Research Briefing for Interviewees
This interview is part of a research project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. The work is being conducted by a consortium of four UK universities; namely, Brighton, Brunel, Loughborough, and Northumbria.[AG1] The objective is to raise awareness of the risks and opportunities[AG2] associated with knowledge flows within and between organisations. Enabling business organisations to assess the effects on business costs, productivity and intellectual property protection, amongst other things, is the focus of the research.
Success for modern business organisations, whether in manufacturing or services, is increasingly dependent on the skills, experience, and knowledge held by its employees. The more formal business organisation – with its systems, documentation and structure – is a complementary resource, not a defining one. However, the trend for business organisations is towards outsourcing non-core or low value activities. Emphasis is shifting to high-value activities such as design, brand management, and business ‘solutions’ (such as consultancy, logistics, etc.). This is generating considerable knowledge and information flows of which we know very little in terms of extent and consequences. These flows represent significant new challenges and opportunities for business organisations with respect to exploiting fully knowledge resources.
This project, therefore, has two key objectives for which we are seeking your assistance (through this interview). First, we are trying to establish the extent of knowledge flows affecting your organisation whether they are internal (across functions or teams), or external (e.g. with suppliers, customers, consultants). From this we will generate a classification of types of knowledge/information flows, and assess the threats and opportunities associated with them.
Second, once the classification is complete, it is possible to consider which tools and techniques may be appropriate for business organisations to use in order to maximise the value of knowledge and maintain the balance between the threats and opportunities. Some of these may be software ‘intermediaries’ or non-disclosure agreements. Others may be softer technologies such as establishing learning networks, team working, strategic secondments, etc.
Your company is one of a number from across the spectrum of sectors that is contributing to the research. Your identity and that of your organisation will not be disclosed under any circumstances without explicit consent.
Case Study Background
The following information, where possible, needs to be collected prior to the interview:
- Company data (number of employees, history, sector, product, etc) – facts and figures available on databases such as FAME[S3].
- Details of the company’s activities from their website or literature.
- Interviewee’s position, responsibility, background[AG4], and length of time at company – some of these may have to be determined during the interview.
Interview Prompt Questions:[S5]
- People leave through several routes: retirement, new job (outside the company or within the company but in a different department, site or subsidiary), promotion, or death.
Prompt words/questions:[kw6][S7]
a)How dependent is your company on a single person for certain knowledge and experience?[S8]
b)What might happen if they left?
c)Does the company have knowledge capture procedures to anticipate employee turnover yes/no?
d)If yes, please give examples.
e)What procedures does the company have in place to ensure knowledge is not lost forever?
f)What is your view on the impact of the people leaving on the whole organisation?
g)What steps are taken to ensure that when employees leave they no longer have access to the organisation systems?
h)Does your Company have a strategy for storage of Knowledge?[S9]
- What risk assessments do you undertake when subcontracting/outsourcing?
Prompt words/questions:
a)What proportion of manufacturing/tooling/product development/sales, etc. is outsourced?
b)What are the key outsourcing locations for manufacture/other?
c)All products/moulds/tools to same subcontractor?
d)What information (defined as covering everything) is supplied to subcontractors in order for them to fulfil their contracts?
e)What is the risk of subcontractors becoming competitors arising out of the outsourcing activity?
f)What other risks are associated with subcontracting? [S10]
- What risk assessments do you undertake when dealing with supplies?
a)Prompt words/questions:
b)What is your procurement strategy for key components? What is the optimum number of suppliers?
c)All products/moulds/tools/etc sourced from the same supplier?
d)What information (defined as covering everything) is sent to suppliers?
e)Do you feel supplier could become competitors?
f)Do you see any other risks associated with dealing with supplies?
- What risk assessments do you undertake when dealing with customers?
Prompt words/questions:
a)Minimum information about product/component/service development route
b)All information about product/component/service development route
c)Do you see any other risks associated with dealing with customers?
- How does your company maximise the use and/or capture of internal experiences/knowledge?
Prompt words/questions:
a)When a new product/service is developed is there a post completion analysisand experience absorption phase or are experiences and knowledge allowed to fade away?
- Can you identify any other routes where knowledge flows within or from the company?
(Theft? Indifference? Electronic system failure? Consultants? Conferences? etc?)
- How high would the impact of knowledge loss within your organisation be, on the whole organisation?
- Do you have a risk management procedure or strategy in your organisation? If yes how is knowledge leakage managed?
- Does the term knowledge leakage mean anything to you and if so, what?’
1
[AG1]I’ve just made this alphabetical
[AG2]This signifies that knowledge flows are positive as well as negative – indeed the ontological question around this perception is one element of the research I hazard to say.
[S3]1 Interviewees may be our only source of information about them, as it may not be legal/ethical for company HR to pass any such information even if it was just educational background.
[AG4]Qualifications rather than education?
[S5]1not sure if this is a good idea. A) they may just turn round with specific answers to the questions and hence assume that there is no interview. B) Interviewees may not have a clue what we are talking about…again postpone/cancel interview) which may spoil the whole idea of qualitative data gathering technique and purpose of the open ended in terms of being able to follow up with more relevant questions, etc interview)
[kw6]1A more generic question regarding knowledge held within individuals, of which this is one part of the discussion?
[S7]1 Any suggestions Rhodes?
[S8]1 if the interviewee does not understand, as we are in a conversation we will work through it. It is sensible to go with the general definition of knowledge i.e information an experience in using this information. I.e not be philosophical for the sake of the interviewees…and DJM says remember that we are no interviewing academics. It is only scoping.
[S9]1to be honest we think it answers the same question, and the original one is simpler
[S10]1it is a general question to see if they associate KL as a risk resulting from subcontracting.