Control mechanisms and knowledge integration in exploitative project teams: a case study from the coal fired power plant industry

Paolo Canonico; Ernesto De Nito; Gianluigi Mangia

doi:10.1108/13673271211246121

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Journal of Knowledge Management

ISSN: 1367-3270

Online from: 1997

Subject Area: Information and Knowledge Management

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Control mechanisms and knowledge integration in exploitative project teams: a case study from the coal fired power plant industry

Document Information:
Title:	Control mechanisms and knowledge integration in exploitative project teams: a case study from the coal fired power plant industry
Author(s):	Paolo Canonico, (Assistant Professor in the Dipartimento di Economia Aziendale, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy), Ernesto De Nito, (Associate Professor in the Dipartimento di Scienze Giuridiche, Storiche, Economiche e Sociali, Università degli Studi Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy), Gianluigi Mangia, (Associate Professor in the Dipartimento di Economia Aziendale, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy)
Citation:	Paolo Canonico, Ernesto De Nito, Gianluigi Mangia, (2012) "Control mechanisms and knowledge integration in exploitative project teams: a case study from the coal fired power plant industry", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 16 Iss: 4, pp.538 - 549
Keywords:	Electric power stations, Knowledge integration, Knowledge management, Organizational control, Project teams
Article type:	Research paper
DOI:	10.1108/13673271211246121 (Permanent URL)
Publisher:	Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Acknowledgements:	Received: November 2011Revised: January 2012February 2012Accepted: March 2012The authors appreciate the helpful cooperation of Letizia Magaldi. Data were obtained as reported in the methodology section. The authors are also grateful to project managers and project team members for graciously providing insights on their work. The usual disclaimers apply.
Abstract:	Purpose – This paper aims to deal with knowledge integration in projects, focusing on teams that deal with exploitative nature of knowledge work and implement standard solutions with minor refinements developed over time. In the research the authors seek to analyze how the organizational control mechanisms adopted within project teams that deal with exploitative nature of knowledge work influence knowledge integration outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – The research unfolded considering a single case study, as this approach was considered useful in gaining in-depth, holistic understanding of the phenomenon studied. The authors started with a preliminary on-site observation done with the aim of making subsequent interviews simpler and more productive. They therefore conducted semi-structured interviews with the head of human resources and with two project managers and four members of two project teams. Findings – The results show how in coherence with Grant's classification it is possible to argue that in this context the main control mechanism to integrate knowledge is provided by different forms of standardization. In the case of the company under investigation, formal control mechanisms based on a calculative approach are seen as a way to rule out the process of product delivery and enable effective knowledge integration by clarifying tasks and responsibilities. Originality/value – This paper witnesses that, in exploitative project teams, formal control mechanisms may play the role of administering information exchange in order to achieve projects outcome and the desired level of knowledge integration.