情境知識的浮現：敘說探究半導體工程師的維修經驗

The Emergence of Situated Knowledge: A Narrative Inquiry Concerning Semiconductor Engineers' Troubleshooting Experiences

知識轉移是當今企業最關心之議題，各種創新的知識管理系統也應運而生。但是知識轉移成功之案例仍不多見，知識分享的效果也令人質疑。為何創新的知識管理統無法促進更好的知識分享？本文敘說探究半導體工程師每日的維修經驗，以建構情境知識是如何透過人的互動機制而浮現的，藉此認識知識或管理所扮演的角色，再細究知識轉移如何可能。我們採用敘說探究的方法沉浸於田野場域，透過與工程師互動來敘說並瞭解其建構知識與轉移知識的經驗，本文以知識內嵌的本質重新詮釋知識浮現的過程。本文主要有三個研究發現：第一、解決異常問題的過程是「多人接力」的合作下，產生時而發散、時而收斂的現象，而不是線性自系統直接取用知識物件；第二、參與者須採取「依境互動」的方式才能連續浮現情境知識，而不是直接諮詢專家已獲得解決方案；第三、知識長扮演的角色是營造工程師持續互動得機制，而不是精心設計系統與獎勵制度來累積知識存量。本研究提醒既有的組織若未充分理解知識浮現的本質，而以系統主導成員轉移知識的行為，恐怕會事倍功半。我們認為工程師所需的知識得透過依境而起的互動才會持續的浮現；因此，經理人不太可能去管理特定場景才會浮現的情境知識，反而刺激成員持續互動才是根本之道。最後，藉此維修案例反思知識轉移的議題並提出本研究的理論與實務意涵。

Knowledge transfer is of primary concern to corporations, and a wide variety of innovative knowledge management systems have emerged to meet this need. But the kind of knowledge transferred should be examined firstly. This research takes knowledge embededness as a perspective to re-examine the key issue: how can situated knowledge emerge from experts’ work practices? It is very interesting why successful cases of knowledge transfer are still uncommon, and the information systems yield rather dubious knowledge sharing benefits. Why can't innovative knowledge management systems encourage better knowledge sharing? This study conducted a narrative inquiry into the daily maintenance experience of semiconductor engineers and attempted to construct how situated knowledge emerges through the interaction between individuals. This study is used to interpret the nature of knowledge and the possibility of knowledge management. We employed the narrative inquiry while immersed in the field and performed an in-depth investigation of how knowledge transfer could become possible. We relied on the interactions of engineers to narrate and gain an understanding of their construction of knowledge and experience of knowledge transfer. This study uses the nature of knowledge embeddedness to reinterpret the knowledge emergence process. This study made three findings: First, the process of troubleshooting via cooperation between engineers involves sometimes divergence and sometimes convergence. It does not consist of taking knowledge objects directly from the system in a linear manner. Second, participants must engage in improvisational interaction in order to enable situated knowledge to continuously emerge; they cannot directly consult specialists to obtain solutions. Third, managers should create mechanisms to foster continuous interaction between engineers instead of designing intricate systems and incentive measures for accumulating and storing knowledge. This study reminds organizations that relying on the leading members of a system to transfer knowledge, rather than understanding the nature of knowledge emergence, can be highly ineffective. We feel that the knowledge needed by engineers can emerge continuously through their social interactions. As a consequence, managers cannot easily manage specific contexts so as to induce the emergence of situated knowledge. The real solution is to institute mechanisms that encourage members to engage in continuous interaction. Finally, we examine knowledge transfer issues in the light of this case and provide the theoretical and practical implications of this study.