Title: Making error free of it: the face saving in knowledge sharing practice

Authors: Mei-Lien Young

Addresses: Department of Information Management, Shu-Te University, Taiwan, ROC

Abstract: This qualitative study is a further investigation in the phenomenon of cognitive-behaviour gap, which is observed from a series of quantitative researches on professional Knowledge Management System (KMS). It is based on six-month phenomenological interview of preliminary and junior high school teachers who used a web-based KMS (SCTNet) to share their knowledge. This article explores the process undergone by over 40 key informants in looking for |others| as the learning and sharing partners in a web-based KMS. A common phenomenon, remaining error free in order to save face, was demonstrated in informants| narration of this process. Interpretive analysis of this phenomenon revealed four aspects of ||remaining error free to save face||: (a) recognising the sacred role, (b) facing the unknown others, (c) inheriting habits, and (d) being one of the group. These aspects shed light on the phenomena of cognitive-behaviour gap in knowledge sharing practice and KMS as ||information junkyard|| syndrome.

Keywords: knowledge management systems; web based KMS; knowledge sharing; narrative interviews; phenomenology research; school teachers; face saving.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIL.2008.016760

International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 2008 Vol.5 No.2, pp.119 - 131

Published online: 22 Jan 2008 *

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