CONTENTS
PART Ⅰ: PROCESS IMPROVEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING = 1
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION = 3
A HISTORIC VIEW OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT = 3
THE INDUSTRIAL ERA = 4
THE POST WAR ERA = 5
CONTEMPORARY TRENDS = 7
A HISTORIC VIEW OF COLLABORATIVE COMPUTING = 9
THE MAINFRAME ERA = 10
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COMPUTER NETWORKS = 10
THE EXPANSION OF LOCAL AREA NETWORKS = 11
THE INTERNET ERA = 13
SUMMARY AND CONCLUDING REMARKS = 14
CHAPTER 2: WHAT IS A PROCESS? = 17
THE PERVASIVENESS OF PROCESS IMPROVEMENT = 17
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT = 17
BUSINESS PROCESS REENGINEERING = 18
ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING = 19
WHAT IS A PROCESS? DIFFERENT VIEWS = 19
THE WORKFLOW VIEW = 20
THE DATA FLOW VIEW = 23
OTHER PROCESS VIEWS = 26
SUMMARY AND CONCLUDING REMARKS = 28
CHAPTER 3: DATA, INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE = 29
AREN'T THEY THE SAME THING? = 29
DATA ARE CARRIERS = 31
INFORMATION IS DESCRIPTIVE = 32
THE VALUE OF INFORMATION = 33
KNOWLEDGE IS ASSOCIATIVE = 35
THE VALUE OF KNOWLEDGE = 37
LINKING DATA, INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE = 40
SUMMARY AND CONCLUDING REMARKS = 42
CHAPTER 4: PROCESS IMPROVEMENT AND KNOWLEDGE COMMUNICATION = 45
ORGANIZATIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND COMPETITIVENESS = 45
THE NEED FOR KNOWLEDGE SHARING = 46
ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER = 47
TYPES OF EXCHANGES IN ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES = 48
PROCESS IMPROVEMENT AND KNOWLEDGE COMMUNICATION = 49
SUMMARY AND CONCLUDING REMARKS = 54
PART Ⅱ: DISTRIBUTED IMPROVEMENT AND LEARNING = 57
CHAPTER 5: THE EFFECTS OF COLLABORATIVE TECHNOLOGIES = 59
WHY DISTRIBUTED IMPROVEMENT AND LEARNING? = 59
EFFICIENCY EFFECTS FROM A GROUP PERSPECTIVE = 62
THE ORGANIZATIONAL COST OF IMPROVEMENT GROU8PS IS REDUCED = 62
THE LIFETIME OF IMPROVEMENT GROUPS IS REDUCES = 65
IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES ARE DECENTRALIZED = 66
THE NUMBER OF POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENT GROUPS IS INCREASED = 67
EFFECTS ON GROUP OUTCOME QUALITY = 68
EFFECT ON ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING EFFECTIVENESS = 70
SUMMARY AND CONCLUDING REMARKS = 73
CHAPTER 6: SUCCESSFUL DISTRIBUTED IMPROVEMENT AND LEARNING = 75
THE TREND TOWARDS ORGANIZATIONAL IMPROVEMENT = 75
THE TREND TOWARDS ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING = 77
THE TREND TOWARDS VIRTUAL ORGANIZATIONS = 78
SUCCESS FACTORS: AN ANALYSIS OF TWELVE GROUPS = 79
LEADERSHIP FACTORS = 80
MEMBERSHIP FACTORS = 82
GROUP FACTORS = 85
INCREMENTAL OR RADICAL IMPROVEMENT? = 87
CAN COMPUTER SUPPORT BE A TRAP? = 88
SUMMARY AND CONCLUDING REMARKS = 89
CHAPTER 7: WHICH WAY FORWARD? = 91
INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE EXPLOSION = 91
DISTRIBUTED IMPROVEMENT AND LEARNING = 93
SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONS = 95
CREATING A CONDUCIVE ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE = 96
SUMMARY AND CONCLUDING REMARKS = 98
APPENDIX A: USING METAPROI TO IMPROVE PROCESSES = 101
METAPROI AT A GLANCE = 101
GROUP ROLES IN METAPROI = 103
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR METAPROI = 104
ACTIVITIES IN METAPROI = 105
DEFINITION STAGE: IDENTIFY PROBLEMS = 105
DEFINITION STAGE: IDENTIFY PROCESSES = 106
DEFINITION STAGE: SELECT A PROCESS FOR REDESIGN = 106
ANALYSIS STAGE: MODEL THE PROCESS = 106
ANALYSIS STAGE: SUMMARIZE PERFORMANCE INFORMATION = 112
ANALYSIS STAGE: HIGHLIGHT IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES = 113
REDESIGN STAGE: SEARCH FOR SUITABLE CHANGES = 114
REDESIGN STAGE: INCORPORATE CHANGES INTO THE PROCESS = 116
REDESIGN STAGE: EVALUATE REDESIGN FEASIBILITY = 116
SUBSEQUENT STAGES: IMPLEMENT AND REFINE REDESIGN = 117
METAPROI IN PRACTICE: A COLLEGE EXAMPLE = 117
DEFINITION STAGE: DISCUSSING PROBLEMS = 117
ANALYSIS STAGE: SUMMARIZING INFORMATION = 120
REDESIGN STAGE: SELECTING AND EVALUATING CHANGES = 123
SUMMARY AND CONCLUDING REMARKS = 126
APPENDIX B: A CLOSE LOOK AT TWELVE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT GROUPS = 127
INTRODUCTION = 127
MAF.G1: SOFTWARE SUPPORT = 127
MAF.G2: THE INTERNAL NEWSLETTER = 129
MAF.G3: PEST AND DISEASE OUTBREAKS = 130
MAF.G4: QUALITY MANAGEMENT CONSULTING = 132
MAF.G5: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT = 133
MAF.G6: EMPLOYEE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT = 134
WAIKATO.G1: A PRACTICAL COMPUTING COURSE = 136
WAIKATO.G2: ACADEMIC ADVICE FOR STUDENTS = 137
WAIKATO.G3: STUDENT COMPUTER SUPPORT = 138
WAIKATO.G4: STUDENT ASSIGNMENTS = 140
WAIKATO.G5: INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE STUDENTS = 142
WAIKATO.G6: NEW INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS = 144
BIBLIOGRAPHY = 149
INDEX = 157
ABOUT THE AUTHOR = 160