Suggestion Schemes as Information and Knowledge Management Systems

Suggestion schemes are becoming increasingly popular in organisations in the UK and elsewhere, but they are not normally studied from the viewpoint of information systems. This paper seeks to make good the omission. After briefly reviewing the nature and status of suggestion schemes, the paper describes fieldwork that has investigated both private sector and public sector suggestion schemes and implemented an experimental scheme. The evidence of the fieldwork is analysed to reveal the organisational structure of suggestion schemes and their use of automation. The role of suggestion schemes in relation to various types of knowledge and idealised forms of organisation is examined. The purpose of this analysis is partly to improve understanding of suggestion schemes, and partly to show how they can contribute to knowledge management and communication within organisations. The paper concludes by identifying ways in which an understanding of suggestion schemes can contribute to the design of large-scale knowledge management systems.