Knowledge management as an image of the organization: industry standards and the processes of knowing in credit risk management

Mondale, Jennifer, Scott, Susan V. ORCID: 0000-0002-8775-9364 and Venters, Will (2006) Knowledge management as an image of the organization: industry standards and the processes of knowing in credit risk management. In: 14th European Conference on Information Systems, 2006-06-12 - 2006-06-14, Göteborg, Sweden. (Submitted)

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Abstract

There is often a discrepancy between an organization’s theory of its work and its practices. Drawing on evidence from credit risk management in a major international bank we show that management-led knowledge management (KM) initiatives have reinforced this tendency. We show that, in a direct reflection of the rational economic image of financial markets, training programmes and KM projects focus on technical mechanisms to manage credit risk and under-emphasise the way in which these standard approaches are situated in processes of knowing. Using a conceptual scheme developed from Ashby’s Law of Requisite Variety we maintain that the assessment and management of risk involves both the attenuation and amplification of variety. Information intensive infrastructure-based businesses need processes of standardization (as attenuation) that facilitate globalizing business flows and the creative capacity (as amplification) to respond to uncertainty and innovation. In conclusion, we present further evidence to suggest that standard, technology-based solutions to knowledge management should be part of a broader portfolio of (dis-) organizing practices designed to support knowledge workers in a community of practice.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Official URL:	http://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis/
Additional Information:	© 2006 the authors
Divisions:	Management Centre for Economic Performance Centre for Analysis of Risk & Regulation
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD61 Risk Management H Social Sciences > HG Finance
JEL classification:	D - Microeconomics > D8 - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty
Date Deposited:	06 Feb 2009 10:30
Last Modified:	15 Sep 2023 08:23
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/8267

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