Modelling and simulating knowledge diffusion in knowledge collaboration organisations using improved cellular automata

ABSTRACT

Knowledge diffusion plays a vital role for the success of knowledge collaboration organisation (KCO). From the view of micro knowledge exchange activities, this paper aims to study the process and rule of knowledge diffusion in KCO. First, consulting the SEIR epidemic propagation model, this paper divides the individuals into different knowledge statuses, and depicts the process of knowledge diffusion. Considering the influence of individual heterogeneity and mobility on knowledge diffusion, this paper develops an improved cellular automata model with heterogeneity and mobility to study the knowledge diffusion in KCO. By using simulation method, we study the impacts of the distribution pattern of initial knowledge disseminator, knowledge accessibility among individuals, individual mobility and knowledge quitting rate on knowledge diffusion performance. The results reveal some valuable enlightenments about how to improve the knowledge diffusion performance in KCO, which are helpful to the managers to carry out knowledge management strategies and actions.

KEYWORDS:

• Knowledge collaboration organisation
• knowledge diffusion
• SEIR model
• heterogeneity and mobility
• cellular automata

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported by the Chongqing Social Science Research Planning Project (2017BS31), the National Nature Science Foundation of China (71802002, 71701027), and the Scientific and Technological Research Program of Chongqing Municipal Education Commission (KJ1503006).