Abstract
MANAGING KNOWLEDGE NETWORKS is a great resource for scholars and students interested in knowledge management and social networks. The book is divided into three sections, with a total of 14 chapters, which, taken together, offer a comprehensive account of knowledge networks.
The first section of the book defines the fundamental concepts of knowledge, networks, and network analysis. This is a great way to start the book, as it sets the scene for novice readers and helps them understand the relationship between knowledge and networks. At the same time, these opening chapters enable experienced scholars to refresh their knowledge about the relationship between knowledge and networks and its implications.
The most valuable section of the book, however, is section 2 (chapters 4-8), which focuses on context. The way we conceptualize the idea of a context really influences the relationship between knowledge and networks and, subsequently, its implications. Johnson identifies different contexts that could potentially influence the management of knowledge as information and communication technologies, the structure and design of an organisation, as well as the blurred boundaries of context in the era of the mobile worker and boundaryless organisation stretched across different places. In line with the contexts of the mobile worker and the boundaryless organisation discussed by Johnson, the literature of knowledge management and social networks is increasingly referring to contexts of high turnover and mobility due to the population and labour mobility often found in remote and peripheral locations (e.g., Northern Territory of Australia) and in particular industries (e.g., hospitality).
The role of knowledge in contemporary business environments is the focus of the final section of the book (chapters 9-14). Examples discussed by the author include the pivotal role of knowledge and networks on innovation and creativity, which is often not well articulated in knowledge management literature. For example, Johnson argues that networks can be very influential when assisting organisations with operational issues such as productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness (e.g., reducing supply chain costs due to synergies emerging from consortia networks), as well as policy discussions and decisions on the use of networks for knowledge management purposes.
For academic scholars, Managing Knowledge Networks is one of the very few texts that brings both the concept of knowledge and the concept of networks together and discusses in great detail key components of their relationship. However, scholars engaged in research studying turnover and mobility, and the implications of those factors on knowledge networks, may be disappointed to see that these factors are not extensively discussed in this text. Johnson refers to variable strengths of relationships and the boundaryless organisation but does not discuss the implications of mobile employees and how relationships that are weak and shallow influence the creation and application of social networks. Such a discussion would be well received and useful for areas experiencing high turnover and mobility (e.g., remote and peripheral places in Australia). Scholars studying this text may also be disappointed that Johnson does not include a discussion of the notion of culture as a context and how it influences knowledge networks. For example, the knowledge management literature is often concerned with employees’ approaches to networks, and knowledge management activities are often influenced by their employment motivations and the characteristics of the place in which they are currently residing (for instance, hospitality workers seem to engage in prosocial behaviours to form networks and enable knowledge management activities in areas such as Australia’s Darwin Northern Territory). In different spaces with different cultural characteristics, the process of creating knowledge networks and their implications might vary.
Managing Knowledge Networks would be a great resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students interested in the concepts of knowledge management and social networks. The uniqueness of this book is that it describes and discusses both concepts in detail and helps the reader acquire a basic understanding of knowledge and networks. It then marries both concepts and discusses the contexts influencing knowledge networks as well as their use and implications. Another useful aspect of this text, in terms of its use with students, is that it provides a one-paragraph summary after each chapter as well as a comprehensive summary after each section. The chapter summaries, in particular, are extremely useful, as they will help students easily refresh their memories of each chapter. Each section also includes an annotated list of additional references. The reference annotations indicate, for example, whether the work is a seminal one, and they provide helpful information, such as a brief account of the importance and usefulness of the work.
In conclusion, Managing Knowledge Networks successfully addresses and discusses the relationship between knowledge and networks for both scholarly and student audiences. Students will gain an understanding of both concepts of networks and knowledge and how their relationship can manifest in contemporary business environments, while scholars will benefit from the thought-provoking discussions and find inspiration for future research.
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