Abstract:
This thesis is about the development and implementation of a Knowledge Management
Strategy in a multi-cultural engineering design environment in the automotive industry.
It aims to use knowledge management as a vehicle for organisational change by first,
understanding the cultural interactions between partners on their models of learning and
then to develop and trial a set of tools and frameworks to raise the capability and
improve the efficiency of Nissan Technical Centre Europe.
The main argument of this thesis is that national culture is so invasive and influential on
organisational culture that it can become dysfunctional in a global organisation. The
“way we do things around here” is a powerful mechanism by which people value
themselves and build their identities. Through an action research approach to the design
and implementation of a knowledge management strategy the thesis argues that, rather
than try to homogenise cultures, global companies need to maximise the different
cultural strengths and create agendas for dialogue. In the longer term this will help build
relationships, understanding and empathy and ultimately enhance capability.
Organisational cultures cannot be dictated but they can be shaped. Operationally, things
may appear to be the same across borders but the cultural mechanisms to facilitate
operations are inherently different; this difference needs to be understood and
appreciated. Organisational efficiency depends on being able to draw on nationalistic
and organisational cultural strengths whilst accepting that these strengths need
balancing to ensure they do not become self defeating.
The conclusion of the thesis is that knowledge management at Nissan is a process of
cultural change, shaped by those in positions of power at any given point in time and
dependent on the interaction of structural, organisational, technological and procedural
elements which cannot be treated separately and that efficiency, sustainability and the
beginnings of a knowledge based learning culture can be realised by organising around
knowledge and that knowledge management and organisational learning depend on
developing a global mindset which allows for a variety of cultural contexts.
