Employee Profile

Øivind Revang

Professor Emeritus

Department of Strategy and Entrepreneurship

Phone +4746410726
E-mail oivind.revang@bi.no

Biography

http://oivind.revang.name

Area of Expertise

Change Management

Publications

Scientific publications

In the media

Other

Shows 5 of 58 publication(s)

Article Johan Leif Olaisen, Øivind Revang (2019)

Making Knowledge Management More Relevant and Creative: A Comparative Study of ECKM Papers

Proceedings of the European Conference on Knowledge Management 2 p. 815-823 Doi: https://doi.org/10.34190/KM.19.054

This paper is analyzing and comparing all the academic research papers in the proceedings of ECKM in 2017 (Barcelona) and 2018 (Padua). The study is classifying the papers according to methodology, analysis, discussion, and conclusion regarding their contribution, placing them into the four paradigmatic boxes. The approach is to use a philosophy of science framework and compare this to the content of the research papers. We have used the findings in four representations of knowledge, two typologies of concepts, four paradigmatic classifications, and the concluding framework for knowledge management research. Both conferences have a heavy emphasis upon knowledge-itis and instrumental-itis and much less emphasis upon problem-itis. The papers are centered around existing knowledge and accepted methodology and less related to new problems. The results indicate an ECKM conference based upon as-is knowledge and less upon new problems. The ECKM papers have rather low complexity presented in an empirical and materialistic paradigmatic framework through definitive concepts representing a form of atomistic research. What would ECKM have been with a higher degree of complexity in action and subjective paradigmatic frameworks through sensitizing concepts representing a form of holistic research? Probably a more creative, engaged and relevant conference. Objectivity is in demand, but subjectivity is needed to come up with proposals for working greener and smarter. To move ahead for better quality in the research, it is necessary to break free from the empirical paradigm and the materialistic paradigm and move into the clarified subjectivity and action paradigm. Paradigmatic ecumenism will tend to a fiercer, but an idea-generating debate. This pluralistic approach will give more engaged practical research representing more sustainable societies and businesses.

Article Øivind Revang, Johan Leif Olaisen (2019)

Obstacles and Driving Forces in Virtual Knowledge Sharing: A Case- Based Analysis

Proceedings of the European Conference on Knowledge Management 2 p. 877-884 Doi: https://doi.org/10.34190/KM.19.098

The research phenomenon is the use of corporate social/collaboration software to share Information/knowledge. The empirical material was collected in two large corporations that implemented Workplace by Facebook (WbF). The data are partly quantitative based on an electronic survey in each organization and partly qualitatively based on interviews with core personnel. The paper has two research questions: A) What motivates and what prevent people from using the software to share knowledge? B) Of what should the management be aware to increase organization efficiency through knowledge sharing? Since little is known about the subject and theoretical constructions are rudimentary and fragmented, the empirical material is analyzed to substantiate various propositions. A total of six propositions is generated. These results are empirically testable to verify the theory building, and of importance for those who intend to implement similar software in their organizations. It is a strong indication that educational background has an impact on the sharing of information/knowledge. The main pitfall and threat to efficiency seem to be the posting of information without restrictions - as such behavior will result in an ‘internal junkyard’ of information. Tensions between an existing hierarchy of authority and lateral arrangements to share information and knowledge can also prevent possible gains from sharing knowledge across existing internal borders. Generally, there seems to be an imprecise language concerning collaboration and sharing as well as information and knowledge, which may impact the actual behavior of the users.

Article Johan Leif Olaisen, Øivind Revang (2019)

Making Knowledge Management Creative, Engaged and Relevant: a Comparative Philosophy of Science Study of IFKAD Papers in 2016, 2017 and 2018

Proceedings IFKAD... p. 1220-1232

Article Johan Leif Olaisen, Øivind Revang (2018)

A comparative philosophy of science study of IFKAD papers 2016 and 2017

Proceedings IFKAD... p. 1189-1202

Article Øivind Revang, Johan Leif Olaisen (2018)

Facilitating Knowledge Work for Dynamic Value Creation - A Semantic Approach

Proceedings IFKAD... p. 1282-1293

Article Johan Leif Olaisen, Øivind Revang (2018)

