The Process-Oriented Model of Organizational Memory: A Prerequisite for Knowledge Management in Medical Records Departments

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Farahnaz Sadoughi 1
Farbod Ebadifard Azar 1
Ahmadi Ahmadi 2
Zakieh Piri 3
1 Associate Professor, Health Infomation Management, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Health Infomation Management, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Health Infomation Management, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: Organizational memory (OM) is a tool for implementation of knowledge 
management. The objective of this study was designing an OM for medical records (MR) 
departments. 
Methods: This descriptive study was carried out in 2007. The study population consisted of all 
employees in five teaching hospitals in Tabriz. Process and required knowledge identification 
was performed through questionnaires and structured interviews with 65 employees. OM models 
were derived from the available literature and the Internet. Our model was provided according to 
the assessment and review of models. Then, experts in health information management gave their 
opinion on the model by Delphi technique. 
Results: The studied employees believed that their performance could have been better if the 
required knowledge had been provided (85%). They considered OM as necessary (98%) and 
indicated mistakes, work slowness, dissatisfaction and confusion of clients as some subsequences 
of employees transfer. Most models provided for OM (86%) were process-based. Our model was 
considered as a system in which inputs, processes and outputs were determined. 
Conclusion: An OM system which relates organizational knowledge to the business processes is 
a necessity for an MR department. This system can lead to organizational learning and 
productivity. In this study, a set of items and entities required for a process-based OM system 
were provided

Keywords

. Stein EW, Zwass V. Actualizing Organizational Memory with Information Systems. Information Systems 
Research 1995; 6(2): 85-117. 
2. Miller L, Nilakanta S. Tools for Organizational Decision Support: The Design and evelopment of an 
Organizational Memory System. Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 
(CD-ROM) of ABC Software; 1997 Jan 7-10; Maui, Hawaii; 1997. 
3. Snis U. Knowledge is acknowledging? A Field study about people, processes, documents and technologies, 
Proceeding of the International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-33); 2000 Jan 4-7; Maui, Hawaii; 2000. 
4. Alstete WJ. An assessment of knowledge growth stages in organizations. Knowledge Management Research & 
Practice 2007; 5: 54-63. 
5. Sinotte M. Exploration of the Field of Knowledge Management for the Library and Information Professional. 
Libri 2004; 54(3): 190-8. 
6. Lehner F, Maier RK. How Can Organizational Memory Theories Contribute to Organizational Memory Systems? 
Information Systems Frontiers 2000; 2(3-4): 277-98. 
7. Spek R, DeHoog R. Towards a methodology for knowledge management, Technical Note knowledge 
management network [Online]. 1994 [cited 1997 Nov 23]; Available from: URL: 
http://ceres.cibit.nl/web/kmn/pospapers.nsf/ 
8. Alavi M, Leidner DE. Review: Knowledge Management and Knowledge Management Systems: Conceptual 
Foundations and Research Issues. MIS Quarterly 2001; 25(1): 107-36. 
9. Malone SM. Knowledge management: white knight or white elephant? Top Health Inf Manage 2001; 21(3): 33-43. 
10. U.S.Department of Health and Human Services. Miscoding Transfers An OIG report entitled "Miscoding Patient 
Transfers: Effect on Medicare (OAI-06-87-00043). In: Commerce Clearing House, Blue Cross Association, 
editors. Medicare and medicaid guide.Washington (DC): Commerce Clearing House; 1988. 
11. U.S.Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Inspector General, Medicare Hospital Patient Transfers 
Incorrectly paid as Discharges, January 1992 through December 1994 (A-06-95-00083). Washington (DC): U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services; 1996. 
12. Koornneef F, Hale A. Organizational memory for learning from operational surprises: Requirements and pitfalls, 
Organizational memory for learning from operational surprises. In: Andriessen JH, Fahlbruch B, Editors. How to 
manage experience sharing: from organisational surprises to organisational knowledge.Boston: Emerald Group 
Publishing; 2004. 
