DEVELOPING WITHIN-COMPANY INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (ICT) INNOVATION DIFFUSION NETWORKS: A STUDY OF THREE AUSTRALIAN MAJOR CONTRACTORS

The innovation diffusion and knowledge management literature strongly supports the importance of communities of practice (COP) for enabling knowledge about how to use and adopt innovation initiatives. One of the most powerful tools for innovation diffusion is word-of-mouth wisdom from committed individuals who mentor and support each other. Close proximity for face-to-face interaction is highly effective, however, many organisations are geographically dispersed with projects being virtual linked sub-organisations using ICT to communicate. ICT has also introduced a useful facilitating technology for developing knowledge networks. This paper presents findings from a research program concentrating on ICT innovation diffusion in the Australian construction industry. One way in which ICT diffusion is taking place was found to be through within-company communities of practice. We undertook in-depth unstructured interviews with three of the major 10 to 15 contractors in Australia to discuss their ICT diffusion strategies. We discovered that in all three cases,within company networked communities of practice was a central strategy. Further, effective diffusion of ICT groupware tools can be critical in developing COP where they are geographically dispersed.

[1]  Jean Hartley,et al.  Case study research , 2004 .

[2]  Daniel A. Levinthal,et al.  ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY: A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON LEARNING AND INNOVATION , 1990 .

[3]  Jacky Swan,et al.  Survival of the leanest: intensive knowledge work and groupware adaptation , 2001, Inf. Technol. People.

[4]  C. Prahalad,et al.  The Core Competence of the Corporation , 1990 .

[5]  S. Ghoshal,et al.  Social Capital, Intellectual Capital, and the Organizational Advantage , 1998 .

[6]  J. Storck,et al.  Knowledge Diffusion through “Strategic Communities” , 2000 .

[7]  J. Whitney.  Case Study Research , 1999 .

[8]  M. Porter.  The Competitive Advantage Of Nations , 1990 .

[9]  Thomas E. Pinelli,et al.  An investigation of factors affecting how engineers and scientists seek information , 2001 .

[10]  Andrew Wilson,et al.  Factors influencing information communication technology diffusion: an Australian study , 2003 .

[11]  K. Sivakumar,et al.  Implementation of industrial process innovations: factors, effects, and marketing implications , 1999 .

[12]  E. Sarah Slaughter,et al.  Implementation of construction innovations , 2000 .

[13]  I. Nonaka,et al.  Enabling Knowledge Creation , 2000 .

[14]  Steven E. Prokesch.  \Unleashing the Power of Learning: An Interview with British Petroleum's John Browne , 1997 .

[15]  E. Sarah Slaughter,et al.  Models of Construction Innovation , 1998 .

[16]  Derek H.T. Walker,et al.  Procurement strategies : a relationship-based approach , 2003 .

[17]  Etienne Wenger,et al.  Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation , 1991 .

[18]  Keith D. Hampson,et al.  Enabling improved business relationships: how information technology makes a difference , 2003 .

[19]  Etienne Wenger,et al.  Communities of Practice: The Key to Knowledge Strategy , 2000 .

[20]  E. Wenger,et al.  Communities of Practice: The Organizational Frontier , 2000 .