max evans . com

Doctoral Research Proposal

Max — Thu, 13 May 2010 19:57:13 +0000

As part of the requirements at the iSchool, doctoral students are required to defend their doctoral research proposal before a committee that is normally comprised of the same members as the Comprehensive Examination Committee. Students must demonstrate the viability of their project and their capacity to undertake doctoral thesis research.

Max’s committee (comprised of Professor Chun Wei Choo, Professor Anthony Wensley and Professor Kelly Lyons) met and approved Max’s research proposal on April 30th, 2010

Download the Final Research Proposal (Evans, 2010)

Doctoral Research: Research Questions | DRR | Theoretical Framework | Research Proposal | Survey

Theoretical Framework

Max — Thu, 13 May 2010 19:38:48 +0000

The conceptual framework below suggests that the identified social-cognitive factors and trust may have direct or indirect effects on knowledge sharing behavior. The relationships in the figure were derived from research studies that had found associations between the social-cognitive factors and trust, the social-cognitive factors and knowledge sharing behavior, or trust and knowledge sharing behavior. The conceptual framework is an attempt to synthesize and combine these three sets of relationships discovered in previous research. While there are potentially linkages between every factor in the figure, this study focuses on the possible relationships depicted in the figure.

The study also suggests that trust may act in a mediating role between the social-cognitive factors and knowledge sharing behavior. This is interesting since it can help to better understand the role of trust in knowledge sharing behavior.

Doctoral Research: Research Questions | DRR | Theoretical Framework | Research Proposal | Survey

Determination of Research Readiness

Max — Thu, 13 May 2010 18:57:20 +0000

A Determination of Research Readiness (DRR) is submitted to the iSchool after completing the course requirements and before developing a proposal for dissertation research. In order to enter candidacy a doctoral student must present himself or herself before a committee which will determine the candidate’s readiness to undertake research. (Click here to find out more about the guidelines and procedures for determination of research readiness (DRR))

Max successfully defended his Determination of Research Readiness and achieved candidacy on August 21st, 2008.

Download the Final DRR (Evans, 2008)

Doctoral Research: Research Questions | DRR | Theoretical Framework | Research Proposal | Survey

Research Questions

Max — Thu, 13 May 2010 18:44:23 +0000

The phenomenon of interest in this study, and thus the dependent variable, is knowledge sharing behavior (KSB) in organizations. This study seeks to answer the overarching research question:

What are the factors that influence knowledge sharing behavior directly and indirectly through interpersonal trust?

This general research question may be elaborated in a number of more specific questions:

Are there significant relationships between the identified social-cognitive variables and knowledge sharing behavior?
Does interpersonal trust act as a mediating variable between the social-cognitive variables and knowledge sharing behavior?
What is the relative influence of the identified social-cognitive variables and trust on knowledge sharing behavior?

Doctoral Research: Research Questions | DRR | Theoretical Framework | Research Proposal | Survey

Contact Max

Max — Wed, 12 May 2010 23:58:26 +0000

Max may be contacted at:

Max (at) MaxEvans (dot) com and/or Max (dot) Evans (at) utoronto (dot) ca

M. Max Evans, BSc., MISt
University of Toronto
Faculty of Information Studies
140 St. George Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G6

Twitter @mmaxevans

Doctoral Research

Max — Wed, 12 May 2010 23:57:06 +0000

For an organization, the sharing of knowledge among its employees promises many benefits: it allows the organization to build on past experience and knowledge, respond more quickly to problems, develop new ideas and insights, and avoid reinventing the wheel or repeating past mistakes (Cyr and Choo, 2010). For the individual on the other hand, the sharing of knowledge is a more equivocal proposition (Cyr and Choo, 2010). It requires time and effort to share knowledge; and there is often concern about the loss of hard-earned knowledge, and doubt about how the knowledge would be received and put to use by others. It is this tension between organizational intent and individual ambivalence that renders knowledge sharing such a significant challenge in organizations. The dynamics of this tension is played out at the level of the individual, but while much research has examined methods and systems that can facilitate knowledge sharing, there is less research on the factors that may influence an individual’s willingness to share knowledge with others in an organization.

This study explores the nature and influence of the various factors that have been found to act as motivators or inhibitors for knowledge sharing in organizations. One factor of specific interest is interpersonal trust.

