Information Technology

Paper Summary:

The paper provides an overview of the concepts of knowledge management supported by empirical research and literature. The paper includes a brief description or overview of the London Ambulance Incident for critical appraisal. The paper discusses the suggestion of Frances Han that there are fundamental business reasons an organization may adopt a process approach and achieve success through knowledge management.

Outline:
Introduction
Brief Review of Knowledge Management Within The Organization
Critical Analysis of The London Ambulance Case
The Failure of the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) System
When Knowledge Sharing Fails
Model for Knowledge Sharing
Knowledge Management and Knowledge Sharing
Knowledge Sharing and Innovation
Conclusions

From the Paper:

"Fournie (2002) notes that expectation failure typically occurs when individuals fail to consider the exiting "organizational, political and social environment" in which a system is operating, in this case the CAD system adopted by the London Ambulance Department. Even a "technically perfect system" according to Fournie (2002) will fail when organizational, political and social factors are not streamlined within the organizations. The London Ambulance failure is an example of a system failing not solely based on technical reasons or errors in programming but rather because little effort was given knowledge sharing and training with respect to use of the system. As Fournie (2002) notes, individuals using the system had to learn not only a new system but also had to operate in a new environment where they were unfamiliar about the rules and regulations necessary to operate efficiently and in a streamlined process within this environment (Fournie, 2002; Randell, 1993). Contributing to these problems included use of assistants rather than controllers to handle key events and the varying points of views held by multiple stakeholders within the organization regarding use of the system; additionally lack of a "communication mechanism" to "take these points of view into account" also ultimately led to the failure of the CAD system to achieve it's goals (Fournie, 2002)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Chatzkel, J.L. (2003). Knowledge capital: How knowledge-based enterprises really get built. New York: Oxford University Press.
• Fournie, Chad L. (2002, October). Chapter 3: Summary. 30, University of Calgary. April, 2006: http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~laf/611/Chapter_3_summary.html
• Goral, Criag R. (2000). "Knowledge management and the FAR: Charting a new course at GSA." The Public Manager, 29(4): 39.
• Han, Frances. (2001). "Understanding knowledge management." The Public Manager, 30(2): 34.
• Hyde, A.C. & Mitchell, K.D. (2000). "Knowledge management: The next big thing." The Public Manager, 29(2): 57.

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