Knowledge development and transfer in a mindful project‐organization

Svein S. Andersen, Dag Vidar Hanstad, Paolo Canonico
2013 International Journal of Managing Projects in Business  
The objective for the Norwegian Olympic participation project was to create optimal conditions for the athletes. The challenge was to develop organizational capacities that could create competitive advantages, while making sure that all factors that could threaten optimal performance in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada, were eliminated or reduced as much possible. Negative experiences from the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy, were exploited as focal points of
more » ... . The result was mainly a success. The research questions are: 1) What lessons did Olympiatoppen draw from the experiences in the 2006 Olympics? 2) What were the mechanisms involved in creating and transferring knowledge to improve management in the 2010 Vancouver project? The article contributes to the literature on knowledge development in projects in the following ways: First, knowledge, development and transfer are linked to risk management and the concept of mindful organization. In a mindful organization knowledge transfer and risk management are an integrated part of best practice. Second, it specifies how the social dimension; personal knowledge and problem solving capacities embedded in social relationships, is a precondition for exploiting general mechanisms of knowledge creation and transfer across projects. Such organizational characteristics are increasingly viewed as the key to success. Purpose In elite sport competitions there are small margins, and small advantages may be the key to big success. Details that in many other setting would be considered insignificant can have a major impact on results. Awareness about risks therefore become key concern in such projects, and this is often viewed as the essence of project management. Compensations for negative outcomes do not make sense. Delays, cost-overruns or compensations are not viable options. In such situations, success depends on the ability to manage risks with a high degree of reliability reflecting the ability to mobilize, use and develop new knowledge. It offers an opportunity to investigate mechanisms for knowledge development and transfer in relation to risk management in a mindful organization. Design/methodology/approach The starting point was formal documents and plans, but the main data source is semi-structured in-dept interviews with all major actors involved. The data are representative in the sense that they provide a comprehensive mapping of critical elements in Olympic projects, strategies for dealing with them and how knowledge from earlier projects were exploited. As data were collected they were systematized through open coding, identifying recurrent themes relating to major concerns, influence of earlier experience, knowledge sharing, relationships between experiences and new project team members etc. The next step was to recode descriptive categories in ways that captured underlying analytical or theoretical dimensions relating to different types of risk, knowledge and knowledge carriers. Findings The article links risk management to knowledge development and transfer in a mindful organization. Three mechanisms are crucial for successful project-based learning: 1) relating different competences, 2) reflecting upon experiences, and 3) routinizing lessons learned. Such processes are at the core of a mindful organization. Knowledge transfer and risk management are an integrated part of best practice. In Olympiatoppen there is little codification of knowledge in formal systems and detailed operating procedures. Knowledge is mainly carried by individualsand activated, evaluated and used in a setting where relationships play a key role. The ability to exploit such mechanisms for knowledge transfer is generally attracting attention as an essential success factor in project-based learning. Research limitations/implications Project-based learning reflects the organization's general capacity for mindful learning; where learning from everyday activities also provide the organizations with capabilities to exploit experiences from major projects. The study directs attentions to this interplay between organizational capabilities for knowledge development and transfer and the ability to learn across projects. In mindful organizations 3 risk management is an integrated part of best practice. Such organizational characteristics are increasingly viewed as the key to success for project-based learning. The study also highlights the social aspect of learning; emphasizing personal knowledge, problem solving capacities and relationships. The most important limitations of the study are: It does not have detailed time series data about key processes. There is no strict control for various factors that may have affected outcomes. And, finally, there may be limitations in the transferability of findings to the business context. Practical implications Managing opportunities and risks with a high degree of reliability reflects the ability to develop and use new knowledge. Project-based organizations typically experience problems in achieving such integration. Several factors undermine knowledge creation and knowledge transfer across projects. Most projects are conducted under strict constraints of time and budgets. There is rarely time for comprehensive evaluation of a completed project and the knowledge and experiences that can be derived from it. Mindful organizations pay particular attention to such factors as part of best practice efforts. The study illustrates mechanisms for mindful knowledge development and transfer that may be of practical use for all who wants to strengthen project-based learning. Originality/value The article contributes to the literature on knowledge development in projects in the following ways: First, knowledge development and transfer is linked to risk management and the concept of mindful organization. In a mindful organization knowledge transfer and risk management are an integrated part of best practice. Second, it pays special attention to the social aspects of knowledge transfer; particularly the role of personal knowledge and problem solving capacities and the importance of social relationships.
doi:10.1108/17538371311319007 fatcat:hmiiek2tangfzl7n4jrnmdg5zi