Title: A case study in knowledge sharing: lessons from the information technology department of a French car manufacturer

Authors: Luciana Castro Goncalves, Amaury Grimand, Eleonore Mounoud, Isabelle Vandangeon-Derumez

Addresses: Institut Superieur de Technologie et Management, Cite Descartes 2, Bd Blaise Pascal, Noisy-le-Grand Cedex BP-99-93162, France. ' Associated Research Euristik – UMR CNRS 50 55, Centre de Recherche de l'IAE Lyon III, Universite Jean Monnet – Saint Etienne, 15 Quai Claude Bernard, Lyon Cedex 2 BP 638-69239, France. ' Laboratoire Strategie and Technologie, Ecole Centrale Paris, Chatenay Malabry Cedex 92 295, France ' IUP Commerce et Vente de St Maur, 58 avenue Didier, La Varenne Saint Hilaire 94 210, France

Abstract: The growth of Information Technology (IT) within organisations has created the need for organisational evolution. These evolutions particularly concern the IT department which develops and manages the IT programs and infrastructures within the organisation. Not only the evolution of IT leads to areassessment of individual knowledge and expertise within the IT department but it also has an impact on the collective competencies necessary to cooperate with internal customers, suppliers and consultants. This paper presents the organisational framework implemented within the IT department of a French car manufacturer in order to acquire and share knowledge better. We distinguish capitalisation tools, which, by creating standardised procedures and references, contribute to the collective memory and socialisation devices which produce tacit and fragmented knowledge. Finally, we identify a number of difficulties linked to the technical, professional and organisational rules of the IT department.

Keywords: learning; information technology; IT departments; communities of practice; knowledge sharing; knowledge management; France; automobile industry; automotive manufacturers; organisational change; collective memory; tacit knowledge; fragmented knowledge; knowledge acquisition; e-procurement; electronic procurement; online procurement.

DOI: 10.1504/IJATM.2007.013380

International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, 2007 Vol.7 No.1, pp.1 - 16

Published online: 24 Apr 2007 *

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