13. Abidi SS. Knowledge management in healthcare: towards 'knowledge-driven' decision-support services. Int J 
Med Inform 2001; 63(1-2): 5-18. 
14. Kruse SD. Remembering as organizational memory. Journal of Educational Administration 2003; 41(4): 332-47. 
15. Walsh PJ, Ungson GR. Organizational Memory'. Academy of ManagementReview 1991; 16(1): 57-91. 
16. Ackerman MS, Halverson CA. Considering an organization's memory. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on 
Computer Supported Cooperative Work; 1998 Nov 14-18; Seattle, Washington; 1998. 
17. Heijst GV, Spek RV, Kruizinga E. Organizing Corporate Memories, Computer Based Learning Unit, University 
of Leeds [Online]. 1996 [cited 2007 Jun 16]; Available from: URL: 
http://ksi.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/KAW/KAW96/vanheijst/HTMLDOC.html/ 
18. Kogut B, Zander U. Knowledge of the Firm, Combinative Capabilities, and the Replication of Technology. 
Organization Science 1992; 3(3): 383-97. 
19. Hedlund G. A model of knowledge management and the N-form Corporation. Strategic Management Journal 
1994; 15(S2): 73-90. 
20. Beckett RC. A characterisation of corporate memory as a knowledge system. Journal of Knowledge Management 
2000; 4(4): 311-9. 
21. Wang S. Organizational memory information systems: a domain analysis in the object-oriented paradigm. 
Information Resources Management Journal archive 1999; 12(2): 26-35. 
22. Ackerman MS. Augmenting the Organizational Memory: A Field Study of Answer Garden. Proceedings of the ACM 
Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW'94); 1994 Oct 22-26; Chapel Hill, Carolina; 1994. 
23. Fentress J, Wickham C. Social memory. Oxfort: Blackwell, 1992. 
24. Valsiner J, Van Der Veer R. The social mind: construction of the idea. New York: Cambridge University Press; 2000. 
25. Lehner F, Maier RK. How Can Organizational Memory Theories Contribute to Organizational Memory Systems? 
Information Systems Frontiers 2000; 2(3-4): 277-98. 
26. Schmidt K, Bannon L. Taking CSCW Seriously: Supporting Articulation Work. CSCW: An International Journal 
1992; 1(1-2): 7-40. 
www.mui.ac.ir 
فرحناز صدوقی و همکاران
مد تیری اطلاعات سلامت / دورهی هشتم / شمارهی ششم / بهمن و اسفند 90 751 
27. Abecker A, Bernardi A, Hinkelmann K, Kuhn O, Sintek M. Toward a technology for organizational memories. 
Intelligent Systems and their Applications, IEEE 1998; 13(3): 40-8. 
28. Ackerman MS. Augmenting organizational memory: a field study of answer garden. ACM Transactions on 
Information Systems 1998; 16(3): 203-24. 
29. Schwartz DG, Divitini M, Brasethvik T. Internet-based organizational memory and knowledge management. 
Hershey: Idea Group Inc (IGI); 2000. 
30. Wijnhoven F. Managing Dynamic Organizational Memories Instruments for Knowledge Management. 
California: Boxwood Press; 1999. 
31. Teeni D, Weinberger H. Systems development of organizational memory: a literature survey. In: Hansen HR, 
Bicheler M, Editors. Proceedings of the Eighth European Conference on on Information Systems; 2000 Jul 3-5; 
Vienna, Austria; 2000. p. 219-24. 
32. Tuomi L. The Communicative View on Organizational Memory: Power and Ambiguity in Knowledge Creation 
Systems Proceedings of the 29th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences; 1996 Jan 4-7; 
Maui, Hawaii; 1996. 2012. 
33. Admane L. A generic model of corporate memory: Application to industrial systems Available from: URL: wwwsop.inria.fr/acacia/WORKSHOPS/IJCAI2005.../8-OM2005.pdf. Journal of knowledge ma nagement practice 2005. 