Exploring the performance of tacit knowledge: How to make ordinary people deliver extraordinary results in teams

International Journal of Information Management 43(Dec) p. 295-304 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2018.08.016

Our research question is how do we transform individual and collective tacit knowledge into collective, explicit and actionable knowledge in teams?. As our methodological approach, we conducted a longitudinal survey study from 2012 to 2014 to of two teams of staff employed with a Norwegian furniture manufacturer. Each team included designers, production engineers, and salespeople. The survey included the teams and the upper corporate team. The survey monitored the design, production and market processes involved in launching furniture to the marketplace (30 months). The teams decided to rotate their professional roles as designers, production engineers, and salespeople. This rotating role mechanism and socialization process encouraged the sharing of knowledge. The team members transformed their tacit knowledge into collective explicit knowledge, allowing it to deliver innovative results within a time limit. As a theoretical implication, we have found a workable means of transforming tacit, productive, individual and collective knowing into explicit actionable knowledge. Productive team knowledge was converted into tacit managerial knowledge in upper management personnel, enabling the group to translate knowledge into explicit business actions. We propose, as a general theory, that by rotating professional roles within a team individual tacit knowledge can be transformed into collective explicit knowledge. The productive team tacit knowledge that was transferred was identified as expert, nodding, familiarity and holistic knowledge. As a practical implication, we show that rotating professional roles within a team works when a team is afforded enough time to develop a socialization process. When professionals are given direction, trust, responsibility and time to develop results, they break out of their comfort zones and deliver extraordinary results together. As a practical implication, we show that this process can be planned, managed and controlled. Role rotation facilitates both the creation of high-performance teams and the transformation of tacit professional knowledge into explicit knowledge. The transformation of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge helps increase efficiency and effectiveness in knowledge-intensive corporations. Therefore, practically, is it possible to create a corporate flywheel from tacit knowledge? The conversion of productive tacit knowledge into tacit managerial knowledge converted into specific business actions can create an explicit corporate flywheel while maintaining tacit knowledge as a competitive advantage.

Article Johan Leif Olaisen, Øivind Revang (2018)

The Direction of Knowledge Management Research: Making the Research More Creative, Engaged and Relevant

Proceedings of the European Conference on Knowledge Management 2 p. 623-632

Article Johan Leif Olaisen, Øivind Revang, Tom Rosendahl (2018)

Verdiskapende kommunikasjon i endringsprosesser - Et bedriftseksempel fra en avdeling i Statoil

Magma forskning og viten 21(4) p. 49-58

Statoils konsernstrategi for 2010 var at alle avdelingene skulle endres fra matriseorganisering til nettverksorganisering i en dynamisk virtuell organisasjon. Dette skulle medføre at alle operasjoner i Statoil ble integrerte (IO). Statoil Stjørdal var et pionereksempel på IO som skulle legge grunnlaget for IO i hele Statoil. IO var grunnlaget for dagens digitaliseringsstrategi i selskapet hvor alle prosesser digitaliseres. Vi fant i vår empiriske kvalitative undersøkelse at den kritiske suksessfaktoren for integrerte operasjoner var ledelsens strategi- og kommunikasjonsplan sammen med de ansattes deltakelse som utformet og styrte prosessen. De ansattes kompetanse medførte at de ble premissleverandører for hele endringsprosessen. Deres indre motivasjon var drivkraften. Det var ikke behov for noen form for belønninger. Milepeler ble markert, og de ansatte deltok i tilpasninger og kommunikasjon av disse. Det var da ikke behov for eksterne rådgivere. Dette var ordinære ansatte i Statoil som gjennom å ta et ansvar for teknologi, innovasjon og endring leverte ekstraordinære resultater. Denne studien av IO-implementeringen indikerte også at grunnleggende endringsprosesser tar lengre tid enn planlagt. Alle lederne fremstod over tid som klare støttespillere og initiativtakere til endringsprosessene. Lederne balanserte over tid demokratisk ledelse og maktbasert ledelse for å oversette Statoils strategi til lokale meningsskapende forhold i Stjørdal. De ansatte opplevde dette som en relasjonsgjensidighet. Formelle og uformelle nettverk ble gradvis viktigere i prosessen.

Article Øivind Revang, Johan Leif Olaisen (2018)