MEMORY SYSTEMS IN ORGANIZATIONS: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF MECHANISMS FOR KNOWLEDGE COLLECTION, STORAGE AND ACCESS.

Olivera, Fernando

This research examines the concept of organizational memory in the context of multi-unit organizations. It addresses the question: how do organizations collect, store and provide access to their experiential knowledge? I develop a framework for organizational memory in geographically distributed settings based on the concept of organizational memory systems and empirically assess the usefulness of this framework in the context of a multinational, business consulting organization. Multiple memory systems were identified, including social networks, knowledge centers and various computer-based systems. I present and discuss findings with respect to the characteristics and perceived effectiveness of these memory systems.

MEMORY; COMPLEX organizations; ORGANIZATIONAL learning; KNOWLEDGE management; COMPUTERS; LEARNING; INTERNATIONAL business enterprises; BUSINESS consultants; EXPERIENCE; CORPORATE culture; SOCIAL networks; INFORMATION resources management

Journal of Management Studies (Wiley-Blackwell), 2000, Vol 37, Issue 6, p811

0022-2380

Academic Journal

10.1111/1467-6486.00205