Knowledge Visualisation as a Tool to Support Complex Organisations in a State of Emergency

Abstract

In recent years, the importance of exploiting and managing information and knowledge as a strategic resource for organisational growth and competitiveness has been recognised. Knowledge Visualisation (KV) is a very young research area that focuses on the collaborative use of interactive graphics to create, integrate and apply knowledge. Knowledge visualization is defined as the use of visual representations to enhance the creation and transfer of knowledge between at least two people. Knowledge Visualization uses graphic means to build and transmit complex knowledge. In the literature, few studies focus on KV, especially in complex organisations in the emergency phase. Organisations have had to face the pandemic situation that is affecting the whole world, but Knowledge Visualisation could be seen as a support tool that the decision-maker can disseminate to manage the emergency. In this context, the decision-maker can use Knowledge Visualisation tools (images, maps, diagrams, etc.) to transform raw data and information into accessible forms of representations to extract information. This paper is an exploratory and qualitative study based on single case study on an Italian public complex organisation. This study trying to understand how KV can support complex organisations in the emergency phases. The findings highlight the potential and importance of Knowledge Visualisation, which has been shown by their use of different tools and bodies with functions related to Knowledge Visualisation.