Knowledge Integration Reconceptualized from an Integrationist Perspective

1. Knowledge Integration Reconceptualized from an Integrationist Perspective Lars Taxén Linköping University lars.taxen@telia.com

2. Outline • Motivation • Integrationism • The Activity Modalities and the Activity Domain • Innate integrative capabilities • The organizational context • Knowledge integration reconceptualized

3. [Despite] the wide consensus in the literature on the prominence and centrality of knowledge in production activities … there is still very little theory on what constitutes knowledge integration …, and even less on how this integration is accomplished in practice… (Haddad & Bozdogan, 2009, p. 8).

4. Integrationism as a point of departure …

5. Integrationism – a new theory of communication Roy Harris Prof. emeritus, Oxford Knowledge is not a matter of gaining access to something outside yourself; all knowledge is internally generated by the human capacity for sign-making; the external world supplies input to this creative process but does not predetermine the outcome; signs and, hence knowledge, arise from creative attempts to integrate the various activities of which human beings are capable. (Roy Harris, 2009, p. 162)

6. … conceptualize activity

7. The Activity Domain Activity Modalities Motivated by some need - motivation About something - a target - objectivation - contextualization Frame a context of relevance Orient ourselves in space - spatialization Conceive of actions - temporalization - stabilization Work out relevant actions Change focus - transition Enacting means Aligning individual meanings

8. An example - Travelling to Tallinn Motivation Present contribution at ACM 2012 Target: the travel - objectivation A context for planning the action before carrying it out The route: actions - temporalization The map: orientation in space - spatialization The scale in km: convention - stabilization

9. … innate integrative capabilities

10. Integration presumes signification in all activity modalities integrative functions mediated by signs Higher mental functions (unique for humans) speech, abstract and general concept formation motivation, objectivation, contextualization, spatialization, temporalization, stabilization, transition Lower mental functions (all organisms with neural networks) Integrative neural circuits perceptional, attentional, memorial, evaluative, motoric neural circuits

11. … apply to organizational context

12. The development of a telecom processor

13. Signs of objectivation SW upgrade during traffic Operation and Management HW/SW info Call path tracing Traffic connection DCH connection supervision Start MMI Soft handover Softer handover Hard handover Element management platform Fast congestion control DCHMulti code Multi DCH Radio link DCHSingle code Single DCH radio link Java execution platform Cell capacity supervision IP support FACH/RACH connection Fast power control FACH Ack. AAL5/IP packaging and encapsulating DCH User data process SMSbroadcast DCHPower control Iub data stream setup/release RACH Transport channel FACHProcess user data BCCH User data process PCH User data process DCH Synchronization RACHsetup/release FACH Power control BCCH Power control PCH Power control FACHsetup/release DCH setup/release BCCH setup/release PCH setup/release AAL2 network connection control Setup of RBS/RNC control link Cell measurement report to RNC Node synch. RX diversion SAAL layer Cell processing setup/release AAL2 layer AAL5 layer Resource auto configuration Network synch. incl. Distr. Node connection control De-block HW(incl. Self test) CMsupport Scalable execution SW key handling Physical line termination Application SW load FM support System upgrade PM support Distributed OS LED handling Local execution platform Application hook Power on

14. Signs of objectivation

15. Integration within and across activity domains

16. Signs of spatialization TEST_ITEM Tested_by Requirement Issuer Depends_on has ANATOMY_ITEM INTEGRATION_ITEM Included_In LSV Work Package Directed_To (fulfillment-status) AD-package Feature Increment Impacts (man-hours) ! DESIGN_ITEM REQUIREMENT PRODUCT PROGRESS_CONTROL_ITEM PROD_DOC Baseline MILESTONE CHANGE_PROPOSAL_ITEM CR TR

17. Ericsson Business Process s l e a c b e i v o g r l a e G n S a M t t n n t t e e c c m m u u d d g g a a o o r r n n P P a a M M t t n n e e m m m m e e t t g g s s a a y y n n S S a a M M t t n n & & e e m m n n t t s s e e g g e e i i g g s s T T a a e e n n D D a a M M Signs of temporalization PC 5 PC 4 SC 8 t t n n e e s PC 3 PC 6 l e m m a c b e Implement In - Service i v o g r l Solution Support a e G n S a M t t n n PC 2 e e y y l l m m Supply p p g g p p Solution a a u u n n S S a a M M t t n n t t e e PC 0 PC 1 n n m m u u e e Create o o g g Sales Sales c c a a Business c c n n A A a a M M SC 7 SC 1 SC 2 SC 5 Define Product Design Prepare Exibit Product in Define Business Content Market Offer Deployment Service Content SC 4 SC 3 Specify Product SC 6 Design & Verify Product

18. Means

19. Knowledge integration reconceptualized • The individual is the sole locus of knowledge • Knowledge is internally generated by the human capacity for sign-making • Knowledge arise from creative attempts to integrate activities • Rejects notions like “organizational knowledge”, “shared understanding”, “distributed cognition”, etc. • Knowledge is germane to the Activity Domain context • Target and motive determine the relevance of knowledge • Integration posits sign-making in all Activity Modalities • Integration take place in and between Activity Domains • Provides a “Hard Core” for Knowledge Integration • Organizations as constellations of Activity Domains • Individual, team, group, business unit, organization, extended enterprise, … are all considered Activity Domains

20. The subject-matter of Knowledge Integration need to acknowledge human capabilities for integrating activities From Knowledge Integration to Knowledge IN Integration