The Scottish Road Network Authority: Knowledge Sharing - Assignment Example

The Scottish Road Network Authority: Knowledge Sharing Abstract This report examines a fictionalized case study on Scottish Road Network Authority (SRNA). The report lays out knowledge sharing problem in SRNA in a context of change management proposition. Two strategies are proposed by way of recommendation. The one suggests adoption of marketing concepts and strategies. The other propose further network analysis in order to identify ‘Opinion Leaders’. A conclusion follows. The Scottish Road Network Authority: Knowledge Sharing The Scottish Road Network Authority (SRNA) has a long-standing “conservative, male dominated, professional engineering focused and very hands on” corporate culture (Burton-Jones, n.d., p. 1). Indeed, one basic hurdle to SRNA’s senior management’s decision to shift a long-standing and all-public service strategy of construction and maintenance to one focused on procurement and contracting out is SRNA’s organisational culture. The proposed changes will inevitably lead to redundancies and an explosion in services outsourced. Expectedly, upper management’s suggestions are met with great resistance as is shown in provided case. The case for change is, in fact, hard to ‘sell’ among staff given SRNA’s senior management’s practices evidenced in poor knowledge management strategies. This report argues that, in order for SRNA to diffuse and manage change effectively among staff, network-based, knowledge-sharing strategies should be put in place. Since devolution, Scotland has barely shifted away from a ‘public sector mentality’ (Lyall, n.d.). Resistance to propositions by upper management comes, therefore, as no surprise. Placed in a wider context, outsourcing public services – road building services included – is, in fact, a continuation of a set of policies enacted across all U.K. (Lyall). Indeed, just as outsourcing services has generated much opposition since introduction back in 1980’s (Dodworth, M. & Constable, M., 2006), SRNA’s staff’s opposition to suggested changes is only symptomatic of such shift’s main arguments: employee THE SCOTTISH ROAD NETWORK AUTHORITY: KNOWLEDGE SHARING 4 retention and rights, Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and service quality (Dodworth, M. & Constable, M.; Hemson, 1998). As a matter of fact, all three issues are not only a U.K. concern but are spread about as much countries as can be wherever and whenever a case is made for outsourcing (Hemson). Indeed, one can hardly find a similar issue in which almost same concerns are voiced. In SRNA’s case, Henry Irving’s, Director General’s (DG’s), practice of surrounding himself with a narrow circle of senior executives adds a particular emphasis on SRNA’s case for knowledge management in a wider context of an eminent change. More specifically, SRNA strongly speaks for a case of workplace power structure within which corporate culture as well as knowledge sharing strategies are defined, controlled and set by a minority cohort made up of a DG and a narrow circle of surrounding senior executives (e.g. Charles Hampden, Finance Director). Indeed, corporate culture has been increasingly emphasised as a definitive aspect of corporate style and performance (Schein, 2004; Willmott, 2003). According to McDermott and O’Dell (2001), corporate culture is the ‘shared values, beliefs, and practices of the people in the organisation’. Put differently, an organisation’s culture is an overarching framework within which all employees fall and are committed to (Willmott). That is, one way management holds sway over workplace power politics is to define how employees should adopt specific codes of conducts supposedly divorced THE SCOTTISH ROAD NETWORK AUTHORITY: KNOWLEDGE SHARING 5 from interpersonal, intradepartmental, and interdepartmental interactions. According to such a view, an organisation is said to enjoy a ‘strong’ corporate culture (Willmott). Conversely, research on change management has shown that a successful change management strategy should fit existing corporate culture as created and practiced by employees during day-to-day social as well as formal interactions (McDermott & O’Dell, 2001; Waddell & Sohal, 1998). A corporate culture as defined by upper management for control and subordination is, therefore, one bound to fail, let alone inducing resistance (in a negative sense) as in SRNA’s case. Clearly, bringing in an external ‘expert’ in order to, first, ‘drive’ change and, when getting negative responses as a result of an overwhelming sense amongst (senior) executives change is ‘prescribed’, stakeholders (staff – junior?) are made to think change is ‘self-steered’. This is particularly significant as a ‘forum’ is set up in order for staff to ‘buy in’ a case for change ‘rehearsed’ by DG and staged off site. Since by inviting senior level managers only, an effective knowledge sharing strategy – one in which all staff is included and are invited to participate – is simply missing. Instead, for example, of a knowledge sharing strategy in which ‘opinion leaders’ (Smith, 2005) (discussed later) and social networks initiate as well as lead proposed change, a minority cohort decides for all. Not surprisingly, given SRNA’s conservative spirit, even ‘loyal’ insiders (e.g. Finance Director) qualify change as a ‘beast’ – a clear- THE SCOTTISH ROAD NETWORK AUTHORITY: KNOWLEDGE