Accelerating knowledge adoption: A perspective of social network analysis

An individual who has the ability to focus and learn quickly is at a distinct competitive advantage over those who do not. As difficult as it may be to accelerate an individual´s learning rate, it is even more complicated to accelerate the learning rate of a group. Knowledge management has devoted a great amount of study and research into learning efficiency. In theory, managing knowledge behaviors greatly affects knowledge management. However in practice, knowledge is difficult to manage directly. The structure of a working team represents a miniature social system as well as an internal collaboration network. Differing teamwork structures conduct different knowledge behaviors. Social influence theories suggest that different social proximities evoke distinguishing contagion effects. This study applies a social network perspective to explore the knowledge behaviors of computer software developers. Our findings show that controlling network redundancies can effectively enhance knowledge diffusion efficiency. Furthermore, if a team fails to manage knowledge diffusion, it will potentially offset any competitive advantages that might be gained via upgrading technology. Based on our findings, this study suggests a new approach for implementing knowledge management and R&D strategic planning.