European Journal for Security Research V. 6

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6 Eur. J. Sec. Rsch. 1 (2021)

handle is hein.journals/eupnjfos6 and id is 1 raw text is:

European Journal for Security Research (2021) 6:1-20
https://doi.org/l 0.1007/s41125-020-00067-9
ORIGINAL PAPER

Intraorganisational Knowledge Transfer in Security-Critical
Environments: A Conceptual Framework for High Reliability
Organisations

Johannes C. MUller - Eva-Maria Kern' • Jana M. Holling'

Received: 31 March 2020 /Accepted: 10 July 2020 /Published online: 28 August 2020
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020

Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the central role of knowledge transfer for
high reliability organisations (HROs) and to present new empirically based findings
in this context. An explorative approach is used to investigate how HROs deal with
the transfer of operational knowledge. Twenty-eight expert interviews with members
of five different HROs were conducted and analysed by means of a qualitative data
analysis. The conceptual framework presents intraorganisational knowledge transfer
in a cyclical way, defining operational knowledge as particularly relevant for HROs.
Four influencing factors are highlighted in this context. Informal forms of knowl-
edge transfer turn out to be particularly relevant for HROs, despite their hierarchical
structures. Although previous contributions investigate the management of knowl-
edge and its transfer in a broad sense, this paper specifically addresses HROs as a
research subject, analysing the transfer of operationally relevant knowledge in sev-
eral HROs on an empirically substantiated basis.

Keywords Knowledge transfer • High reliability organisations • Security-critical
environments • Conceptual framework

1 Introduction

An adequate handling of knowledge as an important resource is essential for the
development of an organisation. This has been subject to intensive discussions for
some time now (Reagans et al. 2016; Szulanski et al. 2016; Wathne et al. 1996). In
this context, the main question is to what extent knowledge is to be understood as a
production factor and how it relates to the classical production factors labour, land

E Johannes C. Muller
j.mueller@unibw.de

Faculty of Economics and Organisational Sciences, Chair of Knowledge Management
and Business Process Management, Universitat der Bundeswehr Munchen,
Werner-Heisenberg-Weg 39, 85577 Neubiberg, Germany

', Springer