Yao, Zeyu;
(2020)
Communication of tacit knowledge in integrated urban water management: The structural, cognitive, and relational dimensions in China’s Sponge City programme.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
In China, water and environmental problems along with rapid urbanisation and climate change have prompted urgent efforts to improve the urban water infrastructure systems as well as sustainable urban development. The complexity of the urban environment and urban development demands the consideration of different facets of urban systems and their relationships. However, it is known that the inter-disciplinary and inter-sectoral collaboration, communication, and learning are vital for sustainable urban water management, and yet are challenging to attain satisfactory results due to the tacit nature of the messages communicated, as well as the complexity of the network dynamics. With a mix-method approach, this study aims to improve understanding of the use and communication of tacit knowledge by the individual actors as well as by the network, and the multi-layered conditions that enable access and mobilisation of social resources which lead to the return of knowledge. The quantitative study (survey N_raw=536, N_valid = 387) investigated actors’ acquisition and use of different types of relevant knowledge. It revealed that the actors’ professional background influences the channels they use for learning. Furthermore, different professions should need resources and materials that target their specific need for learning, because results showed that the actors identified varying degrees of knowledge gaps for different types of knowledge. The findings from the qualitative study (38 semi-structured interviews) suggested that the access to social capital can be facilitated by sharing of space, where actors in close proximities can treat each other by focusing on commonalities and disregarding distinct individual identities. It can create a sense of cohesion among actors, which encourages the sharing of knowledge, though successful learning by individuals relies on the level of contact and redundancy as well. There is a lack of connectivity and meaningful interactions between some professions, and urban planners have the potential to bridge the connectivity between unconnected professions and help ensure that the flow of knowledge access is bi-directional between upstream and downstream of the project. Despite having access, social capital cannot be adequately mobilised unless some preconditions are met. First, the findings showed that trust is a crucial determinant of mobilisation of social capital, and the forms of trust, as well as the sense of meeting obligations, are influenced by collective assets such as the historical and cultural backgrounds of the society. One should be more aware of one’s habits and biases, and respect the social rules to find solutions in the social context. Second, the acquisition and use of tacit knowledges are hindered when there are difficulties with understanding perspectives, concepts and jargons, or when actors are unaware of the gap in knowledge. In response to this obstacle, training on delivering messages and engaging in dialogues with clarity should be incorporated in education, as well as training on increasing alertness to gaps of knowledge.
Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
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Qualification: | Ph.D |
Title: | Communication of tacit knowledge in integrated urban water management: The structural, cognitive, and relational dimensions in China’s Sponge City programme |
Event: | UCL |
Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
Language: | English |
Additional information: | © The Author 2020. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Chemical Engineering |
URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10089019 |
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