34. Watson TR. Data management: databases and organizations. New Jersey: J. Wiley; 2004. 
35. Klamma R, Jarke M. Knowledge Management Cultures: A Comparison of Engineering and Cultural Science 
Projects. Proceedings of the XMWS'99, Beyond Knowledge Management: Managing Expertise; 1999 Sep 13; 
Kopenhagen, Danemark; 1999. 
36. Vasconcelos J, Kimble CF, Kimble C, Kudenko D. Reasoning in Corporate Memory Systems: A Case Study of 
Group Competencies. Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on the Management of Industrial and 
Corporate Knowledge; 2001 Oct 22-24; Compiègne, France; 2001. 2012. 
37. Nilakanta S, Miller LL, Zhu D. Organizational Memory Management: Technological and Research Issues. 
Journal of Database Management 2006; 17(1): 85-94. 
38. Van Elst L, Abecker A, Maus H. Exploiting User and Process Context for Knowledge Management Systems, 
Workshop on User Modeling for Context-Aware Applications. Proceedings of the 8th International Confrance on 
User Modeling; 2001 Jul 13-16; Sonthofen, Germany; 2001. 
39. Klamma R, Informatik LV, Schlaphof S. Rapid Knowledge Deployment in an Organizational Memory Based 
Workflow Environment [Online]. 2000; Available from: URL: 
www.citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.35.6809/ 
40. Ackerman MS., Mandel E. Memory in the Small: An Application to Provide Task-Based Organizational Memory 
for a Scientific Community. Proceedings of the 28th Annual Hawii International Conference on System Sciences 
(HICSS-28), IV; 1995 Jan 3-5; Maui, Hawaii; 1995. p. 323-32. 
41.Jennex M. An organizational memory information systems success model: An extention of DeLone & McLean's 
I/S success model. Proceeding of the 31st Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 1998 Jan 
5-9; Hawaii, USA; 1998. p. 157. 
42. Geisler E. Harnessing the value of experience in the knowledge-driven firm. Business Horizons 1999; 42(3): 18-26. 
43. Marshak DS. Tackling the knowledge management problem: grapeVine offers a new solution. Workgroup 
Computing Report 1995; 18(1): 3-19. 
44. Resnick P. GroupLens: an open architecture for collaborative filtering of Netnews. Proceedings of the ACM 
conference on Computer supported cooperative work; 1994 Oct 22-26; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; 1994. 
45. Levine L, Mumford E, Swanson EB, Warboys B, Wastell D. An Ecology of Resistance. In: McMaster T, editor. 
Facilitating technology transfer through partnership: learning from practice and research: IFIP TC8 WG8.6 
International Working Conference on Diffusion, Adoption and Implementation of Information Technology, 25th27th June 1997, Ambleside, Cumbria, UK. London: Chapman & Hall on behalf of the International Federation for 
Information Processing; 1997. p. 163-74. 
46. Humphrey WS. Managing technical people: innovation, teamwork, and the software process. New York: 
Addison-Wesley; 1997. 
47. Heineman GT, Botsford JE, Caldiera G, Kaiser GE, Kellner MI, Madhavji NH. Emerging technologies that 
support a software process life cycle. IBM Systems Journal 1994; 33(3): 501-26. 
48. Curtis B, Kellner M, Over J. Process modeling. Communications of the ACM 1992; 35(9): 75-90. 
49. Drucker PF. Post-capitalist society. New York: Butterworth-Heinemann; 1993. 
50. Drucker PF. The age of social transformation. Ottawa: Centre Canadien De Gestion; 1994. 
51. Seybold PB. Office Computing Group. Doug Englebart's design for knowledge-based organizations, Part 1: Required 
technology: Open hyperdocument systems. Paradigm Shift: Guideto the Information Revolution 1992; 3(8): 1-9. 
Health Information Management
Volume 8, Issue 6 - Serial Number 22
January and February 2012
Pages 734-753