowledge
Learning context | Hiring/Leaving policy, Operational knowledge@®
(Loop12,Loop13)) Training, On-the-job learning, | Task knowledge, Shared
Task govemance, Learning structure
environment, Leaming culture
Change process | Understanding and sharing | System knowledge@
of the structure and Structure and behaviors
dynamic behaviors
9.2.Simulation for KM policy in Self-
Organizing Teams(1)
¢ Higher knowledge redundancy
1: DWR 2: AWR
40.00 otc eett ett t estes pees ete eee eee es prceeeseseses sees prctcessteseeeeees
1.00 63.25 125.50 187.75 250.00
9.2.Simulation for KM policy in Self-
Organizing Teams(2)
¢ IT for communication efficiency
21.00
10.50 | oo 5 i A
Cumulated Errors without Improvement
1.00 63.25 125.50 187.75 250.00
9.2.Simulation for KM policy in Self-
Organizing Teams(3)
¢ More effective learning context
2
2 Skills of error Geeon
1.00
Capability of Figor Detection |
om ore effective: [scouting context)
Capability of Error Detedtion
(less effective learning context)
1.00 63.25 125.50 187.75 250.00
6.Discussion
¢ The common difficulty of KM in organization-
Where and How to begin-can be resolved.
¢ Diversified knowledge are required
¢ Systems A nalysis and Structure Understanding
for Leverages of KM
7.Conclusion
¢ Self-organizing is one important strategy of
change management.
¢ To strengthen the self-organizing ability, the
team’s structure and dynamic re-organizing
process should receive equal attentions
¢ Structural and behavioral understanding
highlights the most critical KM policies
¢ KM can facilitate the self-organizing team a
ot, in both process and performance
Back to the Top