SHARING 6 cut demonstration of resistance to change in an organisation in which power structure is well-established and institutionalised. The case for change in SRNA is exasperated even more by the fact that, lacking a change management strategy unique to SRNA, employee retention and rights, Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and service quality issues associated with similar outsourcing moves in a range of industries in U.K. and world over (Hemson) are more likely to undermine any efforts to ‘persuade’ staff into negotiable – and fair – redeployment offers. Moreover, upper management could back away from proposed changes under pressures from interest and union groups. Moreover, James (external management expert) and Helen (Senior HR Consultant at SRNA) both seem to overlook an important fact of corporate life: actual (as opposed to set) corporate culture is well entrenched and practiced such that all efforts to introduce change with utter disregard to existing internal power structure and relations are doomed (Willmott). The closing ‘What a turnaround...We really do seem to be getting somewhere at last’ as well as James’ and Helen’s staged forum (Burton-Jones, p.3) are indicative of a recurrent mistake in change management. That is, by informing employees of ‘success’ stories and profiling change from an employer’s perspective, resistance is one most assured response. For an effective knowledge sharing strategy based on existing corporate culture, SRNA has a wide range of options. For one, SRNA can adopt marketing strategies and concepts such as to ensure stakeholders i.e. senior and junior staff alike not only THE SCOTTISH ROAD NETWORK AUTHORITY: KNOWLEDGE SHARING 7 experience change management as conveniently and as less anxiously as possible but also spread knowledge in, of and about change naturally vis-à-vis according to set boundaries and in compliance with managerial corporate culture. This can be achieved via senior management which should consider internal power structures, act on situations (actual and / or potential) of conflict, and follow up on strategy implementation making sure specific networks are adequately targeted (Škerlavaj & Dimovski, 2007). Another strategy for knowledge sharing is to identify opinion leaders. According to Smith, Some individuals in networks, and/or groups and communities, achieve particularly elevated prestige or influence with their peers. They form “core groups” and their names come up time and again in their peers’ hearts and minds and stories, not so much because they have authority but rather because they have attained legitimacy...Individuals demonstrating such characteristics have accumulated considerable SC [Social Capital] and are termed here “Opinion Leaders”. (p. 566) Clearly, given SRNA’s long-standing tradition and history of long-serving staff, SRNA’s upper management can identify a host of Opinion Leaders who not only could influence others but could drive change management as well. In conclusion, one basic problem of change management for SRNA is knowledge sharing. This is particularly demonstrable in case of DG’s inner confidence circle in which resistance to change is institutionalised given organisation’s long-standing tradition of public ownership as opposed to public stewardship. The problem is further THE SCOTTISH ROAD NETWORK AUTHORITY: KNOWLEDGE SHARING 8 deepened given a range of highly controversial associated issues (e.g. employee retention, PPP, and service quality). Two strategies are proposed by way of solutions in light of SRNA’s existing power structure. The first strategy adopts marketing concepts and techniques in which attention is focused on stakeholder segmentation. The second strategy is one based on network analysis in which specific groups (“Opinion Leaders”) are identified as harbingers for change. THE SCOTTISH ROAD NETWORK AUTHORITY: KNOWLEDGE SHARING 9 References Dodworth, M. & Constable, M. (2006). Global outsourcing strategies: An international reference on effective outsourcing relationships (Barrar P. & Gervais R. Ed.). Hampshire, England: Gower Publishing Limited Hemson, D. (1998). Privatisation, public-private partnerships and outsourcing: The challenge to local governance. Transformation, 37, 1-28. Lyall, C. (n.d.). Concurrent power: The role of policy networks in the multi-level governance of science and innovation in Scotland. Retrieved from http://www.genomicsnetwork.ac.uk/media/ConcurrentPower.pdf Richard McDermott , R & O'Dell, C. (2001). Overcoming cultural barriers to sharing knowledge. Journal of Knowledge Management, 5(1), 76-85. Schein, H. E. (2004). Organisational culture and leadership. California: Jossey –Bass. Škerlavaj, M. & Dimovski, V. (2007). Towards network perspective of intra-organizational learning: Bridging the gap between acquisition and participation perspective. Interdisciplinary Journal of Information, Knowledge, and Management, 2, 43-58 Smith, C. A. P. (2005). Knowledge sharing and strategic capital: The importance and identification of opinion leaders. The Learning Organisation: An International Journal, 12(6), 563-571 THE SCOTTISH ROAD NETWORK AUTHORITY: KNOWLEDGE SHARING 10 Waddell, D., & Sohal, S. A. (1998). Resistance: a constructive tool for change Management. Management Decision, 36 (8), 543–548 Willmott, H. (2003). Renewing strength: Corporate culture revisited. M@n@gement, 6(3), 73-87. Read More