This article discusses the transformation of the traditional Iranian courtyard house type and neighbourhood structure in the early 20th century Iran, and focuses on the design of public housing in the country’s early years of modernisation, after the second World War. It explores how (urban) legislations by Iranian reformists and modernists, and the compulsory unveiling law implemented between 1936 and 1943 contributed to change the image of urban areas and the everyday life of Iranians, particularly in Tehran. While this article provides a short overview of these transformations, it discusses how Iranian architects, educated in Europe, attempted to reconceptualise the ideal form of living, the courtyardgarden house (Khaneh-Bagh), for large-scale housing production, in the country. This article shows how the transformation of this house type became an instrument of accommodating both change and resistance in terms of local customs and habits, in Kuy-e Chaharsad-Dastgah, built between 1946 and 1950 in Tehran. To illustrate these, the design and development of this experimental housing project is analysed in details. It is also demonstrated how this project was developed based on a “planning document” revised by a group of modernist Iranian architects, who intended to improve the hygiene condition of living environments and to accommodate a large number of low-income civil servants in post-World War II, Tehran. It is argued that dual characteristics of the Iranian courtyard house allowed for both incorporating imported models, and simultaneously resisting universalising tendencies towards homogenisation, in the case of Chaharsad-Dastgah.@en

Knowledge sharing is an organisational process that is essential to create and maintain sustained competitive advantage by organisations to react quickly to changing external circumstances. Participation of employees is a major challenge to facilitate knowledge sharing within organisations. Knowledge exchange channels have been developed in knowledge management (KM) systems to support the emergent social nature of knowledge sharing. Establishing communication channels between participants does not assure that knowledge sharing will actually take place within or between organisations. Knowledge sharing performance depends onhow participants use the technologies provided...@en

The importance of knowledge sharing within most organisations is well recognised. While abundant KM systems have been matured to encourage individual engagement in knowledge sharing, practical evidences show a low success rate of KM systems. This paper reports on a qualitative exploratory multi-case study to explore level participants’ engagement in knowledge sharing along the design principle for engagement of participatory systems. Results show that KM systems using a combined approach of supply- and demand side KM strongly influence participants’ engagement for knowledge sharing.@en

This paper explores benefits and costs of knowledge exchange perceived by individuals in connected electronic networks of practice (ENoP) in a corporate setting. The results of 25 semi-structured interviews show 9 perceived benefits and 5 perceived costs to be of importance for knowledge exchange. Altruism and reciprocity are the two main perceived benefits from the knowledge providers’ perspective; problem solving is the main perceived benefit from the knowledge seekers’ perspective. Five perceived costs are identified for both knowledge seekers and knowledge providers; time and effort are the most frequently cited.@en

Knowledge networks play a crucial role in contemporary organisations to improve participation for knowledge sharing. Examining employees’ knowledge contribution play an important role for in success implementing knowledgenetworks. Whereas most part of studies emphasis on the quantity aspect of knowledge contributions, the success of knowledge networks also depends strongly on quality aspect of participants’ voluntarily contributions. Further, employees’ central positions can make a strategic position for participants for both locally and globally in the overall structure of the knowledge network. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationships between centrality positions of participants with knowledge contribution quality in knowledge networks. Five hypotheses are designed to evaluate relations of employees’ centrality positions with the quality aspect of knowledge contributions using correlation analysis. The network data are collected from a knowledge network of a corporate group in the energy industry. The research results signify degree centrality; closeness centrality and betweenness centrality of participants have significant relations with the quality of shared knowledge. The research outcomes draw initial guides for organisations to evaluate the quality aspect of knowledge contributions by network analysis in knowledge networks.@en

This paper explores participants’ perceived benefits and costs that influence the quantity and the quality of voluntary participation in knowledge networks in a resources-constrained economy. A conceptual model of perceived benefits and costs of knowledge sharing is designed on the basis of literature. The influence of perceived benefit and cost on perceived quantity and quality of knowledge sharing are assessed on the basis of a survey with 283 participants in a business context within a resource-restrained economy. The results indicate that reputation, reciprocity, and altruism are perceived to benefit quantity of participation, while reciprocity, altruism, and knowledge self-efficacy are perceived to benefit the quality of participation in knowledge networks. Effort and time have a negative impact on both quantity and quality of participation in knowledge sharing.@en

Knowledge management is a critical issue in today's business world. Knowledge is considered to be one of the most strategic resources of a firm and sources of competitive advantage. This paper identifies and ranks Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for implementation of knowledge management in the Iranian Energy Sector. Using the Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method the relative quantitative weights of 8 of the major CSFs for implementation of knowledge management are identified, based on analyses with KM designers in the energy sector. The outcomes of the research designate that the critical success factors in the order of importance are: corporate culture, human and financial resources, strategy and leadership, structures and procedures, meso environmental factors, knowledge management process, macro environmental factors, technology and infrastructure.@en

Previous studies have revealed that motivating people to share knowledge is an important challenge in knowledge management (KM) in companies. Further, the recent growing use of enterprise social media (ESM) for KM creates an unprecedented exploration direction for business managers and researchers. A more transparent insight into ESM attributes and engagement between attributes and participants’ motivations can be developed by more focused studies. This study examines how certain attributes of ESM platforms can significantly enhance participants’ perceived benefits and costs to a greater extent than conventional KM systems. Results of synthesized studies reveal that individuals’ perceived benefits and costs of participation throughout ESM are influenced by three attributes of social media technology: entirety, visibility, and informality. We argue that these attributes of ESM systems can support some benefits and diminish some costs of knowledge sharing. Employees’ motivations are accordingly boosted by making participants visible, creating an environment for informal interactions, and developing integrated knowledge exchange channels.@en