The present article aims to disclose the role of task–individual–social software fit (TISF) in knowledge creation in the context of the manufacturing and service industries and research institutes. The methodology used is an empirical study that proposes and examines the proposed research model. The mediation effect of structural social exchange is also explored. Results of the data analysis of 279 valid samples reveal the following findings. First, the effect of TISF is confirmed. Second, structural exchanges do not mediate the role of TISF toward creation performance. Third, TISF is significantly associated with the social software, creation task, and individual cognition variables. Lastly, goal-free and goal-frame creation modes and analytical and intuitive cognition styles significantly influence the fit of features of creation task, individual cognition, and social software. The article provides domain scholars and practitioners with value of the task–individual–social software fit in the context of knowledge creation. Discussion and implications are also presented in this article.

This paper compares the cognitive style of field independence/dependence (FI, FD) on the behavior of obtaining knowledge from online learning system. The process of obtaining knowledge is considered with respect to the involvement of knowledge provider¡¦s and receiver¡¦s cognition characteristics. The experiment is conducted where two groups with FI for one and FD for another are arranged. Data analysis results indicate that (1) FI group spends more time on the designed KO than FD does. For non-designed KO, contrarily, the FD group has more time spent than FI group. (2) FI style is more likely to acquire knowledge from internal sources while FD prefers external where they can perform social interactions as the primary means to acquire knowledge. (3) FI group is likely monotonous to stick firmly with common or preferred passive knowledge resources, on the other hand, the learning process of FD group seems to be more varied, and often passing through in-between several different knowledge sources. Discussion and implications are also addressed.

The transfer of tacit knowledge, one of the most important issues in the knowledge sharing context, needs a multi-dimensional perception in its process. Information technology's (IT) supporting role has already been addressed in the process of tacit knowledge transfer. However, IT has its own characteristics, and in turn, may have dissimilar support suitability. On the basis of the knowledge transfer process proposed by Garavelli et al. (Garavelli, C., Gorgoglione, M., Scozzi, B., 2002. Managing knowledge transfer by knowledge technologies. Technovation 22, 269–279), this study conducts an assessment using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique to disclose (1) importance rank of transfer stages for the transfer efficacy and (2) the support suitability of IT types for the transfer stages. The assessment hierarchy has three levels, which are the goal, process and support levels. According to the 21 domain scholars and specialists' assessment analysis, the main results suggest that (1) for goal level, both the knowledge provider's and receiver's cognitive system are of more importance, (2) for process level, database techniques and information system applications obtain the higher importance in supporting the provider's cognitive system and externalisation, and (3) software tools and information system applications are more likely to support the receiver's cognitive system and interpretation. Discussion and implications are also addressed.

Many approaches to the solutions of modern unstructured decision problems mainly involve modelling, information technology and group behaviour. The work of group decision-making can be viewed as a type of process plan that is reflected by its problem structure within which the thinking space is wide and innovative. This paper presents a Sequence-Oriented Decision Process Model (SODPM) that is based on the defined sequence of problem elements to help solve unstructured problems. A GDSSP (Group Decision Support System for Personnel Promotion) that embeds a predefined mechanism to perform decision process, decision model and decision choice is developed to experimentally demonstrate the SODPM. Empirical evaluation was conducted to derive the results for the research problems that include efficiency and group satisfaction. There were remarkable results: the SODPM can serve as a facilitative vehicle for opinion convergence and group satisfaction is highly positive. While the demonstrated domain for the example presented is personnel promotion, the proposed SODPM can be utilized to help solve the similar class of unstructured problems in other domains also.

This paper presents a new analytic framework for dynamic location management of PCS networks. Based on the theory of hexagonal cellular patterns, a novel two-dimensional Markov walk model with six states is proposed to characterize the dynamic behavior of the intercell movements for a mobile station. We discover a broad class of isotropic processes having an identical uniform steady-state distribution of the six directions, but distinct circulant transition probability matrices. Six special isotropic processes exhibiting IID, directional, turning, ping-pong, h-spin, and t-spin mobility patterns are identified for performance comparison. We also generalize the selective paging strategy by introducing the concept of probabilistic selective paging (PSP) to reduce the paging cost. A unified analysis using recursive computations is carried out to compute the exact probability distribution for the number of per-call location updates. We calculate the location profile with respect to an incoming call and derive an exact expression of the average paging cost for PSP. With its ability to distinguish subtle performance variations and unveil new features of various dynamic location management schemes, our analytic framework is demonstrated to provide more precise and insightful results than conventional analysis.

While knowledge‐based systems are being used extensively to assist in making decisions, a critical factor that affects their performance and reliability is the quantity and quality of the knowledge bases. Knowledge acquisition requires the design and development of an in‐depth comprehension of knowledge modeling and of applicable domain. Many knowledge acquisition tools have been developed to support knowledge base development. However, a weakness that is revealed in these tools is the domain‐dependent and complex acquisition process. Domain dependence limits the applicable areas and the complex acquisition process makes the tool difficult to use. In this paper, we present a goal‐driven knowledge acquisition tool (GDKAT) that helps elicit and store experts’ declarative and procedural knowledge in knowledge bases for a user‐defined domain. The designed tool is implemented using the object‐oriented design methodology under C++ Windows environment. An example that is used to demonstrate the GDKAT is also delineated. While the application domain for the example presented is reflow soldering in surface mount printed circuit board assembly, the GDKAT can be used to develop knowledge bases for other domains also.

We present the analysis of an M/G/1/N queueing system with vacations under a dynamic time-limited service policy. This method is used to develop a procedure for performance analysis of a fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) network serving buffer-limited stations under asynchronous service. An efficient iteration procedure is employed to evaluate the limiting state distribution of the embedded Markov chain representing the system state process. Using supplementary variables and sample biasing techniques, we derive the queue size distribution at an arbitrary instant of time as well as the packet blocking probability and the mean packet delay. By exploiting the subtle structure of conditional supplementary variables and the recursive property of the conditional residual delay, the Laplace-Stieltjes transform of the packet delay distribution and a time-domain approximation of the packet delay distribution are obtained. For the analysis of a heterogeneous multi-station FDDI network, an iterative procedure which uses repeatedly the M/G/1/N vacation model described above is presented. This procedure provides for a numerically efficient analysis method by employing constructions of the approximate vacation time distributions. We illustrate the application of our analytical techniques to both symmetric and nonsymmetric FDDI network systems.