Research Questions
Determination of Research Readiness (DRR)
Theoretical Framework
Doctoral Research Proposal
Survey (A page will open in a new window)

Doctoral Research: Research Questions | DRR | Theoretical Framework | Research Proposal | Survey

Technology in Organizations (MGD423)

Max — Wed, 12 May 2010 23:56:39 +0000

MGD423H5 Technology in Organizations (DEM) (SSc)

This course is designed to give students an appreciation of the technology and management issues surrounding the development and use of information technology in organizations. Main themes emphasized are understanding: 1) information technology and its role in organizations; 2) how managers gain a competitive advantage by using information technology; and 3) how they use information technology to redesign their organizations and industries. [24L, 12T]

Prerequisite: CCT321H5/MGM230H5, CCT322H5/MGM252H5, CCT324H5/MGM300H5, CCT325H5/CCT225H5/MGM371H5; MGM101H5

Information Systems (CCT225)

Max — Wed, 12 May 2010 23:55:55 +0000

CCT225H5 Information Systems (DEM) (SSc)

This course has been designed to provide students with a basic understanding of the role of computers and communication systems in modern organizations. Unlike programming courses, the focus here is on the application of computer-based systems to support information requirements for problem solving and managerial decision-making. Topics include concepts of information, humans as information processors, survey of hardware and software applications, introduction to information systems analysis and design. [24L, 12T]

Prerequisite: MGM101H5; CCT224H5

Teaching

Max — Wed, 12 May 2010 23:54:58 +0000

In the 2009-2010 academic year Max taught Information Systems (CCT225) and Technology in Organizations (MGD423) at the University of Toronto at Mississauga (Digital Enterprise Management, Communication, Culture and Information Technology).

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

2009 – 2010
Course Instructor / Designer
Technology in Organizations & Information Systems
Digital Enterprise Management,
Communication Culture and Information Technology,
University of Toronto at Mississauga

Teaching Assistant
Administrative Decision Making in Information Organizations
Faculty of Information Masters Program, University of Toronto

2008 – 2009
Course Instructor / Designer
Technology in Organizations & Information Systems
Digital Enterprise Management,
Communication Culture and Information Technology,
University of Toronto at Mississauga

Teaching Assistant
Administrative Decision Making in Information Organizations
Faculty of Information Masters Program, University of Toronto

2007 – 2008
Course Instructor / Designer
Technology in Organizations
Digital Enterprise Management,
Communication Culture and Information Technology,
University of Toronto at Mississauga

2006 – 2007
Course Instructor / Designer
Technology in Organizations & Information Systems
Digital Enterprise Management,
Communication Culture and Information Technology,
University of Toronto at Mississauga

2005 – 2006
Course Instructor / Designer
Technology in Organizations
Digital Enterprise Management,
Communication Culture and Information Technology,
University of Toronto at Mississauga

Teaching Assistant / Lecturer
International Business
Department of Management, University of Toronto at Mississauga

Teaching Assistant
Introduction to Strategic Management
Department of Management, University of Toronto at Mississauga

Teaching Assistant / Lecturer
Management of Information Organizations
Faculty of Information Masters Program, University of Toronto

2004 – 2005
Teaching Assistant / Lecturer
Analysis for Decision and Control
Department of Management, University of Toronto at Mississauga

Teaching Assistant
Introduction to Marketing
Department of Management, University of Toronto at Mississauga

Teaching Assistant
Management in a Changing Environment
Department of Management, University of Toronto at Mississauga

Teaching Assistant
Introduction to Management Fundamentals
Department of Management, University of Toronto at Mississauga

The concept of knowledge in KM: A knowledge domain process model applied to inter-professional care

Max — Wed, 12 May 2010 22:21:00 +0000

Winter, 2009

The concept of knowledge in KM: A knowledge domain process model applied to inter-professional care

Michael Max Evans and Joel Alleyne
Faculty of Information, University of Toronto, Canada
Knowledge Media Design Institute, University of Toronto, Canada

Abstract:Grounded in a social construction view of knowledge and based on the work of Haridimos Tsoukas and Max Boisot, this paper attempts to extend Colin Reilly’s knowledge domain model using a process modeling approach. The objective of this paper is to construct a more comprehensive meta-understanding of knowledge domains that considers the influence of organizational context, of a community or group (social construction of knowledge), the presence of events and knowledge artifacts, temporal cycles, and individual knowledge processes.

The authors begin by synthesizing the existing literature review to construct the proposed Knowledge Domain Process (KDP) model. Following the construction of the model, the authors develop and use a composite case (from a number of cases experienced by one of the authors as a practitioner) to illustrate the application of the model. The proposed model is then applied to an Inter-Professional Care (IPC) setting within health care, to illustrate how knowledge is constructed, exchanged, and used across numerous health care communities, in an effort to improve coordination and care.

The KDP model attempts to provide researchers and practitioners with a more structured, detailed, and analytical way of looking at the processes involved in knowledge construction and dissemination. This model is viewed as a work-in-progress and is still under development. Use by others is encouraged and will help validate or refute the model in part or in whole.

Download Paper (Evans and Alleyne, 2009)